In 1969, man landed on the moon. It didn’t take long for space exploration and the great beyond to capture the imaginations of millions. Teens were wearing Moon Boots. Kids were buying Major Matt Mason action figures. Adults were attending their first Star Trek Conventions. And off in Japan in 1972, a little known company at that time called the Roland Corporation was tinkering with their own iteration of an outer space future - The Roland RE unit, also known as the Roland Space Echo.

The Roland Space Echo is one of the most iconic tape delay units ever made. Known for its lush, billowing delay sounds, the Space Echo was revolutionary for improving upon the once unreliable tape reel technology. The Space Echo used a tape transport system instead, and the result was a portable and durable delay unit beloved by touring musicians and studios. The 1974 model, the Roland RE-201, became a mainstay of countless artists and genres. The Space Echo can be found in studios of artists like Tame Impala, Nirvana, Mac DeMarco, the Arctic Monkeys and countless more. Read on for a few examples and to get inspired by how you too can use that sound in your songs.

Radiohead

Jonny Greenwood, lead guitarist for Radiohead, is a guitar player of many dialects. Whether it’s running his guitar through a glitching Max/MSP patch, or playing with a cello bow, or creating a polyrhythmic ducking effect with a killswitch, Greenwood has always blended melodic ingenuity with technical futurism. His use of the Roland Space Echo is no different. He’s had the RE-201 unit both in the studio and on tour since 1996, using it as his delay on OK Computer on songs like “Airbag,” “Exit Music (For a Film)” and “Subterranean Homesick Alien.” One of his most iconic uses, however, comes during the In Rainbows era. 

Listen below as he combines the dreamy, cascading tails of the Space Echo while playing his guitar with a quarter coin. Try running a guitar through IK Multimedia’s T-RackS Space Delay to get similar ethereal sounds yourself.

Lee “Scratch” Perry

8000 miles away from Roland’s headquarters in Japan was the nascent sound of “dub” in Jamaica. Dub, a subgenre of reggae, consisted of remixing existing records with an emphasis on their rhythmic sections, known as “riddims.” Producers and engineers like King Tubby, Scientist, and the legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry would use studio effects like delays and reverbs to create the sound of this new movement. The Roland Space Echo was an essential in Perry’s studio, creating the echo and flutter effects on samples and vocals.

Want to know how much he loved the Space Echo? Take a look at the artwork for this album. And in your own productions, try running entire samples or your drum bus through the unit emulation for a similar effect.

Portishead 

Portishead, the seminal trip hop trio from Bristol, were renowned for their blend of experimental rock, jazz, hip hop, R&B and so much more. Central to that genre defying sound was their use of unconventional gear and recording techniques - a tribute to the hip hop and big beat producers who inspired them. 

If the Roland Space Echo had fans, consider Portishead the number one fan. Portishead notoriously used the Roland Space Echo on nearly every track from their breakthrough 1994 record Dummy. Frontman Geoff Barrow said that Portishead would tour with six RE-201 units onstage, with an additional two for the front-of-house mix engineer. 

Check out the iconic delay tails of the RE-201 unit on the drums in this Portishead cut “Mysterons.” And next time, try running your individual drum stems like your snares through IK Multimedia’s T-RackS Space Delay.

Did you know you can get the Space Echo sound for free?

Now through August 1st, 2024, Highnote is having a flash sale on their Pro tier. Purchase a year of Highnote Pro for just $50, over half-off the usual rate, and you’ll receive IK Multimedia’s T-RackS Space Delay plugin ($99 value) totally free. Redeem the offer right here.