DM4 Distortion Modeler Review

The DM4 is the first pedal to deliver a wide range of legendary distortion/overdrive-style effects in a programmable, road-ready stompbox. Includes: digital modeling of 16 vintage distortion effects (including models based on Tube Driver, Rat, Tube Screamer, Big Muff, Fuzz Face, etc), 4 programmable presets, bass/mid/treble controls for perfect grind or growl, true bypass switching, Expression Pedal input, mono in and out.

Ease of Use:	9
Sound:	8.5
Reliability:	10
Impression:	9
Overall rating:	9.1
Users rating:	6.5
Comments:	17

overall: 10

Featured review by: atticus_08, on april 07, 2006

Ease of Use: I have been searching for a good distorted soud for awhile and finally found everything I needed in this pedal. The manual is very understandable, and to operate it is even easier. This is 10 stomp boxes in one and all of them sound terrific. // 10

Sound: The feature I love most is the built in noise gate. All the distortions sound perfect. I can get an array of sounds. You could probably get any tone you want out of this thing, it's great. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It's built like a mini army tank. I've dropped it before and nothing happen. It's very reliable and yes I gig with it. // 10

Impression: I play punk/hardcore mainly in my band, at home I play it all. This is a nice device for the all around guitar player. Wheather you like to shred people's faces off or get their feet tapping this is the pedal you'd want. I've been playing about 5-6 years and I am finally pleased with my distorted sound and this is more than half the reason why. I've gone through varies pedals and this is the one for me. You steal it you die! I suggest you try this one out and see what you think. // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: MegaEgga, on august 18, 2008

Ease of Use: This Line 6 distortion modeler isn't the easiest stomp box to use, that being said you'd have to be stupid not to understand how it works anyway. The manual tells you pretty much everything you need to know and I suggest giving it a read before using it because the DM4 has a few hidden features you mightn't know about (such as an alternate Bypass mode and a noise gate). // 8

Sound: The DM4 comes with 16 different types of distortion, each one is modeled off certain pedals. There's a list of the 16 different drives this pedal has and what they are based off. They all sound pretty sweet but when you compare them to the original there is a difference in quality, but that is to be expected. The two effects I use the most are Heavy Distortion (based on Boss MT-2) and the Screamer (based off the Ibanez TS-808), you can get an extremely high gain sound with Heavy Distortion which sounds great for Metallica and Megadeth type stuff, the Screamer is a softer overdrive which I absolutely love using when playing blues and occasionaly Jazz. Probably my favourite feature is that it has an in built noise gate, so if you want to you can cut out all that unwanted feedback. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This thing is built like a tank, it is made with a metal shell which defends it from even the brutal stompers. I have yet to use it Live as I tend to use my other pedals Live but if I did I'm sure I wouldn't need a backup as of how bloody strong it is. It runs on 4 C batteries. // 10

Impression: I've been playing for almost 4 years now, luckily for me I got this pedal for free (here in Australia it costs about $700 Retail price I think). It is a great pedal but if you do Live in Australia and are thinking of buying one I would definetely not spend that much money on one of these, it is a great pedal but I personally don't use it to all it's capabilities and therefore wouldn't buy it again (well, buy it for the first time) as I'd rather just spend less money getting the Boss MT-2 and the Ibanez Ts-808, the two main distortions I use this pedal for. But if you read the list of its stomp box models and loved nearly all of them then I'd say go for it. Bottom line is only spend the money for this pedal if you are really going to use it to it's full potential (unless your from America, in which case it's a lot cheaper). // 8

Comments

[x_rox]

is it like the effects on the Line 6 amp or is it completely different sound tones?

[atticus_08]

It's not based after the line 6 heads. It re-creates the tones of the most sought after vintage tones. Like the boss MT-2, Ibanez tube screamer ect... It is awesome dude!

[x_rox]

ah thank you, may save up and buy one.

[Molsons Golden]

Ibanez tube screamer is an overdrive.

[n0e]

"Ibanez tube screamer is an overdrive."

Overdrive IS distortion... normally overdrive refers to soft-clipping tho, which a Tube Screamer is... but that doesn't mean its not distortion.

[Bong Water]

*sob* someone stole mine im trying to determine if its worth replacing. to me, the distortions are a little hard to control, theyre a bit digital and dont seem to shape the sound too well.

[jammin]

The MT-2 is a sought after vintage tone?

[HavokStrife]

Looks more like an overdrive pedal than a distortion..

[Robert_Terry]

^^^agreed, its the wrong colour for a distortion box, imagen that being there on stage, oposed to a digitech distortion factory.

[nez46]

awsome it is great and i have had it a week now

[zeppelin5005]

when i save up enough im gonna get this pedal it fits my style of music

[cryingblood]

"Looks more like an overdrive"???? Who cares what color it is!

[guitarist_with_]

Really great pedal. The only downside is the Jet Fuzz - it sounds like absolute shit and you can't control the tone.

Everything else excellent, highly recommended.

[alex2201]

Sounds good. Should i get this or the digitech distortion factory(which is a lot cheaper)?

[TeddyRamone]

to each his own alex2201...

[aaciseric]

Someone else should write a review of this, the current one is too short and gives very little user detail, but if I could ask one question to anyone who has it, how do you bypass this thing, because i'm thinking of getting one but that confuses me.

[Jimmy Podge]

I bought one of these 2ndhand in decent condition of ebay for £70 ($140) to replace my big muff and mxr boost which had died. The DM4 has emulations of these pedals onboard. There's some nice nice sounds (rhe octavia's nice)but they're not powerful enough to truly emulate the originals. I could get 2-3 time the level(volume) boost out of the old stompers. The DM4 went up in smoke (literally) after using a dodgy Line6 power supply. Prior to that the stomp switches were starting to come loose too. It's not robust at all. I'd always fancied the DL4 delay but my experience with this put me off that idea. In the long run I spent £20-£30 ($50) getting the old stomp boxes repaired to a better spec than they were in the first place.