Line 6 POD Express

[mbenigni]

For me, the P2 is still in the race. Allows for better foot control, runs and charges on USB power, is loading IRs and even their MNRS models, has more presets, saveable loops, has BlueTooth. So there's a lot positive stuff coming along with it.

Wanna buy a Mooer Prime P2?

Seriously though... you're right, and those are all reasons I went with the P2. I do really like the integrated rechargeable battery thing; I think this should be much more common in allegedly "portable" products. Especially products with otherwise "wireless" features, e.g. Bluetooth control.

That said, the need to break out a second device (iPhone) to do even the most rudimentary preset programming kind of undermines the self-contained aspect of the P2. (It's really a shame Mooer didn't do more with the little color touchscreen. As it stands, it's just a flashy decoration, really.) This is where the Express will be much more practical, I expect.

(Similar Bluetooth MIDI foot control would have been a big plus for POD Express, but I know Line 6 has to optimize price point to shift enough units... in the 10 seconds before the next ridiculous value hits the market.)

 

[DrewJD82]

This and the HX One are both no-brainers, IMO.

This thing could be everything from a novelty-ish item for someone who already has everything, a travel rig, a new player’s first way of making guitar tones, a backup rig, etc.

I’ve known of a few schools with guitar classes that have purchased shitty practice amps for their classes, this thing would blow those away while giving students a chance to practice silently in class.

 

[Sascha Franck]

That said, the need to break out a second device (iPhone) to do even the most rudimentary preset programming kind of undermines the self-contained aspect of the P2. This is where the Express will be much more practical, I expect.

I would totally agree on that, but I don't think I'd do much programming on either of the units (once the homework is done).

Thing is, I might have quite a bunch of gigs coming up next fall/winter/spring not requiring the most elaborated sounds (I played the first shows with my old GT-10 and an AMT Pangaea running a single IR) and as there might be quite some train traveling involved, I just like the idea of a super minimalistic setup (plus an MS-50 for the acoustic guitar, doubling as an emergency backup).
Regarding sounds and editing, the Pod Express would be perfect, but up/down preset switching simply isn't sufficient, no way around that.

Talking about that, apart from the mentioned potential (not yet implemeted) option of using an additional dual footswitch so you could access 4 patches instantly, another decent way for quicker access to more patches would be something like having one switch alternating between 1 and 2, the other between A and B. Some patch switches would then require pressing both of them simultaneously, but that'd be ok. In the end, you'd have pretty direct access to 4 patches with 2 switches only.

 

[yeky83]

I don't know about y'all, but the thing I tend to tweak the most is usually the amp - for example if I use a different guitar I want to tweak the amp EQ a bit, but fx might stay as they are.

How often are you changing guitars on this $180 pedal?

The reason I don't dig those "hold this button" things is that it's unreliable. If you hold it just a bit wrong it's easy to not activate it and then you mess up your fx settings.

“Mess up your fx settings,” don’t tell me you’re obsessing over fx settings on this pedal.

I know you gotta laxu and complain but come on lol.

 

[mbenigni]

Regarding sounds and editing, the Pod Express would be perfect, but up/down preset switching simply isn't sufficient, no way around that.

I agree 100%, and this precludes many live use case scenarios where POD Express would have been more than adequate otherwise, in spite of its low cost. Any kind of MIDI support at all would have been a big plus. (Noting again, price; and again, that DI hates MIDI over 1/8".)

I would totally agree on that, but I don't think I'd do much programming on either of the units (once the homework is done).

I'm highly skeptical. (I expected the same re: frontloading the "homework" and then just using a few optimized presets.) Based on what you've written about other modeling devices, I'd say you're more demanding than the average player when it comes to tweaking tones to suit the room, changes on the fly, etc. And based on my own personal experience: the... shall we say "non-premium"?... tone of the P2 is likely to demand more attention than a higher-end modeler would, as there's more of that, "WTF happened, I could have sworn this sounded amazing last night?!" factor. (I have to reiterate: the P2 doesn't allow for any preset changes on its own screen. No tone stack, no nothing. It really begs the question: why bother with a touchscreen at all?)

To be fair, I bought the P2 for silent practice through headphones, and I'm almost always unhappy with the way gear sounds through headphones. YMMV considerably if you're running P2 through something that's actually moving air.

 

[DieSchmalle]

[...]How is it powered?
POD Express ships with three AA batteries, which’ll give you about 6 hours of play time, but it also supports rechargeable AAs. Or use the Line 6 DC-1 power supply (sold separately) or your favorite 9V power supply or power brick (150mA or greater).

vs manual p. 7:

11. DC IN As an alternative to using batteries, connect a power adapter, such as the Line 6 DC-1g (sold separately). Power adapter requirements are 9VDC output voltage, center-negative (2.1mm center diameter), 500mA minimum current, and 4.5W minimum power.

Can you clarify?

 

[mbenigni]

You getting one?

"Should have been $50."

 

[Whizzinby]

I think there are hardware constraints that are hard to get the price down on simply because the music industry will never sell enough of any item to bring the cost down.

This is $180. That’s basically free. (By our standards)

Im more commenting on the dramatic improvements in the affordable/portable digital space over the last year or so. You take things like this and plugins etc. and it’s not very hard to imagine guitar tones becoming a cheap and disposable commodity. I could totally see the premium tier modeler (and amp) space shrink to an extremely small subsection of pros and enthusiasts. These budget/portable devices are rapidly improving.

 

[JiveTurkey]

That toilet seat is shrinking rapidly

 

[mbenigni]

That toilet seat is shrinking rapidly

 

[jellodog]

DI's reverse psychology marketing genius:

Comes here and tells TGF guitarists "it's not for you".

 

[JiveTurkey]

"I think in metal you're supposed to scoop the mids"


Dear god jesus riff bro please put down the gd Jagstangustanguar guitar and give this model to someone who knows how to play a high gain amp.

 

[mbenigni]

Re: alt button. I despise how on the Tonex I have to long press the "alt" button in order to go into alt mode. And then I forget that I'm in alt mode, try to adjust the mids and I adjust gate threshold. I'd love to have the hold alt + something else option on the Tonex.

Long presses are the worst.

(Side note: ToneX UI is the worst.)

 

[JiveTurkey]

Here's a thought: not everyone hits a chord and lets reverb do the work for their playing. Maybe ride the E or A string in a way that we can hear it instead of having a 79:21 talk to playing ratio.

 

[mbenigni]

Because it fits easily in my man purse, and my FM9T Little Scribble doesn’t.

 

[Lysander]

Dear god jesus riff bro please put down the gd Jagstangustanguar guitar and give this model to someone who knows how to play a high gain amp.

To be fair thou, these guys got way better tones out of the POD Express than Line 6's own demos Great playing, but inexplicable meh... sounds.

 

[laxu]

How often are you changing guitars on this $180 pedal?

Well I've got a bunch, so why wouldn't I want to use them with any piece of gear?

“Mess up your fx settings,” don’t tell me you’re obsessing over fx settings on this pedal.

I know you gotta laxu and complain but come on lol.

Sure, it takes only a moment to get back since there's not much adjustment to them. That doesn't mean it's not annoying when that happen because you held that Alt button just a little too softly.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I'd say you're more demanding than the average player when it comes to tweaking tones to suit the room

Oh, usually I defenitely am. But these (possibly/likely) upcoming shows are pretty much what I'd call "controlled environment". It's all DI, all IEM, triggered drums, some backing tracks, very similar venues, same show each evening. For such kind of gigs, once you're done programming, you'll likely never have to touch things ever again.
Let alone the tones I need are rather oldfashioned and don't need to be overly dynamic, either.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

I was hoping there would be some more detailed editing of parameters for delay, reverb and modulation in the editor so that when you are using the effect knob you can be increasing or decreasing a ratio of the parameters that you set in the editor instead of the default ratios.

That is the thing I end up hating about the ‘one knob’ solution that is on so many low end devices. For some sounds I may want a lower repeat to mix ratio than the designer baked in. Maybe I want to set up a different room size to mix than what is baked in to a reverb…

For $180 I have no right to complain, no grumpypants here. But maybe DI is right, it might not be for me. I have too many things for sale that were too cool to not try but now that I have it I realize I won’t be using it.

 

[metropolis_4]

"I think in metal you're supposed to scoop the mids"


Dear god jesus riff bro please put down the gd Jagstangustanguar guitar and give this model to someone who knows how to play a high gain amp.

To be fair, I often think the same thing when I see metal guys trying to demo a Vox