Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble Pedal

Put the power of the famous Leslie rotary effect on your pedalboard with the BOSS RT-2 Rotary Ensemble pedal! Fans of the highly celebrated RT-20 here at Sweetwater are elated to see the return of one of the most feature-rich rotary simulators, with the smaller physical footprint now consuming less space on your pedalboard than its predecessor. The same expansive tonal options are all here, from the variable rotary speeds to the tube-simulated drive circuit, then custom-tailor your sound to achieve your perfect balance between horn and bass rotor sounds, adding to the dimensionality of your tone. Finally, you can instantly see each simulated speaker rotation with the updated virtual rotor display. From subtle, chorus-like shimmer to expressively fast textures, the RT-2 Rotary Ensemble stands ready to excite your tone, whether you’re a guitar player, keyboardist, or singer.

 

Authentic rotary representation

The classic Leslie rotary speaker sound was a staple for organists throughout the 1950s and 1960s, before finding new life in the late ’60s and ’70s with artists like the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix. It continued to influence guitar tones into the ’80s and ’90s, embraced by legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Soundgarden, among many others. Unlike the original speaker boxes that featured only one or two speeds, you have greater, more exacting control over the BOSS RT-2’s virtual rotors with the two rotary controls — one for each slow or fast setting. Once activated, these high- and low-frequency drivers ramp up naturally, as if activating the physical motors found in the original Leslie cabinets, such as the famous 122, 147, or 981. With selectable rise and fall times, you can choose how quickly the RT-2 ramps up to full speed and winds down. Even the Brake function slows down the virtual rotor speeds at a natural rate before stopping, giving your tone a slight airy quality.

 

Expansive tone in a space-saving package

Occupying the same space as the typical single-switch pedal from the BOSS Compact line, the RT-2 packs a wealth of sound-sculpting options within its two stacked potentiometer controls, including fast and slow speeds and a preamp drive to give your spinning sound extra bite. Three modes are available via a selectable switch to craft the basis of your rotary speaker sound, from vintage rotary stylings to catapulted, hyper-modulated intensity that delivers enormous sonic width.

 

Even more options for tone sculpting are ready for you on the back of the RT-2. Want more chiming top-end or booming lows in your mix? Flip the Drive Knob switch and the Drive control turns into a horn/bass rotor frequency balance. With the RT-2, all the rotary controls you need are easily accessible in a single pedal enclosure.

 

More control than meets the eye

No rotary effect can be complete without the ability to spread your modulated sound, which is why the BOSS RT-2 includes stereo outputs to truly immerse yourself in the rotating speaker experience. What’s more, the single-button, multimode footswitch not only engages and disengages your perfect rotary sound, but it also serves as your slow/fast switch by simply holding your foot down. Finally, for even greater control, the Speed jack accepts your favorite external footswitches or expression pedals for even greater, real-time control over your rotary speed, among other functions you desire.

 

BOSS RT-2 Features:

Rotary speaker tones with an expansive array of control options in single pedal form

Virtual display virtually mimics horn and bass rotor rotation

3-position Mode switch activates different voices of varying modulation

Primary pedal switch controls both effect on/off and Slow/Fast modes

2 selectable Rise/Fall settings control how quickly the virtual rotors ramp up or wind down

Built-in Brake function naturally brings the 2 rotors to a halt instead of abruptly

Speed control jack accepts expression pedal and external footswitch inputs to control rotary speed in real time

Rear panel Drive Balance selector switches the Drive control’s function to balance between high and low frequency volume