Boss RE-202 Space Echo

The Roland RE-201 Space Echo was introduced in 1974 and is considered one of the most famous and coveted effect devices ever made. Over four decades later, musicians, producers, and audio mixers continue to be inspired by this tape-based classic’s distinctive rhythmic echo sounds, warm character, and highly playable sonic oddities.

The RE-202 delivers the real sound and behavior of the Space Echo like never before, thanks to extensive R&D and our latest breakthroughs. From the magnetic tape and motor characteristics to the vibrant spring reverb and colorful preamp circuit, this advanced pedal captures the RE-201’s magic in flawless detail. In addition, we’ve added a slew of new features designed for today’s music to the vintage Space Echo experience.

Standard Features Boss RE-202 Space Echo

• The sound and behavior of the classic Roland RE-201 Space Echo is faithfully recreated
• Expanded delay time and classic multi-head tape echo sound
• For 12 distinct echo configurations, the original three-head configuration is augmented with an extra tape head.
• Original spring reverb type plus hall, plate, room, and ambience in a multisampled discrete signal path environment
• For adding magnetic tape compression and preamp coloration, saturation control is used.
• For introducing varying degrees of natural tape modulation, the Wow & Flutter control is used.
• There are two types of tape available: new or aged.
• For optimum performance with instruments and line-level gear, selectable input modes are available.
• Use a footswitch to control warping and twisting effects
• Select from an original Space Echo preamp modeled sound or the unprocessed analog dry signal
• Three onboard memories and the current panel configuration
• Using an external MIDI program change, save and choose 127 memories.
• External footswitches, an expression pedal, and MIDI are all available for expanded control.

Tape echo was one of the first effect devices made accessible to electronic musicians, and it was the first delay device. A tape echo is a basic machine that pulls magnetic tape across one or more record/playback heads, as opposed to today’s CPU-based digital units. Many elements influence the tape echo sound, which is warm, full, and dynamic. The sound is colorized with varying amounts of tape saturation and compression due to the ever-changing input level. Moreover, fluctuations in motor speed, friction, wow and flutter, and other factors produce a captivating modulated quality that is subtle and changeable.

Boss RE-201 Space Echo: Simply Legendary

The RE-201 was one of the most popular tape echo devices of its day, and it was a Roland standard. It had three evenly-spaced heads that generated a wider variety of echoes than conventional single-head designs, as well as an innovative free-running tape mechanism that delivered exceptional performance and minimal tape wear. With quick access to clean, single delays or various head combinations for dense, rhythmic echoes, grab-and-go controls were enabled. The RE-201 also comes with a spring reverb tank, making it a one-stop shop for ambient effects. Another essential component in the Space Echo’s rich sound was analog preamp circuitry.

RE-202 – A Masterpiece Reborn

The RE-202 brings the whole Space Echo experience to life in a versatile modern pedal, realizing it through the latest technologies and extensive study of multiple vintage RE-201s, including a mint original unit from the BOSS and Roland factory archive.

Previous BOSS models were able to capture the true sound essence and essential qualities of the Space Echo, but new developments have allowed us to delve much farther than we ever have done before. Our engineers have precisely recreated all of the intricate, non-linear characteristics that make the RE-201 so indestructible with the RE-202. The tape path, record/playback mechanism, motor variations, preamp coloration, tape age, spring reverb character, and other elements that influence the sound were meticulously investigated and recreated using all-new methods.

Boss RE-202 Space Echo – Retro Sound at Your Fingertips

The RE-202 offers the full RE-201 experience without requiring frequent tape replacement or hardware upkeep. The original’s essential controls, including the 12-position mode selector, are all present. When the Repeat Rate knob is adjusted, or when the Intensity knob is maxed, for example, every action is replicated with full fidelity, such as the gradual pitch shift that occurs.

You can dial in everything from a brand-new Space Echo to the worn character and quirks of a well-loved vintage piece thanks to selectable tape age and variable controls. As you crank up the Saturation control, the sound becomes warmer and more compressed, with the knob calibrated based on actual magnetic tape and preamp characteristics of the RE-201. You can also create all of the natural modulation characteristics that are crucial to the Space Echo sound using the expressive Wow & Flutter control.

Sonic Enhancements

The RE-202 offers several enhancements to the Space Echo that will benefit modern musicians. A fourth virtual tape head unlocks five additional sound combinations, and the delay time is doubled. The distance between the heads can also be changed by an echo type, something the original couldn’t do. The RE-202 offers genuine stereo I/O and switchable operation for guitar or line-level devices, as compared to the mono RE-201. The warm and fat RE-201 preamp tone, or a clean signal with no processing, are two options for the dry sound.

In addition, there are hall, plate, room, and ambience varieties for even more versatility in the stereo version of the original spring reverb sound from the RE-201. You can also launch the sound into space with the press of a footswitch while performing by using Expressive Warp and Twist effects.

Modern Control

The RE-202 has all the modern capabilities you might anticipate from an sophisticated delay pedal, in addition to its vintage heart and soul. There are four memory locations for storing and retrieving favorite sounds, as well as 123 additional locations accessible via MIDI program change. When changing memories, you may also adjust the tap tempo and pick from several delay carryover options. In parallel effect configurations and studio applications, it is also feasible to mute the dry signal. External footswitches, an expression pedal, and MIDI give expanded control over the parameters, including real-time management of many at once.

Benefits Boss RE-202 Space Echo

At the moment, or ever, this is the greatest Space Echo available. With today’s technology matching the beloved sounds of motor variations, tape speed tonal shifts, and all the analog-mechanical weirdness we adore about the original, it’s a full-on digital copy of the RE-201. Selectable tape age, Wow & Flutter, stereo I/O, memory presets, and more are just a few of the features that go beyond the 201.