NEO INSTRUMENTS VENTILATOR
Neo Instruments VENTILATOR simulates a 122 model rotary cabinet, mic’ed up with a stereo pair on top for the treble rotor and a single mono mic below for the drum holding the woofer. The Distance knob lets you move the virtual microphones closer in for lots of amplitude modulation with an intense stereo effect and further out to conjure more diffuse sounds with gentle modulation.
The Speed knob adjusts the two rotors’ velocities, and the Acceleration knob determines acceleration and deceleration time. As on the original, the bass and treble rotors run out of sync at slightly different speeds. Acceleration and deceleration times also differ, with the bass rotor taking much longer to speed up and slow down. The Balance knob adjusts the relative levels of the two rotary speakers.
The Drive section is another awesome sound-sculpting tool in VENTILATOR’s kit. Don’t expect the buzz-saw rasp of a transistor-powered fuzz because it delivers all the warmth of bona fide tube-flavored overdrive. The Drive knob dials in everything from a touch of grit to a real rock roar, all of which can be controlled extremely dynamically via an organ’s volume pedal.
VENTILATOR comes with a mono input and a stereo output. The Lo / Hi switch matches input gain to the signal source. You can insert VENTILATOR between your instrument and an amp or mixing console as well as into an FX loop.
VENTILATOR is a stompbox by design, but you can set it on an organ or keyboard for easier access to the knobs. Switching speeds is simple enough, either directly via the Slow / Fast stomp-switch on the device or remotely via a half-moon or external footswitch. If you are controlling the device remotely, you can also use a kill switch to stop the rotors. One LED each indicates the respective rotor’s current speed.
An elaborate filter circuit emulates the frequency response of a tube-driven cabinet with exacting precision. When using a guitar amp, simply set the switch to GIT to defeat the speaker simulation and obtain practically linear frequency response.
VENTILATOR comes with a true bypass designed especially for use with guitars. This relay circuit patches the input signal through to the two outputs with no loss of tone or level.
NEO INSTRUMENTS VENTILATOR FEATURES
- Faithful replication of the model 122 Leslie’s® rotary effect
- Independent emulations of bass and treble rotors
- Faithful replication of the original’s mechanical properties
- Speaker simulation emulating the 122’s frequency response
- Same 800Hz crossover as the original
- Adjustable rotary speed and acceleration
- Drive section that simulates tube saturation in the Leslie’s amp
- Variable placement of virtual microphones
- Relay-equipped true bypass circuit
- Speaker simulation may be switched off for guitar amps
- Port for a remote footswitch / half-moon switch
- Remotely switchable rotary stop
- Rugged die-cast aluminum chassis and recessed buttons
- Simple, straightforward analog handling
