Leslie / CLS-222 / Rotating Speaker ?

[paisleythrone]

Hi Juergen, just wanted to say I've been admirer of your work for some time now.

This thread is a bit old, but I've voted yes on a CLS-222 emulation on principle (I haven't done DIY before, but it's something I've alway meant to get into).

How did your experiment with the emulation turn out?

You can still find the CLS-222 and the CLS-22 on eBay, but prices are getting increasingly silly - more than 300 euros in some cases. From what I understand, Dynacord managed a better leslie emulation in the CLS-222 than any other manufacturer, plus they did it in the analogue domain, and it managed to become a classic effect-box in its own right to boot.

I've seen pictures of them where users have brought the horn-speed pots out to the front panel - usually they're to be found around the back of the unit as a tiny pair of trimmers.

I would suggest if I may that, if you're still planning on going through with manufacturing PCBs, adding an overdrive stage to the emulation might not be a great idea?

I say this because getting the leslie distortion-sound wrong seems to be all too easy, and if users want to add pre- or post- distortion they can always use a separate device in-line.

One of the reasons the original was successful I believe is that they left the whole issue of distortion up to the user.

One thing some DIYers may want to do is add inserts into the PCB audio-path at different points, to introduce their own flavour of distortion (or whatever else) to different modulation stages (bass and treble rotors, delay taps etc.). This could also lead to a more accurate simulation of a real leslie (although I know that isn't be the point!)

[jhaible]

It's unlikely that I'm going to make such a project now.

My experiments with the scanner + panning were not more convincing than the BBD-based Dynacord, so if I'd have build one now (desert island with lots of electronic components, but no second hand CLS-222 available ), i'd pretty much just clone the original.

I do not think a price of 300 Euros for a used CLS-222 is silly. You could hardly build it yourself for less.

JH.