Question for the tape echo guys.

[James Lugo]

What are the differences between the Roland Space Echo and the Maestro EP-4 Echoplex? Which model? Tube? Which is more reliable?

A client wants to get one for a record I'm doing. I had these back in the 80's for guitars but it's been so long I really don't remember the deal with them.

 

[chumbucket]

The Space Echo is solid state and much better in my opinion. The Echoplexes are cool but the SE gives you more a little more control and cleaner signal. YMMV.

 

[AmpliFIRE]

+1 on the space echo

 

[ModularMind]

The RE201 Space Echo is solid state, the Echoplex, I'm not so sure, but I'm pretty sure it's solid state, but earlier ones might be tubes, just a guess. Fulltone makes the Tube Tape Echo which I think is more like an echoplex than a Roland. The Roland Echos have fixed heads, and a switch picks between the heads, changing the space between echos (like note divisions) in conjunction with the echo speed. The Echoplex has a moveable head that changes the spacing between echos. The Echoplex has a preamp that many like and is what the Xotic EP Boost is based on.

The Space Echo has a spring reverb, not a great one, but it has one, I think the Echoplex doesn't. I think Echoplex's are a little cheaper than the Rolands lately, but I see less in good condition.

The Korg StageEcho is the least noisy of them all and most suited for studio work other than the RE555. I would look at the Strymon El Capistran before you spend a wad on a tape echo. They're great when they work, but they need maintenance sometimes. My 201 looks like crap, but works perfectly. My 301 looks perfect, but warbles like mad and needs service soon.

My first post here, hope it was a useful one.

 

[freeballinusa]

Buy A cheap space echo!

 

[Digital Jams]

This is a job for the Guardian of TONE Mentoneman!

RE-150

and before ANYONE says El Cap here is the Strymon getting it's balls handed to it by a RE-501.

 

[TeleBlaster]

Check out the Psychoplex...
Tony is the best with old Echoplex and Space Echo units.

http://orbitelectronix.com/

 

[Marshall Law]

bring back the Kopy Kat tape delay

 

[rupe]

The Space Echo is solid state and much better in my opinion. The Echoplexes are cool but the SE gives you more a little more control and cleaner signal. YMMV.

This.

Echoplexes are great too but are more limited. They come in both tube and SS models.

 

[James Lugo]

This is a job for the Guardian of TONE Mentoneman!

RE-150

and before ANYONE says El Cap here is the Strymon getting it's balls handed to it by a RE-501.

Wow that Roland just kills. Man that is nice. I wpuld suppose you can turn off the chorus if all you want is echo?

 

[Superunknown]

EP-3

 

[amiller]

I got one of these and absolutely love it.

 

[PrestoDone]

This is a job for the Guardian of TONE Mentoneman!

RE-150

and before ANYONE says El Cap here is the Strymon getting it's balls handed to it by a RE-501.

Jesus christ what a godly lead sound the guy in the first video was getting.....makes me wanna dust off my strat and play along..

 

[Digital Jams]

This is a job for the Guardian of TONE Mentoneman!

RE-150

and before ANYONE says El Cap here is the Strymon getting it's balls handed to it by a RE-501.

Jesus christ what a godly lead sound the guy in the first video was getting.....makes me wanna dust off my strat and play along..

Mentoneman is Rig Talk's guardian of tone, the keeper of historic records of years past concerning all that is good regarding gear and tone. I laugh when TGP made him leave that place and we are damn lucky he hangs here.

 

[Digital Jams]

James, I do not have the experience some have with this but I have listened to a ton of peope in the know and countless clips and IMO the Roland-501 is the shit but big $$$$$$ when they come up.

 

[mentoneman]

pros:
preamp fattens and warms original signal yet keeps the best parts of your tone intact accurately.
tape repeats do naturally what everyone tries to reproduce digitally
my space echo had a natural ducking thing going on. the repeats never seemed to get in the way of the original note/sound yet have a very distinct and musical identity.
cool vintage look.

cons:
big
expensive
tempermental
tricky to maintain
mechanically noisy