Keeley enhances and reboots its Beach Boys I Get Around Pedal as the improved all-black 'Rotary'

As was always likely to happen, Keeley has honed and reissued its ’I Get Around’ Stereo Rotary Speaker Emulator Beach Boys / Sweetwater collaboration pedal. On the surface you seemingly have the exact same topology as on the I Get Around, but with some enhancements. The Mid Boost Push Switch was originally a 2-way control, while you get a third option on this new iteration. 

Furthermore Keeley have upgraded the circuit with two improved circuit boards for even higher fidelity.

Controls - Blend (Dry/Wet Mix), Speed (Slow/Fast), 3-Way Mid Boost (More Intensity), Drive (+ Hold Ramp Rate), On Footswitch, Slow/Fast Footswitch - Hold for Brake, Hold + Knobs for Alt / Secondary Function.

This is generally a superb syrupy sounding Rotary Effect - and one of the very best in terms of its core texture, while something about it makes it incompatible within my rig - and I get a massive and unusable volume drop when using this circuit - or at least that was the case with the ’I Get Around’ - I tried 2 different ones just to make sure, and they both rendered as if someone had hit a volume mute - outputting way below unity for me.

When I reviewed the recent Drunk Beaver XR Pedal Series - I noted issues with those when they were placed towards the middle of the chain - where those kinds of pedals would normally tend to sit, and without incidence!

For several circuits there are inherent sensitivities and challenges with impedance and capacitance and other core electronic interactions. Not all pedals are as universally compatible within a rig, and for larger and more complicated rigs like mine, you do need to be somewhat careful with your choices, and your order of placement.

I have also learned over the years that for 99% of modulation pedals, an independent volume control is essential for countering perceived and actual volume drop issues. The Stymon Lex Rotary Emulator in its V2 iteration is saved by having a level control - which is what helps make that pedal compatible within my rig - while I would really like that to be more syrupy like the Keeley Rotary.

I will probably look to having my Keeley I Get Around pedal modified by one of my many pedal-builder friends - to give it an additional Level control with boosts well above unity levels!

As is often the case with effects pedals - not all are equal in several different ways - some are more flavoursome than others, but may suffer deficiencies in other areas. I have discovered many times over that mostly for a Modulation pedal to work well for me, it needs to have a Level control - which is something that is missing from this ’Rotary’.

The Brett Kingman demo really sold the pedal to me hard - it sounds utterly gorgeous in those demos, but as I mentioned - in practical terms within the confines of my rig - said circuit doesn’t deliver the degree of output volume to make it fully work. For my circumstances the pedal needs significantly more output volume, and an independent control to enable that.

While I’m sure that most won’t encounter the same issues as me!

The Stereo Rotary Speaker Emulator is available to order for $229 and equivalent from the Keeley Webstore, and on general release now. This is one of 3 pedals now which shares the same format - alongside the recent Zoma Stereo Reverb and Tremolo, and the Andy Timmons signature Halo Core Dual Modulated Echo Delay. All 3 sport those same gorgeous vintage 60’s RCA Bakelite knobs!

Key Features

• Sculpt your rotary tones with our finest sounds to date
• Updated circuits for maximum fidelity
• Simple and intuitive controls for live and studio use
• New LED speed indicator - Become one with the sound
• True Stereo for perfect integration in modern rigs
• True or Buffered Bypass - Switchable on the fly