Hiss in Roland 201 Space Echo

[davef]

Unit works.

Has a constant hiss that is way too loud to use unit. Hiss is white noise, does not change with any knob or switch tweaks, does not change if guitar plugged in or not. does not change if in bypass or echo mode. I jumpered in just past the preamp circuit (pin 21 and it is quiet. In bypass mode, the preamp signal is passed directly to buffer amp (I think). If i jumper signal at pin 23 I get the hiss.

Does not respond to High/Med/Low switch at output.

Any ideas? I have no scope, just multimeter.

Also, VU meter does not respond, and treble and bass knobs do not change output at all.

[Mark Hammer]

There are all manner of outboard dbx and Dolby units for tape sitting unsold in pawn shops and 2nd hand audio stores right now as we speak. Consider picking one up.

[Ronsonic]

Uh, this is essentially a 40 year old analog tape machine and is probably due for the same sort of overhaul / reconditioning / restoration of any such electro-musical gadget. I like Mark's idea of putting that technology to work for you. At the same time, either giving this to an experienced tech or schooling yourself on tape recorder service is the first big step.

[dudleydoright]

The tape will stop when the tubes no longer glow and the fingers fail and not before.

Fix the Roland. Here is an address to a Space Echo expert. He also sells tape loops for them. Good stuff. It never really helps to cover up a problem instead of getting to the root cause. The roland service manual is accessible online but it really is a complicated piece of gear. Talk to someone who knows them inside and out. Silicon to cover it up. Now I own several of DBX's high end gear, as well as having owned or used to the upper mid range of digital stuff in my studio. Like tubes, there is just something special a tape echo adds to those 6 sweet pieces of crystalized ore we like to rip into in so many different states that to me it is worth preserving a great piece of gear to accent it. After all, if you had a tube frag or a transformer fry from a bad filter cap you would get it fixed I bet. Well, maybe not, shoot, transistors are cheap. hah, I bet you wouldn't consider guitar without those quirky little lightbulbs that didn't work worth a damn producing light.Good luck. Get a hold of Ron at Roland Space Echo Tape Loops, RE-150 RE-201 RE-301 RE-501 SRE-555
He is the guru of the Roland line as far as I know.
There is also Terry's Rubber Pinch Rollers & Wheels if you need your roller rerubbered. Say that 3 times quich. High quality and relatively cheap in my opinion.
Good luck, hope it works out.
Pat, aka DudelyDoRight

[dudleydoright]

Addresses are Roland Space Echo Tape Loops, RE-150 RE-201 RE-301 RE-501 SRE-555 and Terry's Rubber Pinch Rollers & Wheels.

[dudleydoright]

Don't know why the links will not post as email addresses. The outfit is Creation Tapes, Ron is the expert.