The Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble replicates the iconic, aged rotary speaker design, encapsulating the classic Leslie sound in a portable pedal format; the device's display itself justifies its price tag.
The Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble Pedal is a compact, versatile effects pedal that brings the iconic swirling sounds of classic rotary speakers to your electric guitar setup. This pedal, reminiscent of the psychedelic tones popularized by artists like Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour, offers a faithful recreation of rotary speaker sounds in a pedalboard-friendly format.
The RT-2 Rotary Ensemble boasts three distinct rotary speaker modes:
- Vintage Mode emulates the classic Leslie rotary speaker sound, transporting you back to the golden era of psychedelic rock.
- Mode II provides an extended tonal range with a natural spatial atmosphere, making it an excellent companion for distortion pedals.
- Mode III, designed for added power and presence, is ideal for arpeggio playing and solos, offering enhanced modulation and distortion for fuller, more present sounds.
The pedal features a visual rotor display, a glowing LED that shows the rotation speeds of the treble and bass rotors, providing real-time visual feedback of the effect. The dual concentric knobs offer fast/slow rotor speed control and a drive knob to adjust warmth and grit, mimicking the original tube-driven preamp of hardware rotary speaker units.
A rear panel switch allows for the reassignment of the Drive knob to control the balance between treble and bass rotors, acting as a tonal filter. The Rise/Fall Time switch controls the transition speed between rotor speeds, offering smooth or abrupt speed changes.
The RT-2 Rotary Ensemble supports two external footswitches for independent speed switching or rotor braking and an expression pedal input for real-time control of speed, drive, balance, or level parameters during performances. It comes with mono and stereo input/output jacks and offers two stereo output modes: standard stereo or split wet/dry outputs for versatile rig setups.
The pedal is compact, measuring approximately 2-7/8" x 5-1/8" x 2-3/8" and weighing about 1 lb. It features a robust enclosure and high-quality jacks suitable for gigging. The RT-2 Rotary Ensemble utilizes Roland’s high-resolution 24-bit AD and 32-bit DA conversion for clear, low-noise tone reproduction. It is buffered bypass to maintain signal integrity in complex pedal chains and can be powered by a 9V battery or PSA-series adapter.
The Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble is available now, priced at $239. For more details and to purchase the pedal, visit the Boss website. With its authentic rotary speaker vibes and added tonal versatility, the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble is an ideal choice for achieving rich, swirling modulated tones typical of retro psychedelic guitar music.
- The Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble Pedal brings the iconic sounds of classic rotary speakers to electric guitar setups, replicating the psychedelic tones of artists like Jimi Hendrix and David Gilmour.
- This compact, versatile pedal offers three distinct rotary speaker modes: Vintage Mode for classic Leslie rotary speaker sound, Mode II for extended tonal range, and Mode III for added power and presence.
- The RT-2 Rotary Ensemble features a visual rotor display, dual concentric knobs for rotor speed control and warmth adjustment, and a rear panel switch for tonal filtering and transition speed control.
- The pedal supports two external footswitches for independent speed switching, rotor braking, and expression pedal input for real-time control during performances.
- With mono and stereo input/output jacks and two stereo output modes, the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble is ideal for diverse rig setups, making it a valuable gadget in any guitarist's technology-driven entertainment setup.
- Priced at $239, the Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble is an excellent investment for guitarists seeking rich, swirling modulated tones typical of retro psychedelic music, offering authentic rotary speaker vibes and added tonal versatility.
