Line6 Pocket Pod

I used to own a full sized POD back when they were a new thing. It was amazing for it's time but I've since moved on to proper tube amps and never looked back.

Until now...

For various reasons I can't make as much noise at home as I used to so I needed something for silent practising/noodling. I went for the PocketPOD, expecting to get a sort of mini-version of the POD I used to own back in the day. I was wrong.

The Pocket POD is missing most of the hands on functionality of the original full size PODs. Of course there will be limitations with this small pocket size but I'm still a bit disappointed. Lots of functions (like changing cab models) aren't available except via usb and editing software so not very "pocket" at all.

I'm also disappointed with the layout for changing amp models. This requires digging into menus using a fiddly control panel. Selecting presets are actually far easier than selecting an amp model to dial in your own sound. Or to put it another way: I was expecting to get a nice variety of "amps in a box" but what I got was a bunch of "presets in a box". It doesn't exactly help that most of the presets are severely overcooked, like drenched i chorus, etc.

Of course it's possible to start with a basic amp model and go from there but the whole layout is based on presets. Using the Pocket POD the way you would use an actual amp (turning knobs) isn't really possible without digging into menus and doing the whole "hold this button and turn that knob" routine. In some ways it feels more like an 80s Japanese drum machine than a guitar amp. And THAT's the big difference to the older full size PODs: The old ones were a lot more "hands on" and the layout/functionality felt a lot more like an actual amp.

The sound quality is ok though. Not great but ok. I was expecting more to be honest but I guess amp modelling at this price still doesn't sound or feel even remotely like the real thing.

It's more than good enough for home practicing but I wish it was more user friendly for those of us who like to dial in their own sounds rather than selecting from a variety of ping-pong-delay presets.

The built quality can be summed up it two words: Flimsy plastic.

This thing isn't built to last. It's built to be cheap and it shows.

I wish I had gotten a small modelling amp with a headphone out instead.

I bought this as a gift for a friend after owning the POD X3 bean for many, many years. After testing it out in-store I thought it would best fit his purposes.

If you're looking for a portable unit with a ton of tone options and reasonable sound quality, then you'll be very happy with this thing. My one HUGE complaint about other effects preamps in this price range is that they never have any sort of quality speaker/amp modeling. The Pocket Pod has just enough power in it to keep most people satisfied, and it can even sound decent in a home studio setting if you want a lot of tone flexibility in a small package.

The size and portability comes at the price of usability, though. Unlike larger models like the X3, the user interface isn't as clear-cut as it could be.

Pros:
- Great for practicing, jamming, and writing
- Wide variety of tones in a portable package
- Speaker modeling

Cons:
- Maybe not "stage ready" for most
- User interface can be clunky at times
- Build quality could feel cheap to some

All in all a wonderful little gadget to have in your arsenal.