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Description
Discover the authentic Leslie tone with the Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII, an Analog Leslie Simulator. This meticulously designed pedal is built around a genuine Hughes & Kettner 12AX7 vacuum tube, visible on the front, setting it apart in the world of Univibe & Rotary Effects Pedals. This second iteration of the Rotosphere includes an innovative guitar/keyboard switch on the top, enabling completely distinct impedance and EQ settings.
Key Features:
- Built around a genuine Hughes & Kettner 12AX7 vacuum tube
- Fast and slow modes for varied sound options
- Rotor balance controls for precise modulation
- Separate knobs for drive and output to customize your tone
- Innovative guitar/keyboard switch for distinct impedance and EQ settings
Product specs
| Bypass | true bypass |
| Power | 9V |
Videos
Vintage Stompboxes
Strymon Lex Rotary vs Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere MKII
Reviews
PROS
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Best roto/Leslie sound, surpassing actual Leslie cabinets
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Adds warmth and clarity to the sound
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Offers instant control over EQ and signal levels
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Remotely controllable, enhancing live performance
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Stereo setup creates impressive soundscapes
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Effective with both guitar and keyboards
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Includes a unique background "wind" noise for authenticity
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Drive gain adds nice tonal options
CONS
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Bulky and can be a hassle to transport
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Limited Leslie spin settings (fast or slow) without speed control
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Can be noisy unless modified for lower gain
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Fragile power supply unit, not roadworthy
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator.
Features and functionality
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The Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere Mk II requires its own adapter and has been noted for being large and noisy compared to other models.
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User experience
Comparisons
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The Tube Rotosphere Mk II is considered superior to the Pigtronix Rototron, which fails to deliver a realistic Leslie sound, especially at high speeds.
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The Dynacord CLS222 rackmount unit is mentioned as a comparable product to the Rotosphere, though not necessarily cheaper.
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The Strymon Lex, Leslie G, and Neovent are recommended as high-quality alternatives to the Rotosphere for those not strictly bound to analog.
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Use cases and applications
Build quality
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The tube in the Rotosphere Mk II is seen as unnecessary, adding to the pedal's size and power requirements without enhancing sound quality.
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4.5 out of 5
Based on 4 Reviews and 15 Ratings
41029
sounds amazing with caveats
I've had this a very long time... it can do a pretty convincing leslie in the right circumstances. Its a little noisey unless you really screw around with the tube in it for the lowest gain option.... the wall wart PSU is chintzy and easy to break on the road. Mine is broken. I'm not sure whats wrong with it but tis ot the tube. It passes signal but the output is crazy low and there's no low end. I don't miss it enough to worry about fixing it. Very cool effect though, just not very road worthy. Mine saw a lot of action on keys, obviously.
41029
fixed... less noisy now
105
Very close to the true B3
This is the best Leslie sound i ever heard, it give you also a small background "wind" noise, but it doesn't bother more than that, it could actually be a part - like with a true B3 - of the sound.
103
Sounds good, but....
It is bulky and a bit of a hassle. There are only two Leslie spin settings: fast or slow. Most of the time, the fast is too fast and there is no way to lower the speed. With the slow spin, many times it is too slow, with no way to increase the speed. It would be a great pedal if there was a control to adjust the spin speed of fast and slow, with no overlap (e.g. fast only slows to a point, and slow only speeds to a point). Meanwhile, the break works great and the drive gain is very nice.
192
Nice Pedal
It does what it says it does. It is a really nice leslie effect and I enjoy listening to its warm and clear sound.
Artist usage
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Guitarist Alex Turner uses the Hughes & Kettner Tube Tools Tube Rotosphere MKII during Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare era. This Pedal can famously be heard during the “Teddy Picker” solo. Pictured on the right of Turners pedalboard next to his TS808 on the left hand side of this picture.
The Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere II summons true Leslie tone in a hefty, steel-faced pedal through features like fast and slow modes, a rotor balance controls, and individual knobs for drive and output. Built on the foundation of an actual Hughes & Kettner 12AX7 vacuum tube which is visible on the front, the second iteration of the Rotosphere introduces a guitar/keyboard switch on the top which allows for wholly separate impedance and EQ settings.
The Rotosphere offers two rotation speeds and fine harmonic tube distortion generated by an ingenious high-voltage tube circuit. The Rotation simulations can be heard on the bands second album.
"The Rotosphere he just likes to add for color. It's not really a primary part of his tone, but he likes to kick that in for the big Leslie kind of sound. It only comes on every once in a while. There's not a set tune that it's on. He'll kick it in during a solo just because and then he'll kick it in a place where you wouldn't think that it would be," says Jeff Beck's guitar tech.
At 30:30 of this "Rig Rundown" with Premier Guitar, Mike Hickey, Joe Bonamassa's guitar tech, points out that the Hughes & Kettner Tube Tools Tube Rotosphere MKII is in the loop of the system.
Mike Einziger uses the Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII, integrating it into his setup with the signal coming from a Korf DTR-1 Rack-Mounted Tuner and leading to a Boss PH-2 Super Phaser pedal. This setup detail is documented on the Tripod page titled "Mike's Equipment."
In this Rig Rundown, Kim states he runs a Rotosphere through the effects loop of his Mesa/Boogie Electrodyne.
George has a rotosphere on his board live when I saw him two separate times. The above link also shows his rotosphere on Instagram on his page.
At 3:07 in this "Rig Rundown" with Premier Guitar, Brian Farmer, Warren Haynes' guitar tech, points out a Hughes and Kettner Rotosphere while outlining Warren's pedals.
In a photo shared by Christian Bland on Instagram, the Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII can be identified by the distinct MKII lettering, indicating its use during the ONEMINUTEAFTERPROJECT at Levitation France 2014.
Then there’s my Lexicon MPX G2, which is a greatsounding unit by not very well thought-out; it has 300 presets but only 50 user presets—great idea, guys. I still have my Roland GP-16s, and I also used the Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere quite a lot, as well as the TC Electronic 2290,
Album Usage
The Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MKII The Analog Leslie Simulator, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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