BOSS' New RE-202 Space Echo vs. a Vintage RE-201 | Analog vs. Digital
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- Опубліковано 23 бер 2022
- In partnership with BOSS, we're comparing the brand new RE-202 and RE-2 Space Echo pedals to an original RE-201. Find them all on Reverb here: bit.ly/3upC5hH
Get FREE sample packs from Reverb: bit.ly/Free-Sample-Packs
Shop RE-202: bit.ly/3NbSzCC
Shop RE-2: bit.ly/3IAstpy
Shop vintage RE-201s: bit.ly/3iEzkn3 - Розваги
that 202 enclosure is the best thing Boss has done in years. sleek, retro, cool. hope they release new pedals in this format.
I can already imagine a certain Chorus being reissued… I hope in it’s analog form
worst designed pedal ever. such a dissapointment
Yes! i love it.
We’ve found the Strymon burner account.
@@thebunchofvolume lol what
Boss/Roland if you’re listening, you should make a mini-Jazz Chorus-in-a-box using this 202 format. Complete with cab sim, authentic EQ section, headphone jack, true stereo chorus/vibrato and distortion. Iridium killer. That would be sick
The Jazz chorus was just the Boss CE-1 or CE-2 if I remember correctly, so the waza craft ce-2 should do it
@Badmen been thinking absolutely the same! The Boss IR-200 is doing that yet without the legendary chorus effect (gotta put a separate chorus pedal in your fx loop), plus it's amp modelling and not hardware. Worth a try tho!
@@dsmalf I mean the Roland Jazz Chorus amp, JC-120 etc.
@@dsmalf yes one of those, but the amp sound could be cool i guess (minus its distortion!). Actually, i just wish someone would do it as a plugin more- I've only ever found one plugin of a JC-160 by kuassa
Roland made a space echo with a chorus
is Andy the only pedal reviewer that understands IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT for some of us to hear how delay pedals self-oscillate? I just knew he was gonna demo that by the end of the video. No disappointments there.
Can you explain why that's important to you? Just curious...
@@mercedesescobarmusic Some of us believe that it's a sound by itself, and not all delay pedals do it the same regardless of all other settings. Some sound glitchy (like the pedal demoed here) and some sound chewy (like the actual Roland unit). The real tape/mag machines have an interesting chewy, dare I say desirable, sound that is usually not simulated well in delay pedals.
I love how he actually plays music, and doesn't just shred and try to show "chops" like most demos.
That was a great demo, Andy! Really enjoyed it. The new pedals are cool for sure. The RE-201 still sounded like magic from here - even over the computer through cheap speakers!
This morning i was very excited about this reissue and here comes the Andy. Thanks for review and thanks Boss.
Another great review by Andy. I not only love his playing, but I really appreciate the way he explains what he (and the pedal) does, and why he's doing it. He always gives us a clear explanation that is not only educational but entertaining as well.
Thanks for the comparison with a real 201 - they're big, noisy, expensive and need a lot of maintenance (but awesome), so an updated digital pedal makes way more sense for most. It's seems the Boss engineers looked at all the great existing tape emulation pedals (like the Volanti) and incorporated some of the best features along with a fairly hefty price. Also, the aesthetic design of the 202 is spot on, with a Space Echo theme on a CE-1 shape - '70s vibes all 'round.
@@user-zq9su8jv2k Ironically, I have a tape delay - the Replicator D'luxe and I really like it and use it all the time, despite all its drawbacks.
You know that Boss actually did make a Delay unit with this enclosure back in the days too? Not just the CE-1, just search DM-1.
@@pstrokeslibsarctic I didn't know that. Thanks. It looks exactly like one would expect. I'm sure they're rarer than hen's teeth at this point.
Are there any plugins that come closer to the real deal? After hearing them back to back, it's no contest -- the 201 has so much sparkle and depth, while the pedal is flat and one-dimensional.
@@AdamsOlympia There's something special about tape delay that's really hard to capture digitally. I've done tests with my own real tape echo by T-Rex, comparing with a digital emulation, and the real tape echo would always win out - it has a sort of 3D sound to it that I've never heard in a plugin or digital pedal.
That is really fun. WELL DONE Boss!! Thanks Andy!
I dig all of these, for sure the tape 201 sounds best to my ear. Hey Andy, missed your "here is my clean tone."!
Andy you are the GOAT. I've been watching you for many years during the ProGuitarShop days, and the Tone Report, free pedal Fridays etc. People like you have helped shape the music scene and keep guitar, and guitar pedals alive. A new generation has embraced you, and you've influenced so many young players, old players. Because of you, music is going to sound better in the coming years. You've rejuvenated the scene. Thank you sir. You are one of my idols. Thank you.
I sincerely appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching over the years! ✌️
@@AndyDemos Thanks Andy, it's an honor
Kudos to Boss for finally updating the incredibly antiquated RE-20 but, man, the original RE-201 smokes the piss out of the this new RE-202 like nobody's business.
Yep
💯💯💯
i disagree, some settings sounded pretty identical. It's all subjective anyway.
Amen! If you can't hear the difference in that immortal chime and twang you're kidding yourself
It's great. Delay pedals are great. Plugins are great. But yes, the piss is indeed smoked out of this by the real thing :)
This thing is sick, and I am so glad I didn't pull the trigger on a RE-20 a few months ago.
So glad to see you again our amazingly talented pickless guitarist !!
Totally agree with others on the quality of this review! The best I have seen so far. I purchased a Roland RE-201 in the late 70s. The sound of the Boss RE-202 brought back so many memories. Very unique character. Thanks for this great review!
Incredible work as always Andy!
The re-20 is a good, fun pedal in its own right. These new units are another great evolutionary branch, with even more options for practical use. Yet for all that utility, my luddite preference is unable to give up on the percussive first repeat of tape. Unmatched impact for slapback 💪🥊
The emulation is really impressive. Hurrah for Boss! I hope they release the Chorus Echo digital version.
Thanks so much!! Just purchased the Strymon El Capistan and I really like it, but I think I'm going to add this one.
wow. I'm seriously considering it. I have the real thing but I'd also need something that I don't mind taking with me to the rehearsal room and potentially for gigs, too. I wonder about the 202's preamp, though, cause that's a big part of what makes the original so incredible.
well looks like I will finally grab a fake Space Echo. That RE-202 is perfect for what I do. Great coverage as always. I haven't bought a single pedal in years without watching your reviews first.
The first minute sold me. I have another digital tape modeling delay, and the only thing it gets wrong is when adjusting the speed on the fly. On the 202 it sounds like they nailed the smooth pitch shift. This one is definitely on my wish list.
I had the RE20 on my main board for years. Finally took it off because of the form factor and a bit of tone suck in the bypassed signal. Replaced with just a standard Carbon Copy. These 2 look very, very cool though, and of course no one better than Andy to demonstrate what they can do.
Boss has done it again! Another pedal I didn’t know I needed 🤷🏽♂️
Johnny Marr would appreciate that opening tune...Great demo, Andy!
Amazing comparison. Thanks! Great gitarist 💜 Imagine these devices tested in a reggae dub setup… 🇯🇲.
Andy, doing the pedal god’s work! Thanks for doing a comparison with a real 201, not even 24 hours after the 202’s official announcement, no less. You’re amazing!
GREAT demo!!congrats!!!
4th demo I've watched today. It sounds amazing in all of them so far. Boss ftw.
When Boss get it right they really knock it out of the park. I'm impressed.
I had a real RE-201 in my studio for the better part of two years. It came from a wealthy collector’s personal gear stash and it was one of their prized units. I found the best tech in my area to restore it and paid several hundred dollars to rebuild it to the best possible standard. The tech and I spent two hours hand-tuning the modulation for the most musical wow and flutter possible. The Strymon El Capistan walked all over it on every single session and it wasn’t even close. Clients who had booked the studio with specific intent to use the Space Echo always preferred the pedal and there were very few scenarios where the original truly excelled. Save the money people, just buy the pedal-they’re doing a really good job of capturing what it does here.
There are not many techs who really know what they're doing with a tape echo (which is definitely another strong argument in favour of a pedal being right for a lot of people, along with saving money!). But, for the record, if you are having to "tune the modulation" and it can't even get close to the Strymon then those are two clear indications that it wasn't working to anything like its full potential.
Interesting. I had a RE-201 in my studio and an El Cap. The Roland made the Strymon sound like El Crap, and I love Strymon. I’ve since sold both and bought an Echo Fix.
@@cloudconnect Adressing some comments about tuning the modulation here. Wow and flutter was undesirable to the original designers of tape echo effects. If the unit is in factory condition the repeats are fairly static and percussive and don’t have the beautiful natural movement we’re all searching for with this effect. As many modern approaches indicate, some amount of the ‘unmaintained’ tape sound is actually what you want. This occurs naturally as the many moving parts in the mechanism drift over time. The trick to making it sound good is to preserve a bit of that. It’s a delicate balance that takes familiarity with the mechanics of the tape path to get right. Adjusting that is what I mean by ‘dialing it in.’
When we visit Mars, I want to bring Andy along with me. I want to have a 9 month long jam session with digital and analog machines flying in a spacecraft. Put some loop on infinite decay and see how far we get. Rock Solid demo!
Holy shit! I can’t wait to get my hands on the RE-202!
Seeing RE-202 in CE-1 shape makes me wish Boss makes a reissue of CE-1 as well!!
Some day 😞
I could see Warm Audio doing a clone, their jet phaser is pretty awesome and just like the original
CE-2W has a CE-1 mode
If you want a pretty good clone of the CE-1, check out the Retro-Sonic Chorus. It's the best chorus I've ever played.
Give the Analog Chorus by Mr. Black a spin. Analog circuit with digital control, 4 modes… I got one and it sounds fatter than John Goodman.
Great demo! 👍
For me, I think the 202 is incredibly close with the re 2 not far behind.
The 202 sounds great to me. I would have asked for the tape age to be on a pot with a wide range from pristine to barely working. A bit pricey, but if you like this sort of delay - taking a tape machine out to gigs is pretty dicey/risky at best, this certainly would solve that issue.
Already have one pre-orderd!
What a great review. Wasn't going to get any more gear but always had a soft spot for tape echo. Could get the 202 and make room for it by selling on DM-2w and the M300.
Sucked my tone as well. I really stripped down my board. Seemed like half the pedals were there to retain signal integrity.
Really happy to see this pedal come out as it attempts to simulate the original for people who don’t have that kind of bread to drop or need the extra studio space.
That being said, I’d give up some studio space for a 201 any day.
I think I’ll stick with volante for now. Really similar and I think the layout is a little better and more fully featured
That Space Echo's texture! ufff. Pedal is super cool though! I wonder if you can warm it up with something after it.
What I'm missing is Andy singing 'For a minute there I lost myself' through the Space echo units 😉
I don't have one of these but always use Watkins copicat and love the sound and functions as kind of preamp for extra grit
I've wanted the Boss RE 20. it was decent prices. then saw a video from pedal partners on the Boss RE 2. I was so excited that night I checked out the RE 2 good prices,then i looked for RE 20 and saw some used for $300. i seen it before at $260. but when I compared them the RE 20 to the RE 2 and it was cheaper. so mine is own it's way!!!!!!!
The original seems to be more clear and at the same time smoother. I think may be the RE202 was set with more gain/saturation, because it seems to be clipping and distorting more
I still love the RE20! Now's a great time to get a deal on these bad boys used. The guitar pedal equivalent to when Roland dropped the SP 404 Mk ii last year
I've owned the re-20 for 10 years. I might need to grab this too, just for the wow and flutter
I slept on the Korg SDD-3000 pedal you demoed a few years back and they discontinued it for whatever reason and now of course they fetch around up to 800.00 USD. I won't be sleeping on this one.Delay is my favorite and main Time Based FX. I use sparingly just enough to thicken up things. Now I can play old DK songs and drive the Neighbors to the Brink. Sounds good to me.I'll supply the Grit Ha Ha.
Andy, I'd love to hear you run that RE202 into a Blues Driver and play some shoegaze!
Definite CE-101 incoming vibes from that enclosure ...
Dunno if the RE-202’s preamp modeling is switched on here, but if it’s not that might explain why it sounds a bit crispier overall than the 201.
Anyway the 202 sounds pretty darn good to me. Might have to get one!
the new pedals seem to have much louder repeats compared to the analog version. all sound pretty dope.
As much as I like boss pedals I think I will keep my NuX Tape Core echo pedal. It is another great low budget recreation of the Space Echo.
I'd like to see them compared actually. I nearly got a Nux as some said it was better than re-20, plus theyve released a big version at the same time as this
NUX is releasing the 505 Tape Echo in a few months. I watched the demo today. Best tape echo simulation I've heard to date. I was going to grab a tape core, but I may wait for the new one. FYI: Sounds like it's going to be pretty salty though $175 ish.
Listening on headphones, the 201 is more transparent in general. The high feedback sounds quite different between the 2. The new features of the 202 are great, and the tone is fuller for better or worse. I’m gettin one!
Can I ask would it be possible to get the Shadows echoes from the 202
Great demo! What guitar and amp was he using? Hard to beat the original but comes at a high cost for purchase and maintenance. The new pedal sounds great. One thing you can do is use an old cassette recorder as an echo also if you want to combine digital with analog.
great demo , as usual.
Sounds great. The first real competitor for the Volante (but hard to imagine it’s significantly better).
I'm over here telling myself the exact same thing, with my shiny new Volante sitting on top of my reel to reel tape machine...and the tiny version of me with red horns is sitting on my left shoulder with a giant grimace, knowing damn well my trigger finger is itching with a severe bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome right about now...
@@Settii and on the other side, the one with wings is asking: ‘do you really need another echo pedal?’ …as if that was ever a reason not to buy one😂
Wow they sound great ! Have the 201 love 202 but hands down the old analog come on it’s like has it on suppressed quality clear and nice ! But the others have more sounds but ! May I say more sonic distance ! Not so close? But have 1 would prefer original! That’s just my sonic ear! Well done!thanks
Are the Reverb and Echo Volumes Input or Output volumes?
I'm legitimately shocked that the vintage unit sounded superior by a mile on every setting demonstrated. As always, Andy was great, but this might be the only time he deterred me from buying a new pedal.
I though about buying an re20 pedal. But hearing a vintage unit play, it's no contest
A mile is overly generous, but yeah
@@the-np4mr Ah but it’s a cosmic Lovecraftian mile - it cannot be fathomed or quantified by the senses or intellect of mere 4-dimensionals such as ourselves …
The only reason why the vintage unit sound better is because of the treble setting on the r202 in this video...
Way to much treble.
Tape also compress naturally.
So to be honnest what you call better is just more mid and compression period.
I have a vibtage unit and its a pain to service.
Im really happy with the new one.
Also... a age unit with bad cap etc lose the high end.
Hence why the new one sound thinner.
Yeah, but what are your options? I had enough frustrations with ordinary cassette decks back in the 80s that no way am I going to buy an expensive and aged tape-based device that’s even more finicky. So it’s really these pedals vs. other emulations like El Capistan. I agree it sounded off here, but maybe it’s just the settings? Disappointed Andy didn’t try to get a closer match.
In front or in effectsloop? I ask becuse I heard it has a built in premap to. Would be starnge to put in a affects loop, but a reverb/delay fits good in a effects loop..
I’m really exited about this, but maybe what I’m hearing is a clearer more hi-fi sound from the original.
Yeah... so the new ones to me are very "hi fi." Not a criticism. Treble sticks out. Overall sound is layered. Old box is less in yer face with the effect, fewer highs, and more "integrated" sounding. The new boxes seem to capture the specific "fizzy grit" of the Space Echo better... which I don't find in other vintage analog units (which is why I usually like the SE best of them). The older Boss SE pedal captured that less I think. Nice upgrades on these pedals!
Well Put. It sounds exactly like, well, what it is. An emulator. Much prefer the 201. So much warmer and fuller.
BOSS has aways been the coolest kids on the block ! Dominated the stomp box world since the Beginning. And still the #1 selling Pedals world wide . No BS creative engaged Company.
That RE-2 is wild. Idk how I'll not buy that.
Great demo. The 201 sounded a bit darker and more transparent. Would be right at home in a recording like Dark Side of the Moon.
The 202 not so much, but a really good emulation. Maybe the settings on the 202 were a tad too bright and forward in the mix as compared? Or, I would love to know if that's indeed characteristic of the RE-202.
I wish the twist mode was more like a momentary preset that could be customized, instead of the goofy time bend.. I want to swell into more feedback, saturation, wow & flutter while leaving the delay time alone
This would be a good application for the exp pedal!
I have the Rotary pedal RT-20. I'd love to see a reissue as an RT-202 with the same advances as the RE-202.
Love the layout and it sounds great, but the original just sounds more like part of the tone, like it's integrated better or built in somehow. Maybe rolling off the highs and backing the echo level down could get it closer. But it is a very, very cool pedal. Not sure it would replace my El Capistan, but it does more usable with the control layout.
wonder if you can assign the reverb function to an external switch...🤔🤔🤔
I’m just here for Andy and the echoes 😍😍😍
I’m going analog here, but did preorder the 202.
I finally got mine and I love it ….
Well the original still has quite a bit more clarity and twang. The Pedal sounds great still! Think I'll stick to tape echo emulation in my DAW and a great bucket brigade delay for my board though. Great demo!
PSP stomp delay is awesome for DAW
@@alexandermacnab6668 yeah PSP make some great stuff. My favourite is the Soundtoys Echoboy though :)
I wonder if they might consider reissuing the BeeBaa fuzz/treble boost soon?
after buying an RE20 and using it for about 2 minutes I put it up for sale, it was unusable, because when you press the pedal the cranks up the intensity, it turned the speed up too, and there didn't seem to be a way to deactivate the speed increase, what about the re 2 and re 202?
Is anyone else unable to switch reverb types? Knob on mode 12 with unit off, hold tap while powering on and tap flashes for 1 second and then goes solid, then memory button won’t cycle through reverb types
I think I should not be so obsessed with it being an exactly crafted replica of the original monster. I am interested in it and I see it as a musical tool with unique sonic potential. Owned an RE 20 years ago and sold it in order to afford a big box Stereo Memory Man reissue. I still think it was a very musical delay pedal and I sometimes miss it.
Very very close to the original...since I read the news about this new pedal, I started wondering of where I could use it...❤...I'm talkin' bout RE 202, of course...
I need a standalone delay. The only delay i currently have is the avalanche run. The repeats are soft. Think i may pull the trigger on one of these
Thanks for this; its very interesting. The new unit captures the repeats and patterns but IMO doesn’t come anywhere close in terms of what the old unit does in terms of harmonics, high end sheen and the way it compresses perfectly. The new unit compresses the signal and the tone just loses the magic and life. So much of the tone of old delay units is the preamp and tone circuitry.
This, all day, every day. It's a great delay pedal, but it's definitely a delay pedal.
The RE-201 analog Tape opens up and has warmer low end and overall sound of the original signal. The RE-2 and RE-202 sounded like it changed the sound (tinty) and clamped (Choked) the signal. Yea can't totally digitize all analog devices. Analog sounds the way it dose for a reason.
I really like the enclosure shape of the 202. Looks much easier to wield than the clunky bike looking pedals those RE20's had. I still have an RC (sadly doesn't work, but dunno about if it can be repaired) and it was very easy to get your foot stuck on the wrong switch when you're trying to loop something.
Sounds pretty close to me, but the 202 sounds like the mix is just a little too high & there is a little more modulation even with the Wow & Flutter turned all the way down in comparison. Not too surprising, as my experience with my Fulltone Tube Tape Echo is that the actual modulation is more subtle than digital recreations... Giving people what they want to hear, I guess?
I heard this too. The OG has the more subtle intricacies. The new one is more in ya face.
Wouldn’t say no to it, though.
I think that’s intentional for demo purposes as you want people to hear what it’s doing and what it’s potential is in terms of being mixed heavy. Many pedal demos I see have the effect mixed way higher or way more extreme than I’d likely actually use them, but I know I can and will likely dial them back for my own personal tastes.
@@softlightsymphonyband Your point makes complete sense but I still sense measures of subtlety in the OG that the new kid on the block can't match.
Pretty cool demo man, as usual! What do you guys say? Does the smaller RE-2 do its job according to preamp-coloring?
No
Does it include the reverse mode?
The thing about old-school tape delays is that they had AWESOME pre-amps that sweetened your sound wonderfully even if you didn't employ the delay...
Andy looked like he as having the most fun with this one 😂
I would have traded my RE 301 for the RE 20 I now have..
Hopefully these new pedals will drive up the Vintage sheep GAS on the RE20 and ill be able to trade it for a RE202..
Does the RE202 have a dedicated tap tempo footswitch like the old RE-20?
Looks like it’s the footswitch all the way to the right, tap for the tempo, hold for the “twist” effect.
The new ones are amazing at capturing the vibe!
Finally got my RE-202 and thought I'd just share this here. I really wanted to be able to use the reverb by itself, which you can do, but only if you turn the echo volume down MANUALLY. My hope was that when I switch off the delay, the reverb could still be on regardless of echo volume or any other settings. I'm sure there is some sort of hack by using the presets or something but this is disappointing as I always leave reverb on. If anyone has a solid workaround, let me know!
I would set up a preset as "reverb only" and then have the RE-202 as an always on pedal. Then when I want to use the RE-202 for echo/reverb, I'd simply switch to another preset. Then I'd switch back to reverb only when I want just that to run through my amp.
Let's get one thing out there up front...I'm Friggin' OLD...Over 3/4 of a Century Old. I started Gigging in the early 60's through the late 70's (when I made the mistake of getting married and because of pressure from the EX In-Laws to get a "Real Job and a Real Profession"...I guess EX In-Laws pretty well covers the rest). I play as often as I can...Make that as often as my arthritis permits. I really wish I could have a RE-201, but I'm retired on a fixed income and that is nothing but "I really wish" thing. I just got my RE-202 and I'm going crazy with all the possibilities. When I say this, please keep in mind the "I'm Friggin' OLD" before you tear into me when I say...I just wish it was a little bigger. And there's zero way I would ever be able to use a RE-201...Too Friggin' Small!!! Now, all you Young-uns with great eyes and no arthritis, I'm sure the smaller the better. I haven't had my RE-202 long enough to even grasp all the possibilities, but I'm very impressed so far. Since I live in the world of the past (Ventures, Beach Boys, and quit gigging the same year as the Doobie Brothers Farewell Tour) with Delay, Reverb, and Tape Echo...The RE-202???? Just simply as close to the RE-201 as I'll ever get now!! About as close as I'll get to my wheelhouse today. (In case anyone wonders? The closest I own to distortion or overdrive pedals is an "old" Fuzzface.) I probably should have led with this...I really appreciate the effort made to give the Side-by-Side RE201 - RE202 comparison. Great Job and Great Work!!
Line 6 DL4 Mk2 and Boss Re-202 coming out within days of each other?
Shootout time...
Andy, do you ever play your G&L anymore? You are still the king of demos :)
Finally a close replica!
You can hear the saturation of the tape in the intro! Biggest difference comopared to the Digital one.
Great demo. But I think that since this RE-201 "probably needs an overhaul" as Andy put it, it might have been wiser to use the "aged" selector on the RE-202 to better match it? Nonetheless, I think that the RE-202 is great in many ways. I returned my Volante and got a full refund and bought the Boss instead. It's been a couple of weeks now and no regrets so far.
What about RE-202 vs RE-20?
did I hear a little nod to The Chameleons around 9:53? it would be super fitting since they loved them some of that OG space echo
True, even though I think Dave Fielding had a RE-301, with the chorus.