🎸 EVH SDE-3000 Delay & Plate Reverb Preset Pack
by Jesse Boot | FREE Preset Pack for the Eventide H90
🔥 About This Pack
This free preset pack is my tribute to the legendary stereo delay tones of Eddie Van Halen, specifically modeled after the BOSS SDE-3000 dual delay rig he used in the mid-’80s and beyond. These presets were lovingly crafted by converting the detailed settings shared by the awesome Fractal Audio community (link here) — originally made for the FM3 — and fully reimagined for the Eventide H90.
If you love huge, clear, modulated stereo delays with a touch of plate shimmer and micro pitch width, you’ll feel right at home with these sounds.
🛠️ What’s Inside?
Each preset includes two parallel effects paths designed to emulate Eddie’s iconic rack setup:
Program A → EVH Plate Reverb into SDE-3000-style Delay
Program B → MicroPitch Delay using same SDE-3000 delay time for stereo doubling
These effects run in parallel, after a stereo amp block.
🧪 How It’s Routed
I’m using the UAFX Lion ‘68 Super Lead Amp pedal in the H90’s stereo insert loop, running the “Mean Green Street 57s” preset, which provides a perfect Marshall-style stereo amp+cab base. The H90 effects run after the amp block, in stereo, like a wet/dry/wet rig — but all in one box!
Signal Flow:
mathematica
Copy
Edit
Guitar → H90 Input → Insert Send → UAFX Lion ‘68 → Insert Return →
→ Parallel Path A: Plate → Delay
→ Parallel Path B: MicroPitch
→ H90 Output (Stereo)
📋 Preset Highlights
EVH ’84 Arena – 380ms stereo delays + short bright plate, like early 5150 tour
Cathedral Halls – 450ms with more diffusion and modulation, for ambient tapping
Mean Streets – tighter, more percussive plate, dry rhythm-style
Little Guitars – short pre-delay and tight micro pitch spread
Brown Sound Boost – minimal delay, lush width via pitch, for solos
Each preset includes:
EVH-style SDE-3000 delay with feedback tuning and modulation
Short EMT-style plate reverb for Sunset Sound–inspired air
MicroPitch spread for the classic widened stereo image EVH used live
⚙️ Tips for Use
Play these in stereo! You’ll lose the magic in mono.
Place your amp/cab sim in the insert loop for best results.
Adjust the Mix and Feedback values to fit your room or context.
Use an expression pedal to morph between delay feedback levels or plate decay.
💡 Recommended Settings
Lion ‘68 Mean Green Street 57s preset
Use a guitar with a bridge humbucker and roll back the tone for the brownest results
Suggested stereo output: two FRFR cabs or amp return inputs
✍️ Final Words
This pack is a love letter to one of the greatest tones in rock history. Whether you’re shredding like it’s 1984 or just chasing inspiration from the master himself, these presets should bring you closer to that mythical brown sound, in glorious Eventide stereo.
Enjoy — and let me know what you think or how you tweak them!
– Jesse Boot
These presets sound incredible in stereo. Thank you so much for sharing them with us Jesse!
*Note for new users of the H90 if you’re not getting any sound.
It’s probably because you aren’t using any inserts (aka going straight into your amps).
To change the settings click the routing/inserts tab on the bottom. Then click the tab below inserts 1-2 (parallel). Switch it to off. Now you’ll have sound.