The original Roland Space Echo RE-201 is comparable in size to an amp head.
The majestic Roland Space Echo is having a bit of a resurgence. Here’s a breakdown on what makes it tick, and whether or not it’s right for you.
In this article, we delve into one of the most cherished gadgets in my guitar collection, the Roland Space Echo RE-201. This iconic piece of equipment has been used by legendary musicians like Jonny Greenwood, Brian Setzer, and Wata from Boris, which only heightened my desire to own one. A few years ago, I was fortunate to acquire a vintage RE-201 in good condition and at a reasonable price.
Using the RE-201 today has its advantages and disadvantages, particularly due to its size, which is comparable to an amplifier head. When compared to modern equivalents like delay pedals or software plugins that closely emulate the original, the vintage RE-201 can seem inefficient. Here, I share my personal and subjective experience with it.
The RE-201 is a tape echo/delay effect that gained popularity in the 1970s and ’80s. Unlike the more complex analog BBD delays or digital delays, tape delays use magnetic tape to simultaneously record and play back sound via a magnetic tape head (similar to a guitar or bass pickup). Because the recording head and playback head are in different physical locations, there is a time gap during the recording and playback process, creating the “delay” effect. This concept was first discovered by Les Paul in the 1950s using two tape machines simultaneously.
However, this method has a drawback: The magnetic tape used as a storage medium has a limited lifespan. Over time, the quality of the tape degrades, especially with continuous use. This degradation is marked by muddy, wavy sounds and unavoidable noise. Yet, this is precisely where the magic of real tape echo lies! New tapes produce clearer, hi-fi sounds, while older tapes tend to produce wavy sounds known as “modulated delay.” Additionally, increasing the number of tape-head readers extends the gap time/delay time of the output, and activating multiple tape-head readers simultaneously creates unique echo/delay patterns.
“This degradation is marked by muddy, wavy sounds and unavoidable noise. Yet, this is precisely where the magic of real tape echo/delay lies!”
Just as how fuzz and distortion effects were discovered, the “imperfections” of tape also represent a historical fact about how the creative process in music follows an absurd, non-linear, and unique pattern. In everyday practical life, signal delay is something typically avoided; however, in a musical context, delay adds a deeper dimension. Today, it’s hard to imagine a pedalboard without a delay effect at the end of the chain.
This uniqueness inspired me to create Masjidil Echo, embracing the “imperfection” of a vintage tape echo/delay with magnetic tape that hasn’t been replaced for years. Many newer pedals, such as the Boss RE-20, Strymon El Capistan, and the Catalinbread Echorec and Belle Epoch, draw inspiration from vintage tape repeat machines. Each has its unique interpretation of emulating tape echo, all in a more compact and maintenance-free format. Real tape delay requires periodic maintenance and has mostly been discontinued since the mid 1980s, with Roland ceasing production of the Space Echo entirely in 1985.
However, in recent years, interest in real tape echo has surged, perhaps due to nostalgia for past technology. As a result, many vintage delay units have appeared on marketplaces at increasingly gargantuan prices! If you’re considering acquiring one, I recommend thinking it over carefully. Are you prepared for the maintenance? Will you use it for regular performances? Are you ready for the fact that magnetic tape will become increasingly difficult to find, potentially turning your machine into a mere display piece? I don’t mean to instill fear, but the real deal, in my opinion, still can’t be fully emulated into a more practical and future-proof digital format.
So, I’ll leave you with one final question for consideration: What if the genealogy of technology were reversed chronologically, with multihead/multitap delay discovered digitally in the 1950s, and in the 2000s, a technological disruption led to the invention of mechanical tape echo to replace digital technology? Which would you choose?
This "Multi-Generational Time Reflection Device" offers three delay modes in one pedal with six presets, tap-tempo, and user-assignable expression control.
"That’s right, we’ve taken a digital delay, an analog delay, and a tape delay and merged them all together as one pedal with six presets, a tap-tempo, and user assignable expression control. Take a moment to compose yourself, we totally understand. Let us give you a little backstory; it all started when EQD founder Jamie Stillman was admiring his three favorite delay pedals from his personal collection and began ruminating on their vast differences. This sparked an ambitious foray into uncharted territory in finding a way to assemble them all together as one uncomplicated unit. After months of tinkering, his mission was accomplished and the Silos was born. With just four knobs, one three-way switch, one Save/Recall button, and two footswitches, he made the impossible possible and now your guitar playing shall reap the rewards!"
Features
Each of the three modes offers up to one second of delay time which allows it to be a longer delay than our other delay pedals. From noon and back is 500 milliseconds to zero, which has its own character. From 500 milliseconds to one second of delay time, it’s an entirely different beast. Dial them in for shorter delay times where they really excel and add loads of atmosphere and vibes. Push them further for rhythmic delays that are perfect for strumming and adding extra ambiance for your riffs. And the tap tempo is truly precise and responsive so you can lock in your rate quickly within the first revolutions.
- Three-mode delay with the ability to save and recall six presets, tap-tempo, and user-assignable expression control
- Mix, Time, and Repeats knobs dial in the sound in each of the 3 modes
- Mode D: Digital Delay mode offers nearly infinite repeats that hold their fidelity while gradually rolling off the top end with each regeneration.
- Mode A: Analog Delay mode is more mid-focused in the initial attack and gradually degrades while getting darker with each repeat.
- Mode T: This mode resembles an old, well-loved tape delay with all its glorious artifacts. Dark and moody with just a hint of distortion when you hit it just right.
- User-assignable expression control
- Dedicated tap tempo footswitch
- Two global operating modes which are indicated by the color of the Save/Recallswitch:
- Green = Live Mode
- Red = Preset Mode
- Buffered bypass featuring Flexi-Switch® Technology with tails
- Lifetime warranty
- Current Draw: 75 mA
- Input Impedance: 500 kΩ
- Output Impedance: 100 Ω
- USA Retail price: $149.00 USD
- GTIN-12 (U.P.C.): 810019914409
- SKU: EQDSILOV1USA
- Boxed Dimensions: 3.25” x 5.5” x 3.25” (8.255 cm x 13.97 cm x 8.255 cm)
- Out of Box Dimensions: 2.625” x 5” x 2.3125” (6.6675 cm x 12.7 cm x 5.87375 cm)
- Boxed Weight: 0.845 lb / 0.38328555 kg
- Out of Box Weight: 0.68 lb / 0.3084428 kg
For more information, please visit earthquakerdevices.com.
Silos Multi-Generational Time Reflection Device Demo
A small, simple solution for rockabilly raging or subtle tone thickening.
The Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo takes the essence of one of rock guitars most iconic effects and boils it down into an ultra-compact footprint without sacrificing modern flexibilities.
The Electro-Harmonix Slap-Back Echo is a late 70s rarity reissued with a classic tone and few modern updates. A single, short delay has been utilized to add depth and rhythmic effect to countless records, was popularized in the 1950s, and is still unmistakable. The EHX Slap-Back Echo’s simple design delivers the classic sounds from subtle doubling to intense bathtub reflections in a pedalboard-friendly package.
Housed in EHX’s Pico-sized chassis, the all-analog Slap-Back Echo features Gain and Blend knobs as well as a Time switch. The Gain knob controls the input signal before the echo circuit and also adjusts the overall volume at the output with a boost of up to +20dB. The Blend knob mixes the dry signal and the echo signal from 100% dry to 100% echo. The Time switch selects between three different delay times: 45ms, 65ms, and 100ms.
Shop the @sennheiser microphones John Bohlinger uses: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZdP1A0