- Eventide's H3000 is an undisputed studio classic. When the hardware effects processor also know as the Ultra-Harmonizer launched in 1986, it was capable of everything from subtle pitch and delay shifts to wild and expressive sound transformation. The H3000 was a revolutionary effects unit in its time; it could run multiple delays and intelligently track and shift pitch, while its parameters could be modulated by both an internal source and MIDI. Eventide made a software version in 2012 and released further variations in the years since, the latest of which is a delay plug-in focusing on stereo multi-band control.
H3000 Band Delays is divided into eight voices, each with a frequency band, stereo delay and filter. Each delay band has a choice of five different filters—or none at all—whose cutoff and resonance controls can be automated and modulated. Each band can then be delayed from 0ms to 2.4s and panned across the stereo spectrum independently. As you can imagine, this opens up a huge amount of sound design potential before you even begin to consider the modulation options.
While the plug-in's features are rich and comprehensive, the layout has something of a learning curve. Up top, the usual H3000 Soft Keys, screen and wheel are present—we'll return to these later. Below you'll find preset parameters that control all voices globally rather than one band at a time. For example, regardless of how you've set voice four's delay time or filter frequency, adjusting the frequency here will move all eight together. This is where you'll also find vital functions like Mix, input and output volume and tempo sync functions.
It's the section below where the H3000 Band Delay comes into its own. Under the Program tab, the Beat Grid controls which voice is selected, its delay time, filter type, frequency, Q factor, output level and pan setting. One interesting feature is Note Name, which allows you to visualise not just the frequency of the filter, but its corresponding note on the musical scale. Since the filters can self-oscillate when you push the Q level, you can use Note Name to tune to a particular chord or harmonic based on the incoming signal, or simply bolster its fundamental note. Once you consider that you can modulate this tuned filter's delay time, cutoff and stereo field positioning, you can begin to wrap your head around just how powerful this plug-in is. However, a key difference between Band Delays and the older H3000 Factory is that you can't tune each voice. If this sounds like a deal breaker for you, it's worth looking at the full version of Factory, which costs $349. A colourful display to the right of the Beat Grid offers a handy visual reference as to how each band is affecting the sound.
Changing the tab to Expert mode doesn't introduce any new features, but removes the Grid and Display in favour of a simple layout of all eight filter's parameters. The Function tab is where the all-important modulation is controlled. Unfortunately, the plug-in only has a single LFO, called a Function Generator. With 19 wave types on offer and a Min and Max value for every modulation target, it's possible to deliver very different modulation results from a single LFO, though multiple LFOs—perhaps one per voice—would have been welcome.
Soft Keys allow quick assignment of modulation parameters and are similar to Marcos in Ableton Live. There are four in total, though each Soft Key can be assigned to multiple parameters, leading to potentially wide-ranging transformations. However, only the ten global controls under the Preset Parameter section can be modulated from within the plug-in. Individual voice filter cutoff or pan modulation, for example, must be controlled either via MIDI or automation in the host DAW. This is probably the biggest disappointment regarding H3000 Band Delays, not because the automation is difficult to set up, but because it seems like a missed opportunity to make a fantastic plug-in even better. Having said that, these modulation options and more are available in H3000 Factory, though there are only two delays as apposed to eight, so there's a case to be made for both plug-ins.
As it stands though, there is very little competition for H3000 Band Delays. Having the Note Name readout on every filter frequency helps you create lush pads and unique vocal effects while the stereo and sound-shaping controls give width and movement to any sound fed into the plug-in. It has to be said, the Presets don't really do the tool justice, as they don't show much variety and there aren't many to choose from. It's definitely worth reading the manual and taking the time to learn the interface to get the most from the plug-in.
H3000 Band Delays is not a replacement for any of your filter plug-ins, nor is it the only delay plug-in you'll need. In fact, its filters are fairly thin and digital so don't expect any MS20-style squealing. It is however, a totally unique and comprehensive plug-in designed for anything from subtle chorus and flanging to all-out stereo sound design complexity. As an added bonus, Eventide has managed to provide all these features and keep the CPU hit very low—something you couldn't say about the H3000 Factory. It's a highly addictive FX tool for giving your soft synths and samples a new lease of life.
Ratings:
Sound: 4.0
Cost: 4.4
Versatility: 4.2
Ease of use: 3.8