Pocket Pod

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 20 Mar 2008 7:47 am

Is anyone on here using one of these for guitar or steel either? If so, what is your overall opinion of the unit?

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 20 Mar 2008 8:02 am

OK in a pinch, or carrying to jam sessions. Great if you just have earplugs, or are recording a dry signal.

It also has stereo output if you adapt a 1/8" stereo plug to two 1/4" plugs.

Guts are Pod 2.0. The Delay is OK, the compression passable, reverb sucks.

EJL

Buddy Elkin · Post by **Buddy Elkin** » 20 Mar 2008 10:17 am

Great for practice!

I didn't like using it live.

Tom Mnich · Post by **Tom Mnich** » 21 Mar 2008 10:07 am

I have been using one for only a short time for both steel and 6-string. I've stuck primarily to the delay, compression and EQ to this point. I'm relatively satisfied. The price:performance ratio is reasonable for me. I like the ability to program it using the computer and USB. I agree that it is difficult to use live. Small buttons, small display make it tough for stubby fingers and old eyes.

I am also trying the tube preamp setting for my acoustic instrument pickups - but have not tried those outside of my basement yet.

Eric - could you expand on why you don't like the reverb?

DALE WHITENER · Post by **DALE WHITENER** » 22 Mar 2008 2:35 pm

Darvin,
I used it with my Nashville 112 for a gig that was kinda informal. It was ok and I'd use it again if the situation came up. It and the 112 makes a decent light weight setup. It's not as good as the Pod xt.
Dale

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 22 Mar 2008 2:49 pm

I tried my friends after Christmas and couldn't find anything clean that didn't have some distortion in it.
Nobody here has mentioned such a problem, and I was suprised to not find a truly clean sound. Did I miss something, or a lot?

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 22 Mar 2008 6:42 pm

Sorry not to see this til now..

Of course..

It seems to be more of a "blended delay" with more of a "boingy" "echoey" sound than the Podxt models. More "plate" sounding, which is not my particular preference.

EJL

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 22 Mar 2008 8:25 pm

To expand on what Eric states, the Pocket Pod is based on the recent version of the Pod 2 - they changed the DSP chip for the Pod 2 in the last couple of years from the original Pod 2 DSP chip. I've tried both the recent Pod 2 and Pocket Pod now, and the spring reverb is very grainy and "boingy", as he says.

My point is that - if you have used an older Pod 2 and liked the reverb (I do - I consider it largely comparable to something like a Holy Grail), don't necessarily expect the reverb on the newer Pod 2 or Pocket Pod to be the same. They are very significantly different, to my ears.

On any of these Pod 2 based units, I have found it possible to get away from the distorted patches. But to get the clean sounds I want, I generally need to edit the factory patches. I usually just go in and "deep edit" them to get the full range of parameters. Some of them have "Boost" switches that are best edited in "deep edit" mode. I have to admit that I never got very far into testing the Pocket Pod - for me, really bad-sounding reverb is a showstopper.

Of course, that's all just my opinion. YMMV and all that.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 23 Mar 2008 2:50 am

I bought one, hoping to replace my POD XT as it was smaller and I only use the POD XT for effects (No amp modeling or speaker modeling). But, after trying it for a couple of days and not finding anything I liked I sent it back to Musician's Friend.

Buddy Elkin · Post by **Buddy Elkin** » 24 Mar 2008 10:47 am

Construction is very cheap.......plastic body and knobs. I was expecting more, but at $130, about par.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 24 Mar 2008 2:13 pm

I like it VERY much for what it is. Cheap portable earplug amp / jam session effects rack, even a passable telecaster stereo pod 2.x.

It does have it's drawbacks and I have a Podxt I use for one nighters and an xtLive for Sit Down ( THAT'S WEEKENDS ANYMORE FOR THOSE OF YOU IN Los Gatos..) gigs.

The xts have the only "perfect" settings, and capabilities. Especially the xtLive with a compressor BEFORE the VP when you're using it for tele.

Like I said. I like the Pocket pod for what it is.

EJL