The Line 6 M-Series Stompbox Modelers are the next incarnation of multi-effects from the makers of the DL4 Delay and other XX-4 modelers. The Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler has become a modern stompbox classic, with it being featured on many musicians pedalboards, like solo performers such as Reggie Watts to the multiple DL4 setup of Minus The Bear guitarist Dave Knudson.

The Line 6 M-Series takes the 100+ models from the DL4 delays, MM4 modulations, FM4 synths/filters, DM4 distortions and reverbs from the ToneCore Verbzilla to provide every effect any musician would want, and need. The range features three models, the monolithic M13, the DL4-sized M9 and the small M5. For those familiar with the original XX-4 series, you will jump straight into the M-Series, but new users will find the pedal easy to navigate. I have found a way to add my popular DL4 modifications into the M-Series and have done so first with the M5.

Two of the most popular mods I offer on the Line XX-4 series are an Expression Mod and Feedback Mod. I was able to put both of these mods into a breakout box for a mod I call the Feedback Box Mod.

The Expression Mod utilises the Expression Pedal functionality that many users don’t capitalise on. The mod allows you to save a heel-down and toe-down setting for each preset. If you have a Tube Echo, for example, you can increase the drive, and repeats at toe-down to shoot the echoes into self-oscillation. Or if you have the Rotary Drum model, you can control the speed of the horn for a subtle sound to a fast Leslie tone.

The Feedback Mod involves re-routing the output of the Modeler back into the input, and the new output selected by a switch on the breakout box. This is a feedback loop, and causes spontaneous bursts of noise, squeals, oscillations, drones – all unique depending on the modeler selected. This modification is definitely for the more adventurous musician, but with every effect, the feedback can be used subtly by adjusting the BLEND and INTENSITY knobs on the breakout box. Also, the feedback can be controlled via the pickup selector and volume controls of your guitar.

Having the two mods in the one box enables a wealth of experimental sounds from long, feedbacking reverbs, to resonant ring modulators, to static-like short decaying fuzzes. The experimenting is up to you with over 100 models to try!

Below is a demo of the Feedback Box mod for the Line 6 M5.

Clip Details: Hamer Flying V> cubisteffects modded Line 6 M5 Feedback Box Mod > MI Amplification Megalith Beta
Recording: SM57 in front of MI Amplification 4×12 (Custom MI Eminence Wizards) > Mbox2 > Logic Pro 9

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The Malekko Spring Chicken is now a discontinued pedal and becoming a collector as one of the great spring reverb emulators. At its core is a reverb module, commonly called the “Belton” brick after the manufacturer. It seemed as soon as the brick was made available, a whole gamut of builders started making the same reverb pedal such as the Neunaber WET, Wampler Faux Spring Reverb, Mr Springgy, Hermida Reverb as well as two DIY kits (1), (2) for those so inclined.

Compact in size, the Spring Chicken has just one knob – CLUCK – and controls the mix of dry signal to reverb signal. It can be used sparingly, to emulate the reverb of a classic Fender amp, or at maximum provide a real slappy spring emulation. The Spring Chicken also comes with an Expression Pedal jack to control the cluck by foot. However, a second version of the Spring Chicken soon appeared, the LE, that had another, unique control to the others on the market – DWELL. This mod pushed the spring sound to a far bigger reverb, allowing the control of the decay of the repeat from short spring slapback into huge soundscape cave reverbs. The LE was limited edition, but the Dwell mod is well sought after to expand the functionality of the pedal. It was offered directly from Malekko for a time, but they then moved on to the Omicron sized Chicklet reverb pedal – a unique design in a tiny box.

I have performed the DWELL mod to this Spring Chicken, fine-tuning the mod to create self-oscillation at maximum CLUCK and DWELL. By using the expression pedal, the amount of feedback/oscillation can be tamed and swelled in for a really unique effect. The pedal now behaves exactly like the rare LE pedals, as seen in the demo below.

One of my all-time favourite effects pedals is the Electro Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man analog delay. I have yet to find a delay (for me) that can beat that rich, analog warmth found in those bucket brigade chips. The dark, slurring oscillations, and warbling chorus and vibrato put the icing on the cake. This ad from 1977 I think shows the introduction of a pedal to the market that would change preconceptions of effects pedals forever.

I have owned a few of these, and fixed a few as well, and have watched with interest the launch of the new line of Electro Harmonix “Memory” analog delays. These include a more compact Deluxe Memory Man, a Deluxe Memory Boy, a Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai, a small Memory Toy and this pedal shown above, the Memory Boy.

The most interesting part of the Memory Boy’s features is the option for expression pedal. It allows you to control either the delay time, or rate of modulation, by foot on the fly. This feature, coupled with the insane modulation, changes the standard analog delay to a delay experimenter’s dream. However, a lot of musicians do not wish to use an expression pedal, or have it take up valuable pedal board real estate, so the cubisteffects Expression Mod aims to fix that.

The modification of the Memory Boy involves two changes;

1. A small potentiometer is placed to the left side of the pedal and is equipped with a chunky knob that can be rolled back and forth with your foot – just like an expression pedal.
2. The pedal’s circuitry is tweaked to provide wilder modulation sounds and for oscillation to be easily controlled using the Expression Mod.

What is now left is a pedal that can produce a number of unorthodox sounds by changing the rate of modulation or delay, and also a much more flexible and controllable delay. Check out the demo below for some examples of what the modded Memory Boy can do…

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PLEASE NOTE: THIS MODIFICATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE
LINE 6 DL4 DELAY MODELER

The Line 6 FM4 Filter Modeler is a multi-effect unit from Line 6′s popular Modeler range. In this pedal, Line 6 took many famous filter effects, vintage synthesizers and vocoders as inspiration to inspire guitarists to look outside-of-the-box. Most of the models in this stompbox are pure unobtanium – you’d be hard pressed to see one on eBay, let alone have one of your own. The FM4 neatly packages sixteen models, with some sounds instantly recalling musical heroes such as Zappa, Fripp and Frampton. Examples of some of the inspired models are the Mutron III Filter, Oberheim Voltage Controlled Filter, Z-Vex Seek Wah, Korg x-911 Guitar Synth and waveforms from vintage synths such as the Prophet 600 to the legendary Arp Explorer.

This purple beast has four footswitches that allow you to instantly recall four saved presets. The five control parameters allow you to select the Frequency, Q, Speed, Mode/Pitch and Mix of each filter/synth setting. Expression Pedal control allows you to morph between two different saved settings in the one preset. For example, heel down of the expression pedal can be saved for 50% Speed and 50% Mix and toe down can be saved for 100% Speed and 100% Mix. This lets you morph between these two settings and stop at any parameter along the way – useful for keeping in time with a fluctuating rhythm section.

The Line 6 Modeler range has gained a bad reputation as unreliable due to some design limitations. Firstly, the switches used are not on/off switches, but spring actuators that “click” a surface mount switch on and off. These switches feel unsturdy and are normally the first things to break. Secondly, many users noticed a volume drop when activating the pedal. The output level was affected by component values in the buffer circuit with varied levels of “drop” in different pedals.

The DIY community was pleased when pedal designer Jeorge Tripps (Way Huge, Line 6, Dunlop) released information in tackling these initial limitations, it led to a number of pedal makers and modders to offering their services to improve the Line 6 Modelers. Robert Keeley offers a hi-fi mod involving the replacement of IC chips for Burr Brown’s and some part-time modders (DRASP at Harmony Central Effects Forum) improving on the flexibility of the pedal. After intensive experimenting successes (and failures), cubisteffects now offers a number of modifications to the Line 6 Modelers.

As you can see in these pictures on this page, I have custom sprayed the once-purple pedal to a Barbie Pink. This is not the colour of the original !

cubisteffects offers not only a modification to rectify the initial design flaws but also has a number of modifications that can improve the flexibility of the unit, and some that push the pedal to become a new experimental tool.

STANDARD MOD

The Standard Modification involves three changes;

1. SWITCHES – The spring actuators are removed and momentary SPST “soft-touch” switches are installed. These switches are screwed to the pedal chassis and are wired to the place of the switch providing thousands of clicks without touching the PCB.
2. VOLUME DROP – Selected capacitors and resistors are removed and, if required, replaced with metal film components.
3. LEDs – The four red LEDs are replaced with superbright, waterclear LEDs of your choice.

EXPRESSION MOD

A rugged 24mm Alpha pot is placed on either side of your preference. This allows you to use the Expression Pedal controls without having an expression pedal take up pedalboard real estate. The modification enables you to save and morph between two settings per preset by rolling your foot over the knob. Settings are saved as per the Line 6 instruction manual.

FEEDBACK MOD

This modification involves re-routing the output of the Modeler back into the input, and the new output selected by a switch on the top of the chassis. This is a feedback loop, and causes spontaneous bursts of noise, squeals, oscillations, drones – all depending on the setting selected. This modification is definitely for the more adventurous musician, but with every effect, the feedback can be used subtly. Most times the feedback can be deafening so it must be used with caution. However, I have installed a small knob that sits aside the switch allowing you to control the amount, pitch, speed of the feedback. A superbright, waterclear LED indicates whether the feedback loop is on or off.

The cool thing with this modification is that the FM4 becomes a stand-alone noisemaker or “synth” as a loose term. I found it best run through a mixer to control its levels more accurately and left as a table-top unit. Alternatively, if on your pedal board, running your guitar through it will produce a background oscillation (especially in the Synth models) similar to the Z-Vex Fuzz Factory.

Other modifications offered are:

TWIN PRESET MODIFICATION

This preset lets you save two different settings per preset as per the Expression Mod. However unlike the Expression Mod, the two settings are selected via a stomp switch. This allows you to instantly switch between two settings without the need for an expression pedal. The selected preset is indicated by a superbright, waterclear LED.

DISTORTION CIRCUIT BENDS

WARNING: Volatile and extreme modification. Not for the faint-hearted.
This mod involves two circuit bends that work around the same principle as the Feedback Mod but are much more pronounced and distorted. Crackling, white noise, fuzzed insanity can all be activated via two independent toggle switches with a knob controlling the output volume for both. Superbright, waterclear LEDs indicate whether bend is on or off (but you can clearly hear them if they are on!)

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Electro Harmonix have always been a company that pushes a guitarists’ creativity further with innovative effect pedal designs. Founded in the 60′s, it pushed analog audio circuitry to new standards, morphing a standard guitar tone into sounds that immediately jump off the record with a huge question “What the f@#k was that!?” One such example is the Micro Synthesizer – an all analog, octave-divided, filter following fuzz that was inspired by the analog synths of the 1970′s (see Moog, Arp et al.)

There are two sections to the Micro Synth; the Voice Mix and the Filter Sweep. The Voice Mix consist of three octaves (SUB OCTAVE, GUITAR and OCTAVE) that can be blended in parallel and distorted using the SQUARE WAVE control. This mix can also have an ATTACK DELAY added to it, a great feature that removes the attack of your playing and swells in those big octave chords. The second section, the Filter Sweep, has four controls, RESONANCE, START FREQ, STOP FREQ and RATE. The Start and Stop Frequency sliders control the “vowel-like” sounds of the envelope with the resonance boosting the selected frequency. The RATE control allows a range of fuzzed envelopes from slow, long filter sweeps to fast, ray-gun sounds. This filter section is clearly inspired by the synthesizers of the 70′s and within those ten sliders are a multitude of sounds that can then be radically altered with additional effects.

cubisteffects offers a few modifications to the Electro Harmonix Microsynthesizer to maintain your guitar tone and to make experimentation easier.

TRUE BYPASS

In this mod the Microsynth has a 3PDT switch added and is true bypassed, preserving your original guitar tone when the effect is off. This pedal is known to be a “tone-sucker” or introduce noise into your chain even though the pedal is off.
Part of the original design is the presence of a POWER ON/OFF switch. When the power was ON, an indicating LED would remain on at all times, regardless if the effect was on or off. This is also changed with a superbright, waterclear blue LED added to the pedal and turning on and off when the effect is engaged/disengaged.
Note: the POWER switch remains, only the LED is changed.

EXPRESSION PEDAL MOD

Using this modification, an expression pedal jack is added to the pedal to control the STOP FREQ slider. The expression pedal can be used to control the full sweep of the slider, allowing wah-like control at your feet. This mod gives you more sounds at your control – wide, filter sweeps to short, quacky vowel lines. This mod does not include the expression pedal.

GUITAR <–> BASS MOD

Several components are interchanged and placed on a switch so you can change your Guitar Microsynth to Bass Microsynth or vice versa. The bass version allows smoother tracking on the bass notes and holds bottom string power chords more tighter. The difference in versions also suits brighter/darker amps. The mod provides another flexibility to the pedal.

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The Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler has become a staple on many guitarist’s pedalboards – from professionals to bedroom rockers. It packs 15 different delays into a four stomp box – enabling you to have anything from Floydish tape echos one second to reverse Hendrix solos the next. Expression Pedal control allows you to morph between two different saved settings in the one preset. For example, heel down of the expression pedal can be saved for 50% Repeats and 50% Mix and toe down can be saved for 100% Repeats and 100% Mix. This lets you ride the pedal into oscillation and back it off when it starts to run away.  The three presets give you your favourite sounds one-click away while the fourth switch is a tap tempo control. But perhaps the hidden gem in this versatile pedal is the excellent 14-second looper which lets you record a phrase and manipulate it via a one-shot, reverse, half-time or double-time speeds.

Line 6 also offers more Modelers in this four-button stompbox format: The MM4 is a Modulation Modeler that contains classic emulations of phasers, flangers, tremolos etc. The FM4 is a Filter Modeler and changes the guitar into a vintage synth with a step of a switch. A Distortion Modeler, the DM4, recreates many of the hard-to attain fuzzes, overdrives and distortions. The discontinued AM4, Amplifier Modeler, can also be found on eBay from time to time.

As much loved as the pedal is, it has gained a bad reputation as unreliable due to some design limitations. Firstly, the switches used are not on/off switches, but spring actuators that “click” a surface mount switch on and off. These switches feel unsturdy and are normally the first things to break. Secondly, many users noticed a volume drop when activating the pedal. The output level was affected by component values in the buffer circuit with varied levels of “drop” in different pedals.

The DIY community was pleased when pedal designer Jeorge Tripps (Way Huge, Line 6, Dunlop) released information in tackling these initial limitations, it led to a number of pedal makers and modders to offering their services to improve the Line 6 Modelers. Robert Keeley offers a hi-fi mod involving the replacement of IC chips for Burr Brown’s and some part-time modders (DRASP at Harmony Central Effects Forum) improving on the flexibility of the pedal. After intensive experimenting successes (and failures), cubisteffects now offers a number of modifications to the Line 6 Modelers.

cubisteffects offers not only a modification to rectify the initial design flaws but also has a number of modifications that can improve the flexibility of the unit, and some that push the pedal to become a new experimental tool.

STANDARD MOD

The Standard Modification involves three changes;

1. SWITCHES - The spring actuators are removed and momentary SPST “soft-touch” switches are installed. These switches are screwed to the pedal chassis and are wired to the place of the switch providing thousands of clicks without touching the PCB.
2. VOLUME DROP – Selected capacitors and resistors are removed and, if required, replaced with metal film components.
3. LEDs – The four red LEDs are replaced with superbright, waterclear LEDs of your choice.

EXPRESSION MOD

A rugged 24mm Alpha pot is placed on the bottom right of the pedal, adjacent to the tap tempo switch. This allows you to use the Expression Pedal controls without having an expression pedal take up pedalboard real estate. The modification enables you to save and morph between two settings per preset by rolling your foot over the knob. Settings are saved as per the Line 6 instruction manual. The knob can be put on either side of the pedal.

FEEDBACK MOD

This modification involves re-routing the output of the Modeler back into the input, and the new output selected by a switch on the top of the chassis. This is a feedback loop, and causes spontaneous bursts of noise, squeals, oscillations, drones – all depending on the setting selected. This modification is definitely for the more adventurous musician, but with every effect, the feedback can be used subtly. Most times the feedback can be deafeningly loud, so I have installed a separate BLEND knob to dial in the volume you wish.st be used with caution. The second knob controls the INTENSITY of the feedback allowing control of the amount, pitch, speed of the feedback depending on the delay setting.. A superbright, waterclear LED indicates whether the feedback loop is on or off.

Below is a demo:

Other modifications offered are:

TWIN PRESET MODIFICATION

This preset lets you save two different settings per preset as per the Expression Mod. However unlike the Expression Mod, the two settings are selected via a stomp switch. This allows you to instantly switch between two settings without the need for an expression pedal. The selected preset is indicated by a superbright, waterclear LED.

DISTORTION CIRCUIT BENDS – NO LONGER OFFERED

WARNING: Volatile and extreme modification. Not for the faint-hearted.
This mod involves two circuit bends that work around the same principle as the Feedback Mod but are much more pronounced and distorted. Crackling, white noise, fuzzed loops can all be activated via two independent toggle switches with a knob controlling the output volume for both. Superbright, waterclear LEDs indicate whether bend is on or off (but you can clearly hear them if they are on!)

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