BOSS’s RT-2 Rotary Ensemble pedal offers classic rotary speaker sounds in a compact footprint
There’s nothing quite so cumbersome and unweildy as a real, honest to goodness rotary speaker cabinet – it’s probably why most guitarists who appreciate the unmistakable sound tend to use some sort of pedal-based alternative. And now Boss has brought its most compact version ever to the party.
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Boss’s original RT-20 Rotary Ensemble pedal was discontinued in 2019, despite its classic replication of the Hammond organ rotary speaker effect. But fans of the original pedal can rejoice, since the Japanese pedal giant has revisited the concept now in classic compact pedal form. It also comes with a very fun rotating LED screen that emulates the movement of a classic rotary cab.
Like other rotary ensemble pedals, BOSS’s own seeks to replicate some of the original 1940s combo organ voice sound, based on rotary speakers that create their signature modulation effect. As Boss says, this effect creates “depth and movement” in your recorded and live sounds.
Image: Boss
A rotary speaker sound is probably not something you’re going to use for every song of course, but that’s what makes the dinky size of the RT-2 so compelling – you can introduce the effect into your sound without taking too much real estate on your pedalboard.
According to the Boss website, the pedal comes with a plethora of classic effects like: “A vintage rotary sound and two modified tones with enhanced spatial effects, virtual rotor display with lights that indicate treble and bass rotor speeds, fast/slow rotor speed control, drive knob to add vintage tube saturation, and a Rise/Fall Time switch [for adjusting] the transition time between rotor speeds” alongside saturation control and volume balance between treble and bass rotors via the Drive/Balance Switch.
The pedal also has four selectable pedal switching modes, making this an even more versatile piece of kit to have with you live, also particularly in its support for controlling external footswitches and expression pedals.
The RT-2 Rotary Ensemble is available this month and is currently retailing at $239.99.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
