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I once had an re-201 and it was awesome. But it was also old and heavy so I sold it. I like the sound. Should a guy just rebut the original or be happy with an emulation. If so which emulation?

that's kind of a tough question.
i have a 201 and it makes everything sound good. emulations sound 'like' it but they do not react the same, ever. there's always some kind of difference. i've also had an El Cap and it's probably my favourite delay 'pedal' but that's because the feature set is excellent and it makes nice oscillations and looping textures, rather than the overall timbre. they're also pricier now so i don't know if i'd buy one again.
IMO if you've tried and loved an actual tape echo it's either buy an emulation and inevitably compromise on the sound for portability and ease of use, or get the real deal and compromise on portability for the toanz.

the5chord wrote:I once had an re-201 and it was awesome. But it was also old and heavy so I sold it.

you're an idiot. just teasing. i have a 201 and a 301 and they'd be damn near last on my list to let go...
RE-20 is also named space echo.
my vote would be for the el cap.
or buying an RE-201 again.

I've heard the RE-20 gets pretty damn near close besides the fact there is literally no way it simulate the finesse of the tape head and reel going through it. Always wanted one cause I like the delay sound, but I sold my RE-20 after getting it because I don't have the ability to keep up with maintenance in any capacity.

Never played a real 201. Never played a RE-20. But I do love the El Cap

I have an RE-201 (actually two...one is non-functional and I'm repairing it). I've also had the RE-20 and an El Capistan.

In my opinion, the El Cap is probably the most useful of all three. It sounds better than the RE-20 for tape sounds (to me), you can dial in the amount of modulation, tape wear, and headroom so that it's very authentic or over the top or totally clean, the reverb is better than the RE-20 or 201 (to me), and it's smaller. Pretty hard to beat it.

I got an offer to trade mine for an amp head (back when the El Cap was in short supply) and went for it. The only reason I have a pair of 201s is because I wanted the experience of owning and rehabilitating a classic effect. I'll keep one around for a while just because of the cool factor, but tonally I'm just as happy with the El Cap.

The RE-20 and the actual Space Echoes are close enough I rarely fire up my real big box monster any more.

I can dial in almost anything I used my 301 in the day for, or use my 150 for now, unless it's stuff well outside the specs of the unit (I like to have my erase head only wipe about 80-90% on the pass or so if I can set it up right).

Preamp on the RE-20 is spot on as well (which is one of the big things I loved about the SE in general).

Reverb on it is terrible. So's the one on the 201 and 301 and 501. "Improving" the verb changes the unit substantially IMO.

Be aware if you end up with a real unit that they can be temperamental and the learning curve ain't cheap like it used to be with parts if you do it yourself.

That said, once running well, they're nigh indestructible if you do regular maintenance.

El Cap did nothing for me - didn't sound like a SE or a 'plex, and the adjustments were just too artificial. I've yet to hear any tape unit that can get the level of wow+flutter+modulation that 99% of the digital units think are *normal* and still pass tape and function.

rfurtkamp wrote: Reverb on it is terrible. So's the one on the 201 and 301 and 501. "Improving" the verb changes the unit substantially IMO.

El Cap did nothing for me - didn't sound like a SE or a 'plex, and the adjustments were just too artificial. I've yet to hear any tape unit that can get the level of wow+flutter+modulation that 99% of the digital units think are *normal* and still pass tape and function.

Yeah lots of people hate the Space Echo reverb, but I love it. I wouldn't want a standard or normal sounding reverb on it. It's like getting a bonus flavor you can't get elsewhere. Also it's the only function in the RE-20 that uses its stereo outs.

Re: the underlined part: I think this can be thought of as one of the appeals of the El Cap; it can create impossible (re: fake) tape degradation that you can't get on a real unit. This makes it its own unique thing, to me.

If you like the sound of the RE-201 and the maintenance and weight were the only issues, get an RE-20. It sounds remarkably like the real thing and you won't have to deal with the hassle until a solar flare destroys all of our digital equipment forever.

One other thing I can say on the RE-20: the magic totally vanishes on the "long" delay mode that's not enabled from factory. I don't know what it is, sample rate, EQ, or just solar flares.

And impossible sounds, great, it's just I wish they'd admit "these aren't in the ballpark but you might have fun with them" knobs.

Ironically, after all these years though, the best RE-301 (not 201) emulation I've ever seen is on the Quadraverb+ because it's one of the only delays you can set the feedback of the individual taps, and tweaking that is the key to the (slightly longer) 3 head sound in the 301 vs the 201.

Cool, I've kept it in long mode for a few years, never thought to compare the sound quality between modes.

If it works for you, can always switch back.

I tried and it was just...off.

May have been a bad day but I've tried twice now.

Haven't played the RE-201 but the Space Echo emulation in the DD-500 sounds like the RE-20, and it can do more of course.

Has anyone compared the dd-500 and the el cap? Obviously not the sound on sound mode but the multihead modes specifically? Does the DD-500 have tape crackle or random-ish wow and flutter?

Recently went through this exact dilemma. I went with an RE-150 for a couple reasons after suggestions here and about a week of solid research. I got lucky with a really clean unit, tape had the perfect amount of age going for it for my most recent recording (new tape on the way though).

The preamp is awesome, and from what I gather, really an improvement over the 201/101, it sounds really pleasant. Plus the RE-150 is a little newer, it has single delay opposed to the swell delays of the 101. Something that the 101 may have over it, but I use a lot of single delay. Mostly it's stayed on mode 2 though =)

Since getting the 150, I've realized there just isn't an imitation like it.
It would be cool to have a reverb or chorus on it, but I was wanting to get a different source. I didn't love the spring on the 201's I've heard.

The 150 is a lot closer to the 301 in terms of design on the preamp is my understanding, it's a little more present than the 201 and just...right.

Most of the time on the 150 I end up using both heads (TWSS), and I have a very similar setting on my RE-20 - verb is almost turned off on it, and the big thing is it's a hair more consistent in the edge of oscillation stuff I use it for most. 150 is stupid good (as was the 301) at that, but suffers from tape head dirt getting in the way, and the barely oscillating is the first thing that goes when it gets dirty.

I am very, very glad I have both.

150 into the Jazz Chorus though, I no longer miss the 301 I had at all.