The Roland RE-101 is a tape delay unit released in 1974, part of the first generation of Roland's Space Echo designs. BOSS describes 1974's RE-101 delay and the RE-201 reverb/delay as featuring "a host of upgrades and improvements" over what came before1. Unlike the RE-201, the RE-101 is a delay-only design, without the reverb section12.
Where it sits in the RE series
The RE-101 arrived alongside the better-known RE-201 Space Echo. Guitar World's history of the Space Echo line dates the pair to 1974, listing "1974: RE-101 (no reverb) & RE-201 Space Echo units"3. According to a BOSS history article by Rod Brakes, the RE-101 and RE-201 "appeared to supersede the earlier version", the RE-1002.
That makes the RE-101 the choice of the era for players who wanted the tape echo sound and mechanics without the spring reverb of the RE-201. Later units in the family, such as the RE-301 Chorus Echo and the RE-501 Chorus Echo, added further features to the format1.
Servicing and upkeep
As a tape machine, a RE-101 needs mechanical maintenance to keep working. Echo Fix, a maker of service parts for these units, sells an Ultimate Service Kit covering both the RE-201 and the RE-101, and states that it "solves nearly all common faults for the RE-201"4. The kit includes parts such as a lower motor bearing4.
The RE-101 is a vintage tape unit from 19743. Parts and service matter for any example still in use, and service kits for the RE-201 and RE-101 are sold by third parties such as Echo Fix4.
Videos
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Sources (4)
- BOSS - The Next Generation Of Space Echo, BOSS (boss.info), 1974
- The Legend of the CE-1 and RE-201 Preamps, BOSS (articles.boss.info), 2023-10-26
- The strange, enduring magic of the Roland RE-201 Space Echo, Guitar World, 2022-04-13
- Roland RE-201 Ultimate Service Kit for the RE-201 & RE-101 Massive Sav, Echo Fix
