Electro-Harmonix POG Polyphonic Octave Generator

It's like a mini mixing desk. Each slider does exactly what it says it does. There's no interchangable patches so what you see is what you get. The manual provides some good starting points. It would've been nice if when the input gain and dry output sliders are at their middle settings, the signal has unity gain (same output as input) as this would make it easy to build sounds around, but this isn't the case. Doesn't take too long to set up sounds though.

I basically bought this for use as a sub-octave pedal, so that's what I'll talk about. Every octave I've ever tried never tracks perfectly, even if you play perfectly, which makes them almost useless as far as I'm concerned. This thing, however, is awesome. I've tried every way I know of confusing it but it just won't do it. It even does chords! I get the impression that in stead of calculating what note you're playing then reproducing one an octave below, it simply has an algorhythm that halves the frequency of whatever's going through it. With the low pass filter set at full (no effect) it seems to be letting through a small amount of all the other octaves, making it sound a little metallic. All you need to do is move the LP filter down and you can get a perfect bass sound. I've A-B-ed this with a Boss OC-3 and there really is no comparison. Then, of course, there's the upper octaves which I didn't think I'd be interested in until I bought it........... This thing is seriously good fun. I'd give it a 10 but for the noise, which is a little much, though it does have true bypass.

It seems pretty well built. It uses the standard Electro-Harmonix footswitch although it's electronically connected rather than providing the bypass in the switch itself. It's mounted on the corner of the unit so blind stomping shouldn't be too much of a problem. The power supply seems a little on the flimsy side; the Boss GT series pedals have set a very high standard in power cables. As both the back and the front don't have flat sides (they come to a point) the jack cables end up pointing into the air as opposed to coming straight out, which isn't too hot.

Shouldn't think I'll be contacting EHX any time soon. Their website is really helpful for listening to what their pedals sound like with multiple sound samples from the big names who are using them, I wish all the manufacturers did it like them. www.EHX.com For that reason alone they deserve a 10.

This is a great, yet another awesome innovation from EHX. On the sub-octave front, nothing else comes near. Of course, ?230 is alot of money for just an octave pedal but it's well worth it considering it's the only octave pedal that actually works properly! The organ and 12-string sounds you can get out of it put this thing in a league of it's own, I'm getting stick from my band mates as I'm trying to put it in every song! Self restraint is reccommended.

Sliders aren't that precise, but easy enough to "dial in" the sound you want using the one page manual. Better than a step through menu like so many pedals out there.

Using it with a Ric 370/6 with vintage toaster pups, DOD FX65 chorus pedal, and silver face Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. Primarily using it for 12 string simulation, which is very good. Adds a little noise and volume boost, but this can be compensated for with the guitar volume and tone controls.

Haven't used in a live gig setting yet, but it seems pretty sturdy. I plan to set it and leave it alone during our sets.

Have not dealt with the company direct, but the website is pretty good, and I was able to download the owner's manual, which was not included with the pedal, as I bought it used.

I just had to share my experience with the POG I just purchased. I am the original owner of a Ric 370/12 Roger McGuinn that I purchased in 1989. I have been gigging with it in a classic rock band since 1995, in addition to my various strats and teles. I love the Ric, but have become increasingly nervous about taking it to our various gigs, mostly in bars, due to it's ever increasing value. I was lucky enough to purchase an almost new Ric 370/6 with vintage toasters for $1200.00. It's a great looking and playing guitar, but I knew I was going to miss that 12 string jangle. After some input from people on the Rickenbacker forum at Ric's website, I read the reviews for the POG here at Harmony Central. I took the plunge and all I can say is I'm glad I did! In the 12 string setting, it tracks so fast, that chords have that ringing sound that just sings out vintage Ric! My Digitech Whammy can't do this and neither can the RP100. The POG was pricey, but worth every penny since I can now retire my 370/12 and just play it at home in the studio.
If the POG were lost or stolen, I would definitely buy another.

The Electro-Harmonix POG has a number of sliding controls for input gain, output, sub-octave (one below source), +1 octave (one above source) +1 detuned, +2 octave and +2 octave detuned. There is also control for the low pass frequency and and LPF selection over what it actually controls. All up, the POG is easy to use in so far that it make a great sound whatever you do with it. It's less easy to use when aiming for a specific sound, but this is by virtue of the simply jaw-dropping array of sounds one finds getting there. Hours can be lost with this thing, and, with the sheer quality of the sound, that's A Very Good Thing.
The manual is well-written and offers good explanation for the controls, but it does take some musical knowledge to best understand its content. No bad thing.
The only slight disadvantage with the POG is repeating settings you've found. The sliders are only graduated with 25, 50 and 75% marks and can't be set that accurately. Again, no biggie when the sounds are so great. I'd rather the sliders than LCDs and menus!

Signal chain Gibson SG>TU2>POG>WD-7 wah>DD3 delay>UF-01 Fuzz>Digitech Grunge>BB-2 leads>RG-1 modulation into Laney TF-300. At extremes of settings, the POG can induce just a little noise but you wouldn't normally use such settings at band volumes. In any case, it is by no means excessive and isn't a problem to me.
The effect simply always sounds great. I find it an absolute inspiration - there's is simply nothing quite like it. It does have a tendency to be a little shrill when using a lot of +2 octave, but a tweak on your guitar's tone pot soon changes that. I love this pedal.

This is a complicated, expensive, 18 volt digital pedal. The construction could be said to be a little on the weak side, but treat it with the respect it deserves and I don't think you'll have a problem. A spilt drink on it would make me cry though: I don't think it'd survive that.

Had no cause to contact E-H, so no opinion offered.

I play a style of music you might call experimental punk (ish). Maybe, not sure - I don't personally care much for the labels. Notwithstanding this, the POG is hands-down THE most expressive, inspirational pedal I have ever tried. It takes me to new areas I haven't tried before and has livened up old work no end. It is near peerless in the sound it makes, though to date most of the favourite sounds I've found approximate an organ. By accident. There ARE other sounds (a bass for example) and uses, and I can't wait to find them. The POG definately helps me make music, probably most by the inspiration it gives me. The only constructive criticism I could level at it is the expense, and, if I were being harsh, the assertion that it couldn't be used a huge amount in any one gig without sounding a little repetitive. I will try though.

The POG can be considered an esoteric piece of sonic loveliness for the audiophile, but perhaps not too well suited to the masses. Personally I love it, but it took a long time to justify the expense!

It is pretty easy to use. The sliders control everything so it just takes time. I actually think there should be a few more sliders, for other parameters instead of so many octaves. The most important controls are the frequency/cutoff. The expression button on the unit was a nice touch if you don't have an additional expression pedal.

I used a chapman stick to test this, and it worked great. At first I could not dial in a good tone, but then I got some organs and simple synth tones. It is a polyphonic pedal so it should handle all the chords and nuances with no tracking errors. Hmmm, this is partially true. I was hearing some very minor garbles occasionally, not errors though. No big deal, and it really is the best polyphonic pedal available. The sound is digital and a tad bright, unless you adjust the frequency. It sounds pretty nuts, and the possibilitys and combonation of sliders is great.
It is pretty cool and should work for more experimental genres. I like crazy out there spacy stuff, and this would fit the bill. Its still not a 100% guitar synth though, its a harmonic octave generator. I just wish there would a couple more sound sculpting sliders on here, then maybe it would be worth the 500$. A damn cool pedal for what it is!

Not totally sure

not sure

It is neat and strange. The polyphonic aspect is its golden feature. Lots of munckin synthy tones, and organs. It doesn't sound like an analog synth or anything though, look at the micro-synth for better guitar synth sounds. Its a multiplex-hyperspace octave pedal! Now lets bring the crazy price down a little.

The Manual Gives You A Some Good Places To Start. Its Stimple Once You Mess Around With It.

Fender Stratocaster With Gibson 57 Humbuckers Out Of A Marshall. I Play Several Boss Pedals And Everywhere I Put This In My Effects Chain It Seemed To Have The Same Result. It Rules. The Only Reason I Give It An 8 Is Cause You Can Get Amazing Organ Sound With Basically Any Chord But If You Play A Fast Line Of Single Notes Before Going To The Next Chord They Sound Like Real Cheesy. I Dont Know Maybe Its Just Me. There Are Plenty Of Settings That Work Phenomenal For Both, Just Mentioning. That Has Nothing To Do With Sound Quality, Im An Idiot.

Id Walk Through Hell With This Thing.

I Emailed Them Once About Where This Thing Is Best In My Effects Chain And They Got Back To Me The Next Morning With Some Tips.

The Reason I Decided To Write This Review Was Because While I Was Still Saving Up To Buy This Sucker I Must Have Read Every Review On It And Didn Get Anything On How It Is With Other Pedals. Especially Distorion Pedals. I Use It With The Boss Metal Zone. Which Is Pretty Much On The End Of The Distorion Spectrum As Far As Heavy Goes. Its Extremely Hard To Get This Thing To Sound As Amazing As It Does Alone (No Kidding) With The Metal Zone. Ive Come Pretty Close, And I Must Say For Any Heavy Metal Player, This Will Open Up A Whole New World. And IT Gets Heads Turning Thats For Sure. Basically It Sounds Like The Phantom Of The Opera Pissed Off In A Cave. My Brothers Band Practices In The Basement And The Guitar Players Are Pretty Much To Cool For Pedals (Sarcasm) And When I Turn This Sucker On They Even Come Praising This Thing. Its Worth Every Single Cent I Saved.

Slide the faders as though you are caressing a beautiful lover, my friend - this thing deserves a Casanova's touch for what IT provides.... there's just so, so, SO many options of sounds to remember, IT may drive you bonkers with ecstasy!

i haven't used the POG with my full rig yet (Fender Deluxe, a bunch of Boss and E-H FX, and 1978 Ibanez Musician, nicknamed BBW, for either Big-Boned Woman or Best of Both Worlds, pick yer fave), soooo i have yet to find out the full "regular" sound quality, but for the moment i must say there's quite a bit of grindy fuzz when notes are hit with strong attack, even with the "input" (gain) fader close to fully down....

HOWEVER i must say furthur that i give the sound quality a "9" rating because I'VE NEVER HEARD BLOODY SOUNDS LIKE THIS OUT OF AN FX PEDAL BEFORE!!! GHAAA!!! i've been waiting years....

Crikey, i sure hope so.... this mofo is too SWEET to crap out on me.... i'll take pains to treat IT like a thin crystal bauble wrapped in tissue paper of gossamer filament....

Haven't had to call 'em yet....

Hells Bells, this POG is like the freakin' Holy Grail of guitar FX!!! let's see, where to begin? if you just push up nothing but the input fader, you've got a fuzzbox; if you just push up the sub-octave and fiddle with the lowpass, you've got a bass; if you bring in the dry signal with the first octave detuned, you've got a 12-string; if you put them all together, you get a really fat tone for lead-playing; and then if you just start movin' things around, you start finding realistic organ sounds comin' out the proverbial wazoo! i'm not one for church, but i'm all for churchy - and Jiminy Christmas, does this thing get CHURCHY! i'm talkin' anything from ringing cathedral tones, to intimate gospel settings (find 'em by bringing the lowpass down to a subtle hum), to grinding Hammond gain and lots of stuff in between.... i can't WAIT to try IT out with my Destination Rotation and the Pulsar....
so if this isn't enough yet, yes there's more, you can get a sweet steel drum tone, accordion, bagpipes (more or less), and lilting 2nd-octave tones by themselves approximating either a VERY melodically-tweeting bird or John Popper going nuts on the harp.... i'm still looking for the sitar tone which some other dude wrote was in there somewhere....

So let's recap, shall we?

Fuzzbox + bass + 12-string + fat lead tones + cathedral organ + gospel organ + Hammond organ + steel drum + accordion + bagpipes + harmonica + potential sitar.... = uhhh, maybe THE BEST GUITAR FX PEDAL EVER? Just maybe? Maybe?
dude, sorry to go on and on like this, but.... you gotta check this thing out if you consider your FX pedals to be just as much instruments as the axe you play.... the POG is hands down the instant classic i always knew was out there.... now all i need to do is learn how to play the guitar.... nyuck nyuck nyuck

Super simple to learn to use. Anyone who says that this is hard has to be an idiot. It's pretty self-explanatory. It's just faders that control the volume of each individual octave. The manula will provide any know ledge needed to get great tones from this thing. I will say that anyone buying this for just a regular octave tone is silly. If you don't want to make "weird" tones don't buy it.

Pristine tones. Not every single tone that you dial in is great for everything, but that's the way it goes for octave pedals. I am currently using it with bass. I play a 61 Fender P-bass, a 62 Fender J-bass and a 70 Rick 4001. The more sublte the instrument the more subtle the tone variance. The Rick sound best because it has a bit of a wider frequency range anyway. So it gets a chance to exploit some of the higher frequencies that just don't come out of a P-bass. I have several effect pedals (more than 50). I currently am running thru the POG - then the EH Bass Micro-Synth - then the EH Graphic Fuzz - then a EH Deluxe Memory Man - then the EH 16 Second Delay. It does not color the sound at all. Having all true bypass pedals helps that though. It gets complete dub tones thru the most insane organ tones. It's really cool at getting the Hammond organ tones. Keeps you from having to bring one to gigs if you don't use it that much. The music that I play right now is sort of an instrumental prog/pysch band. So weird tones are what I need.

I have never had a problem with it. I have only had it for about 10 months or so. I use it about 10 hours a week. Most EH pedals never have too many problems.

EH is pretty easy to deal with. I have never really had any problems with them before.

I have been playing for about 10 years and this is by far the coolest octave pedal I have ever heard. Don't buy anything else. All the tones are great, it's really easy to use and doesn't color the tone when not in use.

Fairly easy once you spend some time with it. There are a few settings as mentioned below where the noise is overbearing, mostly if you turn the low pass fliter all the way up. Its nice that there are sliders and no digital editing for easy change of settings. It would be great if there were presets so you can save a few sounds but otherwise it is functional.

Wow, this is truly a unique effect! I went to the music store to buy a tremolo pedal and I ended up getting this instead! I have always loved octave effects and have used a HBE UFO for octave up sounds and a Boss PS-5 for octave down effects with poor results. The Boss just sounds fake and very digital and doesn't track cleanly. This thing does the octave down so much fuller and cleaner AND it tracks chords, which is really the stand out feature of this.

I always wanted a pedal that could cop good organ sounds and this is the one! I get a nice church organ sound and all the notes are heard clearly when chords are tracked. It seems impossible to overload the signal and get jumbled tracking. I still haven't figured out what the real difference is in the low pass stich positions as it seems to be subtle. I can't explain how cool this thing sounds!

I have had best results using it in front of the amp and not in the loop. This is my chain as of today:
Les Paul>Keely mod Vox wah>EB Volume>Dano 7 band EQ> HBE UFO octavia/fuzz> POG > Line6 FM4 Filter modeler> Splawn Pro Mod (analog+digital delay in loop)> Bogner 4x12.

The review below says this is digital and I don't know if it is but it sounds analog. It adds a certain fatness to the sound that is makes it warmer. The fatter the better when it comes to tone IMO.

It seems ok but I have had bad luck with EH so far. I wish they would use real metal instead of that crap thin aluminum. You can feel the casing give way when you stomp on them. Also the sliders can get dirty easily and it's not easy to get the dirt out. Mine have already become a little sticky at points after owning it for 3 months.It certainly feels better than their other pedals I have played though. I also bought the floor model at a discounted price becuase it was the only one they had.

Never dealt with them.

I play in an original progressive/hard rock band (www.cheapsedatedhams.com)similar to Primus/Zappa/Mr. Bungle and it this pedal certainly fits with our strange music at points. i have been playing for about 12 years and have been an effects junkie for the past 5 or so. There is nothing like this pedal, as of now so I would say it is almost worth the hefty price tag, but i still can't justify a specialty effect being $300 when you won't be using it all the time. I do wish the pedal was a bit smaller as well because I need a new pedal board now to fit all of my favorite pedals! I am very critical, as if you couldn't tell, but seriously this pedal sounds really good and is so unique. Its worth checking out.

May seem complex at first, but really easy to get a good sound out of it, once you know what all the sliders do. The Manual was straight forward one page two sides, as with almost any EHX Manual it just goes straight to the point. You may spend more time hunched over this things making new sounds then actaully playing it...I haven't fully decided where it should go in my effects chain. As with anything there are no set rules just some basic guidlines, its all a matter of finding what suits you the best and gives you your sound.

Currently I run a Les Paul with EMG 85 and 81, Boss SD-1, Big Muff, POG, Holy Grail Reverb. Hope to get my new Wah-wah soon. The POG at extreme settings can get a bit noisy. It has a digital hiss noise (yes it is Digital NOT Analog!), which I dont mind. If you dont like that, buy a noise gate pedal. Overall the sound it pretty good, it does sound a bit synthetic and not very natural but a bit of playing around and you can get it to sound fairly organic and realistic. From what i hear with my set up it tracks awesome, no flaws.

I know Jack White from The White Stripes used one in their album: "Get Behind me Satan" most noticable on the song "Blue Orchid" but its on a couple other songs too.

We all know that EHX has some issues with reliability that is no mystery. Considering the price i paid for it I baby my POG as though it were a new born infant. I wouldn't stage dive on it or slam my foot on it or anything. If you have some common sense and take care of your stuff there is no reason why it should crap out on you. Enough said.

Never had to deal with EHX as all my stuff works great. No Opinion here.

I have been waiting for something like this for a while. I have always liked octave effects and wanted one that would do chords and track them well. Boss was close with their octave pedals but i never really liked them. I find that this pedal is a great addition and gives me new creative ideas for my music. The only thing I would like to see on this pedal is a lower price tag! It is one expensive effects pedal. I would try one out before you shell out a huge amount of cash for one. Other then that I think it was a great investment and its an effect that is so much more then anything else I have seen out there so far...I can only imagine what they will think of next...

It's easy to get a usable sound out of this thing at nearly any setting. I use it live mostly. It's a layering issue. If I only wanted a 12-string Rick tone, I'd leave it at that. But setting it up as an organ is more versatile for my needs. I wish I had four like Jack White so I could expand my possibilities in the live setting. The manual, like any decent instructor, tells you the basics and teaches you how to learn on your own. The rest is up to your imagination

My set-up is as follows: Strat w/ hot rails bridge p'up->Seymour P'up Booster->EHX POG->Boss EQ->BBE Sonic Maximizer->Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. (EFX Loop: ISP Decimator->EHX Small Clone->BF-3->EHX Deluxe Memory Man) I play with the booster on full time. With the guitar volume up full, there can be some serious hiss from the POG. That's where the Decimator is essential. My band plays short songs with lots of fast changes, so pedal punching and tweaking through the song isn't an option for me. I pop it in for sustained chords under versus and occasionally on lead lines. Used sparingly in our three piece, this adds the fourth dimension we've sought on many of our songs. A shoe gazer would cream over the variations you could construct with this baby. I LOVE cranking the gain up full on my guitar with this and blasting out a mean polyoctive solo. Check out White Stripes' "Elephant". The POG is all over the album. I also like to turn the Small Clone speed up full and run it at high gain for some crunchy Jimmy Smith-eque improvs. It's a little hissy, but that's only a concern on high-gain settings with my rig. It's a cheap price to pay for the lush EHX analogue polyphonic orgy you get in return. I just turn off the gate to keep the sustain when i play with the gain low.

I will baby this thing in my pedal case. It's as tough as my Deluxe Memory Man and Small Clone; and they've lasted a year of gigging in NYC every two weeks for a year. I'd love a back-up. I'd like to have four. I wouldn't let my dog pee on it or leave it outside, but I'm sure it would survive such circumstances. I'd give a boss pedal a 10 cause you could prop your truck up with a boss and not hurt it. The EHX stuff is a finer instrument and should be treated as such.

They're in my home town. Never seen 'em or heard from them cause I never had a problem with their gear. The place I bought it is excellent. I give them 99% of my business: Main Drag Music. With retailers as dedicated to their customers as these guys are, EHX has nothing to worry about.

Check out www.republickins.com. It's lyrically edgy power pop. My style is a mix of Stevie Ray blues attack, Andy Summers/Andy Gill sparsness, and hill billy flatpicking. I own a few overdrive pedals, but prefer a hot humbucker, clean boost and some overdriven power tubes. That's the best recipe for full harmonic bark that rolls back into a smooth purr. I run a Weber attenuator before the speaker for small clubs and rehearsals. To fully exploit the POG's potential, I avoid alot of distortion. The POG will be a staple of my live rig for a many moons. I never want for a 'fuller' sound since POG came into my life. Our 3-piece gets to stay a 3-piece. If someone stole it they'd be very lucky because they'll have one of the best pedals ever. Karma will take care of the rest. The low-pass filter is handy. The other octave pedals can't touch it. It's a value because I could never make something this beautiful out of circuits and solder. Don't even look at the others octave pedals. Just save a few extra months and get the POG. It will be worth the wait.