LIBERTY — BookerLAB, the newest member of the vintage music market, debuted at the 2018 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, Calif. on Jan. 25.

Spearheaded by Tom “Booker” O’Hanlan, BookerLAB works to preserving vintage legacies by providing relevant upgrades that maintain the quality of vintage musical instruments and supporting audio gear.

The first product in the BookerLAB family is Revolution: The Advanced Motor Controller.

“O’Hanlan experimented with versatile, maintenance-free motor concepts for rotating speaker systems,” said Katherine Elrod, director of marketing. “He then partnered with Sealevel Systems, Inc. to produce Revolution.”

According to information provided by Elrod, unlike simple speed controller updates, Revolution provides “a complete motor replacement to extend the life of Leslie Rotating Speaker Cabinets.”

So, what’s a Leslie?

Christopher DeArcangelis for Reverb wrote in a 2017 article you would know the Leslie rotating speaker’s sound — even if you didn’t know about the device itself.

“The Leslie lent swirling, highly ethereal sounds to many a soulful Hammond organ line and pioneering guitar lick on legendary recordings,” he wrote.

The system was widely used in the ’60s and ’70s.

Using speed measurement software, the BookerLAB team studied various Leslie speaker models and analyzed motor response time to ensure that Revolution emulates the original conditions.

As a final test, engineers and musicians spent hours in a recording studio, scrutinizing the sound of the updated Leslie. The revered sound remained unchanged. Revolution passed.

Revolution: Advanced Motor Controller features an increased level of reliability while eliminating motor alignment maintenance. It allows fast/stop mode, works with Trek II/EIs relay-equipped amplifiers for slow/off/fast and enables conversion of select single speed Leslies to two- or three-speed operation, they said.

Additionally, it allows individual rotor speed control and is compatible with all older models that use the dual (or single) motor stacks.

For more information about Revolution and BookerLAB, visit bookerlab.com or call 864-843-4459.

For more information about Revolution and BookerLAB, visit bookerlab.com or call 864-843-4459.
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_bookerlab.jpgFor more information about Revolution and BookerLAB, visit bookerlab.com or call 864-843-4459. Courtesy photo

Staff report