MusicRadar Verdict
A realistic sonic emulation of a rotary speaker with a very practical footswitching setup.
Pros
- +
Excellent controls. Detailed emulation of a Leslie 122.
Cons
- -
Expensive.
MusicRadar's got your back
The Neo Ventilator, modelling a Leslie 122 rotary speaker, garnered quite a reputation as a simulator that sounded pretty close to the real thing - now there's a newly released, updated version.
"This is a serious unit with real attention to the detail of a Leslie sound"
It's got three footswitches: the usual Bypass and Fast/Slow options, plus Stop, which simulates a stationary cab.
Five knobs control the main action, but each has a secondary function when you hold two footswitches down together, offering plenty of adjustment.
One of most expensive rotary speaker effects pedals we've seen, this is a serious unit with real attention to the detail of a Leslie sound. If you want a smaller pedal, the Neo Vent loses the knob adjustments but has two presets and costs less.
Trevor Curwen has played guitar for several decades – he's also mimed it on the UK's Top of the Pops. Much of his working life, though, has been spent behind the mixing desk, during which time he has built up a solid collection of the guitars, amps and pedals needed to cover just about any studio session. He writes pedal reviews for Guitarist and has contributed to Total Guitar, MusicRadar and Future Music among others.

“It’s an old-fashioned piece of conceptual rock”: Steven Wilson issues album update and promises no less than the reinvention of the “extended classic rock solo”

“We were always going to try to break boundaries and try new things”: It was the first No.1 pop single to feature rapping - and it came from Debbie Harry and Blondie

“I have to try and talk about the neck without sounding offensive or angry”: Johnny Marr says satin finishes have no business being on a guitar neck