Boss RE-202

The Boss RE-202 Space Echo is a digital delay pedal from Boss that models the tape echo and spring reverb of the Roland RE-201 Space Echo, the classic rack tape machine from the 1970s. Instead of a loop of tape running past record and playback heads, the RE-202 uses digital modeling built from an in-depth analysis of numerous original RE-201 units, replicating the behavior of the vintage analog machine¹. It was released in 2022².

The pedal offers 12 modes, like the original, and its reverb can be used on all 12 of them³. It adds things the tape machine never had: tap tempo, programmable memory, MIDI connectivity, stereo input and output, and Warp and Twist effects for live performance¹⁴⁵.

A digital Space Echo

Boss says the RE-202 and its smaller sibling, the Boss RE-2 Space Echo, are based on in-depth analysis of numerous original Roland RE-201 units, and that replicating the unique behavior of vintage analog devices has yielded unprecedented levels of realism¹. Boss engineers developed the modeling algorithms specifically for this project, and they do not appear in any previous Boss multi-effect products⁴.

The pedal offers new and aged tape simulation, so a player can choose between the sound of fresh tape or worn tape¹. It has four virtual heads rather than the RE-201's three: seven modes offer the first three heads singly and in combination, plus five modes incorporating the fourth head⁶.

The enclosure is about the size of two and a half Boss compact pedals set side by side, with a curvy chassis shape that nods to the earliest Boss pedals such as the CE-1, DM-1 and DB-5⁶.

The controls

The control panel follows the original, with a 12-position mode selector alongside the familiar knobs⁷. Guitar.com's review describes it as a 12-way rotary mode switch⁸.

Warp increases the feedback to create an almost indefinite series of repeats, and it persists only while the switch is held down⁴. Pedal of the Day described the Warp and Twist effects as "allowing you to launch the sound into outer space with the press of a footswitch while performing"⁵.

An input switch selects between guitar- and line-level signals, so the pedal can sit after a keyboard or other line-level source as well as in a guitar chain³. There is also a CTL/EXP connection for external control⁴¹⁰, an expression pedal jack for real-time parameter control⁴, and two expression controls¹⁰.

Power and connections

The RE-202 runs from the included Boss PSA AC adapter at 9V DC, with a unit current draw of 140 mA⁶. It does not come with the option of battery power, and it takes up a bit more pedalboard space than a compact pedal⁴.

It offers stereo as well as mono connection, with true stereo input and output⁶⁵. It stores four presets onboard, or 127 when controlled via MIDI, with recall via external program change and optional MIDI Clock sync⁴.

Firmware updates

Boss released system program Ver.1.10 for the RE-202 in August 2022¹¹. The update is performed via a USB connection between the RE-202 and a computer, using a commercially available USB 2.0-compliant cable (USB micro B to USB A, or USB Type-C) and a Windows or Mac computer with a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port¹¹.

To check the version, hold down the MEMORY button and connect the included AC adapter to turn on the power. If MEMORY 1 or MEMORY 2 lights up, the unit is on an old version and the update is needed; if MEMORY 3 lights up, it is already on the latest version¹¹.

History: from the Roland RE-201

The Roland RE-201 Space Echo was a tape-based echo machine with multiple playback heads, spring reverb and a motor-driven tape loop. Boss's history of delay pedals records the RE-202 Space Echo as a 2022 release²¹, and the pedal is a new version of the RE-201 rather than a continuation of the earlier Boss RE-20 Space Echo Twin Pedal¹²³.

Alongside the RE-202, Boss developed the smaller RE-2, which retains the most crucial features in a compact stomp box, while the RE-202 is larger and built as a more complete recreation of the original¹³¹². Premier Guitar's reviewer described the RE-2 as ambitiously attempting to distill the RE-201 experience into a compact digital format¹⁴.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's Trevor Curwen wrote that "Boss has got this just right: the RE-202 accurately reproduces Space Echo sound while going way beyond the capabilities" of an original RE-201⁶. Guitar World's tape echo buying guide lists it as buffered bypass and perfectly designed to recreate the magic of the original RE-201¹⁵.

On That Pedal Show, the hosts said the RE-202 is "in a different fidelity game than the RE-20" and "without doubt a significant upgrade" over it, and that it does a great job of the interesting phase modulation of multi-head repeats¹⁰. Asked whether it sounds like an original RE-201, their answer "seems to be a resounding no", in the sense of different rather than better or worse¹⁰. In a later episode, a host who is a big fan of real tape called it "spectacular" and said getting the tape sound took seconds because everything is on the top panel⁹.

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GuitarPlayer's Christopher Scapelliti, reviewing the RE-2 and RE-202 together, wrote: "I thought Boss had already nailed the RE-201's sound with the RE-20 Twin Pedal, but the company has added even greater depth and realism"³. Pedal of the Day's verdict was blunt: "What we will say right off the bat is that IT IS INCREDIBLE"⁵.

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Who uses it

James Walbourne of the Pretenders, introduced to the pedal by Johnny Marr, uses the RE-202 mainly for slapback delay. In a Boss interview he said: "He got me onto the BOSS RE-202 Space Echo. It's really versatile. You can do an awful lot with it. I mainly use it for slapback"¹⁶. A Boss interview with producer Alessandro "Asso" Stefana describes the RE-202 as a studio favorite of countless producers¹⁷.

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