Rotary CLS-222

Name: Rotary CLS-222
Price: 49 USD
Author: Arturia

by Arturia · Modulation · Rotary speaker emulation

Not rated yet

An emulation of the Dynacord CLS-222, an analog rotary speaker simulator, with an op-amp preamp and optional valve saturation.

Separate bass and treble rotor speeds, tempo sync and up to 120% stereo width let it go from subtle swirl to rhythmic spinning patterns.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Guitars, Vocals, Sound Design. Genres: Rock & Indie, R&B & Soul, Pop, Electronic & EDM.

Keywords: rotary, hardware emulation, tube, keys, wide, mixing, op-amp, subtle, swirling, synths, tempo-synced, vocals, electric guitar, extreme, sound design, visual feedback, A/B compare, classic, phaser, piano, rhythmic, samples & loops, pads.

What it does

Rotary CLS-222 is Arturia's take on the Dynacord CLS-222, a rotary speaker simulator; it "blends legendary Dynacord swirls with authentic tube saturation and advanced stereo modulation."

Preamp: the op-amp preamp circuit with an optional valve saturation stage.
Rotors: independent bass and treble speed controls in Hz or synced to tempo, with Fast, Slow and Stop modes and ramping.
Stereo: width from mono to 120% super-stereo, plus Distance controls for the shape of the modulation.
Visualizer: a real-time display with four phasing options.
Mixing: input high-pass filter, dry/wet blend, mix-ready presets and A/B comparison.

KVR lists version 1.2.1.

Source: Arturia product page

When to use it

Rotary CLS-222 models the Dynacord unit rather than a Leslie cabinet like IK Multimedia T-RackS Leslie, Universal Audio Waterfall Rotary Speaker and Slate Digital Rotary SD-147, with synced rotor speeds and super-wide stereo that suit synths and sound design as well as organ. It gives rotary motion rather than the tremolo-style rhythmic gating of Soundtoys Tremolator.

Best for: organ and electric piano, clean guitars, synth pads and adding stereo motion to vocals or loops.
Genres: rock, soul, R&B, pop and electronic.
Look elsewhere if: you want a strict Leslie cabinet model for B-3 organ; a Leslie-based plugin is the closer match.
Standout: independent bass and treble rotors that can lock to tempo, plus the optional valve stage.

What producers say

There is little formal review coverage; the user feedback found is positive about its range.

Arturia forum user (2024) called it "AWESOME!" and said it goes from "extremely subtle" to extreme, preferring it to Tremolator and the B-3 V's built-in Leslie.

Arturia forum: Rotary CLS-222 vs. Leslie on B3-V2

Where to buy

Arturia: $49
AudioDeluxe: $49

Tutorials and reviews

Similar plugins

Waterfall Rotary Speaker by Universal Audio · Rotary speaker · $99
Rotary Mod by Eventide · Rotary speaker effect · $93.08
L'otary2 by PSP Audioware · Rotary speaker emulation · $87
Rotary by UVI · Rotary speaker emulation · $59
Rotary SD-147 by Slate Digital · Rotary speaker · $49.50
T-RackS Leslie by IK Multimedia · Rotary speaker · $93.08
Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere by Nembrini Audio · Rotary speaker with tube drive · $99.99
MVintageRotary by MeldaProduction · Leslie-style rotary speaker simulator · $49
Efektor Rotarion Rotary Effect by Kuassa · Rotary speaker effect · $19
Paradox VC Rotary by Kiive Audio · Rotary speaker with vibrato/chorus · $59

All modulation & movement