Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble

The unmistakable sound of a rotating speaker has been heard and revered on countless recordings over the decades, but it’s not necessarily the easiest tone to achieve. Real Leslie speaker cabinets are big, expensive and have a TON of upkeep and maintenance that come with them, not to mention most stage sizes aren’t very accommodating to something that large. Enter the BOSS RT-2 Rotary Ensemble, a compact way to get these amazing vintage sounds in any musical situation. Grab those headphones and be prepared to get transported back in time with this one, folks…

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Rotary speaker cabinets sound amazing, but their size and weight make them impractical for anyone but the most dedicated vintage enthusiasts. Powered by the latest BOSS advancements, the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble distills this expressive spatial effect into a footprint that’s easy to integrate into every setup. This powerhouse pedal authentically recreates the complex sonic magic of its inspiration, supported by three sound modes, deep tonal shaping, and advanced operation with the onboard pedal switch and external control.

Initially developed for organs in the 1940s, rotary speakers produce mesmerizing modulation effects with motor-controlled components that physically spin within the cabinet at variable speeds. This impressive sound is a vital part of the classic combo organ voice, and guitarists and other musicians have also employed rotary speakers to infuse iconic tracks with their distinctively rich depth and movement. The most revered rotary speaker designs feature a spinning high-frequency horn (treble rotor) and a woofer that feeds into a rotating drum (bass rotor). Changing rotor speeds between fast and slow creates a steady stream of tonal shifts that players have long used for expressive effects. The RT-2 authentically replicates these audio behaviors, coupled with two-way speed control, a Rise/Fall Time switch for adjusting the transition time between speeds, and a colorful indicator that shows the current rotation of the virtual rotors.

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Inspired by the tube amplification circuits in vintage rotary speakers, the RT-2’s Drive knob lets you add pleasing distortion to the sound, from mild to gritty. Via a rear-panel switch, this dual-function control can alternately adjust the volume balance between the treble and bass rotors to dial in different tonal characteristics. Your most recent settings for drive and balance are automatically stored in memory and instantly recalled on the next power-up cycle. Real-time speed control is essential to the rotary experience, and the RT-2 includes many options to achieve it. The pedal switch offers four operation types with many clever ways to bypass the effect and change speeds as you play. You can also connect up to two external footswitches for independent speed control and access to a “brake” setting that stops the virtual rotors at their current positions for unique tones. Alternately, an expression pedal unlocks continuous control of level, drive, balance, and speed, complete with assignable settings for each parameter.

There’s so much you can do with the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble, and running it in Stereo just opens it up so so much – if you have the means, I highly recommend it. Even in mono, this thing sounds incredible, plus it’s about $2000 cheaper and weighs roughly 5% of a real Leslie cabinet, so transportation and maintenance are a cinch. Thanks as always to our friends at BOSS for sending this one over – be sure to visit their website for more info, and check out our demo video, too, cheers!!