Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler

It is easy to get a good useable sound out of it, whether its a Rock-a-Billy Slapback to Edge style analog delays to hi-fi Delays. You need to put the stickers on it that denote what Tweek and Tweez do, and you will need a light to read them when its really dark on stage.
The three presets are a brilliant idea, wish all pedals had this.

I play blues, soul, roots rock. This pedal can get you in the territory of great tone and can be very musical, but beware, it significantly colours your clean sound. It adds a honky quality to your sound, as a result of digitizing your tone.... if you want to use it, run it through a true bypass loop box and turn the mix all the way up and adjust on your bypass looper. That way you can have your real clean tone with the delay as a second mixable tone with its own volume control.

This is where this product is abysmal, terrible, totally unacceptable. If you want to buy this for your bedroom, to step on with your socks on a carpeted floor its fine, but take it from a touring musician, if you are ever gonna step on the switches with your shoe or put this in your pedalboard it is absolutely going to die sooner or later. Switches fail, solder joints fail, presets get lost, pots fail, The only people who give this a high rating for reliability haven't used it in a real touring situation or have been lucky so far. I was in this category until recently, and mine was one of the earlier models that were supposedly better. Trust me on this please... its from real world experience!!! Line 6 has lowered the expectations of everyone but the fact is these things should work indefinitely, forever, without failing.... Like Boss pedals.

I have called line 6 for other things, they have been fine. But seriously, you can't just put something in a heavy duty box and expect it to be heavy duty. The quality control is terrible and this thing is just an on-stage problem waiting to happen.

On a whole, very user friendly. Anything that you can't figure out just by playing around with it, is not greatly important - and the manual explains everything well anyway.

Gear used: Gibson '59 Historic Les Paul, Fender '62 Re-Issue Strat, Vox AC-30TBX and Mesa 1994 Dual Rectifier.
Superb sounds. The lo-Res, tape-Echo and Analog settings are to die for.
Would like a dual delay setting like Line 6's ECHO PARK, like a stereo with 2 different note values coming out each amp. Also being able to change note values on other delay sound models like with ECHO PARK.

Has been mostly hassel free for almost a year. It did reboot once and resoted to the factory settings!! No big problem though.

Contacted Line 6 about another product i thought i had a problem with and was contacted back next day. Very helpful and knew what i was doing wrong.

If it had a stereo mode with split channels with different note values it would be my ultimate pedal. But i still use an ECHO PARK for some stuff as the DL4 dosen't meet all my delay and echo needs. But still one of the best pedals to date.

Overall, it's very easy to use and program delays. I do wish it had an LCD screen like the Boss DD-20 to see the BPM, but that's a minor thing. It also could use a control for the note value of the tap tempo. This is another great thing about the DD-20 - you can specify eighth, dotted eighth notes, etc. The rhythmic delay of the DL4 doesn't allow dotted notes, which was frustrating.

Wonderful! This is the best part about this unit. Lo Res delay is like nothing else and was my favorite for really ambient stuff.

Worked fine for about 6 months - and I'm nice to my pedals. Like many others have been saying for years, this unit eventually craps out. Unlike Boss, Line 6 are not making a dependable delay unit that will work for years. This is why I switched to the Boss DD-20. Boss just lasts longer and I can depend on it for gigs and such. I actually had this thing go out on me during a number of gigs before I forced myself to get rid of it- the switches didn't switch, the unit froze up and had to be reset, etc. Major bummer.

Sounds great, but I just can't depend on it for gigs - and that's worth half the score here. I'm quite happy with the Boss DD-20 though and I'm not worried about it breaking on me.

The basic functions are very easy to use. There are some little secret options which should be better labeled. For example, if you want the echo to decay after you stomp the effect off (rather than the echo ending suddenly), you must hold the first and third buttons down while inserting the plug. Of course, it could be kinda fun to discover these little things.

I have one for vocals and one for guitar. Both feed into direct boxes with liftable grounds, so there are no sound problems here. I've even used mine for studio work.

I would definitely recommend that you get some sort of replacement insurance. I play music for a living so I have 4 of these petals - 2 for use and 2 in case the others break. I am religiously careful with my petals but find they still have some crazy quirks.

For example, if you don't 'stomp' the buttons from the right angle they break internally.

Then there are some electronic quirks. For example, when you turn one effect off, another will automatically turn on... for no reason.

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Aside from the reliability issues, this is the best petal I've owned.

Compared to other looping petals, I hands-down prefer this one. It has some important features that other petals don't have (like absolutely precise timing, layer fading, etc.).

Easy to use, like all the modelors, that's the nice thing about it.

I use mostly boutique pedals, a boogie mark I and fender/gibson guitars. I've also got a G&l strat that I love. I wanted to say that in recent months, line 6's quality control has taken a nose dive. I remember when these modelors came out, all of us in town picked them up, because they were easy to use, and they were great for live work. I've held on to my modulation unit, and still love it, now especially since I've had the Keeley mod done to fix the slight volume drop. I was frustrated with digital technology a couple years back, and sold the dl4 I had for some pricey analog stuff. I used quite a few different pedals, but always missed having several presets and tap tempo right there for live gigs where I did a lot of delay changing on the fly. I picked up a dl4 two weeks ago, thinking it was time I had one again. I was in a rush so I didn't plug it in at the store, I assumed it would work fine, and arrived at the gig only to have a dead unit. I returned it, and had the same problem with my second model. Needless to say, I'm reconsidering my purchase, and will most likely go with the boss dd20, although I wish it was true bypass.
Upon researching, I've found that, as of late, many folks have been having problems with reliability of these pedals, and, frankly, it's dissuaded me from buying any future Line 6 products. Three of my guitarist friends still use line 6 pedals on a nightly basis, and haven't had problems, but all of us bought older models, back in the late 90's so I guess quality was better then.
I just wanted to say, I really liked this delay, and I'm sad it didn't work out but, I need something to work for me and not have to worry about it. Plus, it's not like you can resolder a wire or something, the thing is all digital chips and such.
Just my two cents on the dl4.

I've learned to embrace technology, somewhat anyway, but when things like this happen, I wonder if I'm not better off with an old analog delay. My memoryman lasted for years without so much as a rattle, and it was made in the 70's, so what does that say. I just wish someone made an analog delay, with at least two preset levels and modulation. I'd gladly pay extra cash for that.

when i first bought this pedal i looked at it like "ok, i have a dl4 now, so how the fuck do i work it!?" but it's actually very simple to use. after about a week i knew how to work it with no problem whatsoever. the looper is a little more difficult but it fits in with learning how the rest of the pedal works within the week. they also have hidden features for the dl4 if you look in the users manual or download it off www.line6.com

sounds really good. nothing really bad about the sounds. i find it very nice. no noise when switching it on or off and if you do get noise it's either really rare or your pedal is just messed up and you need to get it fixed.

here is where line 6 completely ruined mine and some other people's dl4 experience. i actually just got a new one yesterday because i went to guitar center and pitched a fit because my knobs were shot after 3 months of owning the pedal. 3 MONTHS!!! i took it back and after dealing with the biggest asshole i ever met, he gave me a brand new dl4 for free. i took it home and played with it later that night and this one has never been used and it's already fucked up. for my "B" switch, sometimes if you hit it when not using the looper it turns on the "C" switch instead. when using it with the looper and you hit the "B" switch, it turns on the play once option and if you have the tap tempo switch on while you have the loop running, when you hit the "B" switch to turn your loop on, it will shut the tap tempo off completely. theres nothing wrong with the tap tempo whenever i use it without the looper but i was really pissed when this happened just because of how attached to this pedal i became. it's is by far one of the coolest delays and one of the most popular delays too. but it's basically luck of the draw with them because i know people who have had a dl4 for 5 years. i just wonder how they've kept them working for so long.

i sent them some messages about my dl4 whenever it started getting messed up and they will, i repeat, they WILL send you a message within a 2 day period. pretty helpful people, but they suck ass at building really cool stompbox modelers

I still love this pedal to death but im not sure whether im gonna take it back and see if it will work for atleast 15 days and if it doesn't im probably gonna take it to guitar center and get my money back. i ripped off some dude really big time anyways. they usually sell for $250 but i got mine for $205 PLUS the power supply for free. the guy that worked at guitar center was an idiot. hell i think they're all assholes.

This unit is easy to get the hang of if you read the instruction manuel. Let me emphasize to READ THE MANUEL!!! Its very helpful and interesting too. The only part of it that takes some getting used to is the Loop Sampler (once again...read the manual)

When I gig I use it with with the following setup:

Squier Jagmaster > Boss TU2 > Fulltone FullDrive II > Boss Super Phaser > Line 6 DL4 > Jade Storm 100W combo.

This pedal provides for most of my delay desires. It has a large range of different sounds that I haven't found uses for yet but I know I will in time. I haven't heard many of the original pedals that it Models but I like the sounds it makes. One minor niggle is when using the Tube Echo setting, if the overdrive setting on the DL4 is not set correctly there is a noticable volume drop but if you play with the setting a bit it works out.

Some of the reviews posted here do worry me slightly but I've never had any problems with it. I definately do gig without a backup cause I can't afford to have two of every pedal. Having said that I would even if I could afford two.

I've never had to deal with them.

I play in a couple of different bands. One is jazz rock/experimental, the second is folk/celtic/reggae, the third is a Christian pop/rock/blues band and I also do some solo ambient/experimental stuff. I use this pedal in all these bands and it has a function for just about everything I need. I love the ambient sounds I can get out of it that provides flavour during very sparse musical sections. The only major thing I wish it had would be extra storage spots...It is hard to function with only three with all the sounds available.

If it were stolen or lost I would get another just because for the price it is definately the most versatile unit around and therefore is perfect for the musician on a tight budget who wants some good delay sounds.

This pedal is not at all hard to use right out of the box. You can really get in depth use if you read and follow the manual (and your amp's manual also). I believe this pedal is best run through an effects loop.

I mainly use a Mexi-Tele thru a 535q wah and a Small Stone phaser. I run the Line 6 delay thru the effects loop of my Mesa Nomad 55. The E.L. level on my amp is set at about 11 o'clock and the mix on the delay is set at about 4 o'clock, giving me the best mix for my taste.
If I tweak either the amp E.L. or the mix level on the delay I lose some tone but that is expected. I have owned this pedal for a year and a half and have had no noise problems with it. I really like the tube echo on the Line 6, although it does not fit every song. The normal digital delay is what I use the most, and it works great, tonally. I also enjoy being able to adjust tap tempo on the fly.

Here is where Line 6 gets a little weak. The "stomp" switches on the outside of the pedal have these little springs with a small, straw like, white piece of plastic that stikes the actual controlling button inside the pedal. I have had the small piece of plastic pop out of place (twice in the last year and a half) on the tap tempo switch losing the tap tempo control altogeher. I use the tap tempo quite frequently so it has been a bit annoying. I also believe that this problem is two-part, Line 6 making the internal controls too weak and Line 6 putting the "stomp" switches vertical so when they are stepped on, they get stepped on at an angle putting too much stress on the inside spring. A small design change would be good here (put the stomp buttons at an angle and make the internal spring stronger!). This has been the only problem I've had with this pedal. (As mentioned in an earlier review DON'T stomp on the switches.) I play mostly at church and I don't need a back-up. This pedal is fairly dependable with careful foot-switching.

The problem I had with the switch was relatively easy to fix, albeit somewhat time consuming, and I did it on my own so I haven't dealt with the company at all.

This pedal works for the styles of music that I play (rock, some metal, blues). I've been playing for 15 years and this is about the best delay I have used. I would buy another one if it were lost or stolen. I love the sounds and the ease of use, and I hate the weak problem I mentioned earlier. If Line 6 were to strengthen the small weakness of this pedal I would have a top-shelf rating for this product.

End of use is the only thing why to buy this piece of a shit. As i was reading manual i thought i got a exactly what i needed. Pretty simple to use.

Setup: Yamaha APX 620 - DL4+expression pedal - Geroge Denis The Blue. It really doesn't reduce signal at all. This is all you can except. I was trying two of this boxes becouse first one has crashed after ten minutes. Second one still works - big surprise. But i gave it away. No metter how good or bad delays are becouse there's a big pause while switching between delays. Otherwise you can get a good (not perfect) delay sound. There's a lot of options of setup especially using expression pedal but most of them are useles. Or you have to be in high psyachdelic mood.

It looks like tank but it's breakable as an eggshell. Expression pedal was good.

I have no idea what should they do to get my faith in this expensive uselles thing back.

There's no reason to use it. They should rename to LineSHIT! Use BOSS! Or whatever else.

there's a lot to do with this pedal, it takes a while to dial in perfectly. But once that's accomplished, it is very easy to use.

there's some tone suck going on, and a slight drop in volume that only the player and the sound guy will notice. I use it w/ a modified strat and a fender stage 112. Great for cool swells and U2 sound, or just a good delay at tempo for color and space filling.

i've read a lot of these, and i'm surprised to find the problems people have with them. I don't know a good guitarist that dosn't own one of these pedals and i've never heard of any trouble except My roommate just had the tap tempo button come unscrewed, which, if he'd tightened it when it started getting loose, that wouldn't have happened. I have been able to depend on it, along with my roommate and another friend of ours. We all play at least 3 gigs per week and transport the thing in pedal board cases.

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I use this thing all the time. It's a lot of my tone and color. I've been playing for 14 years, and had this pedal for 2. I don't know what I did without it. I'd buy it again, but I do wish it was built a little stronger. I compared it to the boss equivalent, but boss pedals suck even more tone than line 6.