The Real DL

Produced continuously for 23 years, the line 6 DL4 enjoys status as a classic of the digital modeling era.

- By Chris Gill

The line 6 DL4 lives on via the new DL4 MKII delay modeler, which provides all the models and features of its predecessor, plus a whole lot more

Starting during the early years of the new millennium, the development of digital model-ing products became the music industry equivalent of the nuclear arms race. Only a few months after the latest and greatest new digital modeling product hit the market, a competing company would introduce something that offered a bigger selection of models with better detail and realism, faster processing and more memory, and often at a cheaper price, too. As a result, most digital modeling products only lasted about a year or two before being discontinued as companies continuously developed upgrades to remain competitive.

The Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler is one of only a few exceptions to this state of affairs. Introduced in 1999 along with the MM4 Modulation Modeler, the DL4 dates back to when digital modeling technology was still in its infancy. While the MM4 was eventually discontinued, the DL4 has remained in continuous production until this year. However, the DL4 still lives on via the newly announced Line 6 DL4 MkII Delay Modeler, which provides all of the models and features of its predecessor plus a whole lot more.