Which Tape Echo Wins? UAFX Galaxy or Boss RE-202?

Battle in the sky! In this video, I compare two of the most popular tape echo pedals on the market: the UAFX Galaxy and the Boss RE-202. Both pedals are designed to emulate the classic sound and behavior of the Roland Space Echo, but they have some differences in features and functionality. If you are looking for a tape echo pedal that can give you warm, rhythmic, and modulated delays with a touch of spring reverb, you don't want to miss this video!
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You may want to also check out:
Galaxy vs Space Echo RE-2 : Which Tape Echo Pedal Sound Better?(no talking)
and
UAFX Galaxy '74: A Reverb and Tape Echo Pedal From Space!
for more UAFX Galaxy!
UAFX vs Strymon Volante

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YOUTUBE STUDIO SET-UP:

Cameras Used:

MICROPHONES:

AUDIO INTERFACES:

COMPUTER:

LIGHTS:

00:00 - Tape Head 1
05:07 - Reverb
07:38 - Self Oscillation
08:55 - Tape Head 2
11:54 - Tape Head 3 w/ Reverb

[DAZ]

You did a great job breaking these two down (and breaking down the Galaxy in general in your other videos). I have both and they seem pretty far apart to me. Your articulating how the Galaxy diffuses the repeats versus the RE-202, whose repeats are brighter and more sustained (which I also notice on the many Roland RE-201 videos I’ve watched).

I feel that UA didn’t really successfully create a Space Echo sound alike. What they DID create with the Galaxy is a great sounding multihead tape delay pedal in its own right. I think UA should have marketing this thing as their own creation that pays homage to the original, much like Strymon did with the Volante.

[thesimulations]

I own both and like the Galaxy 74 better on sound alone. It's as subjective as best tasting food though. Everyone is going to hear and like some sound or features more or less.

[voxfender]

These two seem much more comparable than the Galaxy vs Re-2. I feel like I notice small differences with the UA that make it slightly better. When you maxed out the reverb volume on the galaxy you could hear the noisy spring reverb pop. The attention to detail on these small things go a long way.

One small gripe I have with the Re-202 is how the ramp up sounds from holding the tap. It’s not a feature I’ve used a ton but this aspect sounds absolutely corny compared to the galaxy.

I have and love both pedals. Your demo does both justice. Great video as always

[mrmeeks]

Discovered your channel recently. Really enjoy the way you demo things and dig your playing 🤙

[AlainHubert]

The Galaxy always sounds like an extremely worn-out tape, even with the treble all the way up. Also, the fake stereo effect constantly switching from mono to stereo and back, while interesting, could be annoying at times in a mix. The RE-202, although not absolutely perfect, sounds much closer to a RE-201 than the Galaxy. The latter reminds me more of a BBD delay than a tape machine delay. But that's not necessarily a bad thing either. It depends on what one is looking for. I selected the RE-202. Thanks for the demo!

[ryanmccutcheon]

I'd choose RE 202 for sure. If I was choosing between RE 2 and Galaxy, the galaxy has better features. But like the RE 20, the 202 has that beautiful aesthetic like the original!

[ConnahJay]

I like the character and sound of the Boss. The Galaxy seems nice for someone who plays guitar and wants clean tone.

[kennethborrett]

Can you create a setting for a Hank Marvin Shadows sound.

[Waldemar_la_Tendresse]

Galaxy's swirl sounds like a vintage console. I prefer the Boss version.

[TheTheoMeier]

For me the Galaxy beats the RE-202 simply by it's pleasing stereo image. Just opens another dimension while the Boss sounds kinda 2-dimensional.

[ikkini]

I don't know which one is the more accurate to the 201, but I find the Galaxy way more musical than the Boss.

[peteyoung]

That was easy.Galaxy all the way.Any delay pedal that has less treble is always a good thing and closer to a real tape echo.

[basilandrigsby]

They sound pretty close, but the usability is on point with the Boss, it has presets on the top and Midi at the back. Bluetooth UA?...Really?..Also, the Boss has the name RE- name, so I think it'll hold its price, if you ever wanted to sell to down the road...and... its much prettier, in my opinion.