The Sharma speaker was a rotary speaker, similar in design to the Leslie speaker, that was manufactured in the UK by Keith Hitchcock during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
The name "Sharma" came from Hitchcock's two children, Sharon and Mark.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Verify credibility
Hitchcock designed the speaker to directly compete with the Leslie, and consequently it contains similar features, such as a rotating horn for treble frequencies, a drum for bass frequencies, and the same nine-pin amphenol connector interface as contemporary Leslies then in production. However, unlike a typical Leslie, it includes a treble and bass control, and a line level input.
Also, in the Leslie units the horn and bass rotor moved in opposite directions, with a fast and slow motor on each. In the Sharma units, they both rotate in the same direction, with just a fast and slow motor shared. A clutch allows the top and bottom rotors to accelerate at different rates.
The amplifier boards were made for Sharma by HH Electronics.Template:Cn Some of the early Sharma speakers had an eight-pin connector. Some models of speaker also contained rotary and stationary speakers, with separate power amplifiers, which were used on non-Hammond organs such as Lowrey or Wurlitzer.<ref name="organforum">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sharma speakers fell out of favour due to the introduction of low-cost electronics that could emulate the rotating speaker sound.Template:Cn