Poison Noises Rotowhirl + Whirly Bird

From Lucas Garrett

INTRODUCING THE ROTOWHIRL AND WHIRLY BIRD PEDALS!

Ever wanted to experience the sound of a Leslie speaker without having to drag that Brobdingnagian thing onstage with you?! Yes, it’s a word (look it up in the dictionary, dang nabbit!). Well, now you can!

In the late wintry nights of 2023, I teamed up with my friend Jordan Withers of Poison Noises to help concoct a rotary style pedal that met my diva, er, particular, needs. All the other pedals I’d manage to get my hands on that worked to simulate the sound of a Leslie came close, but not quite where I wanted them.

Now, with his know-how, and my frequent midnight ideas and demands that would drive the most courageous of men insane (except for you, Jordan… Right, buddy?), I am pleased to introduce THE ROTOWHIRL and WHIRLY BIRD!

Get your hands on one today, and start bringing those delicious Leslie speaker tones to your style of music! These pedals will work with anything that is amplified, and pair quite nicely with keyboards, as well as guitars!

*Please note: a TRS Patch cable is required to connect the Rotowhirl and Whirly Bird pedals together. TRS Patch cable NOT INCLUDED.

THE ROTOWHIRL:

Volume: Turning this knob left-to-right will increase the overall volume from the signal. More than that, when used as a boost, there’s some added warmth to your tone that sounds quite nice!

Depth: The further right this knob is dialed in, the more the signal will oscillate between the low and high frequencies that are being affected in the signal.

Speed: This is where the “Leslie” simulating magic really starts to shine. This knob will control the overall speed of the rotary effect. Turning it further and further to the right will make the effect go slower, as Leslie speakers really have that nice warmth they’re known for at lower speeds.

Attack/Decay: This knob controls how fast the effect is engaged/released. Turned all the way left, the attack/decay is very jagged and sudden with its engagement/release, while turning it all the way to the right will produce a smooth, curved quality. You can get some pretty whacky, artificial sounds by messing with these knobs! Get crazy!

Timbre: This knob determines which aspect of the simulated Leslie speaker is being prioritized. Turning all the way to the left causes the “bass horn,” or low frequencies, to be prioritized, while turning all the way right prioritizes the “tweeter,” or high frequencies.

WHIRLY BIRD:

Important: The WHIRLY BIRD requires connection via a TRS cable to function properly!

This is where the pedal combination shines. Really bringing out the characteristics of a Leslie speaker, users will be able to ramp up and down to different speeds with the use of the Whirly Bird pedal. Bypassing the speed knob of the Rotowhirl, the two knobs will be used to set two different speeds, which can be engaged back and forth with the use of an easy-to-use footswitch!

Top Knob: speed setting #1

Bottom Knob: speed setting #2