Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

For help with setups and other technical issues.
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MayTheFuzzBeWithYou
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Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:17 am

Hey all!
It's now almost a year ago my uncle gave me his Roland Space Echo (it was just collecting dust in his ragbag/fundus for years and he is happy I use it as he never had a need for it and he was given it by someone who had no more need for it either and just knew him as a musician and tinkerer (trombone and synths) and wanted it to be in good hands.)

So, I don't use it as much as I want to. If I do, at the moment I use it at home only as it's a bit too heavy to carry it around to the rehearsal room and back and it's a bit too big (deep) to sit correctly on my Fender Heads. Quite recently I installed rubber feet though so it could sit safely over the handle.

Last time I played around though it was extremely noisy by only plugging it into my Fender Bandmaster, I tried again, with the switch off and also with no instrument in the input section - still the same freaking noise. guitar directly into the amp - quiet.
The on/off-toggle looks a bit rusty - but that surely isn't the reason.
Or is it just like, "man it's vintage and analog and a real tape echo, it has to be noisy to show that it's working!" - I could live with that - but again it's so strange that it's noisy when switched off/without an instrument plugged in...

a friend mentioned it could need a "ground lift" - the amp has this function with a ground toggle - but there was no result.

have you experienced similar problems? what would you do?

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by oid » Sun Apr 22, 2018 8:36 am

Is it buzz or hiss?

Does it happen regardless of settings?

Do any of the controls affect the noise?

Does it make the noise regardless of what it is plugged into?
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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Sun Apr 22, 2018 12:09 pm

Hey Oid!

Just checked again.
It's a Buzzing and it stays whether the Space Echo is turned on or off.
(I just have guitars/basses/cables to check but even the mic inputs are regular jacks, so it wouldn't really matter, would it?)
The Buzzing is even there when I leave the input jack unplugged.
It only changes (Buzzing stays the same, but it receives some "overtones") when I turn the Reverb-controls, whether the Reverb section is on or off (generates some space swirls maybe even receives some radio frequencies, but not so sure about this).

Any ideas?

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by oid » Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:30 pm

Is your amp and the outlet you are using properly grounded? Are the 201 and amp plugged into the same outlet?

The issue is grounding, but a ground lift is not the answer, its a cheat that just trades one set of issues for another set of issues.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:50 am

The outlet should be well grounded. it's a higher quality distributor socket. should be good. for the amp - it's the most quiet tube amp I ever owned - a recently serviced drip edge silverface bandmaster (non reverb). The cable of the Space Echo looks still good too! But maybe the cables were indeed too close to each other.
I tried them on separate sockets and the buzz was almost completely gone! Should have tried that earlier - but sockets are a bit rare in that corner of the room!
Thank you very much for trouble shooting and your advice!

Have a good day!

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by oid » Mon Apr 23, 2018 10:38 am

You still have a grounding issue that is potentially dangerous to both musician and gear.

Make sure your amps ground switch is in the middle position and spend the $2 on an outlet tester, if they test out you have a miswired or damaged power chord most likely.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:00 am

Hey!
My Amp's ground switch only has two positions - so no middle position.
And do you mean a multimeter? (Got one!)
To check the outlets?
What am I searching for? If it reads 230V or resistance? Or simple a connection (beeep) - as you'd want to check through your guitar?

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by oid » Tue Apr 24, 2018 12:47 am

For some reason I always assume Fender amps to be the silverface with grounded chords and 3 way ground switches.

Has the amp been upgraded to a grounded chord? Was it done properly with the ground switch being disconnected?

What about the 201? Seem to recall those being grounded, but it has been to many years since I have stuck my nose in one.

For testing your outlet you test voltage, neutral to hot and ground to hot should measure the same, I assume Austria has 3 pronged power chords with hot, neutral and ground, but I know nothing of the power situation over there. You mainly want to make sure each prong is what it is supposed to be. As for outlet testers, they are just cheap little things that look like a plug, has 3 lights on it, plug it in and it tells you how the outlet is wired. If you play out at all they are well worth the investment, cost almost nothing and take almost no space, toss it in your case and forget about it until you need it.
Logic gates based on billiard-ball computer designs have also been made to operate using live soldier crabs of the species Mictyris guinotae in place of the billiard balls.

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by mgeek » Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:25 am

Does this noise remain if you change between the M H L settings on the output?

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:40 am

The amp has been serviced by probably the best amp technician Austria has to offer (as far as I've heard) - a few months before I bought it.
I assume they made it correctly. The Bandmaster is the most quiet amp I have. There is still the american power cable on it - with a landmine-esque adapter for the 230V.
Last rehearsal I played them both together (separate power outlets though) with absolutely no buzzing-problem.
Will try again tonight or tomorrow, straight into my supersonic and as well in its effects loop. maybe 'll note a difference.

The buzzing becomes more and less prominent with the H M L settings - but was always there when I had them on the same outlet at home.

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Re: Roland Space Echo RE 201 HELP (NOISE ISSUES)

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Tue May 01, 2018 2:31 am

Absolutely no issues in the rehearaal room setting (placed in the supersonic's fx loop)! Or it's too loud to notice! :)

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