Battle of the Multi FX Guitar Pedals! - HeadRush MX5 vs Line 6 Pod Go

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👆 Multi FX guitar pedals are perfect for any guitar players looking for an all-in-one pedalboard. Offering a plethora of tones, these versatile powerhouses are ideal for any style. Today we're shooting out the HeadRush MX5 & Line 6 Pod Go. | tinyurl.com/yyxtyhmk
» HeadRush MX5 Amp Modelling Guitar Effects Processor | tinyurl.com/y4htjxqr
» Line 6 Pod Go Modelling and Multi-Effects Pedal | tinyurl.com/y6pwbm6k
Digital John is back, and he is here to help us shootout the HeadRush MX5 & the Line 6 Pod Go! The Headrush MX5 & the Line 6 Pod Go can be considered to be the ultimate all-in-one pedalboards. They are packed with amp modelling options, guitar effects & cab simulations! The dream, for any gigging musicians or guitarist looking for an all-in-one solution.
But which one is the king?
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🎥 Looking to watch something else? Check out our other video featuring Digital John!
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⏰ Timestamps ⏰
» 0:00 Intro Jam
» 0:40 What are We Doing Today?
» 2:23 What are the Features of the MX5 & Pod Go?
» 6:27 Let's Compare Fender Inspired Tones
» 8:07 Adding Some Gain & Compression
» 11:13 Let's Compare Marshall Inspired Tones
» 14:20 Adding Some Gain & Compression
» 16:30 Let's Compare Some Mesa/Boogie Inspired Tones
» 18:50 Adding Even More Gain
» 19:55 Thoughts?
» 21:20 Let's Tweak the Settings
» 22:53 Final Thoughts & Overview
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#Andertons #Line6 #HeadRush

[@jaricklosey4607]

MUCH better demo of these units than before! You did a great job matching levels and building the patches off camera, rather than on the fly, and checking how the modelers clean up. I would recommend comparing units with the same impulse responses on both too, that is an interesting way to see differences in amp modeling.

[@benzakonium]

Lifecycle of owning any modeller: this sounds amazing > this sounds flat and digital (I might sell and go back to amps and pedals) > learn to tweak and discover IRs > wow, this sounds incredible.

[@MintStiles]

Yeah until they sit down in front of a real tube amp... Ooops

[@MintStiles]

@dannyplaysguitar each to his/her own. But I am not talking about 500 dollar heads either. People's opinion if how good their rig is usually changes when you have a Kingsley, Dr Z or the likes set up.

[@MintStiles]

@@illgottengains1314 you can't argue with someone like that with reason and logic. They don't understand that the digital is mimicking the real thing, thus will never get there. They don't understand weird audio artifacts or the nuances of a good tube amp in various volumes and settings. I enjoy cheap scotch too, I just don't pretend that they are as good (or better than) as the real thing.

[@SynZ777]

​@@MintStiles Sure, high-end scotch is likely going to be better than cheap scotch, but the difference is small enough that I'd buy the affordable stuff any day.

[@BrentRushton]

@@MintStiles I guarantee that if you compared a tube amp to a digital modeling amp blind in a mix you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if both were setup correctly. For live use the digital stuff is more convenient for venue PA systems, and often times gets the best sound across many different types of venue setups. Imo, modeling has gotten to the point where it’s really great at getting sounds that are on par with tube amps and have a lot more freedom with how you can tweak the sound.

[@johnconnearnmusic]

Both cool units! Also thanks Pete for letting me play some absolute CHOICE guitars for this

[@ThePaddedPedalroom]

Great job keep up the good work!

[@matthewboxall2012]

Great playing dude and great seeing you on the channel!

[@michaelsnydermusic]

Great riffs, especially when you got heavy. You seem like a natural at demos. Many players just play on and on but you knew exactly when to stop and when to elaborate. Great job.

[@redfurydubstep]

Digital John! 🤖 great playing dude your demos rock

[@randysutton2120]

I'm genuinely surprised at how much better the HeadRush sounds. I'm sure the Pod Go has some good sounds, but the MX5's dynamics are demonstrably better.

[@PacificBird]

I think it's the superior cab modeling that makes the MX5 sound so good compared to its competitors

[@FrancisCordieri]

Yes, way better...

[@JWyaMovieTime]

I had a Line 6 Helix for about 3 years, then bought a Headrush. I instantly sold the Helix. What this video is showing - the darkness and muffled sound of the Helix on the Marshall setting and the thin almost scooped sound on the clean amp, are exactly what I battled with for 3 years. I could not make it sparkle or feel like a real amp and live, it was always muddy no matter what IRs or Tweaking. The Headrush is just better.

[@bikeman1x11]

that pod go may hve the impedence issue that causes it to be muffled

[@cheenu711]

My brother in Christ have you heard of impulse responses?

[@lucaribichini7749]

The biggest difference in these kinds of modelers is the cab sim / I.R. used for the amps, it just changes the tone and the frequency response so deeply. It would be interesting to test them using a standard set of IR's and compare just the amp models / FX available, considering good IR's are usually easy to find and use within the product itself

[@fateunleashed9680]

Especially these days you can buy album ready IR packs for under $50 with countless free IR loaders that allows lots of shaping features or alternate mics. If any of the hardware brands just shipped the units with free okay/good IR's they'd be way better off. Plus they'd save time tweaking the presets to sound good through funky sounding IRs. This is always why I'll always recommend plugins these days as they're simply more rich with features and sounds to for your money than most of the cheaper hardware brands provide.

[@andrejgregoric1324]

my sentiments exactly. IR should be the same/uploaded from tester

[@francescobarbaro7114]

I agree, since Pod's stock cabs usually sound pretty bad without a couple of tricks. I usually place the mic 2,5 to 5 inches away, dial 15-20% early reflections in and raise the level to 3 dBs and that instantly improves the sound significantly!

[@michaelsnydermusic]

@@francescobarbaro7114 are the irs on the POD the same as in the Helix floor units like the LT? I have the LT and man I was shocked by how shit the first two POD demos were. Not my experience but then again I’m not going back and forth between it and a head rush.

[@francescobarbaro7114]

@@michaelsnydermusic yes: not only the cabs simulations, but all the models on the Pod come from the Helix. And yes: presets are quite awful 😔😂 The big difference in terms of sounds is that on the Helix you can run dual amps and/or dual cabs with different mics. But if you stick to single path sounds, they're basically the same (given the dsp limitations on the Pod which don't allow crazy reverbs and multiple delays patches)

[@EzriIkramS]

Thanks, Andertons. I know Cap and Pete and the gang and looks like a lot of your viewers probably dislike menu diving as the next person, but I love technology and I love menu diving and I love simulation. This just makes Andertons a lot more relevant to us mere non-valve muggles.

[@jaydock8661]

I've had the Headrush Gigboard for the last few years (same software and internals as the MX5). I was pretty impressed with it when I first got it, and then I bought some 3rd party IRs. Holy cow that thing woke up - it matches my friend's Helix blow-for-blow in terms of sound quality, while being easier, and therefore faster, to work with on the fly. Every time I plug that thing in, it blows my mind all over again.

[@seanwelch6442]

So true. The stock cabs are alright, but slap an Ownhammer IR on your patch, and you're all pro.

[@Turej87]

@jaydock8661 Where did You buy those 3rd party IRs ?

[@gratengelsker7614]

What is 3rd party IRs?

[@agrojim1975]

I've been trying to decide between these two boards for a while. This is the best comparison video on YT. My new MX5 is on the way :)

[@seanrosedotcom]

I am an oldie that prefers tube amps, but I picked up an MX5 for headphone playing and I am blown away how good and how flexible it is. It is a great unit.

[@damasterkarej]

I use Amp -> Hughes Kettner Redbox 5 -> attenuator. But it requires having a mixer tu use on headphones. I am happy with sound quality.

[@constitutionalcompliance2509]

I'm a professional sound engineer. I worked a show for Hinder a few months ago and was blown away at how good the guitars sounded running the Headrush direct. Amazing!

[@richiebohr5421]

I agree. The Headrush stuff is highly underrated.

[@sfish2684]

Did Hinder use a headrush unit?

[@jimtalltheislandbrothers6639]

Tested Helix side by side and ended up with the Headrush. No comparison. The amp modelling is so much better in Headrush.

[@reverendtos4271]

Great video. Digital John is a welcome addition. He's pleasant, knowlegeable, and can convincingly demonstrate metal stuff which you guys sorely needed :)

[@mikearmitage4147]

As a few others have mentioned there is a sneaky gate on the input settings of the headrush but unless you’ve spent time with the product or the manual you’d never find it. I bought a Gigboard from Anderton’s for the exact reason John mentioned. If you’re listening through decent full range speakers, a PA or headphones, the Headrush just sounds like an amp. Close your eyes and you can almost see the speaker cloth.

[@awittypilot8961]

I just got a Veleton GP200...LOVE it so far! Just the right amount of buttons and the top buttons are taller. Great sound and intuitive.

[@shadracastrat]

What an absolute beast of a guitar player. I usually switch off or skip forward but this guy is outstanding bravo 👏 👏

[@teagenbinder948]

I commented this idea on the first video with John! Glad to see it! Awesome demos so far. Only 5 mins in

[@ratelvis]

Finally! The Headrush gets some love. I’ve been using the Pedalboard for a while and I love that thing.

[@davidramos4317]

Do you still own the pedalboard ?

[@ratelvis]

@@davidramos4317 yeah I still use it. It’s replaced all my pedals and I run straight to the board, no more amps for me.

[@timparker4228]

Don't overlook the MX5's hands free mode. If you want to change the parameters of, as you say, your amp block EQ, you can button press into hands free mode, and use the expression pedal to make your change, no bending and knobbing required.

[@user-gc6qi7ev1o]

IS there any way to turn effects/pedals on and off without touching the screen? Like if I have a tape echo and a flanger how to i turn the flanger off without touching the screen, I think the buttons cycle between rigs

[@elsnowman123]

using the stomp buttons @@user-gc6qi7ev1o

[@jeffoberg772]

Depends on how you set it up. You can put up to three pedals on the foot switches and turn them on and off like a traditional stomp box

[@geoffbrown1382]

I’m liking the new digital series! It’s a nice change of pace

[@planzed463]

Agreed & digital John is awesome 😎

[@dean8842]

Absolutely, and John is a great spokesman for all things of the digital persuasion.

[@caprise-music6722]

Is it faster or slower?

[@planzed463]

@@caprise-music6722 maybe more like a sidestep

[@juampivaldez1]

Brilliant video! You complement each other really well, cheers!

[@Simto]

in terms of high high end and mid range focus, the tones would sit very differently in mixes, so one would maybe be better if you're just playing by yourself and the other would be better for a band / recording.

[@billdarm8853]

My experience has been that the Headrush/Eleven Rack based modelers sound and feel the most realistic. I was around for the development of the Eleven Rack and the goal was an accurate representation of what you would hear from the amps, mics, and pedals flat. The Headrush is also better at reflecting the touch and articulation of the player on clean and bluesy styles. The Line 6 stuff always has a more "produced" quality and will sit in a mix well without much tweaking. The Line 6 has a much better selection of pedals and superior live control. In addition to better foot switching the Pod Go offers snapshots within each patch you can move between using the foot switches so you can change pedal and amp settings within a patch with your foot. If you are looking for subtle realism when recording and are content to apply the normal console EQ during mixing the Headrush is best. If you are using this as a live rig and/or are a pedal junkie the Line 6 is a better choice.

[@MuckingAboutWithMyHeadrush]

Headrush has snapshots (called scenes) too, and you can adjust any parameter with the foot treadle on the go, I've had both they both have the same capabilities, but the Helix has better routing and build quality. But for tone and usability I went Headrush.

[@che2335]

You can also add a midi controller to the mx5 for live sets

[@eddysel10]

Great video. I using my PODGo at the moment (after selling my Boss GT100), while still waiting for the Fractal FM9. I have been on their waiting list for few months already. I play in a worship band and bought the PODGo due to the fact that their are a lot of great patches for the Line6 products (compared to the Headrest). Most of my patches and IR's are from Worship Tutorial. The sound of PODGo can be a little bit darker indeed. I use mine with Headrush FRFR speaker. Overall, very happy with the PODGo, very easy to use. Just one note, sometime an equipment can sound great in "stand alone"mode but different when playing with the band. I noticed that with the patches and IR's that I use, my PODGo sounds excellent in the band. Maybe you can put some background music when testing these equipment in the future (simulating a band).

[@RadioActiveBD]

Awesome comparison guys! Would love to see a battle between Helix and Headrush Prime

[@MythosSoundStudio]

Great vid! A couple of things to know. The Headrush actually does have a gate - it's part of the Input settings. The gate is turned up fairly high out of the box. Another thing, you mentioned Cap, yes their are global EQ settings for both units. Also, if you to the Output of both units (the very last white circle on the Line 5, and Output on the Headrush), you have quite a few options and ways to tweak the output signal around EQ, vollume/gain. There are ways to tweak these quite a bit - takes some deeper than usually editing on both units.

[@Markleford]

Yup, was going to mention the hidden gate on the MX5. Well, not really "hidden", but someone who doesn't read the manual might not intuitively find it. That's the drawback of doing a "first impression" comparison like this. (See also comments on Global EQ settings on the POD, which would've solved the high-freq rolloff.)

[@MythosSoundStudio]

Wouldn't say it was not a fair comparison, it's actually what most MFX units struggle with. BOSS was notorious for this with their GT series - ton of presets that were just about useless. Showed how much power the unit had, but sounded terrible. Cap mentioned this with one of the vids with Pete not too long ago. Just make a simple tone patch, with a tube amp simulation people know and love, and use that as a few of the presets. Instead, you get what you get. MFX are great for tweaking, and really getting into tech and music. Unfortunately, not for the "plug and see how it works" comparisons. Once you dial them in, they really can sound pretty convincing in my experience.

[@masterofcoin1883]

I bought the POD Go earlier this year, I love it. The tone I had at first wasn't great, but after buying some IRs and presets, people have had a lot of nice things to say about it.

[@Arkramn]

What's IRs?

[@masterofcoin1883]

@@Arkramn Impulse Responses

[@BangBangBennyBlack]

As a guitar play who plays regularly in worship it's great to see Andtertons giving some attention to the ampless\digital audience. It is not practical for worship guitarists to have cranked amps on stage. Most of the guys I know who play in this environment are using a Helix or Kemper. Thanks for the love!

[@seanmcgowan4423]

I do worship as well, and I would never use anything ever again other than the Headrush (floorboard)...Ive used kemper and Helix as well!

[@slidersson]

Is that the devil you worship?

[@PuzONinsta]

Just to clarify: pod go has trails system which can be activated on any pedal box separately. 😉

[@DigitalChemistryBand]

Go on.... ??? From preset to preset???

[@stevegardiner8473]

I wish the HeadRush products had the robustness and reliability of the Line 6 units. I think the HeadRush sounds fantastic but, having owned a HRPB (two of them, both had reliability issues), I ended up moving to a Line 6 Helix LT, which has been bulletproof for the last four years of heavy usage. The HeadRush comes out tops for tone and dynamics in this demo.

[@sylvaguitars]

I’ve just sold my Pod Go and bought a Head Rush, i play pretty stock settings, I tweak main parameters and once i get a sound i like i don’t change it. For me the HR sounds more detailed and critically feels more responsive to dynamics of playing, all the band instantly said, that sounds good and that was the HR straight out the box

[@dnottis]

I have a helix LT and bought a Headrush Pedalboard. The same holds true with these devices. I prefer the HR now.

I sold my ax8 and got a pod go. Sold that and got a headrush gigboard. I'm happy

[@mbsa76]

Lee, bring this kid back for other videos. Love his playing.

[@GearStuffandThings]

Videos like this are fun and cool. Yet spending more time on the patches on each device you could tone match them. The proof was in the high gain settings sounding incredibly close without tweaking. To say one sounds better is subjective. Its fun to hear them both. We live in a great time for guitarists.

[@ronzinale]

I think the mic selection and position is changing a lot on frequencies and darkness of tone. At least on my HX Stomp. But I think those units are a bit complex: you must read some manuals and ask some help to experts when you encounter a problem (like the lack of dynamic range on the Go)

[@chrisman212121]

it's extreme how much you notice when they are compaired side to side, great job guys! p.s can we have a boss gt1000 core VS headrush gigboard?

[@AB-lx8cf]

just got the line 6 pod go yesterday. all in all, its been an awesome journey programming and making patches. I am loving the fact I can find the sounds from my regular pedalboad. I can say, this may start replacing what i gig with. digital has come a long way since 2001 when I started playing. I used to avoid digital like he plague and use only handwired, botique or vintage analog pedals. now im older, my back can't handle carrying around my giant 13 pedal pedalboard anymore. so now I have the pod go which fits in my gig bag and my Gretsch Tri Five and Im good to go.

[@stanislavmigra]

I sold all my modeling stuff and aquired hand wired single channel amp even without EQ and cant be happier. But Im enjoying how John plays and his passion for gear.

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

What amp?

[@stanislavmigra]

@@user-zv7lm8uk7h 10watter based on Marshall 1930 Popular

[@Drugsman]

the Headrush sounds way more like my DSL40 combo than the Line6 Pod. I would gladly sacrifice more "tonal option banks" for a live setup and go with the Headrush just picking a clean, mild dist and lead patch. Eventually having a chorus/ flanger/ phaser pedal on the side to add to a clean tone on some occasions.

[@usmcyounggun6879]

I’ve got the headrush gigboard and I really like it. It’s sounds pretty great, especially for the amount of money it costs.

[@madiimad]

@@pedrocrush both are the same, the difference is the amount of switches

[@shugoki3497]

Pod go does do trails, it’s an option on the reverb delays and other similar effects. You just have to turn it on at the bottom of the effect or last row.

[@FunkyELF]

Does it preserve them with switching presets or just when switching snapshots within a preset?

[@vzguitars]

@@FunkyELF Only within the same preset.

[@RafsanBasher]

this is a good segment. keep it goin!

[@lperry65]

I’d use the the Headrush as a fly rig due to its size, it also offers duel amp rigs which the pod go doesn’t. Using scenes you can have three sounds per rig so I’d be happy with that on a fly rig, if I was going for a bigger rig I’d go for Full helix, QC, Headrush prime etc

[@hitotsunagi641]

I just started playing guitar for 5 months and want to go ampless for the next upgrade. This is a great video! Can you also add a content on how to setup the ampless rig in the future?

[@lemac3200]

There are channels for almost every unit. Watch Doc McFarlands - Channel for all things related to Headrush.

[@rayzorback88]

Not sure I would describe ampless as an upgrade per se, more of a practical solution with compromises. Now, depending on your current amp, there is a possibility of genuinely upgrading your tone with the current bevy of digital modelers and profiling technologies available. They are making amazing stuff these days. It's good to hear of new players joining the fold... Welcome to the world of GAS!🤣

[@CSLBRK]

My 2 picks would be a mx5 Headrush or a spark amp, the spark amp is easier to use very good for beginners plus you can use it as a simple Bluetooth speaker, if you know nothing about how to combine effects for good sounds u can more easily get some presets that have been created by other user of the same device, just tap Hendrix in your research and voilà, multiple presets magically appears plus some cool feature for lurning. But for recording artist the mx5 sound quality can get way better then the spark but then again to me their were no great sound in their initial bank, you kinda really need to tweek and shape your sounds and a bit of knowledge is mostly request, with spark amp you go to the cloud and their is a big community that has already shaped your sounds 4 you. I guess it is easy peasy 4 good quality against lurning the long way 4 really good quality. Don’t get me wrong, the spark sounds are great, I mean really great but the MX5 do have an edge of even better once you get there! ………once ……you……get……….there!

[@fateunleashed9680]

If you have an interface already then the cheapest option for the value is probably the Aurora DSP Rhino if you only want a hard rock/metal sound. It's on sale for $40 right now $89 normally. There's also the Neural DSP Archetype plugins for a range of sounds from multiple amps. There's 3 for $119, one is $129, and the last one that I personally use is $135. I sold my Peavey 6505+ for the Archetype Nolly plugin and have never looked back! Way better to use digital for apartment living, there's never any cables or setup process, volume isn't a worry anymore either, and the best part is you don't even need a DAW to use any of the plugins.

[@johnconnearnmusic]

Thanks, we'll be covering this over the next couple of vids for sure!

[@ZenoIV]

Good demo. The playing suited the products appropriately.

[@andrewpolk3527]

I would love to see digital John and danish Pete duel it out with our their best preferred equipment. Digital vs analog just jammin baby

[@guitarflyer172]

I’m an older old school amp player but I got the Fractal Audio FM3 and it’s unbelievably awesome!! The guys in my band love the sounds I get. Fractal comes really close to the tube amps. I’m surprised how far digital has come!

[@Allguitarinfo]

Right on

[@iambear.6526]

FM3 is double the price of these...

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Great video. I'm listening just now and to the crunch Plexi tones and so far the mx5 has won both clean and crunch times. It seems better at feel from what I can hear. Not feel of course. 🤘♥️. Makes me want the headrush. Regards from the heartland Indiana. USA. Tim ♥️🤘

[@bruceclark8643]

It would be interesting to see a comparison between the Headrush and the new Hottone

[@hairnation68]

Always felt it took way to much time to dial in the sound I like with Line 6. I have an HX effects which I prefer to the Firehawk I sold and the pod. Think the headrush just is more ready to plug play and enjoy. Helix even seems to be hours of tweaking.

[@naMnivraM]

Perhaps a Pete Challenge of MX5 Amp Sim vs real Amp? The first sound you guys had sounded like a tube amp. You did the SS and Digital amp vs tube amp. How about MX5 vs tube amp? How close is it? And... The actual effects in the board. Perhaps a shootout of the effects vs the real pedals through an amp? Maybe some guys would use this as a pedal board and stilll use their "Go To" amp! If the effects themselves are close, we could save a lot of money I stead of buying all individual pedals! Thanks guys!

[@jadonsvd]

If my Helix sounded like this I would own a kemper by now. It does preserve trails between snapshots. I will say good IR’s make all the difference in getting a great tone.

[@redfurydubstep]

Thanks for mentioning that, I’m considering getting the Helix and this video worried me a bit considering it must be somewhat similar to the PodGo but knowing that it does have trails and sounds better just made me feel so much better

[@jadonsvd]

@@redfurydubstep ML Sound Labs are absolutely the best IR’s I’ve found that sound so close to an analog rig. Also, almost every reverb/delay on the Hx has a trails parameter that can be turned on or off. I would recommend the helix just for it’s interface and flexibility. The more time you spend with it the better it gets.

[@redfurydubstep]

@@jadonsvd sweet thank you that’s good to know. Yeah I’ve had the PODHD500X for about a decade and it’s the same thing, I continue to be surprised by it the deeper I dive into it so I can only imagine the possibilities in the Helix

[@midfieldcrisis]

Great video. Thank you. I use the MX5 for live rock/country music. This is a great unit for a "3 rig guy" - 1) clean fender, 2) dirty Marshall, 3) overdriven Marshall. I have a regular, overdriven and lead scene for each rig and play blistering country and hard rock- I'm in heaven and my back doesn't hurt from dragging my Marshall cords and pedals around anymore. I know several people that have fallen down the rabbit hole of twerking hundreds of tones and rigs, but why? Maybe for studio use? My main complaint about the MX5 is that you don't get that tube interplay between player and amp, resulting natural feedback, and that cleaner sound when you gently roll off your volume at the guitar. But now I carry all my gear in a small suitcase, plug in to the PA and sound 95% as good! The tone of the MX5 in the video sounds more like the actual amp (good or bad)

[@FunkyELF]

I think the Pod Go does preserve trails if you switch between snapshots (the preset within a preset).

[@jadonsvd]

It does

[@J.D....]

Seems like the Pod Go needs more tweaking, but in return can sound better. While the MX5 might be easier to get a pretty good tone right out of the box.

[@OtherTheDave]

Funnily enough, “getting a pretty good tone right out of the box” was the original Pod’s strong suite.

[@dnottis]

Even with all the tweaking on the pod go the mx5 sounds better.

[@jeppej4265]

Owned pod almost a year now. There's a learning curve for sure but you dont need IR's to get good sounds. Really enjoy mine but HR doesnt sound bad either.

[@ROBYRH4]

line 6 does not have the dynamics and harmonics that Eleven rack had already 10 years ago now with Headrush they have improved even more .. the mi cantino comes out like a real amp to the ear

[@christiaandemarezoyens4720]

There is a master eq on the Pod that makes a world of difference and I think this was overlooked in this shootout.

[@Newnodrogbob]

I remember when the helix came out, and innumerable videos since, listening to reviewers carry on about how the presets were all just insanely bright. Like, “the first thing you have to is throw out these presets because they’re way too bright.” Now here we are in 2021, “man, this pod go is just so dark…”. Bear in mind that videos all over the internet show the pod go sounding identical to the helix line. Guitar players are funny man. Also, someday someone will explain to me what the difference between desirable “high end sizzle “ and undesirable “high end fizz.”

[@deathinsight]

Man am I glad I stumbled upon this. I am listening through nice speakers and the difference is night and day in favor of the headrush!

[@patrickcarroll1754]

As an owner of the HX Stomp, I wonder if the Pod Go has the same tonal qualities. I'll admit the Headrush did sound fuller and more expressove. Though I will say it's been widely agreed that adding 3rd party IR s and tweaking the impedance in Global Settings improves the sound and feel dramatically. But as Lee pointed out, you have to go under the hood for that. Great review! Hope John shoots the Stomp out sometime!

[@johnjohnjohnh]

I want to add with the headrush about the knobs. The MX5 supports MIDI in so you could bind those volume knobs to a midi encoder.

[@roccanto86]

But the MIDI capabilities of the Headrush aver very limited

[@PocketDelicious]

Just got a MX5 on the way. Needed a smaller rig for my Sunday worship routine than the L6 Helix and I think this will work perfectly.

[@jamesfafrak7288]

Love the video I have an idea you should try doing a sound like video with John that would be fun.

[@acousticglue]

I have a Helix Lite and can tell you that with any combo onboard cabs or IRs can be a fight to get tone where I want it but the unit is capable of about anything. Some of the older amps wish were updated to where the later ones were created BUT with every combo you can still attain what you are after. I have looked into maybe buying a second unit of another type but there are so many foibles with doing so. Cheaper units only mono send/return, some units dont have second hand warranty, some don't have dual amps/cabs capable, some have software that are glitchy and lastly some are just dang expensive. So Helix I sit with years of experience. (But I do hope for updated older amps)

[@EasyHeat]

I've used an Orange OMEC and Biasfx iOS into a BOSS Katana 50MKII's "power amp in" jack with impressive results. Hypothetically, you could use two Katanas that way with one of these for a super affordable stereo live rig that's light enough to travel in the boot and load in single handedly. What's not to love?! Cheers Captain!

[@fateunleashed9680]

Great video Lee and I see Digital John has a bit of a chuggy hand there. Would be a shame if we got a little Meshuggah bleed vibe going lol

[@bendixonmusic7149]

I have a feeling the difference between them in tone is in large part caused by the poorer quality of Line 6’s cab IRs, in videos where matching IRs are used the POD GO comes out pretty well

[@ronniegetty5675]

Great video I'm a headrush pedalboard guy and this was very informative

[@GerryBlue]

Just got a Pod GO and I'm loving it, takes some time to get decent sounds but totatilly worth it

[@mrredritehand]

Would like to hear the wah pedals on both units. But good video anyways. Well done John!

[@pseudonymlifts2]

Line 6 has always been foiled by weak cab models giving a wooly tone. An ancient Pod XT can still hang today IF you use decent cab IRs. Wonder what these would sound like if you loaded identical IRs on both. Would the Go still sound blanketed because Line 6 are up to their usual tricks cheaping out on the processing/fidelity, or would it fix it?

[@ArenaPAsys]

I love the digital John shtick. I’ll never get bored of that.

[@AJLeadbetter]

Late to this video but there is a punchy clarity to the headrush that just sounds a little more natural. Great video.

[@eamonnw]

need another video where Digital John tries to make the Pod Go sound like his favourite HR patches, 10:20 great test, more of this please

[@stoneysdead689]

I'm buying a HR MX5 and matching 12" cab tomorrow- and this demo just reaffirms what I had already figured out- the IRs are better than Line 6 IRs imo. It just sounds more amp like and feels more responsive- and the kicker is- these aren't the best IRs. They say the third-party IRs you can download for it improve it even more. I watched friend of mine download one- it's super easy. He just hooked up to his USB port, it showed up like a drive- and he drug and dropped the IR files to it- done. Not often you can save a considerable amount of money and still get a better tone- but this is one of those cases imo.

[@davidwoods358]

I'm really happy with the MX5. I do wish it had one or 2 more foot switches and a few more factory cabs and mic positions. But the rigs feel and sound great after you tailor them to your liking. And it does cost less than the Pod.

[@Bubblegoose]

Most guys I know who use the MX5 for giging just use a midi footswitch with it to get 6 or 8 more stomp buttons (and also not need to double press to go up and down).

[@deadshot4245]

@@Bubblegoose any links to that midi switching option?

[@Bubblegoose]

@@deadshot4245 There are a bunch of different ones out there, however I know for certain one of my mates got the Hotone Ampero MIDI Controller a few months back. he had the melaudio midi pedal originally because he also used it with his kemper (however he has now sold the kemper and the melaudio pedal). Check out the video that "The Pedal Guy" does on the Hot tone one, goes in depth.

[@deadshot4245]

@@Bubblegoose sweet thanks bud

[@dnottis]

went from helix lt to HR pb. The HR just feels more dynamic. You can hear it here too. I a/b'd for about a week and fell in love with the HR, easily replaced my helix lt

[@terrybanks5063]

i love technology progressing for us musicians but i still cant beat the sound and feel of a valve amp with pedals for myself. to each their own i guess.. im old skool anyway, i even still mic up a cab to record! not many of us left and even i was almost converted to using impulse responses. but for me, the real deal still pips the post. i just mimic the way my fave records were recorded. old tech sounds great!

[@bassyey]

Not everyone has huge houses to fit all those cabs and amps you have. Also not without neighbors nearby. That's the real deal people deal with in the real world.

[@terrybanks5063]

@@bassyey i live in a small terrace, neighbours either side and im fine. real deal in the real world. you really assumed wrong there pal. completely wrong on all accounts. you triggered.

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

Try a Fractal FM3. The Edge uses it, and a ton of pros.

[@user-zv7lm8uk7h]

I have both views like the op. I can’t dismiss how good the fm3 sounds. Trust me they are identical. But I “prefer” the amp. Sonically you CANNOT tell a difference.

[@UltimateAccuracy]

A quick Global EQ tweak on the PoDGo would have solved the dark tone. Line6 stock settings seem to be aimed towards Amp and FRFR users, going DI is always going to need a tweak, same with Headphones, you'll not find a setting that works well across all output methods irrespective of brand IME.

[@Nestorglass]

this makes a lot of sense. I'm gonna get a Pod GO for live stuff and I was starting to be scared lol.

[@woutermissiaen4745]

True, you need different settings for headphones and frfr. You also need to check the global settings, there are some errors that are easilly made there (eg. main out level needs to be set on 'line', not 'instrument').

[@Markleford]

Was going to mention this, as well as the "hidden" noise gate on the MX5. Honestly, it's all well and good to do a first-impression comparison, but you at least need someone else to read the manuals and make sure the two units are tweaked to even footing on a clean signal to begin with. Would've solved a lot of the head scratching before it happened!

[@SynZ777]

Most of the problem lies in the stock cab IRs. The $10 or whatever I paid for a 4x12 cab with greenbacks was well worth it.

[@1989stoneroses]

a buffer going into the pod go also helps a lot

[@TheTactical6string]

Man, was only 13ish yrs ago these would be revolutionary, now we have to many to choose from! So good to be a guitar player right now! Id would be lightyears better if I could of had these in the 1980's. Im still playing the original Atomic AmpliFire 3 button, Im very surprised the Atomic didnt catch fire like others have although even tho it can be insanely immersive it lacks variety, theres limited effects compared to any of the others.

[@blastofo]

I couldn't say no to the Pod Go. Now I feel like I can do anything with my guitar.

[@fido083]

Check high cut / low cut on PodGo cab. Defaults to 8k cut

[@jacobbrown1690]

It’s all about eq. Even a pod hd500x will sound great if the eq is set up right in the settings.

[@aaronmiller75]

I haven't read all the comments. But something that would have been great to touch on is the processing power between the two units. From what I've read, so far anyway, the MX5 seems to be full headrush processing power with less I/O and switches. Is it the same for the Pod Go? If anyone that sees this has any info I would greatly appreciate it!!

[@jcugnoni]

Cool. Suggestion for next ones: Ampero One or Two vs Mooer or Nux

[@ATothFTW18]

Is the screen big enough so you can see what effects/snapshots are mapped to each foot switch when standing up?

[@andyb56york]

There is of course Snapshot Mode on the Line 6 which you didn’t mention. Snapshots are an incredibly useful tool for live use.

[@andyb56york]

@@pedrocrush without watching the whole video again, my point was that they didn’t even acknowledge this incredibly powerful feature on the Line 6 which only served to ‘lower the bar’ on the Line 6’s feature set.

[@joernbeineke]

... nice vid ... would be nice to know which models you used on either platform though ... :)

[@bunkerbradley2293]

More DIGITAL JOHN please 🤘

[@telemaster18]

Enjoyed this. Would love to see the same thing but across one manufacturer. Line 6 POD vs Helix.

[@alexbucher5179]

Does not make much sense as they include the exact same sounds and technology. No difference there!

[@deathmaybeyoursantaclaus]

I've been looking at the new Hotone Stomp 2 👀 to use with an amp as a do-it-all utility pedal

[@pault9042]

Oh Lord almighty! Finally, someone mentions the damn Helix's range mid scooped sound. It's been my issue with them since day 1. When you A/B to any other pedalboard you always get that damn mid scooped sound. It works well for very high gain sounds but not much else. It like someone threw a blanket on an amp to me. I've tried pretty much everything with the full helix, but eventually had to get rid of it and just buy a axefx 3, which of course is way more expensive but doesn't have that "problem".

[@herschelvonrudiger]

You guys, think that there should be a comparison between the MX5 and the HX stomp? I haven’t found videos about that; the thing is that after some other videos we think that the MX5 is better than the POD in some aspects, but I insist, what about the HX Stomp? Cheers!!

[@camus1989]

Damn. I was nearly 100% sure that I want to get Pod Go, but after this… that Headrush sound seems to be way better. 😂 You made it harder to chose 😂

[@neilkorsgaard]

Hi, did you decide to buy one of these units? Are you happy with your choice?

[@camus1989]

i bough pod GO and I am very happy . @@neilkorsgaard

[@MartinZiegert]

I was wondering whether to take the Line 6 or MX5. What I chose is not relevant but you made me understand with this Video, what I prefer and I guess that was the purpose of making such a video, right? So, yes, mission accomplished, you did a great job. Thanks a lot.

[@raoul_duke7253]

someone else may have asked this or maybe i missed it in the video, but the global eq settings on the pod go fixed the dynamics issue for me running to 2 headrush FRFRs…

[@limitededition1053]

Line 6 pod GO all the way for me, when playing live you need functionality such as switching to stomp mode and then back to patches on the fly is great. Any slight difference in sound between the two would be lost in the mix. The Pod Go can be tweaked to have more 'ambience' if needed, lots more choice and if you use a wah you need it the size of your foot to be comfortable.

[@Newnodrogbob]

@Gary Clements have you heard the pod in other demos?

[@limitededition1053]

@Gary Clements I use mine live and it sounds great. I'm pretty sure the Headrush has a auto noise gate which the Pod Go does not. The Pod Go is quite professional in that it lets you decide how you want things to sound. The Pod Go has two levels of noise gate but the have to be selected. They have not done this in the video. I like the Pod Go because it's like the real thing, you have select and use everything as if it were the real thing it is not all pre conceived like the Headrush. Essentially they are two different types of pedal just a similar price.

[@Bubblegoose]

@@limitededition1053 what are you on about? what do you mean by the headrush is preconceived, and the pod go is like the real thing? I'm guessing you just haven't used a headrush, or seen an actual demo of building a rig? it's ignorant comments like this that seem to fuel a storm of total misinformation...

[@limitededition1053]

@@Bubblegoose yeah right

[@limitededition1053]

@Gary Clements Your entitled to your opinion and mine is the Pod Go is not rubbish and it doesnt sound bad

[@Robert_Charles]

During the "Marshall Inspired Tones" The Pod Go is clearly on the US Deluxe Nrm amp. Not a fair comparison

[@cellarcatband]

Funnily enough, I did not see that in the beginning, but though "well that sounds like a Fender to me". Turns out, for a reason.

[@MartinCraneRockbeast]

Is it worth the extra tap dancing to operate the Headrush? Which can only be bypassed by buying the biggest unit. The next unit above (Gigboard) still needs major tap dancing to operate.

[@moroboshidan7960]

The MX5 has a noise gate built into the input block. Turn it off, and it'll buzz as it should (because the noise comes from your pickups).

[@marekw7562]

Could you compare functionality between Mooer ge300 lite with Line6 pod go? I would really like this kind of vid

[@PastelComGini]

I believe that the headrush has noise gate on by default in the input block.

[@danielhoky]

wow sounds like the headrush so far is ahead of Pod Go in some of the sound tests here.

[@tobi__zwo5710]

I am the classic tube amp user and bought the Pod Go a year ago.The big problem with the Pod Go are the factory IRs, they sound a bit dull and little dynamic, it lacks the fullness in the sound. The big problem with the Pod Go are the pre-installed IRs, they sound a bit dull and little dynamic, it lacks the fullness in the sound. A few euros to invest in IRs is certainly advisable, for me even mandatory. The question is whether the sound of the Headrush is even better when external IRs are used here, because from the sound I see the Pod Go with external IRs at least on the same level and in the control options in front. But with the Headrush you should be able to use more external footswitches via Midi, With Pod Go Go two. As an old school amp user, the new modelers have excited me, but out of the box they do not make long happy. Unfortunately, I also have no desire to constantly tweak, so I use again more and more my small tube amps.