Changed tape in RE-301 and now lacks intensity and output.

[mplsdub]

I've had my roland Chorus echo for years and it has always treated me well until the tape started to shed. When this happened about a year ago I decided to change the tape. When I changed it I cleaned and demagnetized the roller/heads after that I thought it would sound like new again, but it did not. I don't seem to get the same punch that I used to. Now I have to turn the intensity to the max and the delay output max just to get any reasonable output. I've tried skimming all the other threads trying to find the answer but couldn't. The tape is on the right way. The tape I used to replace the old loop was 456. Could that be the problem? Am I using the wrong tape or do I have to bias the heads for the tape?
I have a bunch of gigs coming up and am hoping to fix it myself if it is not too complicated.
Also does anyone have schematics for the Re-301
Thanks,
Shawn

[Enzo]

Did you buy a commercial replacement tape or make your own? If you made your own, any chance the tape is backwards? Meaning the head sees the wrong side of the tape.

[mplsdub]

no, I made my own out of quantegy 456. It's on the right way. That was the first thing I checked. It still delays but I think it's not hitting the tape hot enough or the playback is not picking it up, I tend to think its the former, or both ??? Hence the having to crank the intensity and delay output volume max. Is the machine just biased for a different strength of tape? Should I just buy one of those loops for $20 of one of those web sites? I don't know.

[Regis]

I'm sure the tape formulation is quite different than what was in there. If the machine can be rebiased to the new tape it will probably sound great.

I don't know much about roland tape echos but I do know about echoplexes and they have to be rebiased just like a tape recorder.

[jrfrond]

I've been making tape loops for these and other tape echos for many years using 456, 499, or BASF SM900 with no ill effects whatsoever. In fact, it is ALWAYS better and quieter.

Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that it is threaded the correct way (i.e. the actual tape path) and the backing is not facing the heads?

[Steve Conner]

You said you degaussed it. Maybe you induced too much voltage in the head and blew the playback amp first stage. It's a long shot, I've never heard of such a thing happening before.

Oh, and you really need to try the tape loop both ways round. You might think you know which is the right way, but it doesn't take long to prove it to yourself.

[Regis]

Just for the record I've reloaded Echoplex cartridges the wrong way around, it's easy to make that mistake. Sounded like ass, too.