2013/03/14

Guest Post: TC Electronic Anamnesis X4 vs Line 6 DL4

Warning: If you wish to artlessly apprehend how the Anamnesis or DL4 sound, I’d acclaim any of the 83,784,729 top superior videos out on YouTube. Anniversary pedal has a actual audible tone, but I’m traveling to be primarily talking about features.
As a guitar amateur and cautiously accepted lifetime accessory head, I would say my tastes appear pedals, amp, and guitars has consistently advised acumen and advantage over uniqueness. And if it comes to adjournment pedals, those like me now accept options.
The Line 6 DL4 has been the standard, affordable, Swiss Army knife for guitar players back its absolution in 2000. Three presets, tap tempo, 16 answer and adjournment models, 24 bit stereo processing, and a looper with some fun toys (reverse, bisected speed). But its cons accept been could cause for acrimony for just as long. There is a cogent arresting accident at top accretion levels (push any affectionate of top accretion overdrive or baloney in foreground of it, even the blooming ear will notice) , they accept a addiction to breach often, and the banal switches are actual loud, flimsy, and inaccurate. But even with these issues, the DL4 is the body of abounding able pedal boards (Dave Knudson of Minus The Bear uses TWO on his board, Drew Shirley of Switchfoot with the JHS mods, I could go on and on), which is why I bought one three years ago.
It is amazing to me the in 12 years, Line 6 has not adapted the DL4, even once. They accept kept the same, neon green, Klingon searching casing, the aforementioned furnishings models, and the aforementioned parameters. I admired my DL4, in allotment because I knew its faults central and out. But already I saw the column for a three preset, tap bounce delay, with switchable agenda values, stereo output, and a looper alleged the TC Electronic Anamnesis X4 on this actual website, I got rather excited. I mean, just because you’re adequate with your accepted adherent doesn’t beggarly she is absolute for you, right? Sometimes you’re just due for an advancement (Says the individual guy in his mid-twenties. Spare me the eye roll, I‘ll get to the point)
So both pedals accept three presets, and a tap tempo, so four switches on anniversary enclosure. On the DL4, the six knobs are appointed as the Presets (with the Looper accepting one of the presets), Adjournment Time, Repeats, Tweak, Tweez, and Mix. Appealing self-explanatory, with the Tweak and Tweez accepting controls that change for anniversary preset. Some are the bulk of breakdown you apprehend in the delay, some are for modulation. For the stereo delays, they about-face into the additional Adjournment Time and Repeat for the appropriate channel, respectively. The Tweak and Tweez can either be actual agreeable and inspiring, or actual ambagious and annoying.
On the Flashback, (before I go any further, can we all abeyance and yield apprehension of the Back To the Future appearance font? Doc would be proud) there are 5 knobs, as follows: Presets/Delays (12 congenital in, 4 spots for Accent Prints) Adjournment Time, Acknowledgment (Repeats) Adjournment Level (Mix) and Looper Level. There are two switches; one for selecting adjournment value, a division note, a dotted eighth, or a division + dotted eighth (which if you are active the pedal stereo, splits whichever adjournment you are on to a stereo sound. The division on one side, dotted eighth on the other), and again a about-face for employing the Adjournment or the Looper. Obviously the alone time the Looper Lever bulge is in aftereffect is if the Looper is selected. The advancement from the DL4’s Looper to the Flashback’s is the “Undo” feature. But you don’t get DL4’s half-time or about-face with the Flashback.
The branch sounds you accept to plan with amid the two pedals are similar, for the a lot of part. Tape, tube, analog, digital/2290, lo-fi, ping pong, reverse, etc (The Anamnesis adds a Space setting, one of my favorites). The DL4 has its “Rhythmic” delay, which is artlessly a adjournment assigned to a dotted eighth (based on the accepted broke or set tempo), so if you wish to use a dotted eighth on any of the added adjournment settings, you bigger accept a appealing authentic foot, or be abundant at accepting polyrhythmic limbs. I’ve approved it, its tough. With the flashback, it is artlessly a switch. So you tap your division note, and what you apprehend is the dotted eighth. This was HUGE for me. I acquisition that “Where the Streets Accept No Name” adjournment ambience to be actual inspiring.
A aberration of agenda as able-bodied amid the two is the adeptness to accomplish “feedback noise”. With the Flashback, alteration the feedback, or repeats to absolute will alpha to acknowledgment (delay on top of delay), but alteration the adjournment time will artlessly accomplish the accepted adjournment die out. You will apprehend it acceleration up/slow down, and again bound achromatize away. With the DL4, they did a abundant job of battling that cheep that would appear if you were to change the adjournment time while you were still playing. Now if you amalgamate this address with an absolute acknowledgment setting, you can play with a countless of altered conflicting like noises out of the DL4 (The addition to Interstate’s “Can’t Stop Me Now” beneath is an example), but this about doesn’t abide on the Flashback. Also, the mix knobs plan actual differently. With the DL4, you accept no adjournment arresting if the bulge is all the way to the left, and no guitar arresting all the way to the right. With the Flashback, you accept no adjournment arresting all the way to the larboard in agnate fashion, but all the way to the appropriate you still accept affluence of guitar signal, just a abundant louder adjournment signal. Both of these differences are things I absence in my DL4. I like to accept the option.
Other appearance that the Anamnesis X4 threw in were the accurate bypass/buffered modes, in which you can adjudge if the adjournment arresting will abide afterwards you accept angry you adjournment complete off, and the Accent Print area of the pedal. This can by synced with your smartphone or computer, and you can “Beam” settings from other, able-bodied accepted players to your Flashback. This is a actual fun feature, but it has its drawbacks; the presets are fabricated by a actual absorbing mix of affair players and guitar icons (I can alone book that up to what music accept to be big in Denmark, area TC is located) and you accept to be one of these baddest few in adjustment to actualize your own tone. I would adulation to get my easily on the affairs and create! Also, the chargeless Accent Print app has been a bit choosy as of late. I just switched to an iPhone afterwards two years with an Android, and there accept been some issues with the “Beam” advantage on both formats, so beware.
All and all, I’d say I’m blessed with the switch. But just like the memories you accept from your endure accord that pop up on the radio in anatomy of song and forward you into a blurred acerbity of tears and ice cream, I still absence my DL4 from time to time. But if you were cerebration if switching, I’d awful acclaim accepting to a Guitar Center and aggravating it out!
And again buy it from your bounded absolute guitar shop.
Happy playing!

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