SamuelBLupowitz Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 At my recording session this past weekend, we were looking for something a little offbeat for the organ sound, since the track we were working on featured a mix of Deep Purple-inspired heavy metal "rhythm guitar" organ playing, and some English prog-type sections that called for something more pastoral. The owner/engineer of the studio we've been using had recently dug up an old Wurlitzer Spectratone rotary speaker (photo is attached; the quarter-inch jack is the "Put In," get it?) Here's a video of some guitar players using one: [video:youtube] I ran my Mojo into an overdriven US-made Vox from the 60s with a little bit of trem on it, and that speaker output drove the Spectratone. It created a really cool overdriven-Leslie-but-not-quite sound that fit really nicely into both the heavy and ethereal sections of the track. I actually used a power strip as a "speed change" switch for the Spectratone, while the Vox functioned as a constant low "rotor." It was a lot of fun! Track is forthcoming, but below is a little video of us playing with tones for a section of the tune. You can't hear the coolness of the spinning effect particularly well, but you can see me kick in the rotary with the power strip a few seconds in. [video:youtube] Anyone else messed around with one of those speakers before? I think it must be pretty old; the few I've seen online are all from the 60s. Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morrissey Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Love how you're workin' that power strip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightbg Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 The first organ my family owned was a Wurlitzer 4300 spinet, which had one of these setups built in. A pair of 6' with a spun aluminum counterweight, mounted in the rear of the cabinet (which explains all the sound holes in the rear panel). A bogus Leslie sure, but it did sound like the real deal, and it did move air. Jake Quote 1967 B-3 w/(2) 122's, Nord C1w/Leslie 2101 top, Nord PedalKeys 27, Nord Electro 4D, IK B3X, QSC K12.2, Yamaha reface YC+CS+CP "It needs a Hammond" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyNQ Posted February 4, 2020 Share Posted February 4, 2020 Love how you're workin' that power strip! +1. "Powerboard as performance aid" has potential as a revolutionary new movement I reckon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamuelBLupowitz Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Love how you're workin' that power strip! +1. "Powerboard as performance aid" has potential as a revolutionary new movement I reckon.It's not quite as cool as turning a Hammond off and back on to get a pitch bend effect, but in a digital world, there's something satisfying about a musical application for "turn it off and turn it back on again" (which is a large percentage of what I do in my day job). Quote Samuel B. Lupowitz Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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