Product Overview
Faithful sound with modern enhancements
Introduced in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 is one of the most revered rackmount delay units from the early years of digital audio. Although the SDE-3000 was used in recording studios, its most popular application was in '80s-era guitar racks, where its ultra-wide dynamic range, adjustable delay phase, rich modulation, and multiple seconds of clear-yet-warm delay tone made it the go-to digital delay processor. The secret to the SDE-3000's musical, inviting sound was a result of the perfect marriage between complex digital processing and the nonlinear behavior of analog circuitry. For the SDE-3000EVH pedal, BOSS analyzed the original unit meticulously, faithfully replicating its finicky gain-dependent frequency response, distinctive anti-aliasing filter saturation, and evolving component modulation to ensure the most period-accurate sound possible.
The SDE-3000EVH mirrors nearly all of its predecessor's parameters, which you access via a retro display and panel controls based on the original. Like the rackmount unit, the SDE-3000EVH pedal's two selectable delay ranges offer different frequency characteristics. The particular tonal color of the original unit's external feedback loop circuit has been replicated as well; although, you can turn the coloration off if you're aiming for a more modern sound. You can also process the SDE-3000EVH's feedback loop with an internal EQ. To top it off, this pedal includes 100 storable and recallable presets — including eight culled from the SDE-3000s in EVH's live rig — with carryover when switching presets.
Authentic-sounding modulation circuit
One of the most distinctive parts of the original SDE-3000's sound was its modulation circuit. The BOSS SDE-3000EVH pedal comes loaded with a spot-on re-creation of this lauded circuit, in all its character-laden glory. You get the expected depth and rate controls, plus you can independently switch the phase of the initial delay and the delay feedback loop, which influences the way the modulation reacts. BOSS also faithfully reproduced the vintage unit's analog LFO behavior. What's more, the SDE-3000EVH gives you an added sine wave option, along with the original's triangle wave. BOSS even built more control into the SDE-3000EVH to give you more control over its delay phase settings for a level of sonic flexibility its predecessor simply can't match.
Designed for modern, large-scale guitar rigs
The original SDE-3000 operated in mono. Thus, when Edward Van Halen incorporated the SDE-3000 into his wet/dry/wet guitar rig, he needed to use two separate units, along with a line mixer and lots of signal-routing voodoo, to make it work. The BOSS SDE-3000EVH pedal does away with all that, giving you two discrete delays in one compact stompbox. Each delay includes independent parameters, along with mono or stereo modulation. You can run the delays in either series or parallel, and you can pan them however you see fit. And, thanks to the SDE-3000EVH's flexible I/O, you can route the delays in a variety of mono and stereo setups.
The SDE-3000EVH also includes send/return functionality, enabling you to insert external pedals or interface with an amplifier's effects loop via the 4-cable method, complete with selectable impedance for optimum tone. You get two control jacks for connecting up to four footswitches, two expression pedals, or a GA-FC/GA-FC EX for external operation. TRS MIDI I/O is also on tap for easy integration into a large-scale touring rig. There's a massive cache of assignable targets to choose from, supplying you with deep real-time control that far exceeds the capabilities of the original SDE-3000.
BOSS SDE-3000EVH Dual Digital Delay Pedal Features:
- A faithful re-creation of the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount digital delays in EVH's former live guitar rig
- Replicates the original's gain-dependent frequency response, anti-aliasing filter saturation, and component modulation
- Emulates the distinctive coloration of the original unit's external feedback loop circuit
- Mirrors nearly all of its predecessor's parameters
- Retro display and panel controls are based on the original unit
- 2 discrete delay lines mimic the functionality of 2 vintage rackmount SDE-3000s
- Widely adjustable delay time with 2 range settings: 0–1500ms and 0–3000ms
- Modulation inspired by the original unit with identical analog LFO behavior
- Phase switches for the primary delay and delay feedback loop
- Low- and high-cut filters enable shaping of delay feedback sounds
- Assignable onboard footswitch for tap tempo, hold, and more
- External footswitch jacks accommodate up to 4 footswitches, 2 expression pedals, or a GA-FC/GA-FC EX foot controller
- MIDI I/O on space-saving mini TRS jacks
- Ample analog I/O — accommodates a variety of mono and stereo setups
- Enough routing flexibility to build an EVH-worthy wet/dry/wet rig
- Send/return functionality interfaces with pedals or an amplifier's effects loop via the 4-cable method
- Selectable impedance on the effect return for optimizing tone with different amplifiers
- Includes 3 ground-lift cables for eliminating hum with multi-amplifier setups
- 100 recallable presets — 8 with the exact settings from EVH's live rig
- Eye-grabbing EVH aesthetics
