The Mile End Effects Ronald PreAmp 150 is a preamp pedal with a switchable clean boost, built as a standalone recreation of the preamp section inside Roland's RE-150 Space Echo. Mile End Effects released it on March 19, 2021, priced at $199 CAD, which GuitarPlayer reported as approximately $159 USD at the time12. The maker describes the pedal as "a faithful recreation of the rich, dynamic and glassy tone that makes the Roland RE-150 so unique"1.
Where the circuit comes from
The RE-150 is one of Roland's Space Echo tape machines, and players have long prized the character of its preamp stage. Mile End Effects did not model it with digital processing: the press release says the company set out to "painstakingly recreate the preamp based on the original service notes of the Roland RE-150 Space Echo"1, and Guitar.com confirms "the preamp found inside the pedal has been recreated from original RE-150 service notes"3. gearnews.com likewise reports the design was taken from those service notes4.
The pedal also uses "the same obsolete and scarce NOS JFET transistors found in the original units," according to the press release1. NOS means new old stock: transistors of the original type, no longer made but unused. Guitar World's coverage notes the pedal is built around these NOS JFETs "as found" in the RE-150, and quotes the observation that the RE-150 preamp's distinct character "all has to do with input impedance"5.
What it does to your sound
As a preamp, the Ronald sits in your chain and shapes the tone and level of whatever feeds it, in the manner of the RE-150's input stage. The added boost section is what turns it into a more versatile tool. The press release describes "a switchable clean boost... to drive the preamp harder, getting more gain and volume from the pedal"1, and separately as "a boost section for more volume, sending the Preamp into gorgeously overdriven territories"1.
Pedal of the Day's review frames the two roles plainly: "you can use it either as a full-on overdrive pedal, or simply use the pre-amp to enhance just about everything you send" into it6. Players looking at this pedal alongside other gain stages may also want to see the site's pages on preamp pedals, boost pedals and overdrive pedals.
The controls
The layout is simple, with two knobs, a toggle switch and a footswitch32.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Output Level | Adjusts the level of the JFET boost32 |
| Instrument Volume | Controls how hard the preamp is being pushed by its input stage32 |
| Toggle switch | Engages the JFET boost3 |
| Bypass footswitch | Turns the pedal on and off3 |
| Internal trim-pot | Bias adjustment, accessible after production, to achieve different tones for different tastes1 |
Bias, in a discrete JFET circuit like this, is the operating point of the transistors. The press release explains that "bias is set during production for optimal operating voltages equalling the highest clarity and output," and that it "can be adjusted after the fact via an internal trim-pot to achieve different tones for different tastes"1. In practice that means the factory setting favors clarity, but opening the pedal up lets you voice the preamp differently.
Power
The Ronald PreAmp 150 runs on between 9 and 18V DC, with the press release noting the higher voltage option is "for when higher headroom is needed"1. Running it at 18V gives the preamp more clean headroom before it compresses or breaks up.
What reviewers said
Pedal of the Day reviewed the pedal in August 2021 and came away enthusiastic, calling it "a wonderfully warm and bold preamp" and adding, "we love the look and sound and everything about it"6.
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Questions
Is the Mile End Effects Ronald PreAmp 150 based on the Roland Space Echo?
Yes. The pedal recreates the preamp section of the Roland RE-150 Space Echo. According to the maker's press release and coverage in Guitar.com and gearnews.com, the design was taken from the original RE-150 service notes, and it uses the same obsolete and scarce NOS JFET transistors found in the original units.
Does the Ronald PreAmp 150 work as an overdrive?
It can. Pedal of the Day's review notes you can use it either as a full-on overdrive pedal, or simply use the preamp to enhance just about everything you send into it. The switchable JFET boost adds volume and gain, sending the preamp into overdriven territory, as Mile End Effects describes it.
What does the toggle switch on the Ronald PreAmp 150 do?
The toggle switch engages the JFET boost section. With the boost on, the output volume knob adjusts the boost level, adding volume and gain and pushing the preamp harder for overdriven tones.
Where is the Mile End Effects Ronald PreAmp 150 made?
It is handmade in Montreal, Quebec, by Mile End Effects, using what the maker describes as high quality components and construction.
Can the Ronald PreAmp 150 run on 18 volts?
Yes. According to the maker's press release, the pedal can be operated anywhere between 9 and 18V DC, with the higher voltage an option for when more headroom is needed.
How much did the Ronald PreAmp 150 cost at launch?
It launched in March 2021 at $199 CAD, which GuitarPlayer reported as approximately $159 USD at the time. It was sold directly by Mile End Effects and shipped worldwide.
Sources (6)
- Mile End Effects Introduces the Ronald Preamp 150, Premier Guitar, 2021-03-19
- Mile End Effects Debuts New Ronald Preamp 150, GuitarPlayer, 2021-03-22
- Mile End Effects launches a love letter to Roland's Space Echo preamp, the Ronald PreAmp 150, Guitar.com, 2021-03-23
- Mile End Effects recreates the Roland Space Echo RE-150 preamp with new Ronald PreAmp 150, gearnews.com, 2021-03-24
- Mile End Effects recreates Roland's RE-150 Space Echo preamp with the brilliantly named Ronald Preamp 150, Guitar World, 2021-03-22
- Mile End Effects Ronald PreAmp 150, Pedal of the Day, 2021-08-03
