EH POG: what's the final verdict?

[zinzin]

i need a 12-string simulation and an organ sound. so i was thinking 'bout the POG. i had the chance to try one out on holiday a year ago, but i have not the chance to try it out with my gear - no store near me has one. so i would have to order one or use ebay.

so what's your final verdict on the POG? is it too digital sounding? is it noisy with other pedals? what are some alternatives (hard to find another pedal that does a organ sound ...)?

[Collapse]

The POG is awesome.

[bieke]

the POG is becoming my afv EHX pedal
and I mostly use the 12 string and organ sounds
tehere is no other pedal that can produce those sounds
it gets a bit noisy when you set the output slider over 50%
and especially the 2nd octave and 2nd octave detuned makes it sound very digital
I've been recording withthe POG, and the twelve string sound really shines through, almost sounding natural
I've even been thinking of selling my 12 string electric

[zinzin]

do the 12-string and organ effects only work properly when the amp is set clean? how does it behave when the amp is a bit overdriven? does it get noisy and mushy? or does the slightly overdriven organ sound sound good?
i am also thinking it could be possible to turn my rickenbacker 6string into a 12 string.

[bieke]

it takes dirt very well, doesn't sound digital at all, and the POG can be used as a dirt pedal all by itself (a very loud one at that), with the 12 string setting and a little amp distortion, it sounds very crispy and rich harmonics, when clean, it can easily sound like it's out of tune, but you can tweak the sliders to get the right sound for the chords you're using. For instance, the standard 12 string setting from the manual can sound a bit out of tune with a G major chord

I got some great sounds with the POG organ setting and the Fuzz probe, the organ setting with the POG distortion itself is another great sound, instant Deep Purple

[zinzin]

i can remember that in the store i tried the EH suggested manual settings and wasnt very impressed. now i looked at the settings shown in the EH POG video and they are very different!
that and your suggestions bieke make me wanna get the POG now!!!

[bieke]

I paid 200

[zinzin]

wow! thats a good price! could you please share your 12string and organ settings with me?

[zinzin]

did this monitorshots from the EH videos:

the organ sound:


the 12 string sound:


and i just did some phone calls and a shop 100 km distance from me has one! i'm gonna try out the settings above and the once from the manual. but they ask 349 euros ...

[bieke]

wow! thats a good price! could you please share your 12string and organ settings with me?

I am at work at the moment

I basically use the organ and 12 string setting from the manual as a starting point and finetune the octave and detunes octave settings from there on
from my experience, I'd say that the 12 string setting is set a bit dirty/gritty (I usually keep the first slider around 40% to achieve a chimey clean sound)
same goes for the organ setting, it's going to sound a bit distorted like that
also, the 3 way switch on top of the unit allows subtle lowpass filter that pre-processes your ingoing signal to enhance the POG effect
wanyway, on this board pic, you can see a setting I used to get a Farfisa organ sound, the second octave and 2nd octave detuned is more prominent than the first octave and 1st octave detuned, input slider is below 50% to keep it clean, and LPF filter is in the middle position



and I bought my pedal used in a local music store, that's why it was 200

[zinzin]

thanks very much! ... that board must be pretty heavy ...

[newstrat60]

Interesting, i've always wanted a pedal that makes guitar sounds like synth/organ

So whats the diff beetween POG and EH Micro Synth ?

[DonaldDemon]

The POG friggin rules! I love mine. In fact I thinkits my favorite effect aside from delay. I actually use it with dirt all the time and it sounds great. It works well as a clean fuzz/dirt also. Very mean sounding. Check out the clip in my thread where the POG is in the intro. I actually used a TS-9 to boost it and that made it too gainy but you get the point. There is also A Q-tron before it.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=1568231

also listen to Darkest Days on the myspace link in sig. Intro/chorus has it.

[bieke]

Interesting, i've always wanted a pedal that makes guitar sounds like synth/organ So whats the diff beetween POG and EH Micro Synth ?

 

 

well, the POG is a polyoctavve generator, it tracks very well and it can be used with chords, it's digital

the Microsynth is a totally different beast, more a monosynth, it's analog, although it has some fuzzy sounding settings that can handle chords, it is mainly meant for single notes, and it can make all kinds of bowed, percussive or cheesy synth sounds, kind of Kraftwerk/Daft Punk in a pedal

[newstrat60]

thanks bieke... I heard once a bassist play the Micro Synth in a Denmark St (London) shop... it killed

your Kraftwerk comment was helpfull

[booher]

there is no other pedal that can produce those sounds

 

 

you mean together? All the organ sound is, is just a low pass filter. So if there are other things of that nature on the market that statement isn't true.

[dZjupp]

the pog adds something unearthing to your sound, i mean, i never thoguht i would turn it on as much as i do, but its sweet to crank just one of the octave sliders and the output slider all the way up and use it for overdrive!
all of the other uses for it are sweet as well, i mean, besides ovd and delay its my go to pedal, and i prob use it now more than delay, that says alot for me, and the the vastness of combinations this pedal can attain

[danbomb]

POG into a rotary effect is a very convincing organ tone. I run it into a marshall jumpered with both volumes on 2 1/2 so I tend to not use anything else for drive. It does like a fuzzface before it with wah- very sick sound.

[zinzin]

have tried out the POG for the second time last saturday and i was still a bit annoyed by that digital octaves ... they always reminded me of those hawaiian steel drums (or was it jamaica?). i tried your settings bieke. i really really want myself to like the POG, i am nearly obsessed with it! and if i find one for 200 euros i would grab it in a minute, i just couldn't see myself paying 330 euros for it ... i am almost shure that with a little tweaking at home and with my own equipment i would be able to get those sounds to work for me too. the 12string sound was almost there in the shop! the organ sound needed a bit more tweaking. i was playing a cheap yamaha semi into a koch amp, maybe they are to blame ...!!!

[bieke]

you mean together? All the organ sound is, is just a low pass filter. So if there are other things of that nature on the market that statement isn't true.

well, there is the HOG, still have to give it a try, but I heard it doesn't do organ sounds better than the POG. The LPF slider on the POG only has a slight effect on the POG sound, it is the detuned octave sliders that make this pedal sound like an organ

but on the other hand, some players can obtain a decent organ sound without a POG

[PFDarkside]

The POG is a good time, I use it into a L6 Rotomachine and I love the swirly rock organ sounds it gets. The 12 string emulations are so-so, I like to just boost the harmonics to get a brighter tone, rather than using it as a true 12 string tone.

[zubester]

well, there is the HOG, still have to give it a try, but I heard it doesn't do organ sounds better than the POG.

 

 

but the HOG IS basically a POG, but with more bells and whistles

[PFDarkside]

I thought the HOG didn't have the detune function like the POG does?

[zubester]

im pretty sure it does

[Funky Chowder]

im pretty sure it does

 

 

I don't think so, according to the literature (e.g., http://www.tunnelvisionmusic.com/Electro-Harmonix-HOG-Guitar-Synthesizer-Pedal-p-16181.html ).

 

I've heard many people say that having those detuned sliders are what make the POG much more ideal for organ drawbar action than the HOG, but I have no experience with either.