Roland RE-150

Tape echo unit. It's pretty easy to get started on this unit. There's an instruction guide stapled into the inside of the top cover, and you can still get the manual as a .pdf file at Roland's U.S. site it explains the general upkeep and cleaning. You can input two mics and one instrument with independent volume control, There's a handy vu meter to help out set your input gain. The output is mono or stereo and the output level is determined by a three way db cut switch. So it's easy to use and easy to dail up sounds in my opinion. Changing tapes and cleaning the unit is a bit more involved and demanding than most effects so I can't give it a ten.

I really, really love the sound of this thing. Of course all my favorite guitar sounds seem to be from before I was born. I got interested in the idea of having a tape echo because of Floyd, Beatles, and almost all old reggae and dub music. It's just so warm sounding. Percussive shots, surf lines and pedal-steel licks sound equally at home through it. I'll admit, I'm very old school about gear and it certainly doesn't have the parameters or extra functions of new digital delays, but you set a Line6 pod or whatever to the "tape echo" setting and what comes out the other end isn't very musical to me. I'd always had a E-H MemoryMan for delays cause it's the warmest one I could find, and still use it alot but the Space echo easly won out and it seems to effect your original signal less. I've read that they're noisy units and I'm really not sure what that's all about, mine's clean and quiet. Unless the tape is on it's last legs, then the repeats get pretty broken up, which can be cool in it's own right. I mainly use the following setup. Tele-->DT-10 Tuner--> JH1 Crybaby--> Screaming Tree treblebooster--> MXR Dist+ --> Big Muff Pi--> Small Stone--> Deluxe Electric Mistress--> Deluxe MemoryMan --> Space Echo --> Traynor YSR-1 Custom Reverb--> Special Twin12 cabinet.

I've been able to depend on it for quite awhile, but I'm pretty carefull with this thing. I gig with the MemoryMan in the chain as well so I guess I don't use without a backup.

Tapes are a bit of a pain to find, but Ebay's helped that. It's been out of production for so long that the Company really couldn't help you any more than you could help yourself as far as getting it serviced.

I play classic to modern rock, blues, country and reggea the most. I've been playing profesionally for 16 years. If it were stolen or lost I'd get another as soon as I could find one. I'm always looking for the gear that will get me "my sound" but I'm done looking for delays, I'm set.

It's very easy to use. 6 type change select, 3 volume knob, repeatedly, intensity, echo level...

It's space and fantastic sound. I like 2 mode. Infinite echo sound and warm, vintage, fat, brilliant..sound.
With flanger or phaser, Re-150 makes horrible space sound.
It's a little noise, but noise is natural.

It's old and vintage. I hardly replace a tape cartilage.

It's old gear. therefore roland can't produce more.
It's difficult to purchase tape.

I play radiohead, pink floyd and other british rock.
I like analog sound. I have Boss RV-3 and Maxon AD-80.
But RE-150 is real analog echo, it's real warm and beauty and gloomy sound.
3input(2mic & 1inst) and 2 output(echo output gives you stereo sound) makes variety space effect.
I wish that it's size is more small. It's too big to carry.
If it were stolen, I must buy it again.

This is the space echo without the reverb. It is a very easy piece of equiptment to use. I have the manual for it as I purchased it new in 1979.

I use this on our voices with a Peavey XR600B. The effects are stronger if your tape is newer. You also have to keep the "heads" cleaned with alcohol and a Q tip. The warmth it gives vocals is the best effect I've ever heard! My wife would divorce me if I sold this beautiful sounding effects unit.

I can depend on it without question!! I've used this piece of gear longer than any other piece of equiptment on the bandstand. I dropped it from the top of an amp stack to concrete and it kept on working. You can make tapes from any old 8 track tape. It's just a little difficult to install.

I've never dealt with Roland on this piece of equiptment, but I'd rather buy tapes than make them...and sometimes their hard to find???

I've just about stated all my feelings about this. But I keep a closer eye on my echo than I do on my guitar! They're still manufacturing my Fender guitars. Just keep a tape handy and you're "cooking like downtown".

No manual but very easy to use. 3 kinds of single echo's and 3 kinds of multiple echo's. The only way to get to know the machine is to explore it, but as soon as you start to know it you can get what you want from it. I prefer this machine above the 301 although it hasn't got a chorus. this machine is less complicated and easier to use.

I'm using the RE-150 with a hiwatt 100 watt head and a custom-build 4x10" cabinet. The guitar which I love to use on this is a hagstrom II. The effects are not really noise although there is a certain amount of "old noise" when switching on the power. Mostly the sound is great although every now and then, when starting up, the tape is not rolling too good which makes the echos sometimes bend a bit up and down. This machine is for me a better one then the 301 as said, trying to achieve the sound of bands like motorpsycho, sonic youth.

I can depend on this machine as if on myself :))

The problem with the roland space-echo's in Holland is that there are no Roland dealers left who deliver extra tapes. That is pretty anoying. You have to find the tapes in the small stores inside dusty drawers and so on...Also it seems that Roland as a company denies that they'e ever build this thing (try to find it on one of their homepages...you won't menage) So spareparts is a complete drag. Also the second-hand store where I bought this is can't seem to help me in case of problems...lucky as I am with my machine without problems :)

my style of music is experimental rock like motorpsycho, sonic youth and so on. this Roland Space-echo is my all-time favourite effect...I hardly use other effects...I love the sound of natural distortion on old tube-amps...so why need anything more? (except for the Big Muff). If anything would happen to this machine I would probably try as hard as I can to find myself another one...enough.