Bummer, Line 6 Pod Go a no-go for me

[roylor4]

Okay, these things have been getting a ton of hype. I ordered one early last week and put it through it's paces for several days. Turns out it's not for me.

The biggest problem is that my computer is old and does not recognize the Pod Go, thereby depriving me of additional IR's, presets and the ability to quickly navigate and change presets. Keep in mind, that I have not run it straight through my boards, as the perceived downsides became apparent before I could do so (Sweetwater sent me a wrong part rather than the TRS>XLR cable I needed). So I have run it through my Orange Micro Terror and 10" cab. For those of you considering it, here's my take on the pros and cons.

Pros:
Sturdy & well made
Wah/volume pedal is spectacular in tone and functionality
Great Overdriven tone
Excellent reverb
Lots of options for line outs

Cons:
Hard to manually program
Too much dancing required to get to desired presets (4 steps to a new preset minimum)
All Tremolo are subpar and/or digital sounding (IMO)
Almost all amps and effects have weird and unfamiliar names - you have to use a chart to figure out what they are supposed to be
No Acoustic amps or presets
I could never get a pristine clean out of any model with decent volume

FWIW, I am new to this kind of pedal, though I have a cheap Zoom that I have tweaked a lot. The cleans were better through the $80 Zoom. For tweakers and non-neophytes to this kind of technology, it might be the ticket.

I really wanted to like it (& tried), but it's going back today.

[Dbone]

The processing of the Helix is supposed to be superior...A step up apparently in terms of the sound quality produced etc...

I have a buddy that has the Helix Floor. He thinks that the thing is incredible...

I’m considering the Helix one down from the Helix Floor..same processing...a few less inputs/outputs and other small things...Otherwise pretty similar...

[roylor4]

One thing I don't understand is how the technicians put down these patches. That seems the same for most multi effects. Very non-musical.

No one ones to go from a sweet clean at volume 4 to a crunch or lead tone at 8-9, just ridiculous for stage use. Yes, I know I can manipulate the volume control, but that largely defeats the purpose of an effects board.

[robj144]

I have an Ampero One that I like a lot and it was only $300. I like quite a few of the amp models a lot and the default cabs sound good with a lot of variation. You can also load your own cab IRs that works well. The OD and mod pedals are great. The interface is easy to use. It's highly customizable as well.

Some negatives: The reverb isn't great, but if you want to do a touch of reverb or a ton of reverb it's fine. It's just not great with a little more than a touch, but it's not horrible either. And, single coil PUPs, in some amp models (not all), reinforce a hiss in the gain if you let a chord sustain. It's not a problem in all amp models and it's not present with single note playing or if you don't let the chord ring out. For humbucking PUPs, I don't notice anything.

You might also look into the NUX MG300 for $150 that just came out. The demos on Youtube sound very good for the price.

If you want, I could do a quick demo of some Ampero One sounds and post it in this thread if you like.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by robj144

I have an Ampero One that I like a lot and it was only $300. I like quite a few of the amp models a lot and the default cabs sound good with a lot of variation. You can also load your own cab IRs that works well. The OD and mod pedals are great. The interface is easy to use. It's highly customizable as well.

Some negatives: The reverb isn't great, but if you want to do a touch of reverb or a ton of reverb it's fine. It's just not great with a little more than a touch, but it's not horrible either. And, single coil PUPs, in some amp models (not all), reinforce a hiss in the gain if you let a chord sustain. It's not a problem in all amp models and it's not present with single note playing or if you don't let the chord ring out. For humbucking PUPs, I don't notice anything.

You might also look into the NUX MG300 for $150 that just came out. The demos on Youtube sound very good for the price.

If you want, I could do a quick demo of some Ampero One sounds and post it in this thread if you like.

Thanks for the generous offer Rob, but a big part of my problem with the amp was my computer not interfacing with it or recognizing it at all. Not really the pedals fault as my system is old and I am running the all but ancient Windows XP. As it is, downloading new IR's and patches was out of the question. I was also hoping to use it as an acoustic preamp, but there were none loaded and manually building patches is a PITA on the Pod Go. Too much dancing involved too for my taste.

My fear is that my old computer would likely not recognize the Ampero or NUX either. I have looked at them all including Mooer.

I don't mind the expense of a great sounding, multi purpose pedal, but if I have to buy a new computer too, I won't go that route. I'm more of a "when it busts, I'll replace it" kinda guy and don't want that extra expense.

If I go with an amp modeler, it looks like it would need to be an analog one for me right now.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Thanks for the generous offer Rob, but a big part of my problem with the amp was my computer not interfacing with it or recognizing it at all. Not really the pedals fault as my system is old and I am running the all but ancient Windows XP. As it is, downloading new IR's and patches was out of the question. I was also hoping to use it as an acoustic preamp, but there were none loaded and manually building patches is a PITA on the Pod Go. Too much dancing involved too for my taste.

My fear is that my old computer would likely not recognize the Ampero or NUX either. I have looked at them all including Mooer.

I don't mind the expense of a great sounding, multi purpose pedal, but if I have to buy a new computer too, I won't go that route. I'm more of a "when it busts, I'll replace it" kinda guy and don't want that extra expense.

If I go with an amp modeler, it looks like it would need to be an analog one for me right now.

Windows XP? Do you have any sensitive data on it, or is just for recording? I wouldn't put any data on it as the security has been updated on it in years.

I know you don't want to, but you really should look into upgrading that computer. Decent laptops aren't that expensive these days. You can probably get the NUX and a decent laptop for a little more than the Go.

[YamahaGuy]

I tried a Boss GT-8, a Zoom G3X, and early on a Digitech something or other. Nothing beats a customized board like this set up with your effects of choice. I can quickly dial in what I want without spending hours ahead of time pre programming presets.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

I tried a Boss GT-8, a Zoom G3X, and early on a Digitech something or other. Nothing beats a customized board like this set up with your effects of choice. I can quickly dial in what I want without spending hours ahead of time pre programming presets.

I tried a similar setup and ditched it. Not for me. Great sound, but too much space. Our gigging vehicle(s) are Corollas. As a duo (my wife and I) this will not fit along with the rest of our gear in one car. Not doing 2 cars - been there, done that. Not going down that road again.

I have played 100's of gigs and know what will fit. Full pedal board is out for me. Thanks for the input though.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by roylor4

I tried a similar setup and ditched it. Not for me. Great sound, but too much space. Our gigging vehicle(s) are Corollas. As a duo (my wife and I) this will not fit along with the rest of our gear in one car. Not doing 2 cars - been there, done that. Not going down that road again.

I have played 100's of gigs and know what will fit. Full pedal board is out for me. Thanks for the input though.

With my setup, I don't use any amp whatsoever. I get tube sound from my preamp. I just DI direct to the house PA.

That said, it does have a large footprint packed in the car.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by YamahaGuy

With my setup, I don't use any amp whatsoever. I get tube sound from my preamp. I just DI direct to the house PA.

That said, it does have a large footprint packed in the car.

Most of the places we play don't have a house system. Rare around here.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Too much dancing required to get to desired presets (4 steps to a new preset minimum)

No Acoustic amps or presets

I could never get a pristine clean out of any model with decent volume

I'm sure it's too late, but you must have a REALLY old computer...

As for no acoustic amps, there is a great sounding studio tube preamp that is perfect for acoustics. Use an IR for the speaker cab.

It's actually very easy to get a pristine clean with plenty of volume. Hard to say why you didn't without seeing your settings.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by Dbone

The processing of the Helix is supposed to be superior...A step up apparently in terms of the sound quality produced etc...

I have a buddy that has the Helix Floor. He thinks that the thing is incredible...

I’m considering the Helix one down from the Helix Floor..same processing...a few less inputs/outputs and other small things...Otherwise pretty similar...

The models in the Helix and the Pod Go are the same. The Helix has slightly more than twice the processing power of the Go, but that doesn't change the sound at all.

The LT is a good bet if you don't need the I/O or scribble strips of the full Helix. I have a Floor and a Stomp.

[DavidE]

Originally Posted by robj144

Windows XP? Do you have any sensitive data on it, or is just for recording? I wouldn't put any data on it as the security has been updated on it in years.

I know you don't want to, but you really should look into upgrading that computer. Decent laptops aren't that expensive these days. You can probably get the NUX and a decent laptop for a little more than the Go.

You can run the full Helix edit on a $99 Nextbook.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by DavidE

I'm sure it's too late, but you must have a REALLY old computer...

As for no acoustic amps, there is a great sounding studio tube preamp that is perfect for acoustics. Use an IR for the speaker cab.

It's actually very easy to get a pristine clean with plenty of volume. Hard to say why you didn't without seeing your settings.

If the lack of computer interface was the only issue i had with it, it would not have gone back. If I needed to go to a new patch I had to 1) Click mode 2) click scroll (1 or several times), 3) Click patch A-D, 4) click mode.

For me this largely mitigates it's usefulness vs. a pedal with a simple up and down function, as I can put something close within a few slots as needed.

I literally played every preset on this thing. I also built a clean patch from scratch from the cleanest amp model I could find. It was not nearly as clean as what my cheap Zoom had to offer. Had I mastered the controls on the Go? Certainly not. I did have enough rudimentary knowledge to seek out and tweak the tone I was looking for. Admittedly, I am a bit of a "tone snob" but I did hear digital artifacts within most of the cleans I tried too.

I did not care for any of the tremolo options and it is one of my most used effects.

I would rather have fewer tonal options with easier access to distinctly different tones. As you said, you have the LT and the Stomp. While the models may be the same, I think accessing them is a different procedure.

I'm sure this pedal is a great fit for many, butI believe that a Tech 21 Fly Rig or something similar is more my style.

[YamahaGuy]

Originally Posted by roylor4

Most of the places we play don't have a house system. Rare around here.

I should have said whatever PA system. I usually bring my own, but if the venue has one, I use theirs.