Nord User Forum

post128009.html#p128009 - original post follows:

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Hi folks,

my situation: I play with two bands that share the same rehearsal space. One is a Dylan tribute, the other is half originals, half rock hits through the decades. On around two thirds of the songs I play B3, the rest is AP/EP/Clav and a handful of synth/strings.

I'm very happy running my Electro 5 stereo through the PA. However, I'm currently daydrea thinking about buying a real Leslie - mainly because people like you guys keep saying that even the best simulation - which by consensus seems to be the Vent - just isn't the real thing, however tiny and intangible the difference.

Weight and/or size of the cabinet is not an issue, it's going to sit in the practice room; the few times we gig, I'm not going to bother moving it. The only true obstacle (apart from finding a Leslie in good condition) is output routing: the Electro 5 does not have the "organ L, everything else R" option of the Electro 3; instead, it's "lower L, upper R", so I'd have to either forego programs with non-organ splits or add some kind of switch. Or buy a 2101, which has a separate stereo channel. Nothing that couldn't be arranged.

So please, people, convince me that it I need not do this! Point to the fatal flaw in my reasoning!

If you are not lugging it from gig to gig buy it....

Tracii wrote: So please, people, convince me that it I need not do this! Point to the fatal flaw in my reasoning!

Is space a concern? Do you care about mimicking your practice/rehearsal environment and your gig environment? If not, then you should also pick up a B3 or A100 to go along with the Leslie!

There is no substitute for the real thing if you can swing it. The only downside is that your bandmates will start whining that you're not bringing the leslie to gigs.

Why stop with just one? Get two and blow the guitarist out of the room! Make him go deaf since he can jump around...

From a Jon Lord interview:
Riffing inside Ritchie. I'll get this woody sort of sound, but with the amps and Leslies way up. That's how I get the edge, rather than from using the top drawbars to cut through.


I don't if he used two of them but they "were" very loud then.

Jon also used Orange amps instead of the regular built-in Leslie ones, IIRC. THAT gave him the edge.

Once he switched to Leslies, mind. He started off with full Marshall guitar stacks, to compete with the guitar. No Leslie.

ajstan wrote:Is space a concern? Do you care about mimicking your practice/rehearsal environment and your gig environment? If not, then you should also pick up a B3 or A100 to go along with the Leslie!

Good one here - I will amend my original post to "space for the Leslie is not an issue". I can park a washing machine in the rehearsal room, but not four.

And yes, I thought about the difference between practicing and gigging as well, but that will probably boil down to using a different footswitch for the Leslie speed and (de-)activating the Leslie sim on the Nord.

Somehow I also like think that with the real Leslie, I'm going to play a lot more B3 and a lot less everything else.

A bit of background - feel free to skip this...

In recent years, I've had a number of "Why didn't I do this properly sooner?" moments, specifically in terms of gear.
- I would always buy very cheap (2€) patch cables for my guitar effects because I somehow couldn't bring myself to spend money on something seemingly so peripheral - only to find out how much quicker, easier and more reliable my pedal setup became when I finally bought a couple of 6€ ones.
- I would always practice keys through a cheap Bluetooth speaker designed for smart phones - because it was there. I bought a set of basic powered monitors (used) and I finally hear my Nord in stereo at home.
- headphone amp for the (electric!) guitar instead of silent strumming
- real bass drum dampers instead of towels
- and so on…

You may have noticed that it's been mostly about inexpensive things that make a huge difference. After I'm done kicking myself for waiting so long, I'm usually able to enjoy them. A Leslie speaker is definitely not inexpensive, and the difference is certainly not huge, that's why I'm hesitating.

You…you do realise that this is probably the worst place (after MusicPlayer's Keyboard Corner) to get somebody to talk you out of buying a Leslie, right?

There truly is nothing quite like being in proximity to a real Leslie. It's a magical thing.

If you play bigger stages where the audience doesn't hear the direct sound from the Leslie, the sim is just as good out front. However, even in that scenario, having the Leslie on stage creates a different experience for you and the rest of the band. If you can do it, it's highly recommended!