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Fireguy8402 « Good thought falls short. »
Published on 12/23/11 at 08:19The MM-4 by Line 6 is actually a modeler of several different famous modulation pedals of the past, along with a few modern ideas thrown in. The pedal features models of 16 different modulation effects. The pedal has four footswitches for four presets which can have values changed in real-time via an outboard expression pedal. Stereo ins and outs are provided for a full stereo sound when using multiple amps. This particular model is a floor based unit, however Line 6 did come out with a rackmounted version. The MM4 can be powered by battery but is best powered by an external power supply.
UTILIZATION
Hooking up the pedal is fairly simple. There are stereo inputs and outputs so if you’re using it in mono with one guitar and amp be sure to plug into the mono input and output. Editing the sounds can be a little tricky on the MM4 without the use of the manual, however Line 6 includes two stickers for the pedal to help you along. The pedal has your basic modulation knobs (Speed, Depth, and Mix) but also includes a Tweek and a Tweez knob that change different parameters depending on what pedal you are modeling. It’s nice that the pedal is tweakable, but this can get confusing if you don’t use the pedal often, so keep those stickers. Overall, the pedal is pretty well laid out and easy to use. Basically you just tweak the knobs until you find a sound you like, hold down on a preset button for a few seconds until the LED blinks and you’ve stored your sound to that footswitch. Basic usage is simple, but to get into all of what this pedal can do it is best to read the manual.
SOUND QUALITY
I am not overly impressed with this pedal the way I am with the DL-4. It is a good idea and I love the layout and functions but I feel this pedal falls short in the sound department. There are a couple choruses and a phaser that sound decent, but the other models sound very processed and digital, in a bad way. The tremolo and rotary sounds are especially disappointing. If you are looking for a warm analog sounding modulation you would better off looking elsewhere. Line 6 was able to get some great analog sounding delays packed into the DL-4 but, there is just something very digital sounding about this pedal which can be useful for some applications. There is also a significant drop in the volume when I use this in the loop of different amps.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall I think Line 6 had a good thing going with this pedal but fell short. I like the idea of the layout and I love my DL-4 but there is just something lacking in the sound and it is very digital and unnatural. Some people may like that and find it usable. There is also a definite drop in volume when engaged in my rig, although there are aftermarket modifications to remedy this. I feel this pedal is too large to keep on my board for the few good sounds it produces and that my money would have been better spent on a few separate pedals instead of an all in one unit. Great idea, bad execution.
UTILIZATION
Hooking up the pedal is fairly simple. There are stereo inputs and outputs so if you’re using it in mono with one guitar and amp be sure to plug into the mono input and output. Editing the sounds can be a little tricky on the MM4 without the use of the manual, however Line 6 includes two stickers for the pedal to help you along. The pedal has your basic modulation knobs (Speed, Depth, and Mix) but also includes a Tweek and a Tweez knob that change different parameters depending on what pedal you are modeling. It’s nice that the pedal is tweakable, but this can get confusing if you don’t use the pedal often, so keep those stickers. Overall, the pedal is pretty well laid out and easy to use. Basically you just tweak the knobs until you find a sound you like, hold down on a preset button for a few seconds until the LED blinks and you’ve stored your sound to that footswitch. Basic usage is simple, but to get into all of what this pedal can do it is best to read the manual.
SOUND QUALITY
I am not overly impressed with this pedal the way I am with the DL-4. It is a good idea and I love the layout and functions but I feel this pedal falls short in the sound department. There are a couple choruses and a phaser that sound decent, but the other models sound very processed and digital, in a bad way. The tremolo and rotary sounds are especially disappointing. If you are looking for a warm analog sounding modulation you would better off looking elsewhere. Line 6 was able to get some great analog sounding delays packed into the DL-4 but, there is just something very digital sounding about this pedal which can be useful for some applications. There is also a significant drop in the volume when I use this in the loop of different amps.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall I think Line 6 had a good thing going with this pedal but fell short. I like the idea of the layout and I love my DL-4 but there is just something lacking in the sound and it is very digital and unnatural. Some people may like that and find it usable. There is also a definite drop in volume when engaged in my rig, although there are aftermarket modifications to remedy this. I feel this pedal is too large to keep on my board for the few good sounds it produces and that my money would have been better spent on a few separate pedals instead of an all in one unit. Great idea, bad execution.