Electro-Harmonix POG3

The Electro-Harmonix POG3 is a digital polyphonic octave pedal, the third generation of the company's Polyphonic Octave Generator line and its first update since 2009¹². It generates six separate voices from one input: DRY, -2 OCT, -1 OCT, +5TH, +1 OCT and +2 OCT, each with its own level slider and pan control¹. Electro-Harmonix describes it as delivering "lightning-fast tracking and perfect polyphony over 4 octaves," covering ground from 12-string jangle to 6-voice drawbar organ sounds¹.

Where the POG2 was a set of sliders and eight presets, the POG3 adds an OLED display, 100 presets, MIDI over 5-pin DIN, a USB-C port with a computer editor app, a multi-mode filter, stereo output with per-voice panning, and an expression/CV input with six expression modes¹³. It is a large-format pedal at 7.125 x 5.75 x 2.25 inches, made in the USA, priced at $645.00¹⁴.

What it does to your sound

The POG3 takes your input signal and generates octave and harmony voices alongside it, polyphonically, meaning chords track as well as single notes. The six voices are DRY, -2 OCT, -1 OCT, +5TH, +1 OCT and +2 OCT¹. Stacking -1 OCT with a little +1 OCT and detune gets a faux 12-string; adding -2 OCT and the filter moves toward bass and synth textures. Premier Guitar's reviewer found it "still excels at funky bass textures, twisted faux 12-string, and at providing ghostly, backgrounded high-harmony lines for leads"⁷.

Beyond the voice sliders, the pedal shapes each preset with several treatments. Guitar World's reviewer describes three of them: an Attack slider that sets the fade-in time, a Filter for tonal options or synth flavors, and a Detune control that applies a spacious chorus/doubling effect⁴. The filter is a multi-mode design with low pass, band pass and high pass selections, separate envelope and Q controls, and a stereo spread knob⁸. The stereo spread control can also create pitch modulation effects, from mellow chorus to almost rotary-speaker-like movement⁷.

The controls

The top panel combines sliders, buttons and footswitches. The INPUT GAIN slider sets the level of the signal at the input, with a gain range of 0.5 to 3X¹. Guitar Pedal X's review also lists MASTER VOLUME and a FOCUS control for the +1 OCT and +2 OCT voices⁹.

There are three footswitches. The EFFECT footswitch toggles between effect mode and buffered bypass. The PRESET UP and PRESET DOWN footswitches each activate the current preset and then scroll through presets with subsequent presses; pressing and holding scrolls quickly, and pressing both together returns the pedal to LIVE mode¹⁶.

The EXP/CV input supports either an expression pedal with a 1/4" TRS plug or a control voltage from 0 to 5V on a TS plug. It accepts any expression pedal using a potentiometer from 10kΩ to 100kΩ with the wiper connected to the tip¹⁶. The pedal offers six expression modes⁴:

• VOLUME: controls output level for ambient swells and dynamic control⁵
• CROSSFADE⁹
• WARP⁹
• FILTER⁹
• FREEZE+GLISS⁹
• FREEZE+VOLUME: extra dynamic control over the freeze sound⁵

One caveat from a review: Guitar.com's reviewer found that with a Moog EP-3 expression pedal, the calibration process had to be repeated at every power-on, otherwise the pitch changes "went horribly" atonal, though he presumed it was a fixable bug¹⁰.

Presets, display and the NavCoder

The POG3 holds 100 onboard presets, saved and rearranged through the OLED display and the NavCoder knob¹. It ships with 10 factory presets to start from⁴⁷. The NavCoder is a push knob that navigates menus, parameters and presets: rotate it to scroll through values, presets and lists; center press to load or unload a preset and select menu options; center press and hold to save a preset; and push the D-pad in four directions to navigate¹¹¹. MusicRadar's reviewer describes the same encoder as pushable left, right, up and down, and usable as a button to confirm selections³.

The high-visibility OLED graphical display shows the preset number, preset name, the status of outputs and buttons, and more¹. It offers four home screen views¹¹:

• STANDARD: preset number and name plus all status icons⁵
• GRAPHIC: a real-time graphical representation of all sliders and knobs⁵
• DATA: exact value settings for all controls⁵
• PERFORMANCE: a large preset number and name for a simplified view on stage⁵

Presets can also be edited on a computer. A USB-C port connects to Windows or Mac and interfaces with the EHXport app for preset editing and transfers, firmware updates and global settings¹⁶. Premier Guitar's reviewer notes that the included manual, at 23 pages, "is a must-read"⁷.

Power and connections

The POG3 runs on 9VDC from the factory-supplied adapter, a 9.6VDC-500mA unit that comes in the box¹⁶. The current requirement is 300mA at 9VDC, the power jack is center negative, and the maximum allowable supply voltage is 10.5 VDC¹⁶. There is no battery option. At 300mA, the pedal needs a dedicated output on a power supply rather than a low-current daisy chain tap.

Audio connections are mono in and stereo out. The single 1/4" input is unbalanced and high impedance, 2MΩ, intended for both instruments and line level signals up to +6.2dBu¹⁶. There are three 1/4" outputs: LEFT and RIGHT, each unbalanced, low impedance, 550Ω, with a maximum output level of +7.2dBu, and DIRECT OUT, a buffered output at 550Ω with a maximum output level of +12.5dBu¹⁶. Individual pan controls separate voices between the LEFT and RIGHT jacks¹.

MIDI is on two 5-pin DIN jacks. MIDI IN receives Control Change, Program Change and MIDI Note messages, and every parameter on the top panel is controllable via CC and PC¹. MIDI Note messages go further: they let you play the POG3 from a MIDI keyboard controller, turning it into an organ or synthesizer module⁶. MIDI OUT provides a MIDI Thru connection⁵.

Where it came from

The first Polyphonic Octave Generator was released in 2005, and since then Electro-Harmonix has issued plenty of POG versions and related spin-offs, including two HOG pedals and the '9' series⁴. The POG3 is the third generation and the line's first update since 2009². Premier Guitar notes it costs $245 more than its predecessor, the POG2, at $645⁷⁵. The related HOG2 octave generator and synthesizer was discontinued in 2024¹³.

What reviewers said

Reviews were largely positive about tracking and capability, with price a recurring consideration. Guitar World's Trevor Curwen called it "a comprehensive reimagining of the POG with solid tracking," concluding⁴⁷⁹:

Trevor Curwen, Guitar World¹⁴

Premier Guitar's reviewer found that "the tracking is excellent, and there's a lot less fighting against artificial, cheesy sounds once you grasp the finer points," and highlighted the per-band panning knobs as "a very cool new feature"⁷. Guitar.com's review took a more measured view, finding it a powerful but niche and expensive evolution of the POG2¹⁰.

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Electro-Harmonix also hosts a set of official demo videos for the pedal, including an "Ambient Octaves" demo by Chords of Orion¹⁵.

Videos

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News

Questions