That is so cool...I used to have a Roland VK-1000 (basically a 76 note organ) and the pitch bender lever would activate the Leslie speeds (just like the old Hammond half-moon)...that was a great instrument, and it also doubled as a pretty good controller as well.

The mod wheel sorta feels natural to change rotary speed, because of that effect's close relation to adding vibrato to the tail end of a note or phrase.

The thing I didn't like about joysticks, was they seemed too exposed and too easy to damage.

The things I don't like about the Roland paddle for Leslie are that a Leslie paddle activates from side to side (and stays there, so you can see where it is!) and the Roland paddle has to be flicked vertically, but the thing that REALLY chaps my behind is that, if you assign the Leslie to a footswitch, you can't UN-assign it to the mod lever. It means that, if you have an organ/brass split or perhaps a piano/organ layer at the bottom, and a solo sound at the top, if you use the paddle to vibrato the lead sound, it's going to affect the Leslie speed whether you want to or not...

God is in the details, my friends... wish Roland would address this one

I think I prefer my joystick to stay right here in my crotch where it has always been.

Right next to the floppy drive? Just north of Donny's crystal balls...?