Have You Forgotten Your Password or Username?

**OrgansR4Me** · 11-22-2008, 04:59 AM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

On the very first organ our family purchased back in the late 50's my dad worked with the company to move the speakers. He had been a wood pattern maker a few years earlier in a foundry and understood alot about building with wood, so the Baldwin company gave him the directions for building the speaker chamber and then a tech came to do the wiring and move the speaker cones from their built in position.

It was a big improvement in what had been a fairly modest console purchase and when I heard it last in 1973 I was still amazed how lovely it sounded. Last year I remoted the main channel in a Conn Trinidad using the Pipe connection (since I didn't have money for the pipe speakers) and was very pleased.

A little creativity goes along way with this group of organ enthusiasts! Thanks for sharing your experience.

**Brendon Wright** · 11-22-2008, 11:56 AM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Fantastic!

What sort of thingare you running the main signal to? 

I'm nearly finished covering the housing on my own project. It looks like a modern piece of equipment... black nylon carpet, plastic corners... and here's the funny bit... the speaker cloth, which covers vents on the sides as well as the front, is a double layer of a woven garden shade cloth! It looks very slick, believe it or not! (I haven't done the front itself yet.) The shiny black cloth contrasts in a very "designer" way with the black carpet.

I should post a picture, once I take one!

Cheers OrgansR4Me.

**OrgansR4Me** · 11-22-2008, 04:51 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Sounds great, Brendon. I'm running the main speakers on two conventional stereo speakers, one on each side of the console. Just made a deal to trade the Trinidad for a church model Wurly from the 1970's early next year. Also picked up a Wurly console with Orbit Synth at a thrift store yesterday and that will be delivered tomorrow. Had to sacrifice the Conn 720 to make room for it.

So my Conn stock is fast going down, but it will be worth it to have a pair of very nice Wurly's. The tone is brighter - more theatrical - on the home model as opposed to the church model so they will be quite different in use.

Thanks for your reply. Will look forward to your photos!

**OrgansR4Me** · 11-22-2008, 04:51 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Sounds great, Brendon. I'm running the main speakers on two conventional stereo speakers, one on each side of the console. Just made a deal to trade the Trinidad for a church model Wurly from the 1970's early next year. Also picked up a Wurly console with Orbit Synth at a thrift store yesterday and that will be delivered tomorrow. Had to sacrifice the Conn 720 to make room for it.

So my Conn stock is fast going down, but it will be worth it to have a pair of very nice Wurly's. The tone is brighter - more theatrical - on the home model as opposed to the church model so they will be quite different in use.

Thanks for your reply. Will look forward to your photos!

**Brendon Wright** · 11-22-2008, 08:03 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

AHA! And here they are!

This is my first ever building job, brought on by the gift of a cordless drill.

My wife will beecstatic. Now I might be able to fix the bathroom....

Here's a view from the front. Note the leslie is in there as found in the organ, it can be put back if necessary without having to be modified.
It's a large housing, not quite a bass quad-bin, but it's heightreaches my midthigh, or the hem of a micro-mini on a tall girl, whichever sounds most impressive. 

About 67cm high by 65cm wide by 36cm deep.
And in inches that's.... 26ish x 25.5x 14 inches!
I think. like I said, miniskirt.

The front of the housing is yet to be assembled, of course.
There's achoice view in there of coloured drawing-pins holding the speaker cloth in place. These will be replaced by carpet tacks or staples. 
While I bought a fancy staple gun today, I got thestaples of the wrong type...
Next we see how pretty it looks from the side. The side vents give the most dramatic leslie effect, as the side of the drum is where the sound emerges. It sounds best on the side from where the opening is rotating from the "6 O'Clock" position towards the "9 O'Clock" side.

Note the pretty, shiny speaker cloth.
Here's a better close up:

It'll look familiar to you gardener types, as it'scommon wind or shade-cloth, which can be foundin a range of colours and weaves!
Next is a little closeup of the back panel. The cup washers give a nice effect... This panel zaps off to reveal the leslie, hinged as it was in the organ.
This is an access option for oiling and so forth. I even bought myself a chisel so the hinges are housed nicely. I feel so clever!
Perhaps I'll show that grand detail some other time! Along with my holiday snaps of our visit to our back lawn.


As a final detail, here's where the leslie socket sits below the otherside grill. There's about 4 metres of that fat cable, just enough to annoy the neighbours.

What with tools, materials, and repeat visits to the hardware store when I ran out of timber or MDFso many times, this DIY housing cost a lot more than I realised. I haven't done the final talley yet.
Cheers!

**kkeys** · 11-22-2008, 08:28 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

I too was interested in seeing photos of your Leslie project. Thanks for posting them. Yes agreed with you that internal Leslies are muffled. In addition I think their effect is impaired with the horizontal rotational axis of those type of baffles in an organ cabinet. As a former T- series owner I noticed an immediate difference with the Rotosonic Drum in my LSI organ. There is a semblance of a 360 degree sound dispersion.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
I remember a group from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place> with a Vox Continental through a very unusual Leslie. Never seen anything like it since. Seemed a black cloth-covered foam baffle with a short section of white cloth to show its rotation. This open framed unit laid on the top of another speaker cabinet such that the axis of rotation was vertical. The rotor was mounted in between two sections with four supports. I sometimes wonder if it was modified Fender Vibratone, although the ramp/wind up time was quite slow, reminiscent of a Rotosonic. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>

**Brendon Wright** · 11-22-2008, 09:03 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Interesting! I bet the picture in my imagination is still nothing like what you're describing!

I notice that the leslie from the T won't operate if laid on its back, though it will go if the housing is laid on its front. I haven't listened to it to see what the changed axis's effect would be!

I showed my leslie to a recording studio dude (who has a C3 in his Studio with a PR-40 but no leslie. I own half of it. Now he's suddenly my friend. All it took was the mutual purchase of a vintage Hammond!) and he was surprised at how good the thing sounded, considering it's only a sort of half-leslie. He was also pleased with how well the T-500 sounded after the Carsten Meyer mods, and the mild Kon Zissis zener overdrive.

Therefore, of course, I also was well pleased.

Now, I am curious about the effect of the Rotosonic leslie, with the innovative design of the rotating electrical contact system which probably earned Mr Leslie quite a bit of money...

What's it like, then? (to quote Monty Python!)

-Cheers!

**kkeys** · 11-22-2008, 11:48 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

The Rotosonic drum renders a most intense throb when heard directly at ear level. This effect thankfully in my opinion is however attenuated when seated at the console. Now the overall effect is quite expansive as the sound is reflected through out the organ cabinet and somewhat I imagine off the room walls. 
<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
As can be seen in Skippy’s pic the slot in front of the 6x9” speaker is comparatively narrow which gives that throb.<o:p></o:p>
http://organforum.com/photos/skippys_gallery/picture52353.aspx<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Rotosonic Leslie is a most noticeable improvement over the baffle type in the Colonade which has a horizontal axis of rotation. It is I think a good compromise for an internal Leslie. This speaker just does not have the fizz as from a horn. Due to the heavy mass of the drum assembly the ramp/wind up and down time is noticeably longer than a conventional drum rotor when the speed is switched.<o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The Mercotac itself probably earned Don Leslie more money than the Rotosonic Drum as it doesn’t seem to have earned wide favor.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Answering Noah’s comment below the Leslie pic, there is a continuously rotating mercury contact on the bottom of the drum’s shaft. <o:p></o:p>

**kkeys** · 11-22-2008, 11:55 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Would have been nice to have a clip of that Leslie/Vox set up....there were no digicams in the late 60's though.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

**Brendon Wright** · 11-23-2008, 01:08 AM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Never know, someone might have posted their 8mm film clip of the band on youtube???

Which now begs the question:

Is THIS the way the housing should sit?



The coffee table version.

It sho' swirls a good deal better (unless you're standing up next to it and your ears are too far away...)

BUT one side, the side normally at the bottom has no GRILL!

Does't thou think it could use one in this position, or perhaps this is just the side you keep towards back stage?

I confess I haven't really stood close to a real 122. Does it throw sound in 360 degress?

What about the littleMotion Sound head unit... does it have openings on all four sides?

There must be a definitive engineering answer to the BEST way to do this!

Perhaps I should ask the question on Hammondzone on yahoo. Every member gets all the posts every day, so some experts are BOUND to have opinions and answers!

Cheers all.

**Brendon Wright** · 11-23-2008, 01:39 AM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

PS. the shade cloth has ALSO got a plastic netting under it for strength and a more griddy look when light shines thru it. It wasthe stuff you put up in the guttering to keep leaves out.

What next?

**kkeys** · 11-23-2008, 03:34 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

The Leslie that I referenced had no cabinet grill so the cloth covered rotor was fully exposed from all four sides as I recall. Your setup reminds of it except for the almost enclosed rotor. You will probably want to have it off the ground. If you face the side without the grill towards the audience the spinning rotor is bound to attract attention. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Now as far as the orientation of rotation, the vertical position shown in theyour lastpic is the one commonly used in most Leslies. These cabinets have louvers on three sides to let out the sound. The floor facing bottom speaker projects sound into the lower rotor which reflects the sound outward. <o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
The 720 has a similar rotor with a 10 inch speaker. Bass is fed through a floor facing 15 inch speaker.<o:p></o:p>

**Brendon Wright** · 11-26-2008, 12:10 AM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

funny, the email notification isn't always working! This is the second reply in two different threads I've discovered by accident which the forum didn't notify me of. Anyone else ever get that?

An interesting idea about the rotor facing the punters! I had intended to stretch a grill for that side too, just haven't got there yet.

Thanks for the info on all the speaker configurations.

The organ attached to this is a modified T-500, but even after the modifications it doesnt have asquick an attack as the C3 I have at church. This is a shame, because the percussive nature of the C3 is fantastic forrhythm as well as lead.

I'm looking at the suggested modifications and wondering ifthe spinetcan be further improved, or ifthe C3's superior punch isJust because itsPR-40 cabinet (no leslie! AGGHHH!) is so damn loud!

The T-500 sounds great, I should be grateful; but the C3 is fantastic........

**Brendon Wright** · 01-09-2009, 07:50 PM

Re: Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Hey Kkeys!

I've just found mention of that leslie you mentioned!!!!!!

It's on captain Foldback's site!

I quote him " For the record the special model 950 should be mentioned. Probably the heaviest Leslie (~ 400lbs) built and IMHO one of the ugliest. I'll scan a picture of it soon. The rotor system consisted of four individual foam rotors a la the Leslie OEM units for spinet organs. Each rotor had its own 12" speaker powered with a 50W solid state amp. The rotors were mounted vertically in a column and they were visible. Each rotor also had a psychedelic pattern painted on it - made to look exciting when the rotors spun and to top it off, there were built-in black lights in the cabinet making the rotor patterns glow by themselves. (Very psychedelic!). All of the fun could be controlled from a Combo Preamp DeLuxe. "

Look under proline models in the leslie section.

Here'ssome samples of my own leslie in action:

http://cid-0d7741cc63af1adc.skydrive...oubly%20So.mp3

Go to the above page and download anything that tickles your fancy. The above track has a few guitars overlaid.

The one Entitled "Wife's away jam" has a bit of heavy overdrive with lot of feed back.

The 06 01 09jam was chucked down to commemorate finiishing my organ mods.

Cheers!

-Brendon.

Welcome To The Organ Forum

Have You Forgotten Your Password or Username?

How To Recover Your Username and Password

Forum Top Banner Ad

Ebay Classic organs

Announcement

Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Converting an internal spinet leslie into an external speaker.

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment