DUB DISCUSSION BOARD

Got my re-201 a few days ago and I simply love the sound. <BR> <BR>Though I would like a couple of tricks, mainly how to get that typical dub-feedback effect &#40;often used in breaks by king tubby etc.&#41; <BR> <BR>...and I also heard that you can accomplish oldskool sci-fi effects by doing something without using any input signal? <BR> <BR>anyone familar with this? <BR> <BR>I'm also interested in general tricks with the re-201...

I'm not sure if feedback is the correct term, what I mean is the thing that determains the length/ammount of echoes.. even though I turn up the intesitivity knob at max I think the ammount of echoes are rather short... <BR> <BR>oh, and yes - I've got my re-201 connected via send/return via a mixer... &#40;connected to the "PA" in&#41;

and yeah, one more thing. <BR> <BR>could someone explain what the diffrent "mode-selector" modes does? <BR> <BR>&#40;my didn't come with any manual or anything&#41;

Try running the return through one of the mixing board's channels. Using the fader will give you much more control over the echoes. When the voice/instrument hits a note that you want to echo out, drop that voice/instruments fader to 0 &#40;i.e., kill the incoming sound that's going to the re201&#41;, then immediately manipulate the echo through the return channel's fader. You'll find that you can chop off a word and then let it echo by increasing the volume &#40;raising the fader&#41;on the return. This brings out the echoes that other wise get lost because they aren't loud enough. Of course, you will have to play around with the intensity and other settings to get the sound you're looking for, but the first trick is running the return through a regular input channel, not a return input, and then jacking up the volume to where it just starts feeding back. Hope this helps. Dan

oh, nice trick - never thought of doing that really <IMG SRC="http://www.interruptor.ch/cgi-bin/discu ... /happy.gif" ALT=":&#41;"> <BR> <BR>so basiclly what you're saying is that the delay times on the re-201 are rather short, and one has to pull up the volume for the echoes via a seperate fader, no? &#40;the echoes only last for a 3-4 seconds at most in my case, and I want to do those really loooooong echo's&#41;

Well, I'm probably not articulating this well, but I don't think it's so much the shortness or longness of the delay time as much as the fact that you are boosting the decibel level of a tape delayed signal so that the tail end effects of the delay -- which would otherwise be lost in the mix -- are made to stand out. You'll notice when you do this that you will have to steadily increase the decibel level on the return fader in order to make the more faint echoes more audible in the mix. Whether you choose a shorter or longer delay time will radically change the sound of the signal effected, but I think the basic principal would remain the same: you are boosting a part of a signal that would normally be lost in the mix. At least I think that's what's going on! Dan

I should add, too, that by using an input channel for a return, you can now eq and pan the return signal. Very useful tools.

allrite, thanks for tips! any more stuff one can try out...?

...and how about that trick using no input signal to achieve 50/60'ies sci-fi effects? <BR> <BR>anyone familiar with that?

- trick without input signal: crank up the feedback level knob &#40;titled "intensitiy" on the re-201&#41; so that the echo goes into self oscillation. &#40;endless echo&#41; then increase and decrease the time between the delays &#40;knob "repeat rate"&#41;. <BR> <BR>- your initial question for the "looong echo": same thing - crank up the feedback level to get an endless echo, turn it down again to end the echo where it makes sense musically. <BR> <BR>- the mode selector: selects which of the tape heads inside the machine are enabled. for typical dubby echoes select a mode where only one head is enabled. otherwise you get multi-tapped echoes which are hard&#40;er&#41; to integrate into the music rhythmically. <BR> <BR>- advanced method: create the feedback externally via your mixing desk. for this turn down the feedback &#40;intensity&#41; knob on the unit compeletely so that the space echo only creates a single slapback delay. then connect the output of the space delay to a mixer channel as described by dan above. now create the feedback by opening the auxiliary send to the space echo on the space echo's own mixer channel. the advantage is that you can create more drastic feedback &#40;be careful with your ears&#41; and more importantly: the EQ of your mixing channel is in the feedback loop now. so you can have echoes that sound thinner and higher with each repetition. this is often heard on old dub records!

you wrote that the amount of delays is few even though you have the intensity level on max. i think this shouldn't be so &#40;it's not like that on my re-301&#41;. try to clean the tape heads first. try other positions on the mode selector. if this doesn't help use the advanced method described above.

well, actually - it has been served about 2 days ago by a local repair guy... <BR> <BR>maybe I've been ripped off..?

seems weird that it doesn't have such long/endless intestivity/feedback.. I was a bit disipointed when I noticed it couldn't do it, because it was one of main the reasons why I wanted to buy it :/

I'll be sending back the re-201 tomorrow, I'll be checking for another unit in better condition. if someone has something to offer &#40;201 or 301&#41;, let me know. <BR> <BR>thanks for the help you all!

done, and tomorrow I'll pick up a new re-201 in pretty much perfect condition beside the fact that &iacute;t needs a new tape... I heard you can splice your own with regular quarter-inch tape... anyone know where to get that, how to do it, and what's a suitable length for it? <BR> <BR>I suppose one can't find orignal tapes, or some ready alternative to it?

We had some discussion about splicing loop tapes here already. check the tape delay directory..

ah, saw it - thanks for the help <IMG SRC="http://www.interruptor.ch/cgi-bin/discu ... /happy.gif" ALT=":&#41;"> <BR> <BR>anyone in for slicing a couple of good quality tapes and sell them my way for a reasonable price? &#40;preferably in europe&#41;