GearDump

For those of you familiar with the Deja Vibe line of products that Fulltone has offered the MDV-2 shouldn’t be to big of a shock. For the rest, the MDV-2 is essentially a period-correct Uni-Vibe stand in. There are features and sounds unique to this pedal that really get to the core of what a real univibe can do. Just check out the proguitarshop.com video from youtube.

As is normal, Mike Fuller declined to comment on this story. Fulltone’s history with the Deja-Vibe started with the original Deja Vibe. It was later trumped by the Mini Deja-Vibe. The Deja-Vibe and Mini Deja-Vibe are great clones right down to the matching of original photo resistors and lamps. For those not in the know, Uni-Vibes are an optical phaser. They use photo-resistors and some lamps inside the pedal to actually create the phasing effect. The Dunlop Univibe that is currently manufactured has photo-cells to but they are nothing like the originals since those parts were no longer being made. Fulltone has apparantley started producing NOS parts for these pedals. The Deja Vibe 2 was the first pedal that Fulltone produced that came with a speed control. The original univibe had a speed control that plugged into the box (which was actually about the size of an echoplex). The Deja Vibe 2 somewhat resembled a Morely Wah pedal in that configuration. Early this year the MDV-2 was unveiled to essentially replace the entire Deja Vibe product line. The MDV-2 looks like a Fulltone Clyde wah except for it’s cream colored casing. Under the hood are the electronics of a complete Deja Vibe including all the controls, an LED and some modifications to the Speed Control circuit.

The Deja-Vibe 2 had a switch the user pushed to turn the speed control on or off. The MDV-2 has an ingenious always-off unless rockered slightly forward operation–the best part is Fulltone actually managed to make a true-bypass pedal with this configuration. I’ll spare the lecture on why you might not want true bypass for another article but if you’ve ever built or modded pedals then putting true bypass in a pedal like this would be difficult to say the least.

Most importantly, does the MDV-2 give those watery textures offered by the other Deja-Vibe products and does it come close to the original Uni-Vibe? In a nutshell, Yes. The MDV-2 actually sounds closer then the Dunlop “reissue” and is frankly the best main-stream uni-vibe clone on the market. It is slightly pricey but if you want those tones without the rediculous pricetag and maintenance fees the MDV-2 might just be the ticket. Hell, even Robin Trower, who has depended on a Vibe pedal of some sort has been spotted with each of the Deja-Vibe products at different times.  If you know Fulltone’s build quality, it is excellent. The parts are top notch, the boards are easy to work with for repairs and are amongst some of the most reliable designs on the market.

Fulltone MDV-2 at www.fulltone.com

Hughes And Kettner Tube Rotosphere Mk. II

Hughes & Kettner has manufactured the Rotosphere for a few years. The MkII is a minor revision of the original design. The Rotosphere has been discontinued though new ones are available for around $500-$600. This is a steep price but for true Leslie fans who cannot haul their cabinet this could be a God-send.

The pedal features a 12AX7. Like most other tube powered pedals requires a wall-wart AC plug. Tube based pedals can often introduce more noise in the signal but with the right provisions (like a voodoo labs pedal power 2) there should be no problems. The unit features controls for Drive, Level, Rotor Balance, Bypass, Breaker, and speed. In addition to the top-mount controls there is also an impedence switch for matching signal levels to keyboards or guitar. The effect is intended to be used in a stereo rig but has a switch for monorual operation.

The Rotosphere’s breaker control is unique to this pedal. The breaker control effectively simulates stopping the rotary motor, and so slows the rotating speaker effect down until it finally stops. The balance control is something like a tone control controling (if it were real) how much of the signal goes to the driver or the tweeter.

The effect really does a great job of emulating the sound of a Leslie with a stereo guitar rig. There has been discussion regarding the proper placement of stereo amps when utilizing the rotosphere but ultimately the sound is very close to that of a leslie. The pedal even ramps up and slows down when the speed switch is engaged. The addition of the breaker control is a nice addition as well. The AC power is really the only tonal drawback to this pedal. The casing is built very well and the tube is visible from a glass panel. Some users have reported that the tube is hard to get to for replacement but most 12AX7 tubes have a long life. For anyone who truly relies on the rotating speaker sound for their work the Rotosphere might just be the go-to effect pedal.

If you can stomach the cost of admission the Tube Rotosphere gets leslie-like bliss without back-breaking labor!

The Leslie Rotating speaker cabinet is the device that started the doppler effect craze. At first it was delegated to making Hammond B3 (tonewheel) organs sound more authentic. As you may or may not know the Leslie Rotating Speaker cabinet has a foot operated speed control for the speed of rotation. Guitar players started latching on to this sound fairly early after it’s invention though modification or a special preamp were required to make the B3 work properly.

If you, or anyone you know has ever owned a Leslie I’m sure they have complained about the monstrous size and weight of one of these cabinets. Some other companies have tried to produce Leslie-like solutions that are more portable but for many players the Leslie Cabinet is the ONLY thing that captures the sound. Most players prefer to use the Leslie cabinet alongside a regular guitar amp so that the sound can be mixed to taste.

Leslie Cabinets are still produced today albeit with different electronics and looks. In fact, Leslie even produces a line of rotating speakers aimed at guitar players. Leslie has attempted to mitigate the cost and weight of these Cabinets as well, though the lightest weighs in at a staggering 101 pounds and retails for $1,500.00.

Fender produced a rotary speaker cabinet called the Vibratone between 1967 and 1972. The Vibratone was powered by a guitar amp and projected the midrange of the sound through the system. One of the major drawbacks to the Vibratone was it’s alleged unreliability and the fact that the speaker rotated up and down rather then side to side. This meant that the majority of the Vibratone sound was directed towards the ceiling. These units are fairly rare, but some guitar players have latched onto them, the most famous being SRV. I have never actually seen a Vibratone in person so all of what I say about these units is largely based on conversations with various individuals. If you know any information on these feel free to share!

Motion Sound SRV is a rotating speaker rig aimed at guitarists as well. It is a bit different than a Leslie in the housing and also because it uses Guitar Loudspeakers to actually put out sound. When the unit is in the stopped position it correctly places the Loudspeakers in the forward position so the cabinet can be used as a regular Guitar speaker setup. Cool stuff! The SRV is available as a 1×12 or 2×12 and costs under $1,000.00. Additionally, it is less then half the weight of a Leslie.

Whatever cabinet you are considering make sure you understand what it will take to use one of these in a gigging environment and plan accordingly.

When Donald Leslie Invented the rotating-speaker cabinet he could not have known that droves of guitar players would desire one to alter their tones. From Peter Frampton to David Gilmour, legions of guitar players owe a large debt to Donald Leslie’s tonal curiosity.

There are many different ways to get those swirling spacious sounds these days. The Uni-Vibe was designed to emulate that sound and it spawned a whole series of phaser effects. This Month, we will focus on the swirling swami of rotating speakers & simulators.