Line 6 introduced the modeling amp to the masses way back in 1998 with the release of the original POD, an affordable desktop unit featuring a variety of amp, effect and speaker cabinet models to provide guitarists with instant access to numerous virtual rigs.
Over the next 15 years, Line 6 greatly expanded the POD universe with various desktop, rackmount and floor units and even the Mobile POD iOS app.
However, after the introduction of the POD HD 500X and POD HD Pro X in 2013, Line 6 shifted its focus to the more sophisticated Helix series, and no new POD products were introduced for the next six years.
Now Line 6 has boldly resurrected the POD series with the debut of the POD Go. Like previous POD products, the POD Go is insanely affordable, but like Line 6’s Helix products, it provides state-of-the-art HX family sounds and powerful, convenient features including snapshots and IR loading in a streamlined, portable all-in-one package.
Features
The Line 6 POD Go is housed in a compact floor controller unit that measures approximately 14x9 inches and weighs about 5 1/2 pounds.
The top panel features a large 4x2-inch full-color main display, home view, action and page up/down buttons, a pair of rotary knobs with push functions for accessing preset or model lists, a master volume control, five parameter knobs located under the main display (also with push functions), six footswitches, a mode/edit/exit footswitch, a tap/tuner footswitch and an expression pedal with assignable functions.
The rear panel provides guitar input, expression pedal 2/footswitch 7/8, FX send and FX return (both stereo), main output left and right, amp out and headphone jacks (all 1/4-inch) as well as a full-size USB jack for using the POD Go as a 4x4 24-bit digital audio interface or controlling and editing the unit with the free POD Go Edit app for Mac and Windows computers.
With nearly 300 amp, effect, cabinet and mic models created using Line 6’s state-of-the-art HX architecture, POD Go offers a comprehensive selection of pro-quality sounds. Users can also load up to 128 additional custom and third-party Impulse Responses (IRs).
A single mono or stereo looper can also be added as one of the unit’s four effects blocks, providing maximum loop durations from 20 (stereo, full speed) to 80 seconds (mono, half speed).
Performance
If you are a fan of Line 6’s Helix Floor and Rack units but don’t need the highly sophisticated programming capabilities, MIDI or Variax control features, or are on a more limited budget, the POD Go offers the same dazzling sounds in a format that is much easier to use.
The amp models provide exquisite detail and reactive feel that was previously unimaginable in its price range, and the effects deliver a full range of textures from the personality of beloved stomp boxes to the pristine pro-quality sheen of studio rack units.
Each preset (POD Go provides 256 preset locations — 128 factory and 128 user) always consists of the following blocks: wah, volume, four effects, amp/preamp, cab/IR and preset EQ. Users can freely move blocks in any order, but additional blocks can’t be added or substituted.
The amp models provide exquisite detail and reactive feel that was previously unimaginable in its price range
Each preset can also save and access up to four snapshots that can subtly or dramatically change individual parameters for effects and the amp/preamp (up to 64 different parameters at once).
For example, an amp can be set to clean, overdrive and distortion tones all in the same preset while simultaneously adding, say, reverb for the clean tone, delay with overdrive and compression with distortion.
Thanks to the large, full-color display, the POD Go is very easy to program directly from the top panel, but using the free POD Go Edit app with a desktop computer makes the editing process even easier. The app is also essential if you want to download custom or third-party IRs.
The sound quality of the unit’s digital audio I/O is outstanding, and thanks to its four-in/four-out capabilities it can simultaneously record a fully processed stereo track and dry stereo track to facilitate later re-amping possibilities.
While the POD Go may not have the external control capabilities of Line 6’s more expensive Helix products, most guitarists will likely find that the POD Go delivers everything they need in a single unit, and then some.
Specs
- Price: $449.99 / £399 / €579
- Type: Multi-effects and amp modeler
- Features: Over 270 amp models and effects from Line 6's HX, 4.3" (11cm) Color LCD display, unlimited cabinet emulation via third party IRs, Color footswitch LEDs, POD Go Edit app
- Connections: Stereo effects loop, TRS expression pedal/dual footswitch input, 4-in/4-out 24bit/96kHz audio interface for recording and re-amping
- Contact: Line 6
