pog v pog2

[harpies]

My Pog2 arrived today, and I did some comparisons with the original Pog:

The OG Pog sounds more raw, getting a grittier organ-grind sound than the Pog2. The Pog can also pull off a nice steel drum sound with some tweaking of the filter and detune sliders and a muted percussive attack, but the Pog2 could not get that sound right no matter how hard I tried. Having the separate detune sliders for the +1 and +2 octaves allows for a more haunting sound, more carnival horror sound, being a little more off-kilter and interesting than the Pog2 can get having only one detune slider.

The Pog2 sounds much more clean and precise. I didn’t think the Pog was bad by any means, but the Pog2 tracking is perfect, at the risk of possibly sounding too perfect.

The Pog2’s attack slider is a nice addition, although I would like the attack time to go even slower; it doesn’t get into real slow Slow Gear territory, but does add an interesting subtle dimension to the sound, great for a synth sound when paired with a fuzz, or adding some swirly ambiance to color the sound. Unfortunately I haven’t played a micro synth, so I don’t know if the attack has the same range. Especially handy is the option of adding the attack effect to the clean signal or just the octaves. With the effect on the clean sound and all the octaves off, it gets a good approximation of the Slow Gear, but I really wish the attack filter could get a bit slower and kill my desire to get a Slow Gear again.

Although there is a button for four different filter resonance settings, there is not a great variation in the low-pass filter sound from the original Pog’s three way switch. A nice improvement would be to have an expression out for sweeping the filter. I had a good time with all the octave and attack sliders up while moving the filter slider around, and I’m hoping Analogman might be into doing this mod (wink, wink);

One odd quirk on the Pog2…I isolated each octave to test their individual sound out. I did this because on my Pog I’d aby the Pog (with just the suboctave turned up) to a bass amp to get a fuller guitar sound, and I wanted to see how the sound of the Pog2 compared. The -2 octave and -1 octave were too muted with the low-pass filter turned down. However, when I turned the filter slider up halfway and above, I could hear more than one octave. The -2 octave with the filter up sounded especially synthy, not as clean (but still tracking well), but I was definitely hearing some of the -1 octave and maybe some of the clean signal leaking through, so with only the -2 octave slider up, I was hearing 3 octaves. The same thing happened when I isolated the -1 octave, although it didn’t sound as thick, just more like one upper octave added instead of two.

The presets are a welcomed addition. I’ve got four different settings for the OG Pog that I like to use, and with the added features of the Pog2, I can see the need to save a few more with this handy feature.

I do like both pedals, the OG Pog for the gritty, raw sounds that can sound more like an analog octave pedal. The Pog2 has its place in being clearer than the Pog, more akin to the Pitchfactor’s excellent clarity and tracking, but it can also sound sterile…nothing a bit of added overdrive can’t help. I’d prefer that the Pog2 stuck with the multiple detune sliders of the OG Pog, tweaked the range of the attack, and added an expression out, but at that point it is getting more into multi-fx territory. I won’t be selling off either one. I’ll spend a bit more time comparing, but the Pog2 will probably replace the Pog on the board, and I imagine most people will be happier choosing the Pog2 with the added features, clarity, and smaller size.

I posted this at tgp, but shit most of those old, blues-hack fuckers won't get anything out of this or care to read it since I'm not a fellow blues-hack tone purist dingleberry, so enjoy.

[Scruffie]

I'm very interested in this because I have a micro pog (I've sold alot of my effects, that will never leave, even if I didn't have a guitar) and was actually upset they made a pog 2 as I assumed it would be amazing rendering my poor micro pog the one thing (pedal) i've always held close to my heart a bit crappy (it's not true bypass, not that true bypass is always good and it does have a nice buffer but it isn't in a place in my chain where I feel a good buffer is neccesary) but by the you tube videos i've seen... I didn't like it that much... seemed too clinical and bland almost, didn't get that organy tone as you say which was a great attraction for me.

As for the BOSS SG-1... well that hardly worked effectively, had to play slow single notes to get the best of it so... can give it a break there but a volume pedal will solve that (although I hear the Gator is better, but i'm still gunna build an SG-1 soon anyway, I like it even with it's flaws)

I haven't tried the full pog but read the micro pog had better tracking, sure it doesn't have the second octave etc but it was good at what it did and was £100 cheaper the Pog Original I assume the Pog 2 is cheaper than the Original Full Pog? (not seen it's price tag yet)

Just some thoughts... Cheers for the comparisson though! Made me not think about getting a Pog II which would be expensive.

[Brettski]

Wow, kick ass review!I saw a video of a guy playing the POG 2 and actually made it sound like complete and total arse. Looking back at the youtubes, there are a few new demos of it that really make it sound nice. Good call on the POG 2. I'll be adding one to my insanity before too long.

Cheers.

[metalmariachi]

very nice review.

MM

[jrmy]

I just had a chance to try out my Pog2 in practice, and I fully endorse everything you said, interiorleag.

Personally, I never used the detune sliders on my OG Pog that much, so the single slider doesn't bother me that much. But with the new control over whether your "regular" octave gets effected or not, I've found that you can get a nice detuned chorus effect on your main sound from the Pog2, which I like.

My one beef is the way that the preset controls are set up - having that one big button at the top right feels kind of clumsy to me. I'm afraid of whacking it by mistake when I play live - that happened a couple of times in practice (largely because I'm a big klutz). I'm considering taping a guard over both the preset footswitch and the the big-button preset selector, just to be doubly idiot-proof.

That said, I love the smaller form factor.

Also, I've noticed that the Pog2 seems to play more nicely with my fuzz pedals than the OG Pog - I think because it's not as gain-y. My OGP used to make my fuzzes get really spitty and fizzle-y when engaged - the only distortion that it played well with was my Turbo Rat. The Pog2 plays much more nicely with my other pedals, across the board.

[Blurillaz]

The demented carnival stuff settles it for me, I'll get the old pog.

[harpies]

The demented carnival stuff settles it for me, I'll get the old pog.

it isn't a huge difference, but it is there. The attack slider on the Pog2 adds its own little creepiness, but so can a volume pedal.

[Ghost Hip]

Sweet review. now..... POG->POG?

[harpies]

I'd probably go with the Pog2 if I had to choose. The Pog's separate detune sliders (producing the steel drum and circus sounds) benefit is outweighed by the Pog2's smaller size and presets, and to a lesser extent, the extra octave and the attack slider.

[Blurillaz]

The demented carnival stuff settles it for me, I'll get the old pog.

it isn't a huge difference, but it is there. The attack slider on the Pog2 adds its own little creepiness, but so can a volume pedal.

or volume knob. plus no tone suck

[harpies]

The demented carnival stuff settles it for me, I'll get the old pog.

it isn't a huge difference, but it is there. The attack slider on the Pog2 adds its own little creepiness, but so can a volume pedal.

or volume knob. plus no tone suck

I'm dextrous with my legs, not my fingers. You should see the ways I can bend.