Based mostly on the famed Roland SDE-3000 rack unit, Boss’ SDE-3 combines some traditional delay sounds of the Eighties, up to date with a bevy of contemporary tips and options. Like a variety of delays, it may be run in mono, however you’ll get the largest bang getting in stereo to totally different amps or outputs.

The core of the unit is the Offset knob, which sends separate echo occasions and layers them right into a sonic sandwich for supremely lush results. In the event you’ve all the time questioned in regards to the secret of The Edge’s large chords and arpeggios, the SDE-3’s Offset can provide you these sounds in a blink. One other bonus is a refrain/modulation circuit that offers Depth, Charge, and Hello Lower controls through the unit’s concentric outer knobs. Naturally, there’s faucet tempo (controllable by foot, an exterior expression pedal, or MIDI), in addition to eighth and dotted-eighth settings for that David Gilmour vibe. On the again of the unit, search for a Carryover On/Off swap, which might yield a pure tail decay once you flip the SDE-3 off, or extra of a sudden chop.

These are simply the tip of the iceberg, however the SDE-3 is an enormous, highly effective delay in that acquainted Boss format, weaving in ’80s sounds, two simultaneous delays (the offset), refrain, tremolo, dual-amp panning and much more. – Pete Prown

This text initially appeared in VG’s March 2025 problem. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.