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LESTER K
Stereo Rotary Simulator
Congratulations on your purchase of the LESTER K stereo rotary speaker cabinet
simulator! The LESTER K uses the finest rotary speaker simulation available
today, in a compact and easy-to-use package. Stereo outputs provide a lush,
realistic effect with either stereo or mono inputs. Tube-emulated overdrive is
available with the DRIVE knob, and speaker mix can be fine-tuned with the
BALANCE knob. Switch between adjustable FAST and SLOW modes for an
accurate reproduction of a classic rotary speaker’s speed adjustment.
– CONTROLS –
FAST Knob
– Varies the speed of the rotating speaker effect when the LESTER
K is in FAST mode. Turn the FAST knob up to increase the rotation speed in
FAST mode. When in the center position, the rotation speed in FAST mode is an
accurate reproduction of a real rotary speaker cabinet’s fast speed.
SLOW Knob
– Varies the speed of the rotating speaker effect when the LESTER
K is in SLOW mode. Turn the SLOW knob up to increase the rotation speed in
SLOW mode. When in the center position, the rotation speed in SLOW mode is
an accurate reproduction of a real rotary speaker cabinet’s slow speed.
BALANCE Knob
– Controls the mix between the simulator’s low-frequency rotor
and high-frequency horn. Turn the BALANCE knob clockwise to increase the
volume of the horn and decrease the volume of the rotor, yielding a brighter
sound. Turn the BALANCE knob counter-clockwise for a darker sound. Set the
BALANCE knob to the center position to reproduce the natural acoustic balance
of a rotary speaker cabinet.
DRIVE Knob
– Controls the amount of overdrive, simulating the tone of an
overdriven rotary speaker cabinet’s tube amplifier. When the DRIVE knob is set
fully counterclockwise, the overdrive effect is bypassed. As the DRIVE knob is
turned clockwise, the amount of overdrive increases.
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VOL Knob
– Controls the output volume of the LESTER K. As the VOL knob is
turned clockwise, the output volume increases.
BYPASS Footswitch
– This silent footswitch selects whether the LESTER K is in
buffered bypass mode or effect mode.
SPEED/BRAKE footswitch
– This silent footswitch selects the speed mode of
the LESTER K. Tap the SPEED/BRAKE footswitch to switch between FAST and
SLOW modes. Press and hold the SPEED/BRAKE footswitch for at least half a
second to enter BRAKE mode. See “Operation and Description of Modes” on the
next page for more information on the speed modes of the LESTER K.
LED
–When the LESTER K is in effect mode, this LED is lit. The LED pulses
between green and orange at the speed of the low frequency rotor oscillation.
MONO/L and R INPUT Jacks
– The LESTER K can be used with either mono
or stereo inputs. The input jacks are labeled MONO/L and R. When using the
LESTER K with only one input, we suggest you use the MONO/L input. The input
impedance presented at each input jack is 2M
Ω
.
MONO/L and R OUTPUT Jacks
– The LESTER K has true stereo output. The
output jacks are labeled MONO/L and R. If using the LESTER K as a mono effect,
we suggest you use the MONO/L input and output. The LESTER K can also be
used with mono input and stereo output: plug your input into the MONO/L jack
and then connect the MONO/L and R Outputs to two separate amps or inputs on
a mixing board. The output impedance of each output jack is 680
Ω
.
9V Power Jack
– Plug the output of the LESTER K’s supplied EHX9.6DC 200mA
AC Adapter into the 9V power jack located at the top of the LESTER K. The
LESTER K requires 135mA with a center negative plug.
– OPERATION AND DESCRIPTION OF MODES –
The LESTER K has three modes of operation: FAST, SLOW, and BRAKE, which
simulate the three rotation speeds of a classic rotary speaker cabinet. In normal
operation, tap the SPEED/BRAKE footswitch to switch between FAST and SLOW
modes. Set the FAST and SLOW mode oscillation speeds with the FAST and
SLOW knobs. The oscillation will accelerate or decelerate to the new mode, and
the LED will pulse to indicate the oscillation speed of the low-frequency rotor.
FAST mode
– FAST mode oscillates at the fast speed of a rotary speaker unit
for a tremolo-like effect. With the FAST knob at the center position, the high-
frequency horn oscillates at 6.2Hz, and the low-frequency rotor oscillates at
5.9Hz. Using the FAST knob, the horn’s rotation can be adjusted between 1.55Hz
and 24.8Hz and the rotor can be adjusted between 1.475Hz and 23.6Hz.
SLOW mode
– SLOW mode oscillates at the slow speed of a rotary speaker unit
for a chorale-type effect. With the SLOW knob at the center position, the high-
