L'otary2

Name: L'otary2
Price: 87 USD
Author: PSP Audioware

by PSP Audioware · Modulation · Rotary speaker emulation

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An emulation of Leslie rotary speakers based on the 122 and 147 models, with independent control of the horn and drum.

Mic placement, amplifier types, crunch and mechanical noise modeling let it go from a faithful cabinet to creative, broken-mechanism effects.

Best for: Keys & Synths, Guitars, Vocals. Genres: Rock & Indie, R&B & Soul, Jazz, Acoustic & Classical, Pop.

Keywords: rotary, hardware emulation, drums, creative, crunchy, keys, mixing, vocals, electric guitar, brass, synths, ambience, piano, sound design.

What it does

L'otary2 is an "ultra high-quality emulation of a rotary speaker," with an algorithm based on the Leslie 122 and 147 models. Version 2 added extended algorithm controls, output mixing controls, improved performance and advanced MIDI operation.

Horn and drum: independent control of the rotating horn and drum, including ramp-up and ramp-down speeds.
Microphones: microphone positioning and distance adjustment, plus an ambience control.
Amplifier and drive: multiple amplifier types with crunch and distortion parameters.
Mechanics: mechanical noise modeling for realism.
Creative options: non-standard settings such as a static drum or broken mechanisms for sound design.

The current version is 2.2.0.

Source: PSP Audioware product page

When to use it

L'otary2 is the pick for its detailed control over the horn, drum, mics, amp and mechanical noise, and for creative settings beyond what a real cabinet can do, compared with other rotary speaker plugins on the site such as IK Multimedia T-RackS Leslie, Slate Digital Rotary SD-147 and Universal Audio Waterfall Rotary Speaker.

Best for: organ and electric piano, guitars, and adding rotary movement to vocals and synths.
Genres: rock, soul, gospel, jazz and pop.
Look elsewhere if: you need a light, low-CPU rotary effect; reviewers of the original found it heavy on CPU.
Standout: modeling of the whole cabinet in a room, including mic placement and mechanical noise.

What producers say

Reviews of the original L'otary (the basis for version 2) were enthusiastic about realism, with CPU use the main caveat.

Computer Music (2015, L'otary): called it "unquestionably the best Leslie emulation ever made" and "a cut above in terms of realism and vibe."
Tape Op (2016, L'otary): Dave Cerminara wrote it "sounds like a Leslie - squeaky mechanics and all!"
Gripe: both reviews found it CPU-intensive; Computer Music missed tempo-synced speeds and Tape Op found the GUI complex at first.

Where to buy

Tutorials and reviews

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