The Line 6 POD HD Desktop is a desktop multi-effects unit with amp modeling, made by Line 6. Announced in April 2011 and made available in May 2011, it was described by Line 6 as a desktop modeling multi-FX unit and the latest addition to the family of POD products1. It is a discontinued product: Line 6's own page states that the POD HD Desktop is no longer made2.
What set the POD HD generation apart from earlier PODs was Line 6's HD amp modeling. Amplifiers that had been modeled for earlier POD products were re-modeled for POD HD using the new HD modeling technology1, and the POD HD family debuted 16 brand-new Line 6 HD amp models3. Alongside the amp models, the units also carried M-Class effects, the same effects found in Line 6's M9 and M13 stompbox modelers4.
The POD HD Desktop is a legacy product. Line 6's product page states it is no longer made2, so it is available only on the used market.
A desktop amp-modeling multi-effects unit
The POD HD Desktop was built for the studio rather than the pedalboard. Line 6's announcement described it as having a studio-ready I/O: a 1/4-inch guitar input, an XLR mic input, stereo 1/4-inch balanced outs, USB 2.0, S/PDIF out, a 1/4-inch headphone jack, and an FBV jack for connecting a Line 6 foot controller1. That I/O set is what separates it from the floor-based POD HD units announced at the same time: it sits on a desk next to a computer or console and connects digitally rather than being stomped on mid-song.
The HD amp modeling inside was the headline feature of the whole POD HD line. Premier Guitar reported that the family debuted 16 brand-new Line 6 HD amp models3, and Line 6's press release noted that amplifiers recognized from earlier POD products were re-modeled for POD HD using the new HD modeling technology1. For a player moving up from an older POD, that meant the familiar amp names were backed by new, more detailed models rather than carried over unchanged.
The effects side drew on hardware Line 6 players already knew. MusicRadar's review coverage of the POD HD line noted that in addition to the amp models, you also get M-Class effects as found in the M9 and M13 stompbox modelers4. Those modelers exist as their own products, the Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler among them, so the POD HD Desktop effectively bundled that effects library with the HD amp models in one box.
The POD HD Pro and other POD HD models
The POD HD Desktop was one of several formats the HD modeling appeared in. The same technology also reached the floor-based Line 6 POD HD500 and the rack-mounted Line 6 POD HD Pro215.
The POD HD Pro is a rack-mountable multi-effect processor featuring Line 6 HD modeling technology5. Guitar World's launch report detailed what it added over the desktop unit:
| POD HD Desktop | POD HD Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Desktop unit2 | Rack-mountable, 2RU space65 |
| Amp models | 16 HD amp models (POD HD family)3 | 22 HD amp models, 22 HD preamp-only models6 |
| Mic models | Not listed | 8 mic models, based on condensers, dynamics and ribbons6 |
| Presets | Not listed | 512 user-writable preset locations6 |
| MIDI | Not listed | MIDI In and Out/Thru6 |
| Digital I/O | USB 2.0, S/PDIF out1 | S/PDIF I/O6 |
| Guitar input | 1/4-inch guitar input1 | Guitar input with switchable pad6 |
| Status | No longer made2 | No longer made7 |
The Pro carried an MSRP of $979 at launch5. Its Quick Start Guide remains available from Line 6's legacy product page7.
In 2013 the Pro was itself replaced. Premier Guitar reported that the Line 6 POD HD Pro X replaced the popular POD HD Pro, keeping the rack-mountable form factor and, like the recently released Line 6 POD HD500X, featuring more DSP processing power than before8. The Pro X is also no longer made9.
For a player today, the POD HD line's descendants run through Line 6's later modelers, from the Line 6 POD Go to the Line 6 Helix family, but the POD HD Desktop itself remains a discontinued, used-market item.
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Questions
Is the Line 6 POD HD Desktop discontinued?
Yes. Line 6's own product page states that the POD HD Desktop is no longer made, and it is listed among the company's legacy products. It was announced in April 2011 and made available in May 2011 as a desktop modeling multi-effects unit.
What is the difference between the POD HD Desktop and the POD HD Pro?
The POD HD Desktop is a desktop unit, while the POD HD Pro is a rack-mountable processor that fits a 2RU space. The Pro adds MIDI In and Out/Thru, a guitar input with switchable pad, 512 user-writable presets, and 22 HD amp models plus 22 HD preamp-only models. Both are discontinued.
Does the POD HD Pro have MIDI?
Yes. Line 6's announcement of the POD HD Pro lists MIDI In and Out/Thru among its connections, alongside S/PDIF I/O. The desktop POD HD instead connects over USB 2.0, with S/PDIF out but no MIDI listed in its announcement.
Is the POD HD Pro rack-mountable?
Yes. Premier Guitar's launch announcement describes the POD HD Pro as a rack-mountable multi-effect processor, and Guitar World's report gives its size as a 2RU space. Its successor, the POD HD Pro X, kept the same rack-mountable form factor.
Sources (9)
- Musikmesse 2011: Line 6 launches POD HD, MusicRadar, 2011-04-06
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 Launches POD HD Pedals with HD Amp Modeling, Premier Guitar, 2010-09-30
- Line 6 POD HD500 review, MusicRadar, 2010-12-21
- Line 6 Launches POD HD Pro Rack Multi-Effect Unit, Premier Guitar, 2011-09-13
- Line 6 Launches New POD HD Pro, Guitar World, 2011-09-13
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
- Line 6 Announces POD HD Pro X, Premier Guitar, 2013-09-24
- Line 6 | Legacy Products, Line 6
