![]() Unbox the 6-inch cube, charge it up, and the small amp (which really does look like a shrink ray hit your favorite Marshall) is ready to rock. It practically begs you to try things you otherwise wouldn't.The Spark Mini has a ton of functionality available inside Positive Grid’s app, but the device itself is very plug-and-play. There's even a headphone jack should you need to practice in total silence.Īll this, combined with the massive number of tones available in the tone library, means there's really no style of guitar the Spark can't help you work on in some way. ![]() It makes balancing it with my guitar super easy. I love using the app to play along with various backing tracks, especially since there's a tiny independent volume control for Bluetooth audio. Open the app and you’ll discover a myriad of awesome tools for those who are learning guitar, like YouTube-based play-along videos with onscreen chords, and the ability to listen to and transcribe your guitar parts (and add a rhythm below them!) for practicing. Unlike on the Yamaha, however, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to practice aids Positive Grid includes. Like the Yamaha amps, the Spark can act as a Bluetooth speaker while you’re also playing an instrument through it, which is awesome when you’re trying to jam along with tracks or are repeating tougher passages. It even comes with a lightweight version of Presonus' Studio One, which happens to be my favorite recording software at the moment, thanks to its simple drag-and-drop interface. The Spark works as its own audio interface for guitars if you plug it into your laptop, so recording quick demos is an absolute breeze. One thing both the Yamaha and the Spark have in common is a USB output. Wth very little tweaking, I was pretty darn close to my “real” sound in about 10 minutes.Īnd it sounds pretty great! The 4-inch speakers and 40-watt Class D amp don't get nearly as loud as the real, tube-driven thing, but the speakers do well to model the various different speakers inside classic amps the closed-back design really helps retain the punchy low end too. That’s what I mocked up in the Spark app, and it took virtually no time. I typically plug my Burtone Telemaster into an old Blackface Fender Bassman, via overdrive, tremolo, delay, and reverb pedals. If you’ve been playing guitar for some time and have a relatively standard setup, you'll be able to set up an all-digital version of your usual rig. You can simulate Vox, Fender, Marshall, and other famed amp tones easily, and the built-in overdrive, delay, and reverb effects sound like pedals you may recognize from Boss and the like (they even look similar in the Spark’s app interface). ![]() If you're after an affordable practice solution that also works for recording (and as a Bluetooth speaker), I highly recommend you check out this amp.Įach of the 40 digital pedals and 30 amps Positive Grid modeled bear a striking resemblance to beloved tube amps and stomp boxes in the physical universe. What’s more, a quality set of built-in practicing tools can help you write new songs or decode your favorite music, after you’re done picking the perfect tone. With the Spark, you can easily approximate any of your favorite players, even in that cramped Harry Potter bedroom under the stairs. But through the magic of modern digital signal processing, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth upgrades in small speakers, shoebox-sized amps like the new Positive Grid Spark are changing things for the better. ![]() You’d slip on the perfect Led Zeppelin T-shirt and distressed jeans, pretend the crowd was chanting your name, plug in your guitar, and out would come thin, muddy sound. Unfortunately, for anyone with a small living space (or co-inhabitants with functional eardrums), achieving an inspiring guitar tone at low volumes has been tough. Every music teacher I've ever had has given me similar advice: Try to buy an instrument that aesthetically inspires you to play more often.
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