Roland entered the world of effects with a series of innovative products, and the Roland SDE-1000 Digital Delay marked their third foray into digital delays, offering an attractive balance of affordability and a versatile feature set.
The Roland SDE-1000 was introduced at a time when digital delays were becoming increasingly popular but often remained prohibitively expensive for many musicians. The Roland SDE-1000 distinguished itself by providing professional-grade performance at a more accessible price. It featured wide frequency characteristics, low harmonic distortion, and low noise, delivering a clear and high-quality delay signal.
Key features of the Roland SDE-1000 included:
- Long delay time: Up to 1125 milliseconds, allowing for both subtle echoes and extended ambient effects.
- Highly accurate delay time display: With increments as fine as 10.1 milliseconds for precise control.
- Memory function: The ability to store up to four different panel settings, making it easy for users to switch between customised presets.
- Modulation control and preset shift jacks: Designed for live performance, enabling real-time modulation adjustments.
- Playmate jack: This allowed delay time to be adjusted using a foot controller, adding convenience for performers.
- Hold function: A dedicated jack for sound repetition, effectively looping a portion of the audio.
- Delay remote jack: Enabled remote switching of the delay effect on or off.
- Stereo output jacks: Supported a rich stereo image, allowing for creative effects like stereo chorus.
The Roland SDE-1000 used a 12-bit digital processing system with a sampling rate lower than that of a CD, resulting in a unique sonic signature that contributed to its distinctive delay character. This slightly lower resolution produced a warm, textured sound that many users appreciated.
Roland developed and released the Roland SDE-1000 alongside the Roland SDE-3000, with both models sharing the same core converters and overall sonic performance. However, the primary difference between the two lay in their memory capacity and user interface.
The Roland SDE-3000 featured double the memory of the Roland SDE-1000 and included a more informative front-panel display. Additionally, the SDE-3000 stored more parameter settings within its memory, making it more convenient for users requiring extensive presets.
Upon release, the Roland SDE-1000 was priced at $499 USD, providing exceptional value for its capabilities. In contrast, the Roland SDE-3000, with its expanded memory and enhanced features, was priced at $1099 USD. The significant price difference reflected the added convenience and flexibility offered by the Roland SDE-3000, though both units earned praise for their high-quality sound and reliability.
These digital delay units became staples in professional and home studios alike, with the Roland SDE-1000 gaining a reputation for its warm delays and user-friendly design. They remain sought-after pieces of vintage gear, valued for their role in shaping the sound of 1980s music and their enduring musicality.
3 Responses
I still have mine It works great But only goes to -20 DB Pro studio gear goes to +4DB Still gives great delay sounds I got mineUsed in 1989 for $120
When the SDE-1000 came out it was a revelation. It was an amazing piece of equipment for about $350 when Lexicon and others were selling their DD’s at twice the price. Using this amazing piece of equipment was a joy. The chorus was luxurious and the delay was absolutely mind blowing. I didn’t modulate that much so I can’t speak to that but this was the piece of equipment that blew open the venerable doors to fantastic equipment at an affordable price. Kudos to Roland!
Hey I’ve had the SDE 3000a and 1000 for a few years and I just use the mixed outputs, can anyone tell me what and how the send and return feedback loop is for?
Also the playmate output and the modulation CV outputs?
Manuel only says it’s used for a wide variety of effects.
If the play mate output can be used for changing times what kind of pedal do you use etc?
Please help fellow delay enthusiasts:)
Mikeo