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Music reviews, editorials, gear reviews for the guitarist/bass player, journal entries, advice, funny crazy stuff and more. Updated roughly 2-3 times a week.
Bazooka-Joe's Incoherent Ramblings

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Gear Review: Line 6 MM4


You can find my gear reviews frequently on Harmony Central, or in the newsgroups (alt.guitar & child groups, and rec.music.makers.guitar). These ratings are an "out of 10" scale just like Harmony Central.


Price Paid: US $150 used

Ease of Use: 7
I didn't find it difficult to use. However, I traded in my Line 6 PODxt for it and a few other pedals so I had pedal programming on the brain and their methods figured out by then already. I suppose there's easier pedals to use, but I didn't really find it all that difficult. If you can program your car stereo's presets, you can figure out this stompbox. Though I still haven't quite figured out what the "Tweak" and "Tweeze" dials do. Seems to have different effect on different models.

Sound Quality: 9
Well, I won't compare this unit to those it supposedly models. I have not actually tried an MXR Phase 90 or many of the others. So I'll simply judge it on its own merits, not how well it models. It generates great chorus, flanger, univibe, phaser, tremolo and they're VERY customizeable. More options than most of the original pedals it emulates I would wager. There's two or three options for every effect it offers. Two choruses, three phasers, two trems, etc. There's almost one for every effect that does exactly what I want. So I'd say their seemingly overkill versatility really paid off in the end because I was able to find what I wanted with very little trouble. Super, super picky people who are trying to compare the models to the originals may be disappointed. I have found there's two types of people generally. Those who love Line 6 products and those who love to hate them. The prejudice seems to run pretty deep for some reason too. I didn't care for POD myself. They over complexified it and the amp models conflicted with my preamp so when push came to shove the POD had to go. But emulating modulation stomp boxes is ALOT easier to do than emulating entire amplfiers, spkr cabinets, virtual mic placement, room%, EQ, etc..... They did a really good job with the MM4. And for that matter, the DM4 too.

Reliability: 10
Pretty reliable. Metal chassis, heavey duty metal plunge switches, hard plastic dial knobs that don't stick out and won't change positions on you too easily. Good strong LED visability. I've heard of some power supply issues with these stompboxes from some newsgroup posters, etc but until I experience a problem, it will get a high rating from me.

Customer Support: 9
I had to call Line 6 about a power issue. If you use a multiple power supply for a pedalboard, you HAVE to use the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2. No other multi-supply will work. These Line 6 stomp boxes do not use conventional 9V power plugs. However, you can make your own cables for the VDLPP2 for these devices too. Get a 5.5x2.1mm connector for the supply connection and a 5.2x2.5mm connector for the DM4 or MM4 (or DL4/AM4/FM4 I'd presume).
Otherwise, I've had nothing but good luck with the support people at Line 6. Very helpful and intelligent.

Overall Rating: 9
I love this box. It saves me from buying separate trem, flange, phase, chorus, and univibe pedals. Having any 4 presets I want at the stomp of a foot is super handy. I hope mine never ever breaks or is stolen. I'd be pretty upset.

Bazooka-Joe made it so at 9:45 AM

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