Any official response on Pod Go Impedance issue?

[ibalashov]

While researching Pod Go issues before the purchase, I discovered multiple reports on difference in sound with same presets compared to Helix. Apparently this is known issue, and many solve it with placing additional pedals before guitar input.

 

Here is the main thread:

 

pod-go-impedance-problem

 

 

Here is the video highlighting the difference in sounds:

 

Just wondering, is there any official response to this issue? Is it confirmed/negated by line6 anyhow, anywhere?

 

[poodad]

The official response is no response. There's been nothing official here, and the two Line 6 contributors active on The Gear Page have refused to comment.

 

 

[voxman55]

Re the video:

 

Helix has a variable input impedance selector. Pod Go has a fixed impedance of 1M Ohm.  If he had Helix set to 'Auto' I'd be interested in a comparison using the other impedance setting in Helix.

 

For those less familiar, placing a buffered unit in front of Pod Go will deliver the same highs.  A buffered unit might be eg any Boss stomp pedal - the pedal has to be powered but not stomped 'on' to benefit from the buffer. The other buffered device could be something like the Line 6 G10 Relay wireless system that is a buffered device.  I use the G10 Relay, so do not have this issue, and is why similarly the Pod Go Wireless doesn't have this issue ie it's an issue ONLY when using cables.  

 

However, it is also very much down to the make, length & type of guitar cable you are using because different cables have different impedance, that can make a big difference to your tone.  I tested my Pod Go with a good quality Vox coiled cable and my Piranha cables and the tonal difference with both as compared to via the G10T or placing my Boss CS3 pedal in front of Pod Go, was negligible and nothing like the variation in this video, which is quite extreme.  

 

Now, whilst there has been a lot of posts on forums/boards/youtube vids on this issue, you need to appreciate that putting a buffered unit in front of ANY MFX unit will brighten tone and not until you hear the difference do you think anything is 'wrong'.  now, although Helix offers an impedance selector, a 1M Ohm input impedance is standard in mid-range MFX.  Even the brand new Boss GX100 is 1M Ohm, whereas it's big brother the GT1000 is 2M Ohm.  So this is not a 'fault' with Pod Go, but an additional option in Helix that is 3 x the price.  

 

I have a Vox Tonelab SE, LE and ST - and the same tone brightening occurs when using a buffered device in front of these.  I also have a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser, and this makes tone sound brighter/clearer too.  The same issue applies when using a guitar amp if you plug direct into an amp and then compare with a buffered device in front of it.  

So, whilst there is a tonal difference, it's because of the more sophisticated impedance options in Helix, rather than an issue with Pod Go Impedance.  And here's a further thought.  Many of the more expensive wireless devices allow you to change the settings to replicate guitar cable impedance.  Why?  Because a lot of players don't like the brighter tone, and want it to sound similar to their cabled sound.  

 

This whole thing has just got a bit out of proportion.  But whilst it's possible Line 6 might be able to do something in v1.40 firmware, I suspect only a physical mod would 'solve' the issue for those seriously troubled by it - but you never know. 

 

However, having said all this I still would have hoped that Line 6 would have said something to at least confirm Pod Go impedance definitely is 1M Ohm. The fact they haven't even done so does potentially raise a big question mark and could give some credence to (reportedly) 'techs' who say they have tested Pod Go and found the input impedance to be only a third to a half of 1M Ohm.  If that is proved to be the case then it might suggest Line 6 may have cut corners to save a few pennies.  The problem is that if Line 6 refuses to comment, customers and potential customers are left to speculate, and that's not a good thing. 

 

So Line 6, if you are looking in - please confirm what the Pod Go input impedance is.  

 

 

[voxman55]

Update: It appears from a recent post on one of the FB pages that this is a hardware issue.  "...I'm sorry friends, but the problem is confirmed hardware and here in Italy there are already those who have had the modification under warranty at the authorized Line6 service"

 

I purchased my Pod Go from Yamaha Music London in June 2020 so it is still within its 2 yrs warranty.  I've today written to them and as Yamaha own Line 6 I have requested an explanation as to why Line 6 has not openly come out to its customers on this, and have requested that my Pod Go be 'repaired/upgraded' by Line 6. 

 

I'll keep you all posted.  

[Spindal72]

@voxman55 Thanks! Could you suggest guitar cable that might rectify the impedance issue? Thank you =)

 

[voxman55]

On 5/18/2022 at 9:41 AM, Spindal72 said:

@voxman55 Thanks! Could you suggest guitar cable that might rectify the impedance issue? Thank you =)

 

i'm afraid not, because all guitar cables will impact on tone to varying degrees.  Easiest 'fix' is to place a buffered pedal (any Boss pedal really) in front of it - it has to be powered (mains or battery) but doesn't have to be clicked on - so if you have eg a compressor you don't have to have the compressor engaged.  Alternatively, wireless units like the Line 6 G10 Relay are buffered (this is what I use).  BTW, if you have Pod Go Wireless and use the G10TII you'll be buffered already.

 

[rarellano]

On 5/17/2022 at 9:05 PM, voxman55 said:

Update: It appears from a recent post on one of the FB pages that this is a hardware issue.  "...I'm sorry friends, but the problem is confirmed hardware and here in Italy there are already those who have had the modification under warranty at the authorized Line6 service"

 

I purchased my Pod Go from Yamaha Music London in June 2020 so it is still within its 2 yrs warranty.  I've today written to them and as Yamaha own Line 6 I have requested an explanation as to why Line 6 has not openly come out to its customers on this, and have requested that my Pod Go be 'repaired/upgraded' by Line 6. 

 

I'll keep you all posted.  

Can you say what facebook page this was posted, please? Thanks in advance.

[poodad]

On 5/17/2022 at 3:10 PM, voxman55 said:

Re the video:

 

Helix has a variable input impedance selector. Pod Go has a fixed impedance of 1M Ohm.  If he had Helix set to 'Auto' I'd be interested in a comparison using the other impedance setting in Helix.

 

For those less familiar, placing a buffered unit in front of Pod Go will deliver the same highs.  A buffered unit might be eg any Boss stomp pedal - the pedal has to be powered but not stomped 'on' to benefit from the buffer. The other buffered device could be something like the Line 6 G10 Relay wireless system that is a buffered device.  I use the G10 Relay, so do not have this issue, and is why similarly the Pod Go Wireless doesn't have this issue ie it's an issue ONLY when using cables.  

 

However, it is also very much down to the make, length & type of guitar cable you are using because different cables have different impedance, that can make a big difference to your tone.  I tested my Pod Go with a good quality Vox coiled cable and my Piranha cables and the tonal difference with both as compared to via the G10T or placing my Boss CS3 pedal in front of Pod Go, was negligible and nothing like the variation in this video, which is quite extreme.  

 

Now, whilst there has been a lot of posts on forums/boards/youtube vids on this issue, you need to appreciate that putting a buffered unit in front of ANY MFX unit will brighten tone and not until you hear the difference do you think anything is 'wrong'.  now, although Helix offers an impedance selector, a 1M Ohm input impedance is standard in mid-range MFX.  Even the brand new Boss GX100 is 1M Ohm, whereas it's big brother the GT1000 is 2M Ohm.  So this is not a 'fault' with Pod Go, but an additional option in Helix that is 3 x the price.  

 

I have a Vox Tonelab SE, LE and ST - and the same tone brightening occurs when using a buffered device in front of these.  I also have a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser, and this makes tone sound brighter/clearer too.  The same issue applies when using a guitar amp if you plug direct into an amp and then compare with a buffered device in front of it.  

So, whilst there is a tonal difference, it's because of the more sophisticated impedance options in Helix, rather than an issue with Pod Go Impedance.  And here's a further thought.  Many of the more expensive wireless devices allow you to change the settings to replicate guitar cable impedance.  Why?  Because a lot of players don't like the brighter tone, and want it to sound similar to their cabled sound.  

 

This whole thing has just got a bit out of proportion.  But whilst it's possible Line 6 might be able to do something in v1.40 firmware, I suspect only a physical mod would 'solve' the issue for those seriously troubled by it - but you never know. 

 

However, having said all this I still would have hoped that Line 6 would have said something to at least confirm Pod Go impedance definitely is 1M Ohm. The fact they haven't even done so does potentially raise a big question mark and could give some credence to (reportedly) 'techs' who say they have tested Pod Go and found the input impedance to be only a third to a half of 1M Ohm.  If that is proved to be the case then it might suggest Line 6 may have cut corners to save a few pennies.  The problem is that if Line 6 refuses to comment, customers and potential customers are left to speculate, and that's not a good thing. 

 

So Line 6, if you are looking in - please confirm what the Pod Go input impedance is.  

 

 

No, the Pod Go's input impedance has been measured independently by a couple of people (at least) including me. It is around 250K Ohms. This is far lower than the 1M Ohm stated by Line 6.

 

There is no need to drag the Helix into the debate - that is a red herring. One can simply turn off all the blocks on the Go and compare playing directly through the Pod Go verses playing with a buffer buffer pedal in front. The difference is striking.

 

Someone on the facebook Pod Go group posted a snippet of the Go's schematic clearly showing a 1nF capacitor shunting the input to ground, and a picture showing the location of the offending cap (C126 if memory serves). The post was removed within hours - Line 6 probably threatened legal action.

 

That cap would definitely cause the low input impedance. And no amount of firmware changes can remove that cap.

 

I suspect that if Line six does anything at all to address this, they'll simply add a generic high end boost in the signal path in an attempt to mask the problem.

 

But so far, Line 6 is ignoring the problem. They have not addressed it here even though it was brought to light in February. There's a thread on The Gear Page discussing this issue and the Line 6 employees who regularly participate on TGP have not commented despite being directly asked.

 

 

 

[voxman55]

On 5/18/2022 at 2:50 PM, rarellano said:

Can you say what facebook page this was posted, please? Thanks in advance.

Line 6 POD GO - Free Patches Group

[grdGo33]

On 5/18/2022 at 10:40 AM, poodad said:

Someone on the facebook Pod Go group posted a snippet of the Go's schematic clearly showing a 1nF capacitor shunting the input to ground, and a picture showing the location of the offending cap (C126 if memory serves). The post was removed within hours - Line 6 probably threatened legal action.

 

Wow........  How dare they post a schematic..............   Must threaten legal action!

[OmegaSlayer]

On 5/18/2022 at 3:05 AM, voxman55 said:

Update: It appears from a recent post on one of the FB pages that this is a hardware issue.  "...I'm sorry friends, but the problem is confirmed hardware and here in Italy there are already those who have had the modification under warranty at the authorized Line6 service"

 

I purchased my Pod Go from Yamaha Music London in June 2020 so it is still within its 2 yrs warranty.  I've today written to them and as Yamaha own Line 6 I have requested an explanation as to why Line 6 has not openly come out to its customers on this, and have requested that my Pod Go be 'repaired/upgraded' by Line 6. 

 

I'll keep you all posted.  

But what's the supposed warranty length?

I think EU is 1 year warranty

I purchased my PodGo in February so I'm out of warranty, even if, technically, it's a product fault and not anything damaged

[voxman55]

On 5/21/2022 at 10:53 AM, OmegaSlayer said:

But what's the supposed warranty length?

I think EU is 1 year warranty

I purchased my PodGo in February so I'm out of warranty, even if, technically, it's a product fault and not anything damaged

Standard warranty is 12 mths but some retailers offer longer - Yamaha gives 2 yrs as standard. As this appears to be a design issue, the manufacturers warranty is not relevant and Line 6 should repair your Pod Go regardless. Contact Line 6 support.

[OmegaSlayer]

Filed a ticket on Sunday

Got an OK from Line6 Monday, late afternoon

Contacted the local repair service immediately

Got a reply this morning (Tuesday)

Brought the device in in the afternoon, walked away with the problem solved, 7 minutes later

 

...wish I could say more...

[usedbyanr]

Does anyone have any idea what the techs are doing to the hardware to fix the issue?

[OmegaSlayer]

Techs are under non disclosure agreement

I suggest that IF someone gets to know the issue, they keep for themselves because they put at risk the exclusivity service of the techs

Capisc'...

[grdGo33]

7 minutes sounds like they've either got extremely fast techs on hand (à la F1 tire change fast), or they had either a new Pod Go or a Pod Go refurb ready for an exchange...  Which may mean that they fixed the issue in the newer production units.  But yeah, pure speculation at this point...

 

It would be interesting to know what is going on though.  Maybe L6 is not answering for legal (liability) reasons ...  Which kinda sucks for us users.  If they screwed up something in the Pod Gos, why try to keep it a secret from the users?  The right thing to do would be to own up and offering a resolution.

[voxman55]

On 5/24/2022 at 8:04 PM, usedbyanr said:

Does anyone have any idea what the techs are doing to the hardware to fix the issue?

My best understanding is that they are removing a single capacitor that appears to be the culprit. 

[poodad]

On 5/25/2022 at 12:30 AM, OmegaSlayer said:

Techs are under non disclosure agreement

I suggest that IF someone gets to know the issue, they keep for themselves because they put at risk the exclusivity service of the techs

Capisc'...

But you aren't under non disclosure. Tell us what was involved from your point of view.

[voxman55]

On 5/25/2022 at 7:30 AM, OmegaSlayer said:

Techs are under non disclosure agreement

I suggest that IF someone gets to know the issue, they keep for themselves because they put at risk the exclusivity service of the techs

Capisc'...

 

On the contrary, I think this should be made as public as possible. Line 6 should be upfront with its customers and shouldn't have anything to hide. 

[OmegaSlayer]

On 5/26/2022 at 12:11 AM, poodad said:

But you aren't under non disclosure. Tell us what was involved from your point of view.

As the process derives from the ticket I filed here on support, Line6 knows who my tech is

I hadn't realized until I went to the lab (which lately changed address and name) but I have known him for 29 years, and I don't want to put him in troubles

 

My unit hasn't been replaced, it had the same scratches and it wasn't restored to default, my presets are all there

 

I repeat myself, 7 minutes clocked, I phoned my girlfriend when I left the lab, then after 7 minutes I got his call to go take the device back

That's how I know it has been 7 minutes, from the phone calls tab

7 minutes for me is: unscrew the device > unsolder part > solder back the part > reassemble the device > try the device

 

The problem is not "impedance" as a whole...but part of it

 

And yes, L6 should come forward with the acknowledgment of the problem as it seems so very easyto solve

 

@voxman55

"Line 6 should be upfront with its customers and shouldn't have anything to hide. "

 

"Circuitboard copyrights" was the reply I was given

[voxman55]

Circuit board copyright? What utter bunkum. No one's asking Line 6 to divulge it's circuit board diagrams. All they need to do is acknowledge the issue and give a simplistic overview e.g. we remove a capacitor and do a minor adjustment to the wiring.  Hardly giving away trade secrets!!!  

 

 

[sebabetto]

Hello everyone! I want to tell you my experience guys/girls. I hope this is helpful to someone.

I bought the Pod Go in February 2020 if I'm not mistaken. I have been with this unit for a long time, playing and tuning almost every day.

After all this time, I always felt like something was missing, but what do I know, right? so keep tweaking my presets and playing around. Ever since I bought a Stratocaster... when I bought it, second hand, I played it for about half an hour with an old amp and it sounded amazing! But when I got back home and plugged in Pod Go... WTF. that guitar was lifeless!

So I was out of ideas until I saw this impedance issue on the forums, and after a while I decided to try the famous BOSS buffered pedal. FINALLY today! A BOSS CS3 OFF does the job. No need to turn it on. The stratum is alive again. the difference is huge i can tell. I don't mind having another pedal, it's not ideal, but hey, this sounds amazing now.

 

In summary, I can confirm that the impedance problem is real, and that a boss pedal turned off enhances the sound much more.

 

good luck!

 

[trainguy]

Wow.  Hearing the video up top, I hardly noticed a difference.   But when trying A/B tests with and without a Boss DSD-2 pedal in front (off), the Pod Go does like Frampton in '75:

It comes alive! 

 

It responds more to my playing feel, especially with edge of breakup tones like those of the Line 6 Litigator amp.

 

Thanks all.

 

tg

[Bahnzo]

I just learned about this issue and IMO it really needs to be addressed. I suspect Line6 doesn't want to have a mass recall of units however. I've been using a joyo roll boost pedal on my input for months and now I know why it sounds so much better. I use mostly clean-ish tones so it makes a huge difference. 

I'm sure my PG is still under the 2 year warranty, so I think I have to send it back for service, but I have gigs which I need it for in the near future. 

[usedbyanr]

On 7/13/2022 at 4:11 PM, Bahnzo said:

I'm sure my PG is still under the 2 year warranty, so I think I have to send it back for service, but I have gigs which I need it for in the near future. 

Unless you are outside of North America I think the warranty for the Pod Go is 1 year based on the Line 6 warranty page.

[voxman55]

If you want your Pod Go repaired and are under warranty, in the first instance you should refer back to the original retailer to make the arrangements.  If you are outside your warranty, or if the retailer is not providing assistance, you should refer directly to Line 6 who should agree to arrange for the repair. Remember, this is a design issue rather than a warranty issue.

 

[voxman55]

On 7/13/2022 at 10:18 PM, usedbyanr said:

Unless you are outside of North America I think the warranty for the Pod Go is 1 year based on the Line 6 warranty page.

As this relates to a design and/or manufacturing component issue, it isn't relevant whether Pod Go is under warranty, other than the process to have the fault rectified.

 

FYI the UK service centre put the following in its repair report:
"Fault info: Input impedance issue.
Action taken: We have identified a component issue in your unit that results in an audible roll off of high frequencies in certain scenarios. We can't get into component details because of the proprietary nature of our products".

So there you have it, evidence that it is a component issue!

[BishopTx]

I'm curious about the impedance on the FX return, it is also advertised as 1 Megohm. Would this affect anything in the loop? I have noticed when using it as an aux input, it is very low.

[voxman55]

On 7/18/2022 at 12:45 PM, Darrin72 said:

I'm curious about the impedance on the FX return, it is also advertised as 1 Megohm. Would this affect anything in the loop? I have noticed when using it as an aux input, it is very low.

Although some sources have suggested this is not quite 'right' either, I'm afraid I have insufficient information or personal experience to comment here as I've never had the need to use the fx loop...I don't use 4 cable method and have not placed any external fx in the loop.  I'm afraid I therefore don't know whether these are connected or separate issues and whether the fix referred to addresses any fx loop issue too. 

[Johnboy]

I've been following this issue for some time after noticing the high end roll off without a buffer on my unit. I just thought I'd add that even though my POD Go was out of warranty, I contacted Line 6 and they set up a courtesy repair and sent me a shipping label. I'll update once I get the device back.

[ibalashov]

On 7/28/2022 at 9:41 PM, Johnboy said:

I've been following this issue for some time after noticing the high end roll off without a buffer on my unit. I just thought I'd add that even though my POD Go was out of warranty, I contacted Line 6 and they set up a courtesy repair and sent me a shipping label. I'll update once I get the device back.

To be fair such design problems should be fixed regardless the warranty period. The warranty covers incidents that happen during the use of the device. Factory defects should be fixed unconditionally. Of course this my logical thinking, layers might disagree.

[voxman55]

On 7/30/2022 at 1:00 PM, ibalashov said:

To be fair such design problems should be fixed regardless the warranty period. The warranty covers incidents that happen during the use of the device. Factory defects should be fixed unconditionally. Of course this my logical thinking, layers might disagree.

Fully agree. So its good to see Line 6 are fixing units on request regardless of warranty, which is the right thing to do.

[daveaphotopod]

So just to reiterate, without starting a new topic, if I wanted to get a BOSS pedal anyway- using it between the guitar and the unit should solve the issue, correct? Also I think I remember reading somewhere on this post that someone had issues with anything longer than 10' (which again, is somewhat of a moot point because my plan is to use 10' anyway. 

 

I know some people mentioned sending it in, but I wanted to pick up a BOSS pedal regardless, but I wanted to make sure I didn't miss an update. I don't have the wireless version of the POD GO. Also, one follow up question. The BOSS Pedal I am thinking of is the CP-1x. I heard that this one is digital as opposed to some/most of the others. Will that no longer work as a buffer? Or does that have no impact? 

[adauria]

Hi folks, I just bought a new Pod Go from Sweetwater. Does anyone know if this issue is still impacting new product Pod Go units, or do we have any evidence that the issue may be resolved in newer ones? Obviously hoping for the latter.

 

If no one knows (since L6 is so quiet on this I'll assume no one knows), what's the best way to test it? I have a Boss pedal I was planning to test with and do some A/B testing through. Any other suggestions? 

[wagdog]

I've been using my POD go playing live for about a year now. I pretty much use it as a multi-effects pedal, running through a tube amp (i.e. no amp or speaker model).

 

I never really compared the "plugged straight into the amp" tone with the "plugged into the pod go but all effects off" sound. I just eq'ed my amp and let it rip.

 

Today I made that comparison, and, well, tone suck city going through the POD go. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I put a stand-alone buffered EQ pedal (fish & chips) in front of the POD go, and it sprang to life. My strat was shimmery again and my tele twangy. 

 

So, one more data point for y'all. I hope Line 6 acknowledges this issue.

[voxman55]

On 12/4/2022 at 6:01 AM, wagdog said:

I've been using my POD go playing live for about a year now. I pretty much use it as a multi-effects pedal, running through a tube amp (i.e. no amp or speaker model).

 

I never really compared the "plugged straight into the amp" tone with the "plugged into the pod go but all effects off" sound. I just eq'ed my amp and let it rip.

 

Today I made that comparison, and, well, tone suck city going through the POD go. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I put a stand-alone buffered EQ pedal (fish & chips) in front of the POD go, and it sprang to life. My strat was shimmery again and my tele twangy. 

 

So, one more data point for y'all. I hope Line 6 acknowledges this issue.

 

Although Line 6 has not formally commented, you do seem to be somewhat out of touch with how Line 6 have been addressing this.  There has been lots of info and discussion on the internet on this, including boards, Facebook, YouTube etc.   In fact, if you'd read back just on this very thread you'd have seen 're the 2nd point below.

 

First, the issue has now been corrected on Pod Go's being manufactured currently, but older stock sold as new may not have been changed.

 

Secondly, for almost a year now Pod Go owners have been able, through Line 6 Support, to arrange for a free fix, irrespective of any warranty. I'm UK and had mine done with only a total 5 day turnaround, back in June. The fix is very simple and involves the removal of a capacitor in the input circuit although no one is very sure why the capacitor was there in the first place.  

 

 

[wagdog]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:57 AM, voxman55 said:

 

Although Line 6 has not formally commented, you do seem to be somewhat out of touch with how Line 6 have been addressing this.  There has been lots of info and discussion on the internet on this, including boards, Facebook, YouTube etc.   In fact, if you'd read back just on this very thread you'd have seen 're the 2nd point below.

 

First, the issue has now been corrected on Pod Go's being manufactured currently, but older stock sold as new may not have been changed.

 

Secondly, for almost a year now Pod Go owners have been able, through Line 6 Support, to arrange for a free fix, irrespective of any warranty. I'm UK and had mine done with only a total 5 day turnaround, back in June. The fix is very simple and involves the removal of a capacitor in the input circuit although no one is very sure why the capacitor was there in the first place.  

 

 

 

I see how Line 6 is addressing it, or more accurately, NOT addressing it. There is no announcement here in the support forum from L6, there is no reply from their reps about the issue online. I'm not on facebook, so whatever's going on there, I'm either not seeing it with a google search, or it doesn't exist. 

 

What we do see is people commenting that they sent their units in, and they were fixed. That, and random youtube videos showing how remove what may, or may not be, the offending component.

 

Is that the official company response to an obvious design flaw impacting what I assume is a very well selling, popular unit?

 

Has L6 publicly acknowledged this issue? I'd like to see an official response from the company.

 

The way I see it, that's not making users of the product aware of this hardware issue, it's fixing it quietly for people who complain and hoping most of the owners won't notice, alleviating the company from the expense of fixing the units.

 

Anyway, I'll most definitely consider this experience the next time I'm in the market for a multi-effects unit.

 

 

[voxman55]

On 12/6/2022 at 1:04 AM, wagdog said:

 

I see how Line 6 is addressing it, or more accurately, NOT addressing it. There is no announcement here in the support forum from L6, there is no reply from their reps about the issue online. I'm not on facebook, so whatever's going on there, I'm either not seeing it with a google search, or it doesn't exist. 

 

What we do see is people commenting that they sent their units in, and they were fixed. That, and random youtube videos showing how remove what may, or may not be, the offending component.

 

Is that the official company response to an obvious design flaw impacting what I assume is a very well selling, popular unit?

 

Has L6 publicly acknowledged this issue? I'd like to see an official response from the company.

 

The way I see it, that's not making users of the product aware of this hardware issue, it's fixing it quietly for people who complain and hoping most of the owners won't notice, alleviating the company from the expense of fixing the units.

 

Anyway, I'll most definitely consider this experience the next time I'm in the market for a multi-effects unit.

 

 

I hear you, completely empathise, and you're quite right. Customers have had to pick all this up from boards, facebook, youtube etc because Line 6 has made no public comment on this whatsoever - it's approach has been that if customers approach them, the fix will be arranged free of charge.  So they are responding well to those customers requesting a fix, and the issue in new units appear to have been remedied.  Although we can all voice our theories in reality I'm afraid that no one, other than Line 6, knows why it has not adopted a more open & transparent approach.     

[wagdog]

On 12/6/2022 at 9:37 AM, voxman55 said:

I hear you, completely empathise, and you're quite right. Customers have had to pick all this up from boards, facebook, youtube etc because Line 6 has made no public comment on this whatsoever - it's approach has been that if customers approach them, the fix will be arranged free of charge.  So they are responding well to those customers requesting a fix, and the issue in new units appear to have been remedied.  Although we can all voice our theories in reality I'm afraid that no one, other than Line 6, knows why it has not adopted a more open & transparent approach.     

I'm not going to beat this to death, but... this does smell like the path of least exposure/expense for L6 at their customer's expense. Not that this type of practice is isolated to them, but I generally find it distasteful as a customer. Absent any statement or information from L6, my guess is the internal conversation probably goes like this: "well, if people don't bring it to our attention, they must not really be that effected by the problem, so we'll just fix the units brought to our attention, and do a slip-stream fix for new units". That lets them rationalize being the "good guy" by fixing out-of-warranty units, but in my opinion, it's a short-sighted, not customer centric and a shady business practice. I don't like it one bit.

 

Anyway, onward. I'll probably "do the thing" myself and move along. I don't want to be without the POD GO, I do like it. Running the buffered pedal in front of it really makes a huge difference. I have much experience building with SMDs, so I'm sure I can "do the thing" safely and keep on rockin.

[adauria]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:57 AM, voxman55 said:

 

First, the issue has now been corrected on Pod Go's being manufactured currently, but older stock sold as new may not have been changed.

 

I was not aware of this and it was the nature of my question above. Do you know if it's possible (other than testing with a buffer, since I don't trust my ears entirely) if this has been fixed in a given unit? I just got mine a month ago from Sweetwater, but if there's an easy test or serial number cutoff, etc. I'd love to know. 

 

I  mean, I can and should test with a buffered pedal, but regardless of the unit's status I fully expect that it will sound brighter just due to the nature of buffer. Brighter or louder may sound better in direct comparisons but might not really be fair or a good way to compare. I'm really just curious if my unit would improve with a "fix" or not give nthat it seems to be new production. 

 

Thank you!