Short name for an early
sound modification device (the full name is Leslie Rotating Speaker), invented in the late 1940's by
Don Leslie. The
leslie is often used together with some sort of
electric organ or
derivative thereof (like a
Moog), and was extremely popular in the 70's and 80's
rock scene, and has become rather
fashionable with
retro and
indie bands of the late nineties.
The
principle behind the leslie is easy - the sound is output through one or more
horn drivers which rotate
horizontally around a
pivot point. This affects the sound in several ways:
All these effects coupled with some
chorus from the organ itself and variable
rotor speed produce a
complex, rich sound.