This month Ross looks at the Spark Mini Amplifier
The Basics
First up, let me tell you the price, so that as you read this review you will quickly see what amazing value this bad boy really is! $359, but you can get it on special for as low as $299. It is available in Black or white and has a useful carry handle.
So what is it? The Spark mini is a small 10W portable guitar amplifier from Positive Grid. It is powered by an internal rechargeable battery through a USB-C connector. Is it suitable for gigging? Probably not unless you mic up the amp and get a feed from a fold back. Is it suitable for rehearsal. Yes and No. It depends on how loud your other band members are and where you position the amp. One club member does use it at rehearsals for one of his bands. I tried but it wasn’t good for me.
And if you have stroppy neighbours you have a 3.5mm earphone jack at the back for headphones.
What is it good for then?
Put simply, it is an amazing practice amp with a huge range of customisable modelling presets. Out of the box, it has a clean channel, rhythm, lead,solo and customisable channel all selectable using a rotary switch. Each of these is customisable through ios and android devices. (I use an iPad). I have used the Spark to model and test sounds and then manually adapted my gigging amp and effects pedals to them. Think of it as a test bed. Anything you find useful can also be applied to the rotary custom setting.
The Spark software can model the usual suspects and you can purchase other amp models if you wish although at first you might not recognise them due to trade mark reasons. Each can be customised via the ios or android device providing you with, for example, a rhythm guitar channel that suits your particular need. So if you need a reverb drenched clean channel for surf music, just dial it up and it will remain in the rhytm guitar channel permanently. Similarly, if you want the Brian May sound with a bit or dirt and long sustain, (and who doesn’t?), add it to the solo channel.
But the real power is in the connected software on the iPad (at least for me). One of the most useful tools in the connected software is the ability to play along with songs from a Spotify list and watch the chords come up on the iPad. This is called Smart Jam. It will even show you the chord fret structure. Great for learning a new song. My long standing assistant has been Chordify! No longer! And I don’t have to pay an annual fee. BUT as I always say, be wary of such assistants because they don’t always get the nuances of the chords quite right. It gets you seriously started but there is nothing like the human ear to ensure the correct chords re being played.
The amp has two pots for volume, one is for the music coming in from Spotify or other sources and the other is for the plugged-in guitar. This will provide users with a good balance between the recorded track and what is being played by the guitarist.
Connection between the Spark and software is via Bluetooth. It has never failed me. Pairing is very quick and done by pressing a button at the back of the amp.
But wait there’s more!
The list of functions provided, apart from the Smart Jam feature mentioned above is quite long. You can create video content by feeding in a backing track, playing live and using the tablet or phone’s camera to record it all. Not bad for rehearsals or if so inclined, posting your originals on FaceBook or Instagram.
It can also act as an audio interface with your computer’s Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). I use it with Prologic and Garageband). The connection is via a USB interface at the back of the amp.
So that is a very basic introduction to this little gem. There is so much more. I know it’s a beauty when my family says that it is far more practical than a VoxAC30 or my Twin Reverb Tonemaster. Well……………… horses for courses!
For more details go the Positive Grid site at https://au.positivegrid.com/products/spark-mini
