Wish Tape delay with four heads to mimic the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo unit

[StingRay]

I would really love to see a tape delay with four heads instead of just two to mimic the Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo unit used extensively by guitarists Alex Lifeson of Rush and Paul Reynolds of A Flock of Seagulls among others. Some people have suggested using the quad tape delay but that is not the same thing since the heads are in series one affecting the next which affects the next etc, not the same thing at all as taps. Of course you don't always want to manipulate all four heads or even three but you can get some very cool and very usable sounds using all four and even three heads with slight changes. Been trying two blocks of tape delay in series but doesn't seem to cut it.

 

[simeon]

look in the multidelay block and have a play around with the "quad tape delay"

 

[simeon]

oh sorry, i didn't read the whole post! i didn't see you'd already tried it.

maybe the quad parallel delay might work, if you don't want the delays in series. you can easily tweak it to be more tape like by adjusting the eq, drive and diffusion parameters. if there's something specific you're going for, post a reference and we can try and help you

 

[simeon]

wait....don't the 4 heads in the space echo run in series....?

 

[sean.e]

two blocks of tape delay in series but doesn't seem to cut it

Maybe try in parallel rather than in series if parallel heads are what you want to emulate??

 

[Admin M@]

Of course you don't always want to manipulate all four heads or even three

wait....don't the 4 heads in the space echo run in series....?

The DUB ECHO type in the MTD is close to a 501, but you'll want to open up Low Cut and maybe High Cut. Lower the mid band EQ "Gain" if you don't want that characteristic 2.6k peak. BTW: you can't change the individual head positions/times or individual feedback settings on the Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo, and it only has three heads. To simulate the single knob mode action, set a given feedback level to the same or lower as the corresponding head level and use Master Feedback to adjust the group. In other words, unlike the MTD, the 501 cannot have a head's level down while its feedback is up. Motor Speed is your master time.

 

[pima1234]

The DUB ECHO type in the MTD is close to a 501, but you'll want to open up Low Cut and maybe High Cut. Lower the mid band EQ "Gain" if you don't want that characteristic 2.6k peak. BTW: you can't change the individual head positions/times or individual feedback settings on the Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo, and it only has three heads. To simulate the single knob mode action, set a given feedback level to the same or lower as the corresponding head level and use Master Feedback to adjust the group. In other words, unlike the MTD, the 501 cannot have a head's level down while its feedback is up. Motor Speed is your master time.

This is the can-do attitude that is going to land me most likely on the FM9. Awesome!

 

[GlennO]

wait....don't the 4 heads in the space echo run in series....?

I would say it's neither series nor parallel. After all, there's only one tape in the 501 . The playback heads feed back to the record head of course, but I wouldn't consider that to be a "series" of effects...I would just call that multiple taps.

AFAIK (Matt can correct me if I'm wrong) but Dub Echo is the same as the Quad Tape type, except with more "vintage" default values for some parameters, so the OP should be able to dial in a 501 sound with either of those two types.

 

[StingRay]

wait....don't the 4 heads in the space echo run in series....?

Yes, they do, one effecting the next if you chose to, thanks for your help.

 

[StingRay]

Maybe try in parallel rather than in series if parallel heads are what you want to emulate??

No, they are in series and that is what I'm trying to emulate

 

[StingRay]

The DUB ECHO type in the MTD is close to a 501, but you'll want to open up Low Cut and maybe High Cut. Lower the mid band EQ "Gain" if you don't want that characteristic 2.6k peak. BTW: you can't change the individual head positions/times or individual feedback settings on the Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo, and it only has three heads. To simulate the single knob mode action, set a given feedback level to the same or lower as the corresponding head level and use Master Feedback to adjust the group. In other words, unlike the MTD, the 501 cannot have a head's level down while its feedback is up. Motor Speed is your master time.

Okay, I will try some of your suggestions, thank you for your help, I appreciate it. I will also try to send some samples when I have the time.

By the way the 501 has 4 heads, you are probably thinking of the earlier 201 that gets all the hype and notoriety, probably because of all the famous guitar players during the seventies that made it famous, but the 501 was the latest and most advanced version of the tape echo that came out in the early '80s, and we all know '80s guitar players don't get the respect they deserve, haha.

 

[StingRay]

I would say it's neither series nor parallel. After all, there's only one tape in the 501 . The playback heads feed back to the record head of course, but I wouldn't consider that to be a "series" of effects...I would just call that multiple taps.

AFAIK (Matt can correct me if I'm wrong) but Dub Echo is the same as the Quad Tape type, except with more "vintage" default values for some parameters, so the OP should be able to dial in a 501 sound with either of those two types.

Okay but aren't multiple taps in parallel. The whole idea of multiple heads is the potential of one effecting the next in series, is it not? Well maybe not the whole idea but certainly a big part.

 

[GlennO]

Okay but aren't multiple taps in parallel. The whole idea of multiple heads is the potential of one effecting the next in series, is it not?

As I mentioned above, I wouldn't use the word "series". What you're asking about is the feedback network topology and the Quad Tape type has the same feedback network as the 501. If you're not getting the sound you want, the difference must lie elsewhere.

 

[Admin M@]

By the way the 501 has 4 heads

Only three of them are playback heads, though, right?

 

[StingRay]

As I mentioned above, I wouldn't use the word "series". What you're asking about is the feedback network topology and the Quad Tape type has the same feedback network as the 501. If you're not getting the sound you want, the difference must lie elsewhere.

Okay, I will look into this when I get my 501 which should be in a week.

 

[StingRay]

Only three of them are playback heads, though, right?

mmm, that could be? But if I'm not mistaken, I think only three are playback on certain modes, but not on other modes, and maybe that fourth head is not relevant for what I want to do, I'll have to wait and see. I will have to fine this out when I get my 501 in a week or so. But I must say that the tape delay block only has two heads which was my original point. However, if your advice earlier works, it doesn't matter. To be continued...

 

[mr_fender]

Looks like the 501 has 6 heads total: one erase head, one record head, three echo playback heads and one S on S playback head.



Chorus is analog BBD based, not tape. Reverb is spring based.

 

[StingRay]

Well there is no debating that, thanks for shedding some light on the subject