The actual kit that went around the world in the World in Six Strings footage. Sixteen months, twelve locations, about $900 all in.
In 1998, Line 6 released the POD: a red, kidney-shaped unit that gave guitarists easy access to various amp models, effects, speaker cab emulations, and a convenient way to record or play silently.
This was groundbreaking at the time and many legends such as Jack Pearson swear by the sounds it produced, but fast forward a few decades, and the POD has been reinvented as the POD Go/POD Go Wireless. The improvements are massive, and this new iteration has considerable power, options, an intuitive user interface, an editor app for your computer, and much more. It is also reasonably priced, considering that other options on the market surpass the $1000 mark, and they aren't necessarily 2 or 3 times better than the POD Go.
In this Line 6 POD GO Wireless Review, I will walk you through the best that this unit has to offer, as well as the things that I would change about it. No piece of gear is perfect, but that doesn't mean that it isn't an amazing purchase for a guitarist who only has traditional amplifiers, speaker cabinets, and effect pedals.
First of all, it is worth saying that this review is written from the perspective of a guitarist who hasn’t been into multi-effect pedals for a long time. The only thing similar to the POD Go I have had before is a Line 6 M5 Stompbox Modeler that I bought exclusively for the Leslie (rotary speaker) effect. I wanted a rotary speaker pedal, but most of the decent options were too expensive for me at the time, and the idea of getting a “Swiss-army knife pedal” that could also cover other needs from time to time seemed appealing. After all, I was able to get it for a nice price second-hand.
I always liked tube amps and building my signal chain around pedals that I’ve been buying and selling for years. So, why would I get something like the POD Go? I recently auditioned for a position as a guitarist for a cruise ship company, and I was accepted, which means that I will have 4 to 6-month contracts aboard a ship where you can’t play with a real amplifier, whether it is a solid-state or a tube model. That’s when I realized it was time to start researching a nice multi-effects pedal that could replace my amplifier and my pedals.
I was looking forward to it, as I finally felt like I had a good reason to get one. Even though carrying my amplifier and pedals to every gig doesn’t exactly feel great on my back, I still feel like the trade-off is worth it, but what about now? When I plugged it in for the first time, I had already spent a few hours on YouTube learning how to work the basic features, as I was afraid to try it out and not be able to achieve the simplest of objectives.
Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised, and editing my signal chain was pretty simple with the free POD Go Edit app that I downloaded on my computer. Once you get used to the pedal itself, editing without the app is also easy, albeit more time-consuming. Since I haven’t started my cruise ship contract yet, I have been taking the time to get used to the POD Go Wireless at home, using it for practicing and recording guitar tracks for other artists. I will discuss what has surprised me the most about this unit in the following sections.
Check below for a list of the main features of the Line 6 POD Go Wireless.
The POD Go is an excellent unit that has some serious value for the money it costs. I have no issues whatsoever recommending it to someone who’s getting started on multi-effect units, but that does not mean it doesn’t have a few drawbacks either. Check below for my pros and cons list of the Line 6 POD Go Wireless.
The POD Go Wireless has changed my perspective on multi-effects units of this kind, but this does not mean that I find it perfect. There are many features that I appreciate having, but also things I would add or tweak if I
had the chance. These will be taken into account if I ever decide to invest in a more expensive and complete multi-effects pedal.
I have to admit that there’s a lot of stuff that I probably will not use a lot, but most of the typical effects (overdrive, distortion, fuzz, delay, reverb, chorus, phaser, flanger, wah, etc) have several different versions, all of them are usable, programmable, and it is difficult to beat that with normal pedals unless you’re spending a boatload of cash and you’re willing to set up a big pedalboard by yourself. To achieve the same level of versatility and convenience, you’d also need a quality switching system.
I believe that some of these shortcomings are also related to keeping the final price as low as possible. Many multi-effect units go for over $1000 and have even more features than the POD Go/POD Go Wireless, but this one isn’t meant to be one of them. This comes with a few drawbacks as a consequence, and the limited processing power is surely one of them.
Even though most multi-effects units strive to accomplish the same feats and provide you with the best user experience possible, there are always some aspects about them that set them apart from each other. Line 6 has many solutions for musicians who are ready to ditch their amplifier and effect pedals, whether it is at home, in the studio, or on stage. For those looking to complement their current gear rather than replace it, there are also products designed with you in mind.
Check below for a few of the main differences that you’ll find between the POD Go Wireless and other similar Line 6 products. Keep in mind that this isn’t an extensive analysis, just an overview of what sets these units apart the most.
The Line 6 Helix products (Helix Floor, Helix LT) are the POD Go’s big brothers, packing a significant amount of processing power (enough to run 2 separate signal chains with different amplifiers at the same time). They feature a more rugged construction, more available slots for effects you want to have readily available on each patch, a sturdier power supply, improved footswitches, at the expense of a much larger footprint, and a significant bump in the price too.
Some players start with the POD Go, and once they start developing an interest in more complex setups, they end up upgrading to the Helix. The ones who’d rather have a lighter device and don’t care so much for the increased DSP power are generally satisfied with the POD Go.
The HX Stomp is smaller than the POD Go, but it has a few things that the POD does not. For instance, there are no fixed blocks (you’re not forced to have an amp, cab, EQ, and FX loop block on every preset). I usually recommend it as an add-on to an existing rig, fulfilling the role of a Swiss-army knife pedal (much like I used my Line 6 M5 for years), or perhaps as a backup rig for traveling. However, the HX Stomp is extremely capable, albeit having fewer footswitches, thus making it a little trickier to control everything comfortably while performing.
This issue was probably the biggest motivator behind the release of the HX Stomp XL, which comes with additional footswitches so you can assign more pedals to each one. If I had to buy one or the other, I’d get the HX Stomp XL purely for the improved control you have over your sounds. In terms of processing power, they are the same.
If you’re interested in having the power of Line 6 effect processing at your feet, but don’t need anything related to amplifier and cabinet modeling, the HX Effects might be the best choice for you. It contains all the effects found on the devices mentioned above, without the amp/cab modeling. It wouldn’t be the right choice for me as I needed something that could replace my entire rig, but if I needed to put together a compact setup with a small combo and a pedalboard, this would be one of my first choices. The HX One is the same, but only able to run one effect at a time. Think of the HX Effects as the older Line 6 M13, and the HX One as the M5, which could only have one effect at a time.
It still has all of the effects that you can find on the Helix, POD Go, and other Line 6 devices, but it is aimed at complementing a single spot of your pedalboard.
The most recent addition to the Line 6 family from this list, the POD Express Guitar offers 7 amps, 7 cabs, 17 distortions, modulations, reverbs, delay effects, and even a looper. It can be powered by batteries or with a power supply. I look at this pedal as a fusion of the HX One with the amps/cabs of the other more expensive devices, striking a good balance between the number of options/combinations, and the real estate it takes from your pedalboard.
When you fire up your Line 6 POD Go for the first time and start browsing through its vast collection of amplifiers, cabinets, microphones, and effects, it can be a little overwhelming, especially if you only have experience with regular stompboxes. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of what this unit has to offer, and I will highlight some of my favorites from each section. These are the effects that I tend to gravitate toward the most when I am building patches from the ground up.
I like these amplifiers in particular because they allow me to get all the sounds I need and have a good interaction with the pedals I tend to choose, even with external pedals that I use in the POD Go’s effects loop. Amps like the WhoWhatt 100, US Double Vib, and the A30 Fawn Brt are usually my go-to amps for clean and edge-of-breakup tones, but the last 3 are more directed towards grittier and heavier sounds.
I always use the matching cabs for each amplifier I choose, and if I want to tweak the sound a bit, I start with the microphones, as changing that can drastically alter your sound. Find a microphone you like, and then play around with the angle, location, and EQ options such as high-pass and low-pass.
There are dozens of available effects on the POD Go. Naturally, I haven’t been able to fully explore and use all of them, nor do I think I ever will because some of them don’t match my playing style.
In any case, there’s something in there for everyone. This list does not mean to state which effects are the absolute best, but they’re the ones that I find myself coming back to every time I build new patches for all purposes. It is organized by effect category and you’ll see the pedal on which every model is based.
Much like any other type of product in today’s music industry, many alternatives to the POD Go Wireless might be more suited to your tastes, needs, and budget. Line 6 has an extensive array of multi-fx units that have more processing power and routing options than the POD Go Wireless, such as the Helix Series, but other brands have been stepping up their game too.
Check below for a few of my favorite alternatives to the POD Go Wireless, devised with all kinds of guitarists (and bassists!) in mind.
Neural DSP is one of the most highly acclaimed companies for its incredibly realistic plugins, and the Quad Cortex brings that power to your pedalboard. It has impressive processing capabilities, with 4 SHARC+ DSP processors. You can assemble much more complex rigs than with the POD Go, with virtually no latency. It also features several amplifier models and over 70 effects, and you can expand this by using the Neural Capture Technology, which captures and replicates the sound of real-life amplifiers and pedals.
It is also significantly more expensive than the POD Go, but the increase in quality is not disproportionate. It does not include an incorporated expression pedal, which would also be useful.
The Helix Floor by Line 6 is bigger and heavier than the POD Go, but it is also much sturdier, and most importantly, comes with a much more powerful processor which enables you to build more complex rigs. You’ll have access to parallel rigs with 2 amps at once, and you won’t run out of DSP power when you start choosing more demanding effects such as spring reverb and rotary speaker.
If you feel like you’ll be limited by the POD Go’s capabilities, the Helix Series might be the best choice for you.
Generally sold at a similar price point as the POD Go Wireless, the Mooer GE300 has many features in common with it (extensive collection of amps, cabs, effects, a lot of space for presets, a large screen, integrated expression pedal, programmable footswitches, a looper, and more). However, it also features Tone Capture Technology, which captures the sounds of amps, cabs, and effects to replicate them later, much like the Neural DSP Quad Cortex. This ability can boost your device’s value over time, as you collect profiles of the interesting pieces of gear you find along the way.
Answer: The POD Go has all the same amplifiers, cabs, microphones, and effects as the larger and more expensive Helix. The latter simply offers more processing power (enabling you to have more DSP-consuming effects on the same patch simultaneously) and it also has more powerful routing options that make it possible to design signal chains with two amplifiers at the same time, for instance.
Answer: The wireless system incorporated into the POD Go Wireless gives you unprecedented freedom on stage, in rehearsal spaces, and the studio. It works well most of the time, but it can be affected by interference caused by devices such as a wireless router. My sound cuts off for a few seconds when I have my POD Go set near my router, which makes me not trust it as much for a live performance in a place where I don’t know whether there will be a lot of interference or not. If this is a dealbreaker, I suggest purchasing the non-wireless version of the POD Go and buying a better wireless system later on to pair with it.
Answer: Absolutely! If you want to have the best of both worlds with your modern multi-effects and your favorite analog pedals, you can take advantage of the POD Go’s effects loop. After connecting your pedals to the send and return jacks, you can decide where you want them to appear on the overall signal chain. For instance, if you’re connecting a reverb pedal like the Strymon BigSky, you’re likely going to want to place it at the end of the chain. If you’re using a distortion, it will probably be a lot earlier in the signal path.
After spending enough time with the Line 6 POD Go Wireless, I rate it a 7/10.
I love how easy it is to craft a new patch from scratch, whether I’m using the POD Go itself, or the Edit app on the computer. Recording quality tones is fast, making adjustments on the go is fast and intuitive, and the fact that you can add 3rd-party IRs or download presets from other players will multiply your unit’s value several times as you collect different sounds.
I can’t say that I fully endorse the wireless system, as it hasn’t worked flawlessly for me, leading me to distrust it a bit if the stakes are high or if I am playing in an unfamiliar environment.
I would like it to have a little more processing power so I wouldn’t have to compromise for less demanding effects in a few of my patches, but I understand that this is a way to make the POD Go cheaper than other bulkier options like the Helix Floor.
Overall, I think the price/quality ratio is amazing, and it is not just for bedroom guitarists - it can be used by professionals for gigging and recording even though there are more powerful options in the market.
The actual kit that went around the world in the World in Six Strings footage. Sixteen months, twelve locations, about $900 all in.
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