The Neo Ventilator is not just 'another' Leslie effect

[Mike Bracchi]

Neo Instruments’ VENTILATOR is not just another run-of-the-mill Leslie effect. A high-end piece of audio gear that delivers the sonic goods, VENTILATOR is the definitive rotary simulation!



Does size really matter?
You know the deal: That enormous rig – a Hammond® with one or maybe even two Leslies® – taking up so much floor space in your crib delivers to-die-for tone. You’re riffing away, enraptured, when a depressing realization bursts your bubble: You’d give so much to be able to play with precisely this sound on stage. But the colossal weight of this antiquated musical furniture is an insurmountable obstacle for the gigging musician. And although your digital Hammond clone hits the sweet spot, the weak, anaemic Leslie effect is a turn-off.

What can a poor boy do?
Guido Kirsch, the man and mind behind VENTILATOR, was similarly frustrated with this situation. So he took just about every analogue, digital, and mechanical rotary effect on the market for a test drive, which only served to aggravate rather than alleviate his dissatisfaction.He even combined several devices, tweaked and fine-tuned parameters, and experimented with pre and post effect equalizers to finally conjure a sound that wasn't half-bad. Still, though, there was that nagging wish for someone to find a way to pack all the sonic glory of a mammoth Leslie into a petite stomp-box!
At that moment, the idea to build VENTILATOR was born.



Sometimes more is more.
Aiming high to satisfy even the most discriminating standards, Guido programmed a novel rotary effect unprecedented in sophistication and complexity. There is as much computing power at work in VENTILATOR as other vendors devote to an entire organ including a Leslie® effect!
Seeking to transcend technical limitations and get as close to the original as possible, he poked, probed, sampled, and analysed a sweet-sounding original model 122 Leslie®. Armed with this knowledge, he then worked out VENTILATOR’s algorithm, A/Bing it with the original, and refining it until the result was truly gratifying. Two years of painstaking development effort culminated in a rotary simulation that outshines all other Leslie clones with its unmatched authenticity. The result surprised even its maker!



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 foot-switch / half-moon switch
• Remotely switch-able rotary stop
• Rugged die-cast aluminium chassis and recessed buttons
• Simple, straightforward analogue handling

Source: http://www.neo-instruments.de/

[Wally Gator]

Very cool.

[andyg]

It's a brilliant bit of kit.

One proviso, and Neo do state this themselves. It's a simulation of a miked leslie cabinet. Its prime purpose is to go between the organ and the stage PA system at a live gig or to replace a miked leslie in a studio. It can't quite do what you might do with the leslie sim in Native Instrument's B4, ie make it sound like a leslie would sound standing a few feet away, but what it does do, it does so darned well.

I reviewed it just before Keyboard Player folded, review is here: http://www.box.net/shared/ll29do2th44k36kkx29s

Andy