New DL4 complaints

["X-ray" <ew37@bellsouth.net>]

Ok I'd like to start by saying that I really do like the DL4, and I think
Line6 is on to something.  They should be congratulated for this very fun,
unique, and useful product.
Now for the mean stuff.  I'm not here for the usual "I want more presets"
complaint.  Quite frankly I think 3 presets is fine.  That's 3 more than 
any
other stompbox I've ever owned.
My chief complaint is of the functionality of the expression pedal.  What
Line6 fails to mention in any of their descriptions of the DL4 is that you
cannot realistically use both the tap tempo feature AND the expression 
pedal
after calling up a preset.  It's one or the other.  Let me explain how it
works:  you program the expression pedal to control the "mix" for example.
You save that preset and then you recall it later.  Then you decide to step
on the tap-tempo button for a time adjustment.  At this point your
expression pedal will now sweep through your new and old delay times
(causing that weird, garbled delay-time pitch bend) in addition to the 
"mix"
(which you have already programmed the exp. pedal to change)....even though
the expression pedal WAS NEVER PROGRAMMED TO CHANGE DELAY TIME.  One of the
MAIN reasons I bought the DL4 was so that I could have real-time control of
all of the main delay parameters (time,feedback,mix).  On one particular
preset, I just want the exp. pedal to control the feedback rate for 
example.
However as soon as I step on the tap-tempo button the pedal now controls 
the
delay time too which now makes the expression pedal totally useless to me.
Why on earth would this be useful to anybody??  If the user wants the exp.
pedal to control the delay time, then the user should program it that way.
If the user does not want the exp. pedal to control the delay time, then it
should never control the delay time, regardless of whether or not the user
steps on the tap-tempo.  Why was the DL4 programmed this way??  Basically 
if
you do not want the exp. pedal to sweep through the delay times (with all 
of
that wacky pitch bending) then you cannot use the tap tempo feature.  Like 
I
said, one or the other.  I do not think this is one of those subjective
cases in which "some features are useful to some players and less useful to
others"  Bottom line...once you step on the tap-tempo button the expression
pedal CEASES TO DO WHAT IT HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED TO DO.  Why would that be
useful to ANY DL4 user????  This seems like a software issue.  Why can't 
the
DL4 be programmed so that the expression pedal controls the delay time only
(and I mean ONLY) when it has been specifically programmed to do so by a
turn of the delay time KNOB (and ONLY by a turn of the knob)???

It just does not make sense to me why this feature has been completely
overlooked.  I'm hoping that if enough of us DL4 users will write/email
Line6, then they will fix this problem with future software
versions/upgrades.  And for the record, I'm on my second DL4 (first one was
faulty) and they both suffered from this problem.

Second complaint:  the accuracy of the expression pedal seems a little
buggy.  As I said before I like to use the exp. pedal to control feedback.
I program the "toe-down" pedal position for maximum feedback.  Sometimes
when I press the pedal all the way down (toe-down) I get near infinite
feedback...well actually it's not infinite as it takes a few minutes for 
the
feedback to go away, but it's a really long time.  Other times I press the
exp. pedal all the way down and I get feedback that completely dies in 
about
15-20 seconds.  That's a big gap.  I never know when I'll get the really
long feedback or the shorter feedback.

Again this seems like an area that ought to be addressed with future
software upgrades.

I'd like to say again that I do like the DL4.  I thank Line6 for making a
product that I care enough about to want it to be all that it can be, and
should be capable of.  But for now I realize the DL4 is not going to be the
real-time machine that I need it to be (and that it should be).  I'm still
chained to my rack which is what I wanted to get away from.  Speak up 
fellow
DL4 users.  If enough users make requests, then the programmers will surely
have to address these issues.

Mike