Boss RE-202 Space Echo Advanced Delay Pedal Overview

Boss RE-202 Space Echo Advanced Delay Pedal

The legendary tape delay authentically recreated and enhanced in an advanced, feature-packed stompbox.

Return Of A Masterpiece

Few effects units are as renowned and sought-after as the Roland RE-201 Space Echo. The original RE-201 is a truly magical unit that makes anything you run through sound better. Guitar, bass, voice, keyboard or synthesizer - the Space Echo will enhance it with characteristic warmth and lushness. Whilst vintage units can still be found in top recording studios around the world, they’re expensive and require more maintenance than a modern effects unit so aren’t often used live. With the RE-202, BOSS has captured the unique sound and behaviour of the iconic Roland Space Echo and condensed it into a rugged, pedalboard-friendly form factor. Combined with useful upgrades such as preset memories, true stereo I/O and tap tempo, the BOSS RE-202 is the Space Echo for the modern musician.

Authentic Tape Sound

Whilst the BOSS RE-202 doesn’t run on tape like the old-school Roland RE-201, it’s sonically indistinguishable from the vintage model. Groundbreaking innovations, intensive R&D and intimate knowledge of the original unit mean the RE-202 and its compact sibling the RE-2 are the most authentic-sounding and behaving recreations of the Space Echo yet. When it comes to the Space Echo, no-one understands what makes that hallowed unit tick like Roland and BOSS. Several vintage RE-201 units, including a pristine example from the Roland and BOSS archive, and the original schematics were meticulously analysed to bring the RE-201 to life.

Modern Recreation

The RE-202 delay pedal delivers all the colour and character that made the RE-201 special - minus the need to replace the tape and maintain the hardware. The hands-on nature of the original’s control panel and the trademark 12-position mode selector has been retained, allowing you to dial-in spatial effects and ambiences with ease. Thanks to newly developed algorithms, the way the controls behave have been modelled with astounding accuracy. From the gradual pitch shift as you adjust the Repeat Rate knob to the runaway self-oscillation as you dime the Intensity knob - all of it has been faithfully replicated.

New To Vintage

The selectable tape age and variable controls let you gradually shift from a factory-fresh Space Echo to a well-used vintage unit. The engineers at BOSS have calibrated the Saturation control to match the exact behaviour of the RE-201’s magnetic tape and preamp. As you increase the Saturation, you introduce more warmth and compression to the sound. The Wow & Flutter knob imparts the lush and unpredictable natural modulation that’s closely associated with the Space Echo.

Expanded Capabilities

BOSS bring the Space Echo sound into the 21st Century by introducing a host of modern features and enhancements. For a start, the delay time has been doubled and a fourth virtural tape head is available for five more rhythmic combinations. A new Echo Type feature alters the distance between the “heads”, letting you conjure up textures that weren’t attainable on the original. Synth players are catered for with the true stereo inputs and outputs and selectable operation for line-level instruments. You can also choose whether your signal is given some fat tape-colour from the RE-201 preamp or left unprocessed.

Extra Reverb Modes

In addition to the famous Spring Reverb that graced the RE-201, the RE-202 also boasts four additional modes - Ambience, Room, Plate and Hall. All of the RE-202’s reverb modes, including the Spring, run in stereo. Performers will love the Warp and Twist effects that allow you to instantly take off into the cosmos by pressing down on a footswitch.

Effortless Control

Once you’ve dialled in a favourite setting, you can store it in one of the four onboard memories to recall later. 123 extra memories can be accessed using MIDI program change. A dedicated tap tempo switch lets you keep your repeats in sync and an optional delay carryover maintains the repeat rate as you change memories. You can also mute your dry signal if you’re running a parallel effect rig or using the RE-202 as a bus effect in the studio. External footswitches or an expression pedal can be hooked up for real-time, simultaneous tweaking of multiple parameters.

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop for jaw-dropping ambiences, effects and textures - there’s nothing quite like the BOSS RE-202 Space Echo.