The Line 6 Pod Go has 90% of the horsepower of the HX Stomp, 8 foot switches instead of 3, and includes a volume/expression pedal.  It’s $200 cheaper than the HX Stomp.  I was all set to buy one.  But I didn’t.  I ordered the HX Stomp instead.  Why?

For most of my readers, I’d say the Pod Go is the better choice.  It can replace your amp and your pedalboard and it’s got the switches and the volume/expression pedal.  It’s cheaper than a decent small tube amp.  It has 95% of the same sounds.  And unless you really need MIDI and you really need to be able to run two amps on two different paths, it’s the smart move.  As I said in a previous column, it’s a game changer.

But the more I thought about it, the more I decided I should go with the HX Stomp.  So here are the reasons why:

  1. MIDI.  My live rig is centered around a MacBook Pro running Ableton Live.  I sing, play keyboards, and play several different guitars.  All of my keyboard sounds are from MainStage 3 on the laptop.  I’m using a Line 6 Floor Pod Plus for all of my guitar sounds.  Ableton plays backing tracks and sends patch changes to MainStage 3 and to the Floor Pod Plus.  My physical keyboard is an 88 key Casio piano, connected to a Midiman USB interface.  So the MIDI path goes keyboard to MIDI in, MIDI out to Floor Pod Plus.  The Pod Go can connect to the computer using USB, but it burns one of my four USB ports.  MIDI is better for me. But I have also discovered something else – although you can send patch changes to either the Pod Go or the HX Stomp via USB, if you are also using the same computer to connect to an audio device, you may end up with a nasty ass high pitched computer whine sound.  I did, and that’s with everything plugged into the same power conditioner.  Using MIDI, that problem doesn’t exist.
  2. Two amps at a time.  I can actually make a snapshot with two different amp/cab combinations, something the Pod Go can’t do.
  3. Tiny size.  The Floor Pod Plus is so big, when I put it under my keyboard I have to move my sustain pedal to the far right.  It’s better to have it in the center.
  4. Standard editor.  The editor is the same as people use for the Helix, Helix Native, and Helix LT.  Meaning a lot of patches just work.

The HX Stomp is slightly more flexible, but it costs $150 to $200 more.  Sam Ash just dropped their prices on the HX Stomp to $599.

I’m a big fan of the Pod Go, though.  I think it’s definitely a better deal for most people.  I just have some specific needs for things like MIDI and small size.