The Roland SRE-555 Chorus Echo was designed for professional use in both stage and studio environments. Housed in a robust chassis built to fit a standard 4U 19-inch rack, the Roland SRE-555 offered a practical solution for musicians and engineers seeking Roland’s renowned tape echo sound in a rackmount format. It featured a newly designed slide system that allowed tape replacement while the unit was mounted in the rack, requiring only the removal of two screws with a coin.
Based on the classic Roland RE-501, the Roland SRE-555 delivered the same lush chorus, warm tape echo and high-quality reverb in a more convenient form factor for professional installations. It was equipped with balanced XLR inputs and outputs alongside standard 1/4″ phone jacks, providing versatile connectivity for both live and studio applications. An advanced noise reduction system gave the Roland SRE-555 an impressive 77dB signal-to-noise ratio, ensuring cleaner repeats with minimal tape hiss.
The Roland SRE-555 allowed for delay times ranging from 0.55 to 1.8 seconds in Sound-on-Sound mode, offering flexibility for both traditional and experimental uses. The front panel provided comprehensive control, including input volume, chorus intensity, echo repeat rate, echo intensity, Sound-on-Sound volume and reverb volume, along with separate treble and bass tone controls.
The Roland SRE-555 measured 480mm in width, 180mm in height and 445mm in depth, with a weight of 15.7 kilograms. It was supplied with connection cords, an endless tape loop (RT-1L) and a head cleaner, making it ready for immediate use.
The Roland SRE-555 became a staple in many professional studios and live setups during the 1980s, appreciated for its reliability, ease of maintenance and signature analogue warmth. It remains a highly sought-after unit for those looking to capture the authentic sound of classic Roland tape echo, with the convenience of rack mounting.
Features
- Echo, chorus, reverberation, and sound-on-sound can be freely combined for numerous effects.
- Free running tape system minimises wow and flutter and extends tape life to more than 300 hours without deterioration of sound quality.
- Dual outputs for “three dimensional” sound effects.
- Low noise; clean well-balanced echo sound.
- Indicators show instantly whether echo, chorus, or sound-on-sound are ON or OFF.
- A foot switch can be used for remote switching of the echo, chorus, and sound-on-sound ON/OFF function.
- Both balanced and unbalanced input and output.
- Maintenance (e.g., changing tapes, etc.) can be done easily while it is mounted on a rack.
