Rotary Simulator Pedals

Emulate the sound of a Leslie speaker cabinet in pedal form to deliver the signature Leslie harmonic sound. At Andertons Music Co we have a fantastic range of rotary simulator pedals to choose from.

A rotary simulator pedal, also known as a Leslie recreation, is a guitar pedal which emulates the sound of a Leslie cabinet. The Leslie cabinet was originally designed in the 1930s to replicate the sound of pipe organs, and was popular with guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and George Harrison in the 1960s. 

By using the ‘doppler effect’, a leslie speaker rotates to give the impression that your instrument’s volume and pitch is changing repetitively. If you’re unfamiliar with this sound, it can be best described as a mixture of tremolo and vibrato, modulating the guitar signal.

As real leslie cabinets are so cumbersome and expensive, some stompbox manufacturers try to emulate that iconic sound with their very own guitar rotary pedals, to satisfy the demands of modern players. With the majority of these available in guitar pedal form, such as the TC Electronic Vibraclone and Danelectro Big Spender, there are slightly more tweakable rotary speaker pedals out there too. 

The Electro Harmonix Lester Deluxe is just one example, featuring a raft of controls and parameters for optimal flexibility. The Strymon Lex is another key leslie pedal contender, with its powerful digital engine ensuring incredible fidelity and sound quality. 

If you’d like to learn more about rotary simulator pedals, make sure that you read our Ultimate Guide to Guitar Tremolo & Vibrato.