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Average Price: $1,710

High-end/Boutique

$100

$501+

Price Tier

Budget

Standard

High-end

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Description

Step back in time with the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, a distinguished member of Roland's legendary RE series. Known for its tape delay technology, this effects processor brings warm, rich echoes to your studio or live setup. The RE-501 is celebrated for its ability to produce lush, ethereal soundscapes thanks to its combination of tape echo, chorus, and reverb. Musicians and producers alike revere its reliability and smooth, organic sound.

This unit features three independent effect sections: tape echo, reverb, and chorus, which can be used simultaneously or independently for versatile sound shaping. Its built-in compressor helps ensure consistent echo levels, making the RE-501 a reliable choice for professional audio production. With an easy-to-use interface, this effects processor is designed to facilitate creativity without the hassle of complex operation.

The BBD chorus circuit in the RE-501 is a standout feature, offering a lush, musical modulation that enhances your sound without overpowering it. This processor is perfect for those who crave the nostalgic warmth of analog effects, yet appreciate the modern conveniences of a stable and durable unit.

Key Features:

  • Tape echo with variable delay times
  • Built-in BBD chorus and spring reverb
  • Independent effect sections for flexible sound processing
  • Integrated compressor for consistent echo levels
  • Durable construction for long-term use
  • Easy-to-use interface for quick adjustments
  • Ideal for both studio and live environments

Product specs

Brand Roland
Model RE-501 Chorus Echo
Finish Black
Year 1980s
Made In Japan
Categories Delay Pedals

FAQs

What are the main features of the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo?

The Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo offers a tape-based delay with chorus and reverb effects, known for its warm, rich sound. It includes a noise reduction system, four playback heads for varied tonal options, and a built-in analog chorus.

How does the Roland RE-501 differ from the RE-301?

The RE-501 includes an additional playback head for more tonal variety, features improved noise reduction, and offers a quieter operation compared to the RE-301.

Is the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo suitable for studio use?

Yes, the Roland RE-501 is highly regarded for studio use due to its high-quality tape echo, chorus, and reverb effects, along with its noise reduction capabilities, making it ideal for professional recording environments.

Can the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo be used for live performances?

While primarily designed for studio use, the Roland RE-501 can be used in live settings, offering reliable and rich echo effects. However, its vintage design may require careful handling and setup.

What type of maintenance does the Roland RE-501 require?

Regular maintenance for the Roland RE-501 includes cleaning and demagnetizing the tape heads, replacing the tape loop as needed, and ensuring the unit is kept in a stable environment to prevent wear.

Doctor Mix

Doctor Mix

Roland RE-501 Tape Delay In Action

Video thumbnail for Roland RE-501 Tape Delay In Action by Doctor Mix

Roland RE-501 Tape Delay In Action

Doctor Mix

Doctor Mix

Video thumbnail for Vintage 1980s Roland RE-501 Chorus Space Echo tape delay - quick demo by Pacafeliz

Vintage 1980s Roland RE-501 Chorus Space Echo tape delay - quick demo

Pacafeliz

Pacafeliz

Video thumbnail for Echofix EF-X2 vs Vintage Roland Tape Echo (Comparison) by Soundgas

Echofix EF-X2 vs Vintage Roland Tape Echo (Comparison)

Soundgas

Soundgas

Video thumbnail for Vintage Roland Tape Delay the Chorus Echo: Is It Worth It? | Roland RE-501 and SRE-555 by Alamo Music Sound Lab

Vintage Roland Tape Delay the Chorus Echo: Is It Worth It? | Roland RE-501 and SRE-555

Alamo Music Sound Lab

Alamo Music Sound Lab

Video thumbnail for Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo Guitar Demo by Soundgas

Roland RE 501 Chorus Echo Guitar Demo

Soundgas

Soundgas

Video thumbnail for ROLAND RE-501: Live Demo of The King 👑 of Vintage Tape Echoes by Vulture Culture

ROLAND RE-501: Live Demo of The King 👑 of Vintage Tape Echoes

Vulture Culture

Vulture Culture

Reviews

PROS

  • Classic tape echo sound unmatched by digital emulators

  • Balanced in-and-outputs ensure clean signal for studio use

  • Vintage gear with unique sound characteristics

CONS

  • Prone to technical issues, including sound drop and 'hitch' like break up

  • High asking price not justified for everyone

  • Can be considered more of a vanity piece than a necessity

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo.

Features and functionality

  • The RE-501 is noted for its hi-fi sound and lower noise floor compared to the RE-201, with a surprisingly good chorus effect and underwhelming reverb.

    Source
  • The chorus on the RE-501 in mono is described as pitchy and less effective than a CE2, with limited control over speed adjustments.

    Source
  • Owners report that the spring reverb on the RE-501 is just passable compared to a Fender amp but can be enhanced using its tone controls.

    Source

Use cases and applications

  • Owners find the RE-501 suitable for reamping vocals and drums, while the RE-201 is preferred for guitars due to its warm, lo-fi repeats.

    Source

User experience

  • An owner praised the RE-501 for its sound-on-sound capability, adding versatility to its use in various recording contexts.

    Source
  • It is noted that the RE-501 responds musically to input level, creating a warm pad with soft playing and more pronounced delay with harder playing.

    Source

Comparisons

  • The RE-501 and RE-201 are similar, but the RE-501 offers cleaner sound and additional features like chorus, making it distinct enough to justify owning both.

    Source
  • Users suggest that the Duncan Vaportrail pedal captures the RE-501's vibe, offering a warm sound with subtle modulation similar to BBD delays.

    Source
  • The preamp stage in old Roland effects significantly colors the signal, a feature often missing in modern digital emulations, affecting their authenticity.

    Source

Setup and maintenance

  • The RE-501 is described as quiet and clean, contrary to emulations that attempt to replicate the warble and glitches of poorly serviced units.

    Source

Critic Reviews

Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo review on doctormix.com

doctormix.com

The Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo stands out as a vintage marvel with its lush soundscapes, thanks to its onboard chorus, spring reverb, and noise reduction. The unique free-moving tape tank design minimizes wear and delivers echoes with remarkable clarity and length. While its analog charm and rich effects make it a coveted piece for echo enthusiasts, its vintage nature may require maintenance and understanding of older technology. Overall, the RE-501 remains a cherished tool for those seeking authentic tape delay warmth in their sound palette.

positive

5.0 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 17 Ratings

5 star
4 star
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2 star
1 star
marcusloeberloeber

One of the best echoes , echoes , echoes ...

Vintage gear at its best. Love the sound and pushing the box ;)

Artist usage

Add artist
See how John Frusciante uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

John Frusciante

Guitarist

Red Hot Chili Peppers

...
Verified via Photo

The Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo can be identified on a stack behind John Frusciante in the image provided.

See how Kevin Parker uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Kevin Parker

Guitarist, Bassist

Tame Impala

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo of Kevin's makeshift studio from the InnerSpeaker recording sessions, a Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo can be seen on the desk.

See how Damon Albarn uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Damon Albarn

Singer, Guitarist

Gorillaz

...
Verified via Photo

In a photograph from Polymathperspective, Damon Albarn is shown with a Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo on his shelf, indicating its presence in his studio setup.

See how Above & Beyond uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Above & Beyond

Music Producer

Above & Beyond vs. Andy Moor

...
Verified via Photo

Above & Beyond have incorporated the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo into their setup, as showcased in their Instagram post captioned, "What plugins should look like."

See how Justin Vernon uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Justin Vernon

Singer, Guitarist

Bon Iver

...
Verified via Soundonsound

In the photo "Studio A.." the RE-501 Chorus Echo is shown on top of the middle rackmount in Justin Vernon's (Bon Iver) studio April Base

See how Nils Frahm uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Nils Frahm

Composer, Music Producer

...
Verified via Photo

In the source image, Nils Frahm's Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo is visible atop a Juno 60 keyboard, indicating its use in his setup.

See how Chris Stapleton uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Chris Stapleton

Singer, Guitarist

The Jompson Brothers

...
Verified via Photo

A FOH stage hand sent out a couple pictures of Chris Stapleton's live rig on May 27, 2016 in Simpsonville, SC at the Charter Spectrum Amphitheatre. The stage setup clearly matches the setup seen in various videos around the web from early-2016 shows. The Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo can be seen clearly on top of Chris' rack setup.

See how Jon Hopkins uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Jon Hopkins

Music Producer

...
Verified via Photo

In this photo taken from an xlr8r article, you can see John Hopkin's Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo.

See how Jack Antonoff uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Jack Antonoff

Singer, Guitarist

Bleachers

...
Verified via YouTube

Again you can see the thru the whole video but you can clearly see it at 1:28 in the attached video.

See how David Byrne uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

David Byrne

Singer, Guitarist

Talking Heads

...
Verified via Spinterview

It is stated in this article that He used a Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

See how Robert Plant uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Robert Plant

Singer

Led Zeppelin

...
Verified via Soundonsound

Used for the lead vocals on "Angel Dance", as stated by tracking and mixing engineer in this Mike Poole in this December 2010 Sound on Sound article.

Vocals: Urei 1178, API 550, LT Sound CLX, Roland SRV2000 & RE501, AMS RMX16, TC Electronic D•Two.

"I had the Urei 1178 compressor and the API 550 EQ on Robert's vocal, along with a parallel channel that was even more compressed. So any time he hit a low note that sounded a little muddy and needed some more clarity, I pushed up the parallel channel. There's also an effects send channel with the LT Sound CLX on it, which is a Dbx VCA compressor with a good de?esser in it, and that was used as the send to any effects devices. As a side note, all the little slices you see on the screenshot were not performance edits, but mostly me trying to get the sibilance right. I often take out little clicks and pops and also 'esses' or 'effs' out manually. A de?esser will hit everything in a technical?sounding way, and sometimes you may want to retain the emotive way a certain 'ess' or 'eff' is expressed, but only precisely change the gain, just to correct recording artifacts. 'Angel Dance' is one of the few tracks on which Robert's scratch [tracking] vocal didn't make up the largest component of the final vocal track. On this song, he re?sang the vocals later, and I think he did two passes and we used mostly one, with a few lines from the other pass thrown in. For reverb on his vocals, I used the SRV2000 long reverb and a little bit of RMX16; for delay, either the D•Two or an RE501. I used very little reverb on the tracks on the album in general, apart from on Robert's vocals and the backing vocals. The other ambience you hear may have been a long delay from the 501 or PCM42 or any of the room mics.”

See how Alan Wilder uses Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo

Alan Wilder

Drummer, Keyboardist

Depeche Mode

...
Verified via Recoil

Roland RE-501 is included in the list of outboard FX used on the Recoil album subHuman.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Community setups

Show yours
tastatore

tastatore

Gear IQ 544

mokkamonkey

mokkamonkey

Gear IQ 270

mokkamonkey

mokkamonkey

Gear IQ 270

robert_pierson

robert_pierson

Gear IQ 435

mokkamonkey

mokkamonkey

Gear IQ 270

hxs28

hxs28

Gear IQ 359

2 alternative and related items for Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, curated by the Equipboard community.

Roland Chorus Echo SRE-555

$1,599.99

Vintage or Discontinued similar sound

According to Roland: "The RE-501/SRE-555 were essentially the exact same machine, but built into two different form factors; the RE-501 keeping the classic tolex-covered wooden box of the Space Echo machines before it, whilst the SRE-555 took the form of a large 19” rackmountable chassis."

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