Deeeer Simulator Music

[Leola]

Sincethe dawn of touring, bands have used vans to get from show to show, stuffing gear and luggage alike into trunks like a game of Tetris. In 2022 my band planned a tour that would see us traveling across Europe, but we ran into some interesting challenges along the way. Those challenges had me going down a gear path I never thought I would. So..what happened?

Back in early 2022, my band Blaqrock began planning our first European tour. The plan was to visit Europe for a month and play about 30 shows spanning 5 different countries. This was exciting, but a tour of this magnitude required a lot of planning. The first big thing we needed to figure out was what gear we could bring overseas.

The first problem we needed to solve was getting any vehicle regardless of size so that we could at least get around. We ended up renting two hatchbacks, so half of the band would drive in one, and half would drive the other. Problem one was solved, but it ended up creating another issue. The hatchbacks were far too small for me to fit a 412 cabinet into. This meant using my Victory Countess would no longer be an option.

I had to move away from trying to find an alternative amp to use that would replicate the sound of the Victory Countess. The options that were available for us to rent were just not close enough to my specific sound. I needed something that would allow me to perform in any and all venues regardless of the live sound set up, with my specific sound, while taking up virtually no space in our small vehicles. If this problem sounds like something a floorboard amplifier could solve, you would be right.

After deciding on this criteria, I set out to try a number of boards that seemed to meet these requirements on paper. After testing 4 different options, I decided that the Line 6 POD Go would best fit my needs for this unique situation.

Similar to the amp layout, the effects layout uses popular pedal icons that make it easy to select presets you like. The list is extensive enough for you to have access (at the very least) to every basic effect you could want to use.

I will admit, I could immediately hear the solid state tone quality that came from using both a virtual amp and cabinet. Regardless, I was actually still pretty happy with it. Tonally, it was the same as what I heard from my amp test. The virtual cab did add a bit of high end treble, but not to the point where I thought I needed to adjust it. The gain setting was articulate, punchy, and had that weight I was looking for.

Thankfully, the case has enough space for the board and a number of accessories. I was able to pack two instrument cables, two XLR to 1/4 inch cables, and two power adapters. These are what I consider the essentials needed for this board and the POD Go shoulder bag allowed me pack all of these things comfortably.

This shoulder bag also makes it incredibly easy to go through the airport. And while it can easily be used as a carry-on, I opted to travel with it a different way. I packed POD Go and its shoulder bag in my mid sized suitcase to protect it during the flight. The amount of packing options the size and build of this bag enables makes traveling a breeze for any player.

Menu diving did take a bit of time to get used to though. Timing is the key to making this work on the POD Go. With my old setup, my channel switching and FX were separate. Having the FX tied to the actual amp channel streamlined any switches. This is where memory came in handy. Some FX would stay on certain channels so that when I switched to them, it would already be set up. By the end of the tour, I essentially had the entire show memorized through real time menu diving.

For these shows, I went DI into the PA, engaging the cabinet simulators so that my tones would come through properly. At these shows I noticed the difference in warmth immediately. This was okay though; the tone itself was still great and I was able to confidently perform.

Could I take my rented Fender Deluxe Reverb into my hotel room and tweak things between shows if needed? Sure, but not a single hotel patron would be happy with me doing that. After our second show in Klagenfurt, Austria, I wanted to make some changes to my chorus and reverb FX. When we got to the next hotel, I pulled out the POD Go, plugged in my headphones and started editing.

To those considering downsizing to a floorboard amp, whether it be for touring, experimentation, or otherwise, I highly recommend it. While this post centered around the POD Go, in reality it was an endorsement for floorboard amps in general. Hopefully this story helped you make a decision if you were on the fence about investing in something like this.

A musician who first picked up the guitar in 2011, Myles toured the US and Europe with his former band Blaqrock. He's also performed in a pit orchestra, and played on a Grammy-nominated track featured in Bill & Ted Face the Music. Myles is a Gear Expert at zZounds and writes for the zZounds Blog. Outside of music, Myles is a huge video game nerd, dog lover, and spaghetti enthusiast.

Very honest review. I have not gigged with my POD GO yet but Ive been able to create patches that enabled me to sell off all my amps. New technology is REALLY THAT close! This is a great read for any of us who need to know different ways of executing the tools available from this unit.

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