Roland’s iconic RE-201 Space Echo returns in two new Boss pedals | Engadget

It’s week for guitarists who love a traditional echo impact. Just just a few days in the past, Line 6 launched the DL4 MkII, a long-awaited replace to its DL4 delay and looper pedal, one of many extra widely-used results pedals of the final 20 years. And now Boss, one of the vital prolific and well-known producers of guitar results pedal on the market, has just announced the RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo pedals, each of that are impressed by Roland’s iconic, tape-based RE-201 Space Echo unit that was initially launched means again in 1974. 

For the uninitiated, the RE-201 Space Echo used three analog tape heads to file and repeat an instrument’s sign. The analog nature of the machine meant that it had numerous sonic traits that made it distinctive and extremely coveted. That’s nonetheless the case — authentic RE-201 items commonly promote for a number of thousand {dollars}.

The new RE-202, alternatively, retails for $399.99 and gives the very same set of controls as the unique. Given that it is 2022, we’re coping with digital modeling recreating all of the quirks of the unique, quite than analog tape. But Boss inbuilt choices to “age” the digital tape, which implies you possibly can recreate the sounds of the RE-201 because it was out of the field, or give it the worn nature and quirks that include an older unit. The RE-202 has basically the identical entrance controls as the unique, as effectively, with the 12-position mode selector dial prominently featured.

Naturally, there are numerous trendy conveniences right here, too. The delay size you possibly can dial in is twice so long as the unique, and there is a footswitch so you possibly can faucet out the delay tempo, one thing that is fairly frequent today on pedals like this. There’s additionally a fourth digital tape head, in comparison with the three discovered within the authentic; this unlocks 5 further sound choices. 

The RE-2 is a cheaper and and barely much less succesful model of the RE-202. It’s a smaller, single-footswitch pedal that Boss says captures the identical tones because the RE-202 in a extra compact design. It’s not fairly as full-featured and customizable because the RE-202, but it surely ought to present the identical sonic traits as the larger and dearer pedal. It’s additionally a good selection when you do not wish to take up fairly a lot house in your pedalboard. 

The RE-2 prices $249.99, $150 lower than the RE-202. Both of those pedals are positively priced in boutique territory. But a trustworthy recreation of the RE-201 could be price it for lots of gamers, as the unique Space Echo has been used on hundreds of recordings by a few of the hottest artists in historical past, from Pink Floyd and Radiohead, to Lee Scratch Perry, Underworld and Lauryn Hill. If you wish to get the identical sound with out breaking the financial institution for a wonky, tape-based authentic unit, these new pedals are in all probability price a glance.