Roland announces official RE-201 Space Echo plugin!!

[CapnLockheed]

Ok, maybe now we can finally stop arguing about which roland space echo emulation is the best:

https://www.roland.com/us/products/rc_re-201_space_echo

Ripped tolex and all just like my old hardware unit....LOL!! Everyone knows that torn up tolex makes a plugin sound better.....just like faux wood end panels....

[BBFG#]

This only adds to the controversy.
So sad it's from Roland Cloud.
The search of "best" continues...

[CapnLockheed]

Is there really a "best" tho? It appears that which is the "best" emulation turns out to be rather subjective. Pretty much like eveything else. As I no longer own the hardware, (like most everyone else in this debate), I can't make any real claims, nor can anyone else that doesn't own an RE-201. But I do mostly remember what mine sounded and behaved like, (and what a PITA it was to keep maintained), and, IMHO, there are several emus that have been mentioned that, for me anyway, are "close enough" to make me happy. YMMV.

[SLiC]

So many good emulations from Softube, UA, IK, Arturia etc. Not sure we needed another but as its only Roland Cloud (Ultimate subscription) I doubt many will even try it. Personally I havent found the Roland offering of Roland gear to be substantially than most of the other emulations, so I will be surprised if this is better than the Softube/UA stuff as their modelling is pretty accurate.

[Gam456]

So many good emulations from Softube, UA, IK, Arturia etc. Not sure we needed another but as its only Roland Cloud (Ultimate subscription) I doubt many will even try it. Personally I havent found the Roland offering of Roland gear to be substantially than most of the other emulations, so I will be surprised if this is better than the Softube/UA stuff as their modelling is pretty accurate.

Softube ? Tape echoes is not a Roland Space Echo ?

[BBFG#]

Is there really a "best" tho? It appears that which is the "best" emulation turns out to be rather subjective. Pretty much like eveything else. As I no longer own the hardware, (like most everyone else in this debate), I can't make any real claims, nor can anyone else that doesn't own an RE-201. But I do mostly remember what mine sounded and behaved like, (and what a PITA it was to keep maintained), and, IMHO, there are several emus that have been mentioned that, for me anyway, are "close enough" to make me happy. YMMV.

I put "best" in quotes to be ironic. Didn't really think you would take it as bait to snatch up to comment on with the usual rhetoric. How can anything be good, much less best when it's put out by such a company that subjects its base to such a mockery. Schmooze, abandon and move on to new terminology of the same game...
I've repeatedly said they don't make emulations, they code replicants, complete with a saturation point lifespan of when to kill it. Seems like they're mocking their base as well.
I've always loved Roland, but I think I might be relieved if they finally collapse under this ideology of theirs.

[jamcat]

Roland Cloud makes me think that Roland really doesn't want people to use their software.

[metalifuxx]

This is great, hopefully we’ll see more Roland/Boss pedals/effects as plugins. We might finally get that Boss BF2 flanger plugin, officially modeled by Roland.

[agharta]

They might as well host it on the moon and only except payment in Klingon, as it wouldn't make any difference to the chance of me using this.

[miloszz]

Downloaded to give it a spin before my Roland Cloud trial expires - it sounds good, different from Audio Thing and with some options to go much wilder (and sound like absolute crap with huge unnatural pitch swings) but I can get them close enough to not care on normal settings.

If it was $49.99 one time with no regular phoning home it would definitely be a consideration. As part of an overpriced subscription with major parts not working (the 1080 and 5080 generate horrible CPU spikes and crackles without a single note being played)? Pass.

[CapnLockheed]

Yeah, I hear all that. It just looked so damn nice and made me nostalgic for my old hardware unit. I'll never have it on my drives tho.....I just don't do subscriptions, or dongles...or anything that requires my DAW to be online in order to use it. If that makes me a Luddite......so be it.

[JerGoertz]

I just don't do subscriptions, or dongles...or anything that requires my DAW to be online in order to use it. If that makes me a Luddite......so be it.

I think it makes you rational. Technology for technology's sake is dumb.

[jamcat]

Roland's marketing claims their RE-201 is "The only authentic Roland RE-201 Space Echo plug-in."

But Universal Audio's RE-201 was an officially sanctioned RE-201, which Roland signed off on being 100% authentic.


Universal Audio RE-201

The only difference between Universal Audio's Galaxy Tape Echo and their RE-201 is Roland pulled their licensing and forced them to make trivial aesthetic changes to the name and graphics. The sound and operation did not change.

And Roland only did this so they could release their own version and make the dubious claim that it is "The only authentic Roland RE-201 Space Echo plug-in."

[Ah_Dziz]

I have always enjoyed the one in guitar rig. I'm not especially in to the real space echo though. There are many many cool delay effects that do a fun version of "tape" distortion in the feedback. Hopefully the Roland one is good but I've got no interest in it.

[cryophonik]

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I've honestly never bought into the hype over this unit. I have the UAD one and while I certainly wouldn't say it sounds bad, I don't think I've ever found a use for it in any of my tracks. Every time I've popped it into a track I end up just going nope, not at all what I'm looking for...delete. Maybe it's just not for me, or maybe I just haven't found the best uses for it.