Pod Go firmware v2.0... Shouldn't be long now

Voxman

Following beta testing Pod Go firmware v2.0 is stable.  Due to a slip by Eric Klein himself, a preview of the Pod Go v2. 0 firmware announcement was inadvertently released last week albeit now retracted.   The release date was shown as 7 November albeit that may have been provisional only and may be subject to change.

If you saw that release the cats out the bag and you'll know exactly what's coming... If you didn't, well just see Helix release notes for Helix v3.5 and v3.6 for a pretty good idea!  I can confirm that the Pod Go v2. 0 upgrade is really, really good and further ups the game re Pod Gos tonal pallette! 

bloodandtears

Is this the new cab engine then?

Voxman

bloodandtears said:

Is this the new cab engine then?

Yup... In view of the unintentional Line 6 release notes I think I can safely confirm that, and I don't think it could be an NDA breach now!  Lol

In fact, the front intro page referring to the new cab engine is still showing.

bloodandtears

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

NickB

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

That could be the case if there is Helix 2.0 about to drop?

Voxman

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Ha ha!  I do love a man with a sense of humour!  - Line 6 aren't even willing to add one extra user slot, so I think there's two chances of that happening - none & less!  

guitartango

Voxman said:

Following beta testing Pod Go firmware v2.0 is stable.  Due to a slip by Eric Klein himself, a preview of the Pod Go v2. 0 firmware announcement was inadvertently released last week albeit now retracted.   The release date was shown as 7 November albeit that may have been provisional only and may be subject to change.

If you saw that release the cats out the bag and you'll know exactly what's coming... If you didn't, well just see Helix release notes for Helix v3.5 and v3.6 for a pretty good idea!  I can confirm that the Pod Go v2. 0 upgrade is really, really good and further ups the game re Pod Gos tonal pallette! 

Thanks @Voxman, this is long overdue me thinks. 

bloodandtears

Voxman said:

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Ha ha!  I do love a man with a sense of humour!  - Line 6 aren't even willing to add one extra user slot, so I think there's two chances of that happening - none & less!  

It was tongue in cheek tbh.. but given there are hacks out there sometimes it makes sense to embrace them,

shuikit

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Not a Pod Go owner, but I thought there was a 'hack' going round where it was just a preset file with those fixed blocks removed so that you could change them to whatever type you wanted as long as you had the dsp spare..

bloodandtears

shuikit said:

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Not a Pod Go owner, but I thought there was a 'hack' going round where it was just a preset file with those fixed blocks removed so that you could change them to whatever type you wanted as long as you had the dsp spare..

There is.. hence my follow up above..

Voxman

shuikit said:

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Not a Pod Go owner, but I thought there was a 'hack' going round where it was just a preset file with those fixed blocks removed so that you could change them to whatever type you wanted as long as you had the dsp spare..

Not a hack per se, but a mod to the JSON script in a patch file that Line 6 completely know about & were just surprised it took so long for users to catch-on! Some of these are more stable than others.  They can't harm Pod Go because it's nothing to do with firmware but you might get odd behaviour in that patch eg a modified patch with 6 user blocks, only 5 might work, or the looper doesn't work properly in the 6th block etc.

To free up a block you have to 'lose' something - so if you have a 6 user block patch file where the fx loop & volume or wah pedal have been sacrificed, these will generally be more stable than eg a 10 block patch where you've got rid of everything inc amp/cabs.  Removing the amp/cab blocks can result in patch instability but some of these modified patches are better than others and it can depend on how well its been done.

And whilst a modified patch can provide more versatility/options, Pod Go's underlying DSP can't be increased although removing certain fixed blocks eg the amp model, will free up some DSP.  

Voxman

bloodandtears said:

Voxman said:

bloodandtears said:

I wonder if they'll ever allow a full blank slate template and just use DSP calculations to dictate what you can/cant add to the signal path (like the helix)

Ha ha!  I do love a man with a sense of humour!  - Line 6 aren't even willing to add one extra user slot, so I think there's two chances of that happening - none & less!  

It was tongue in cheek tbh.. but given there are hacks out there sometimes it makes sense to embrace them,

On a more serious note, I and others have fed back to Line 6 that the MFX world has changed since Pod Go was launched and we have asked it to consider releasing blocks without users having to create their own JSON files.  Here's my comms to them last month:

When pod Go was first introduced it was aimed at a very specific sector of the market - ie a customer that needed an easier to use MFX.  However, customer expectations & markets have changed drastically.  The JSON workarounds, calls on Ideascale, and numerous posts on various forums, face book pages etc (inc some from me)  are evidence that cusomers want and need greater flexibility to maximise use of DSP so they can get the most from Pod Go.  Market competition has made Pod Go a victim of its own success with more powerful units offering features and flexibility at previously unheard of price points eg Boss GX100 etc.  

I appreciate that hitherto Line 6 has been very resistant to changing its 'raison d'etre' for Pod Go, and its position has been if customers want more power/flexibility then they need a Helix. But my view is that in the current market if Line 6 wants to expand its customer base at this level, it really should reconsider its stance here and provide customers with options/flexibility. 

Customers are now way more savvy about DSP (eg Benco's valuable DSP charts) and Line 6's fears that it doesn't want to confuse customers with more grey outs if they add extra user blocks or allow amp/cabs to be removed etc in my view is now very outdated.  Whilst Pod Go's intrinsic processing power can't be increased, there is huge scope for line 6 to give customers greater flexibility to really maximise what Pod Go can do.  The market and customers have moved on & I can only implore Line 6 to reconsider its stance and bend at least a little.