By Nick Ecker
Rotary. It’s something of a mystery amongst the heap of guitar effects in modern times, at least when it comes to the ubiquity of other styles of modulation. When compared to the amount of chorus, univibe, phasers, flangers and tremolos, there are comparatively fewer options.
This is undoubtedly due to the difficulty of capturing all of the nuances that Rotary cabinets offer. Ideally the effect should provide stereo compatibility to recreate the three dimensional sound of a rotating speaker or horn, which arguably ups the cost of research and development and passes the cost onto the consumer.
The original Rotary cabinets, designed by Hammond and labeled as Leslie Rotary Speakers were initially designed as an effect for organs. These units generally featured a treble and bass horn that rotated at either a slower or faster speed.
Fender would later unleash their own take on the effect via the Vibrasonic, which instead featured a rotating drum that contained a single Jensen speaker in 1967.
Many groups of the sixties began to utilize Rotary speakers, fueling the psychedelic sound so many bands had chased. Groups like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Deep Purple, Cream and Pink Floyd would all utilize the effect on their latest records.
The Beatles later output in particular utilized Rotary units, George Harrison would be seen with a Vibratone during the “Let it Be” documentary. Many tracks from “Let it Be” and “Abbey Road” featured the effect, including “Let it Be”, “Something”, “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”, “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Sun King”.
The Beach Boys would also use Rotary to great effect, on tracks like “You’re So Good to Me” and “Pet Sounds”. The groups history with the effect would lead to a collaboration between The Beach Boys and effects manufacturers that included JHS, Benson Amps, and Keeley Electronics in celebration of the groups 60th anniversary and the documentary that coincided with it.
Josh Scott of JHS was essentially given the reigns regarding who he recruits for which effect. When it came to assigning the task of developing the 12 String and Rotary Simulator, Josh had chosen Robert Keeley to work his magic with these effects.
Given Robert’s history with effects pedals, particularly when it came to simulating Rotary for consumer friendly prices, this decision was effectively a no brainer.
In the past Keeley Electronics have offered Rotary simulations with various products, including the RotoSonic, Dyno My Roto, Monterey, and the ever popular Dark Side. This resulted in the “I Get Around” Rotary Simulator, his most accurate recreation of the effect yet.
The “I Get Around” Rotary Simulator allowed for stereo, featured an onboard drive control, a fast/slow switch, and came equipped in a new enclosure that featured prominent RCA Bakelite knobs.
Fast forward several months and we have the “Rotary.”. Most consumers will wonder if this is simply a reskinned version of the “I Get Around” Rotary Simulator. Think of the “Rotary.” as a “V2” of its predecessor. The DSP code is largely the same, however this version has migrated to Keeley’s new DSP platform which allows for less background interference, higher headroom, and an overall higher fidelity sound.
Some slight tweaks have been made, including a new boost mode which allows for slighter or more prominent midrange boost. Level changes have also been implemented to make the Rotary more prominent.
So, sonically, where does Rotary sit? This somewhat under utilized effect is a bit of a mystery amongst many guitar players. In my opinion, it feels akin to a “Greatest Hits” compilation of modulation pedals. The swirl that phaser pedals are often celebrated for, the increased speed of flanging, the pulse of univibe, the shimmer of chorus, all of these elements are possible via the Rotary.
As a matter of fact, I’d argue that the Rotary could serve as your lone modulation pedal if your amp features a tremolo option (or you could purchase the Keeley Zoma if you don’t own a tremolo pedal). The parameters provided allow for prime tone sculpting, making for one of the most versatile modulation pedals I’ve ever tried.
I am seriously floored by the amount of sounds that the Rotary is capable of pulling off. On more subtle settings I can achieve the slight movement that I often conjure via my Jam Pedals RetroVibe. In fast mode, the Rotary did a fantastic job of capturing the whirling, organ like textures of “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. When set between 9 o’clock and noon, the Rotary pulls off some lush chorus tones that gave my trusty Boss CE-2W a run for its money, providing a livelier modulated signal that sat somewhere between phasing and chorus.
In stereo the Rotary shines even brighter. The modulation truly feels three dimensional, nailing the essence of your signal being processed through a spinning motor with horns or speakers swirling around.
One of my future aspirations was the purchase a proper phaser pedal as there is a glaring omission amongst my current lineup, yet the Rotary captures the swirling essence of phasing so well that I almost deem that purchase unnecessary unless some unique product comes around and floors my expectations.
The drive and blend controls are brilliantly implemented. Blend control is such a useful feature, especially for those that wish to use modulation as a subtle tonal enhancer to liven up a signal without overpowering it.
The same could arguably be said of the drive control which simulates a pair of 6550 and 12AU7 tubes. One of my favorite modulation pedals of all time is my Past FX Chorus Ensemble which is based around the Boss CE-1. The onboard preamp adds so much character and warmth to the circuit in the way it interacts with the modulation. Keeley have accomplished something similar with the drive control, which adds a sense of girth to the effect. The drive knob especially comes in handy when using my Stratocaster in the bridge position through my Twin Reverb, fattening up the thin qualities without overbearing the signal.
Keeley have cemented 2024 as one of their finest years throughout their near quarter century of operation. The Rotary serves as the perfect bookend, as the company has now bested itself and its competitors by offering some of, if not the finest effects in each major category, be it overdrive/ distortion/fuzz with the 4 in 1 series, fuzz and pitch shifting via the Octa Psi, reverb and tremolo via the Zoma, delay via the Halo Core and now modulation with the Rotary. I am sincerely excited for the companies future as it seems that the possibilities are limitless.
Each new product has become a favorite of mine and has unseated pedals that I hold near and dear to my sound. The Octa Psi replaced my Digitech Whammy V4 and my Stomp Under Foot Violet Ram’s Head. The Zoma replaced my most frequently used pedal, the Strymon Flint V2, the Halo Core replaced my Strymon El Capistan V2, my favorite delay. Now the Rotary has unseated my Jam Pedals RetroVibe, a pedal that has not left my signal chain since I had purchased it two years ago.
Features:
9-18v operation
Ramp Rate- To create your own ramp rate hold down the “Slow/Fast” foot switch and adjust the drive knob to set your own custom ramp rate.
Custom Slow Speed- Hold Slow/Fast switch while adjusting the speed knob to customize the speed of the slow mode. To save your setting, let off the slow/fast foot switch.
True or Buffered Bypass-Press and hold “ON” foot switch for two seconds to switch between true or buffered bypass. LED will blink three times to indicate true bypass.
Standard LED Mode- Hold down “Slow/Fast” foot switch then apply power to the back of the unit, the unit will then display the LED consistently rather than flashing with the rate.
Factory Reset- Hold both the “On” and “Slow/ Fast” switch while applying power to the back of the unit.
Grab yours today – Click here to learn more.