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Looking for a Roland Space Echo type delay........

I’ve become really obsessed with the Roland Space Echo this year....I hear it on all sorts of my favorite records. Boris’ Feedbacker, Pygmalion by Slowdive, Kosmonument by Oranssi....not to mention the Radiohead albums that first got me into guitar as a kid.

Anybody know of a good delay pedal that gets close to this sound? I recently got a Boss RE-20, which is the Boss DSP version of it. The Boss pedal is great, definitely a keeper, but I’m finding the lack of true bypass and the input volume control are messing with my fuzz pedals are wrecking general havoc on my tone. I knew I was in for this when I got it.

Running it through a loop might help so I can cut it out of the chain....but, anybody out there have advice on a different unit that gets that distant, spacey astronaut kind of tape echo? It’s almost not even tape, cuz it’s kinda cold and far away in the mix compared to something like an echoplex.

Tap-tempo is not really necessary, but some ability to control oscillation would really be great....

ok.. so I'll start here... Have you ever used a real space echo? Or any other real tape echo?

They have NO bypass. They have a switch that will turn off the echo but it isn't a bypass..
They are not transparent. The preamp [which is always on] have a sound.
They are noisy; some more than others.
They need caring for like a pet...
They work best at the end of your chain..

I have not tried a lot of pedals that repo the sound but I have and like the Boss RE-20 [still NOTHING like a real one], I find it better sounding than most [if not all] DAW plug-ins that are suppose to be awesome... I ALWAYS use it in a try-bypass looper because of the issues you said I also have a T-Rex replica which does ok on the sound side but it doesn't do space echo sounds.. And I looked at a lot of the other pedals but I question the feel thing.. so I have a t-rex replicator jr on order because I am of the mind that if you are paying a shitton for a delay why not get something that is a real tape machine

*definitely* interested in what you think of the Replicator Jr.

Personally, I'm approximately 1000x more interested in the Space Echo sound than in Echoplexes or what have you

Dandolin wrote:*definitely* interested in what you think of the Replicator Jr.

Personally, I'm approximately 1000x more interested in the Space Echo sound than in Echoplexes or what have you

Oh, I will do something detailed when I get it [if ever ] But yeah there is no contest to me on the Space Echo vs Echoplex, I've owned both at the same time and I sold the Echoplex because I was just underwhelmed with it in comparison.. still kind'a wish I hadn't of sold it... I also have a Univox EC80 [that works when it wants to...]..

Blackened Soul wrote:ok.. so I'll start here... Have you ever used a real space echo? Or any other real tape echo?

Blackened- Nope, wish I had! For now the RE-20 is like definitely the closest I'll be able to get to the real thing.
Thanks for the tips....my question is probably like somebody asking, why do fuzz pedals make that hissy noise with the gain up?
But, there are so many DSP delays out there, I thought maybe there's one I haven't heard about or tried yet.

I'm curious too about the Replicator.

Yes that is a good way of looking at it.

I'm not saying you can't find a dsp that would get you close to a sound you want but I think you have to really know the sound you want and research the hell out of it.. The issue I have with most is the attempt at the wow and flutter... almost everything I've tried gets that wrong... it is mostly a subtle thing, it is not like a modulated bucket brigade delay..

agreed
and

I have a regular Replicator. A Roland Space Echo, or Echoplex it is not. If you want that classic sound, the BOSS RE-20 comes much closer. The Replicator is only like old tape echoes if you like the sound of one that has not been taken care of, and the motor is noisy, and the tape is old and gritty, and the chorus/vibrato sounds like the motor is failing more than adding subtle character. That said, if you don't expect it to sound like another thing, it's fucking awesome lo-fi spacey wild super fun.

(edit: I'm describing the janky sound of it. The build quality seems great, and I have had no actual issues.)

I think some PT2399-based delays get close in a way. DBA Echo Dream reminded me of the RE-201 because you could use the fuzz knob to add preamp grit and the delay time affected the repeat quality like on the real thing.. It's not the same thing but it has a real character to it that a lot of 'spacey' delays lack.

Don't rule out the real thing, though! I know prices have gone through the roof in recent years, but sometimes people unload non-working units for cheap that are totally fixable. I scooped a broken 201 a few years ago for $200 and with ~$100 in parts and a few hours of research and tinkering it ended up working beautifully. Everyone who loves that sound deserves a chance to play the real thing. It's inspiring.

Try the El Capistan if you get a chance. I don't know if anything will get you closer than the RE-20, but I think El Cap might be able to bring you there with the switchable bypass, and excellent sounding delays all around

Yeah if you don't care about the preamp there are loads of pedals that can do a similar space'd out echo.

i like the boonar for bright, crispy cornflake-crunchy old school echoes

Dandolin wrote:*definitely* interested in what you think of the Replicator Jr.

So my Sweatwater guy emailed me today... T-rex is discontinuing the Jr [and everyone's order for one] for the "new and improved" deluxe version... so... I don't think I'm getting a T-rex.. Unless it's the same price as the Jr because the price of the old deluxe vs another Roland isn't a big enough difference if I HAD to have another... Still I was hoping for a small cool pedal tape delay...

wtf? that company is really strange
bummer

I have a tape Space Echo and an RE-20.

The preamp on both is an INTEGRAL part of that sound. Period. End of discussion.

I can get 98% of the sound I want out of the RE-20 to a point where I don't fire the real one up as regularly.

What the real one WILL do is things that a mechanical circuit does - like using the erase head set so it doesn't quite erase the tape every pass, so there's a 5% sound on sound or so lurking in the background for chaos factor.