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Anyone using the Strymon Lex Rotary


Northstar

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I use it. I has 2 settings (fast and slow).

 

I use the fast set pretty fast for the quick warbly vibe sound.

 

I use the slow pretty slow so it sounds like its pulsing....sounds crazy with dirt.

 

I dig it....and it's pretty flexible tonally.

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IMO, the Lex is an impressive sounding rotary speaker sim. I reviewed it a while back - you can check it out here.

 

My advice? Go stereo or go home. The Lex sounds really good in stereo; much better than in mono IMO, although the mono's certainly not bad.. but in stereo, you get a real sense of motion, and it adds nicely to the swirl of the horn. A "real" Leslie is about as far away from being a "point source" as you can get. :lol: I think you need that movement to do a convincing Leslie sim.

 

However, the Lex does have the ability to configure the outputs in an alternative way - instead of L/R stereo, you can switch it so it is set up similar to an actual Leslie cab, which has a crossover at 800Hz and the highs above that (out to about 6-7kHz) sent to the horn and the lows to the drum. On the Lex, you can use "bi-amp mode" to send the lows and highs out of their own individual outputs. That's cool for running the lows through a touch more (external) amplitude modulation (tremolo) and then into a bass amp to goose the lows and get the physical "feel" of the thump of the drum happening. Run the highs to a guitar amp. Lex owners - try it sometime. Running in bi-amp with the lows going into a bass amp sounds really cool! You lose the sweet stereo movement of the mids and highs in this mode though, so it's kind of a trade-off unless you run some sort of stereo effect on that to get some movement happening again - and that can be very tricky to get "right."

 

It's like the difference between miking a Leslie with a mic on the drum and a mic on the rotor...

 

Leslie+Two+side+mikes+Fig+2+.jpg

 

vs doing it with a pair of mikes on the rotor... AND one on the drum. :)

 

Leslie+Close+miked+Fig+4.jpg

 

That's how I typically do it if I'm miking a Leslie, and what I'd like to see in a Lex Mk II if they ever were to do one - a third output jack for the lows, with the highs in stereo. It would take three amps or board channels, but it would be worth it. :lol: As cool as being able to process and amplify the lows separately is, I've got to have that stereo swirl - but it's pretty nice that Strymon gives you the ability to select between those two output configuration options.

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I had one. Really good pedal, but yeah, somewhat of a 1 trick pony. Sure it can do 2 speeds, and ramp up/down part is one of its best features. The controls I found are useful, but fairly subtle.

 

I needed the cash for something else, so I sold it. I can get a pretty good leslieish sound from my MXR MicroChorus, an $80 pedal. For as often as I need this sound, this pedal suffices just fine. If you find it's an important part of your sound though, it might be worth it.

 

I really want Strymon to come out with a tremolo, not that I need it, but it would tempt me for sure...

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might as well get an m9. i really like running an Octave up mixed around 50% into the Rotary Drum effect on the M9. does some really good organ sounds. dont know if i've tried it in stereo but im sure it soudns even better that way

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might as well get an m9. i really like running an Octave up mixed around 50% into the Rotary Drum effect on the M9. does some really good organ sounds. dont know if i've tried it in stereo but im sure it soudns even better that way

 

 

Too big. If I want something, it's a standalone pedal

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