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Nova ND-1 VS DL4


Guitar King

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hey guys.

I am looking for a good delay pedal, and the two I am looking at right now are the T.C. Electrics Nova ND-1 and the Line6 DL4.

 

I briefly played both of them last night at a guitar store.

 

What do you think?

do you prefer one? If so why?

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Unless you need the looper, get the Nova. More presets, smaller footprint, better build quality (probably, though they're new so it's hard to say), screen to show you bpm/ms, all round better sound quality, cheaper.

 

The Line 6 was amazing when it came out, but now there are heaps of better options. They're also notorius for breaking. i just fixed one for someone, and a while back I sold a DD20 to a guy because his DL4 had broken.

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really. So the DL4 has seen better days, and its no longer "the" delay pedal.

 

I played both of them at a store the other day, and I liked the sound I got out of the DL4 more then the Nova. I think this is because the DL4 IMO is much more user friendly. I'm not saying I could not get that sound out of the Nova, but it takes longer to get it.

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you can set the DL4 to be true bypass (relays, not mechanical switches) but you obviously don't get the trails.

 

The DL4 certainly isn't 'the' delay pedal to get these days. I'd be looking in the direction of the Nova, the Electro Harmonix SMMH or the Boss DD20. That is unless I wanted to spend a lot more money on an Eventide Timefactor, but then the Timefactor seems to have been released prematurely as it currently has a lot of bugs they're trying to fix in time for the next firmware update.

 

I've got an SMMH and someone else's DL4 upstairs and the SMMH is far superior for everything except switching presets, as you cannot do this with your foot.

 

The Boss DD20 also pisses on the DL4 and has the added bonus of a screen like the Nova.

 

Basically, unless you're a looper fanatic, the DL4 is more expensive than some and less reliable than most of it's competitors. Its also very big and ugly. And it doesn't sound so great next to other companies' more recent offerings.

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the basically, the DL4 just sucks.....

 

We have not even menchened price yet....

The Nova sells for $230, while the DL4 sells for $290 PLUS a $30 AC adapter......and yes, the DL4 only work with these special $30 adapter.

 

like why is there a $90 price difference for the same thing? And according to your guys, $90 more for a worse product.

but like I said before, the DL4 is easer to use right on the top.

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the basically, the DL4 just sucks.....


We have not even menchened price yet....

The Nova sells for $230, while the DL4 sells for $290 PLUS a $30 AC adapter......and yes, the DL4 only work with these special $30 adapter.


like why is there a $90 price difference for the same thing? And according to your guys, $90 more for a worse product.

but like I said before, the DL4 is easer to use right on the top.

 

 

That is crazy, I got mine for 250 new with adapter just last year. You can find one used any day for 180 or less. The DL4 works with the godlyke powerall too (just like a onespot adapter).

 

The delays on it sound fine, I really only used the analog, digital, tape delays on it. The looper is what really makes it shine, and it's what I got it for. It's very easy to loop but you have to be a good player to begin with because there is no undo function.

 

If line6 just made the looper section into a small pedal, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I only use it for the looper at this point.

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Correct me if i'm wrong but I'm pretty sure if your looking for really wierd, "out there" kind of sounds the DL4 will work better for you, but if your looking for your basic delays the Nova =win.

 

Actually, for weird, "out there" sounds, you'll most likely want a SMMH. They're a great sounding delay, and has some of the most extreme delay settings imaginable. Plus, their looper is really easy to use, IMO. I would get a SMMH, just because it's cheapest and seems to be the most versatile.

 

Now if only they could get the presets footswitchable!! :mad:

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yeah, so I think there pretty much the same thing.....the difference being price and user friendlyness. like I instantly found a great delay with the DL4, and I totally could get that sound out of the Nova, but it would take a lot longer to find it. I think I may get the Nova, unless there is some shocking reason to get the DL4. Besides, all of my friends have the DL4, and I kinda want to try something different.

 

I went in the the local guitar store today, and he wanted to show me some Bose delay.....DD something. Not sure which, because it was not in stock, so he ordered some and there coming in, so I'll give that a spin and see how it compares. I don't think it will though......

 

Now if only they could get the presets footswitchable!!
:mad:

 

yeah, the DL4 has 4 footswitchable channels, and the Nova has 9.....which you have to scroll through.......but I'm pretty sure I will not use 9 different delays!

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Actually, for weird, "out there" sounds, you'll most likely want a SMMH. They're a great sounding delay, and has some of the most extreme delay settings imaginable. Plus, their looper is really easy to use, IMO. I would get a SMMH, just because it's cheapest and seems to be the most versatile.


Now if only they could get the presets footswitchable!!
:mad:

 

 

Which is why the SMMH Fails!

 

DL-4 has some pretty crazy sounds in it.

I have the DL-4, DD-20, and a Timefactor. For easy and quick setup...definitely the DL-4. Not to mention the great looper.The DD-20 , while user friendly, is not nearly as easy to get a great sound with as the dl-4. The Timefactor...very intuitive and there are literally TONS of sounds in it.

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It's really up to your personal preference for this. Personally, I really like the dl-4 and the tone loss is very minimal and the delays are perfectly fine, plus plenty of pros still use them. I dont use the looper in a live setting (I dont like to cheat) but it's pretty good. My bandmate uses a DD-20 and I love it too. and the Nova is excellent.

 

The way I see it.. whatever you end up getting is going to be good. And if you look after the DL-4 it won't break like everyone elses.

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It's really up to your personal preference for this. Personally, I really like the dl-4 and the tone loss is very minimal and the delays are perfectly fine, plus plenty of pros still use them. I dont use the looper in a live setting (I dont like to cheat) but it's pretty good. My bandmate uses a DD-20 and I love it too. and the Nova is excellent.


The way I see it.. whatever you end up getting is going to be good. And if you look after the DL-4 it won't break like everyone elses.

 

 

Looping isn't cheating dude......Can take as much skill as playing some parts to nail loops and keep things going in a live setting.

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It's really up to your personal preference for this. Personally, I really like the dl-4 and the tone loss is very minimal and the delays are perfectly fine, plus plenty of pros still use them. I dont use the looper in a live setting (I dont like to cheat) but it's pretty good. My bandmate uses a DD-20 and I love it too. and the Nova is excellent.


The way I see it.. whatever you end up getting is going to be good. And if you look after the DL-4 it won't break like everyone elses.

 

 

So is the looper in it any good? I saw my friend use the looper, and when he wanted the loop to end, he hit a button and it stopped rather apruptly. I don't think that would be to good in a live situation.

 

So basically, the only thing the DL4 has going for it, is the looper.

So if I wanted to buy the Nova and then buy a loop pedal, what should I look at and how much would it be?

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you can sorta footswitch the hazarai. turn the knob with your foot and press
:D

 

Ha ha, true, I'm pretty sure that's why they put it all the way on the right hand side.

 

But still, I'm not agile enough to move a size twelve foot from six feet away precisely enough to hit the presets I need. I tried it once at a gig, and instead of getting a sweet 300ms+mod preset I thought sounded great with a song, I ended up clicking on the Reverse Echo "Bit Crusher" setting I was playing with during practice.

 

I just rolled with it, and it still rocked :rawk:

 

But still, it's a great delay, and it does things that no other pedal does. I would still get it even after my mishap above. and besides, you can tap tempo any setting to any delay length you want, and that's always a plus. 3 second delay with modulation? Yes, please! :poke:

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what does it have 3 sec with modulation?

 

 

It's not a "labelled" mode, but if you set the hazarai knob to 300ms + Mod and tap out a three second beat, you'll get it. But really, you have have any tempo down to 20bpm with modulation.

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