POD Express Guitar | POD Express Bass FAQ
What’s POD Express?
POD Express Guitar and POD Express Bass are spiritual successors to the classic bean-shaped POD, Bass POD, and Pocket PODs—a pair of ultra-portable and affordable battery-powered multieffects that sound great and are ridiculously easy to use. If you’re just beginning your guitar or bass journey, or if you’ve been curious about modeling before, POD Express is the perfect way to jump in—no screens, just turn knobs. It’s compact and light enough to practice or write songs anywhere—the beach, the campground, the green room, your in-laws’… In a pinch, you could also use it as a backup/third rig.
And each POD Express is only $179.99 US street.
What amps and effects do they have?
Seven amp models, seven IR-based factory cabs, and 17 effects (up to four available at once, including a looper), all curated from POD Go and Helix/HX. A full list can be found starting on page 18 of the User’s Manual
here.
Can I store presets?
Yes. POD Express has a total of 21 preset locations.
How do I control this thing with only two switches?
By default, ON turns the amp, cab, and effects on and off and TAP/TUNER sets the tempo, but you can repurpose either switch (plus up to two external switches) to turn individual effects or the amp modeling on and off. Pressing both ON and TAP selects Preset Up/Down mode. We expect most people to keep this on their desk most of the time anyway. The switches are there just in case you need POD Express as an emergency backup for a gig.
How do I control this thing with only five knobs?
Hold ALT and turn the knobs to access the amp’s Gain, tonestack, and channel volume; it can be done with one hand. There are additional secret functions hiding in there as well for more sophisticated users.
Is there an audio interface?
Yes, there’s a 4-channel audio interface built in with reamping. You can record to Macs, PCs, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. You can even jam along with YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, or calls from your mom.
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).
What’s the difference between POD Express Guitar and POD Express Bass?
Other than the amp/cab/effects set, chassis color, and silkscreen, nothing.
Why is the chassis plastic?
The name of the game here is portability and affordability. POD Express is the spiritual successor to Pocket POD, which also has a plastic chassis.
Why aren’t there XLR outs, stereo effects loops, IR loading, variable input impedance, MIDI, tubes, and a cupholder?
Because POD Express isn’t made for the type of guitarist who needs that stuff. And it’s $179.99.
Why’d you give us two simpler multieffects instead of [insert imaginary expensive flagship here]?
Line 6 cut its teeth on easy-to-use multieffects and we wanted something that, like the original POD, would incentivize guitarists—especially those new to digital or even new to the instrument—into playing more often and in a wider variety of environments.
[NOTE: This FAQ item originally had a far less polite answer.]
When are POD Express Guitar and POD Express Bass available?
Very soon.