How to Get Dotted Eighths on the DL4? Learn the 3 Main Ways

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the 24 best delays with tap tempo feature. As you may know by now, the Line 6 Dl4 was one of them.

I was surprised though that one common question always surfaced in forums and related boards: how to get dotted eighths repetitions from this pedal.

This was interesting because the DL4 has tempo functionality, but doesn’t have a direct approach for getting this type of repetitions… or does it?

Well, after doing some research, I’ve found that there are 3 basic ways you can get dotted eighths with the DL4:

Use the “Rhythmic Delay” preset and adjust the Delay Time knob accordingly.
Mod your pedal (very popular among users).
Tap tempo your way through it.

I’m going to talk on this brief post about each solution and how one of them can even get you to dotted eighths repetitions on pretty much any delay pedal with tap tempo. Let’s go!

Why is the DL4 so Popular?

Before jumping straight into our subject, I thought it would be a great idea to learn a little bit more about this pedal. Why is it so popular, why does it have so many users?

This iconic piece of gear was introduced to the world in 1999 and never looked back. One of the main reasons it was so popular is that this pedal was one of the first ones to be modeled after an array of other popular delay units, hence the name “Delay Modeler”. The idea was simple, one unit with several iconic and sought after delay sounds at your disposal.

A Delay with Many Delays

So you get a better idea, out of the 15 delay modes available, 6 of them were modeled after iconic products that pretty much redefined the sound of each era:

Tube Echo: based on a Maestro EP-1.
Tape Echo: based on Maestro EP-3.
Multi-Head: based on a Roland RE-101 Space Echo.
Analog Echo: based on the BOSS DM-2.
Analog Echo w/ Modulation: based on the Deluxe Memory Man.
Dynamic Delay: based on TC Electronic 2290.

Now picture yourself in the late ’90s and early ’00s. With this pedal at your disposal suddenly a new world of sounds became available. Want that modulated Memory Man stuff? You got it. How about that weird reverse delay that’s becoming so popular again? Yep, it has you covered.

Convenience was the Key

I can also relate to musicians who suddenly had something more practical for everyday practice or touring gigs. Think of it, with the modeled delays available, you could just keep your beloved vintage gear back home and have some more practical and less expensive gear to do the job, at least on certain occasions.

I think this review from 1999 said it better:

The DL4 crams a huge amount of capability into a small and easy to use package. It sounds terrific and costs less than a memory man reissue… Is there really a choice?

Lots of Options, yet Simple to Use

Even though this pedal had so many options, because of its big and bulky design, had a lot of room for its set-up. That translated into big knobs, with easy to read parameters and four stomp-switches to further control some of the available capabilities.

This was interesting because, in essence, the DL4 was a digital delay, but the way to go through the modes and tweak parameters were pretty much “analog” sort to speak: no fancy LED screens and a lot of knob twisting.

It also offered a Looper function. Here’s where some of the stomp-switches shine because you can record, dub, stop and play recorded sections just tapping into them. Today, 14 seconds of looper time might sound derisory, but back then was very impressive.

Was it Ever Updated?

The short answer is no, this pedal has never been updated. But there are some newer Line6 pedals that pretty much do the same as the DL4, specifically, the M-Series Pedalboards that were introduced around 2008/9.

They do not only provide delay capability but also modulation, distortion, reverb and filter effects. Concerning delay, each product on the series had the same amount available, 19 delay modes with some classics found on the DL4 plus a couple of new additions (rhythmic delay is for instance, not available per se on these pedals).

Why this pedal hasn’t received an upgrade, to some extent is a mystery. A few years ago this was discussed on a Reddit thread and one of the users commented that a developer from Line6 actually addressed this issue once. He simply stated that this pedal “it’s our tube screamer”.

This can simply be interpreted as “this pedal, this design, is so recognizable and popular and we don’t want to mess with that”. I do have to say I agree with this to some extent. As soon as you see a big, mean, buff, green pedal on someone else’s pedalboard, what’s your first thought? I’m pretty sure it goes something like: “another guy with a DL4”.

Two Main Versions

Even though the pedal was never properly updated or upgraded, there are two main versions of this product and most of the differences are basically from the aesthetics point of view with some minor issues being solved.

In essence, older versions of this pedal have the Line6 logo carved on the front panel. Later versions replaced this design simply with a badge featuring a modernized version of the company’s logo.

I do have to share that some DL4’s have presented some volume drop problems and it’s a common concern a lot of players have encountered. This is usually solved through a fix/mod. It is also said that in the later versions this issue was tackled, but I’m not sure about the veracity of this claim.

So you can have a better idea, check this video about some of the corrective and aesthetic mods you can get:

If you’re familiar with this delay and know more about its specs and different runs, please, share your knowledge on the comment section, it will be highly appreciated!

DL4: How to Get Dotted Eighths

Ok, finally, now it’s time see how we can get the dotted eighths repeats on the DL4. As mentioned before, there are 3 main ways to achieve this. Let’s check them one by one.

1. Use the Rhythmic Delay Preset

It sounds hard to believe, but I think a lot of people is not really aware that this setting can get you the dotted eighth repetitions.

There are 2 popular methods here, so choose the one that suits you best.

Combine Rhythmic Delay with Eighth Notes Value

What you have to do is position the first knob in the preset called “Rhythmic Delay”. Then you proceed to adjust the next knob (delay time) to the fifth position, which is the one with the Eighth Note (or Quaver if you want to sound fancy). If everything is done correctly, everytime you tap quarter notes, you will get dotted eighth repetitions, simple and fast.

DL4 Eight Notes Setting — **Image 2:** DL4 Dotted Eighth Notes with the Rhythmic Delay and Eighth Notes Setting.

I’ve also seen some users actually positioning the delay time knob pretty close to the very last setting (just a little bit higher) and they also still get the dotted eighth feeling. Like many things with pedals, you’re going to have to experiment a little bit, but the main procedure remains the same.

Combine Rhythmic Delay with Sixteenth Note Value

Position the first knob on the “Rhythmic Delay” preset and then proceed to set the delay time knob on the third position, which will correspond to Sixteenth Notes (or Semiquaver if you want to sound fancy). Now you proceed to count quarter notes and just tap on the beats 1 and 4.

DL4 Sixteenth Notes Setting — **Image 3:** DL4 Dotted Eighth Notes with the Rhythmic Delay and Sixteenth Notes Setting.

One can say this method is a little bit simpler because it involves just two taps, but who knows. You just have to try and decide for yourself.

Here’s a video from a YouTube user named Matheus Ávila. It’s in Portuguese, but that’s the beauty of music, you don’t need to understand everything being told. Just pay attention to the settings he used and the way he counts and taps the pedal to the aforementioned explanation. Enjoy:

2. Mod your Pedal

This is perhaps the long run solution that will simplify a lot of things and really expand the sound of your pedal. The Rhythmic Preset is nice and to some extent convenient, but what happens if you want to use dotted eighths on a tape echo setting? Well, you have to tap your way through it (which is the last solution to be checked) but this is sometimes not so easy to do on the fly.

Your best shot then is to mod your pedal. What most mods will do is to insert an extra footswitch on your front panel. This will allow you to tap into it and get dotted eighth repetitions to your heart’s content. This solution may cost a little bit of money, but it has the potential to transform your DL4 into a monster workhorse.

I will put a couple of links on the Resources section so you can get a better idea of what’s possible, but in the meantime, check this video below:

3. Tap Tempo your Way through It

This is your last (but not least) solution available to get dotted eighth repetitions on this pedal. This technique will also work on pretty much any other pedal with tap tempo capabilities.

Basically, what you have to do is to tap your desired tempo on certain specific beats. There are a couple of ways to do this but I’m going to show you the 3 simplest ones.

Use Quarter Notes and Eight Notes

This is a technique I saw on the YouTube channel that belongs to a user named Del Pucket. The idea is simple: first, you identify the quarter notes on the beat:

1 – 2 – 3 – 4

Now, proceed to identify the eight notes:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4

Finally, you have to subdivide your eight notes. This is the tricky part; it sounds something like this:

1e&a 2e&a 3e&a 4e&a

Ok, we’re almost there. Now the technique consists of tapping in your delay on the beats (1) and (a). If you’ve done this correctly, you will get the dotted eighth subdivisions.

Reading all this might seem a little bit confusing, that’s why I’ll leave the video here; seeing what he does make more sense and will help you to properly achieve the technique.

Getting dotted eighth repetitions with this method will also work on any other delay pedal provided you have a tap function. As you can already see, it’s not complicated but it also not very practical. That’s why I want to show two more ways to achieve this.

Use the 1-2 — 1-2-3 Technique

I’ve featured this method very briefly on a previous post that you can check here. In essence, it consists of having the rythm of Carol of The Bells in your head (yes, I’m feeling the spirit of Christmas ;)).

To be honest, I have no idea who came up with this technique, but I first saw on a YouTube channel that belongs to a user named Antoine Michaud.

What you basically have to do, is to still count in quarter notes, but instead of tapping the pedal on every quarter beat, you tap it on beats 1 and 2 and then proceed with a run of 1,2,3 one after the another (I think you tap in sixteenth notes). Again, it’s a lot easier if you actually see the video, so here it is (he calls it method #3):

Needless to say, this technique will also work on any other pedal with a tap tempo function. So now that you have all this knowledge, you are able to have dotted eighth repetitions on pretty much every possible scenario.

Some Final Thoughts

I hope that after reading this post, you can have at least a couple of alternatives on how to get dotted eighth repetitions from your DL4. Some of the techniques shown are also useful on other pedals, provided they have tap tempo function.

As mentioned in the first part of this post, the DL4 is a legendary product. The fact that hasn’t received a major upgrade in the last couple of years, speaks about how well thought this pedal was. Yes, it has some issues, but to be fair, you can get away with most of them.

Are you an experienced DL4 user? What do you like the most of this pedal? Do you think is time for an upgrade? Comment below and share your knowledge with the rest of us, it would be highly appreciated.

Until the next time,

M.M

Credits:

Featured Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Line6DL4.jpg
Image 2 and 3: From the official owners manual of the DL4.

Resources:

The official owner’s manual of the DL4 – https://line6.com/data/6/0a060b316ac34f05940701d12/application/pdf/Stompbox%20Pilot’s%20Guide%20-%20English%20.pdf
Great article about this pedal. Worth reading. – https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/the-line-6-dl4-is-quietly-the-most-important-guitar-pedal-of-the-last-20-years/
Great in-depth demo of the DL4 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4uQewZDkOU
How to get dotted eighths on the DL4 using the Rhythmic Preset – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJg3CyTfTtE
Another technique for dotted eighths on any delay – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q7GK6IqNCg&t=164s
Here’s the mod page of a company called Loophole Pedals – https://loopholepedals.com/products/dl4-mods
Here’s a list of some mods by a company called Westminster Effects/Nose Pedal:
- Several Mods – https://www.westminstereffects.com/product/line-6-dl4-mods-fm4-dm4-mm4/
- “Worship Guitar Essentials” – https://www.westminstereffects.com/product/line-6-dl4-pre-modded-with-worship-guitar-essentials/
Kinnatone is another company offering DL4 mods, here’s the link – https://www.kinnatone.com/line6

Please Note: I’m not affiliated with the companies mentioned before, I just feature their work here because I think what they have to offer is good. Nonetheless, you should check them by yourself and decide if you would like or not to mod your pedal.