Line 6 Pocket Pod

153
LINE 6 POCKET POD REVIEW
W
hen Line 6
launched the first
POD unit in 1998,
TG marvelled at
the amp modelling technology
stored within and playfully
compared the red chassis to a
kidney bean. A decade later, and
the launch of the Pocket POD
takes both factors to their logical
conclusion, with the quality of
the simulations going through the
roof, and the dimensions shrunk
to the point where you might
just get confused when making a
chilli con carne.
The sizzle: It’s cheaper and
smaller than other PODs, and
aimed squarely at the ‘mobile
guitarist’, but Line 6 is at pains
to remind us that the Pocket has
shrunk the founding technology,
rather than cut it in half. It’s true,
the ratio of features to size and
price is overwhelmingly in our
For: Fantastic concept, absurdly cheap
Against: It’s a shame you can’t pass audio over the USB
✮✮✮✮✮
SUMMARY
TG says… All the amp models you’ll need in a tiny bean of a unit
p Power
The Pocket POD runs on
batteries, but we reckon
you’d be better off buying
the 9volt power adaptor
p Features
No POD has ever
squeezed so much
technology into
such a compact
space – it’s only
fi ve inches long!
LINE 6 POCKET POD
This tech-packed bean is the smallest amp modeller ever…
£81
favour here, with 32 amp models,
16 cab models, 17 effects and
300 artist-designed presets
packed in a unit that measures
just five inches. At the same
time, this unit casts its net wider
than a tone processor, coming
equipped with man-sized
features like USB connectivity,
editing and saving capabilities,
plus the option of hooking up to
a recording unit.
We say: Amp simulations
from Line 6 are legendary, and
downsizing the POD has done
nothing to compromise the
accuracy of our favourites. Try
out the ’68 Marshall Plexi (hear
it roar!) and the ’60 Vox AC30
(hear it sparkle!). OK, so the
Pocket POD doesn’t do anything
that its forebears haven’t done
already, but you can’t put a price
on the convenience of sticking
this unit in your jeans, burning
it round to your rehearsal, and
blowing the front out of your
amp with the Brit Gain setting.
And all that for £81? You’ve got
to pick a Pocket.
Henry Yates
“DOWNSIZING THE POD HAS
DONE NOTHING TO COMPROMISE
THE SIMULATIONS’ ACCURACY”
At a Glance
Line 6 Pocket POD
ORIGIN: China
AMP MODELS: 32
CABINET MODELS: 16
EFFECTS: 17
FEATURES: 300+ artist-
designed presets (124
programmable), USB
connectivity, headphone/
direct output, edit/save
capability, CD/MP3 input,
tuner, 4x AAA batteries
included
WEIGHT: 170g
DIMENSIONS: [HxWxD]
89x127x50mm
CONTACT: Line 6 01327
302700
WEB: www.line6.com
p Ease of use
Navigating between the
Pocket POD’s arsenal of
amp models and effects
ain’t exactly rocket science
TGR167.gear_line6 153 23/8/07 15:25:49