Creating Custom Positive Grid Spark Tones with the Spark App

[@frankfarklesberry]

Great job Steve. I'm a 62 yr old, 2 yr pandemic novice who is now ready to delve further into app effects in 2022. I play 3 hrs/day and love it, but I find the "effects" part of things a real rabbit hole of time consumption. Really carves into my practice time, and I find myself constantly fiddling. My goals are very small. Learn to play decently for my own satisfaction. Never intend to "perform". I only record as one-offs to assess my progress using a Zoom recorder which is sufficient. My music interests are 1960's-2000's classic rock. I have 2 amps. One a 1966 Princeton that I bought from a kid in 1969, and a Line 6 Spider IV 150 which is way too much and too soon to be bought at the time. 😃 Now that I kind of know what I'm doing (I'm actually shocked at my progress), I want the "sound" to get reasonably close to the orignal recordings. I want to be a rig minimalist. Just grab a guitar, do a little plugging in and go. I rarely use an amp. When I want to get close to the "sound" of the actual song, I many times just use my Fender Mustang Micro Amp which can usually get me close except for some iconic riffs. But it's limited. I am technical, but I find the plethora of technological choices beyond my standards of perfection and necessary complexity. I just want to put on headphones, or hear from a small practice amp, and look at the music on my iPad. I was considering the new Spark Mini that's coming out, but really most concerned about WHERE I keep my custom repository of effects. Can you comment on whether Spark + Bias FX repository is the likely choice for me in the next 5 years? I currently dabble with an iRig into my iPad with the free Tonebridge app to get me close to the "sound", but Tonebridge is no longer supported.

[@StevenParente]

The Spark Mini is getting good reviews and if it uses the Spark app interface (which it sounds like it does from PG), I think it would be a good fit for you. Positive Grid has been around since 2013 and has a good following with both their guitar and music plug-ins, as well as the Spark amp. I think they'll be around for a few more years (at least). As you can see from my video, it's fairly easy to customize sounds, once you know what the amps, effects, etc. are emulating. You can save right to your channel pre-sets and to the Positive Grid cloud for Spark. Which means you have access wherever you are as long as you have an internet connection for your phone. I don't have one yet, but Spark has a foot switch for little over $100 that you can switch between presets very quickly. Your Princeton is a great amp and so is the Line 6. But the Spark is really fairly easy to set up and get great tones from. I'm always playing through my headphones, because I live in a condo, but when I took my Spark to my friends house to jam, he thought it was too loud for the neighbors, so had to turn it down. I think it's a good choice.

[@frankfarklesberry]

@@StevenParente Thanks for the practical advice. I have to wait for the Spark Mini to be available, and by then it will have a lot more reviews. The biggest difference other than watts is that the Mini doesn't have the additional knobs on the unit. You need to control those through the app. I think it's the right fit for my situation. I don't need 30W for practice.

[@scrummyvision]

ended up sounding dope!

[@StevenParente]

Thanks for watching!

[@jorgecrespo1504]

Great video. Thanks.

[@StevenParente]

Thank you for watching Jorge.

[@kenny3485]

Hi Steven, Thank you for this lesson. I am new to Spark. Just bought the amp this week. Question - Could you tell me how to log into the site "real names of amps and effects?" The account setup input calls for two words, that Spark identifies, to prevent BOTs, but they don't accept any name I give. Where did you get the names of the amps? Please share. thanks, Ken

[@StevenParente]

Aloha! I created an account with a username and password and didn't have any issues. Try this link, it should go right to the names of the amps and I just used it and its working for me: spark.zone/viewtopic.php?t=16 If you continue to have issues, make sure your browser is up to date and that you don't have any pop-up blocking or other limitations. You can turn that back on for other websites. If you still have problems, try another browser. Sometimes certain browsers don't play well with some websites. Thanks for watching!

[@clarkianturner]

But how do i just create a preset from scratch with no presets? It doesnt give you a option to just create a preset from scratch. It seems like you have to just modify a existing preset. That is very annoying.

[@StevenParente]

Choose any preset, including any of the stock ones and set them any way you like. Replace pedals, amps, etc and save with your own title. Thanks for watching!

[@rdisipio]

In your opinion, is it better to add delay and reverb from the amp, or from the DAW? Also, for example, I understand the Spark Amp does not handle stereo delay (nor stereo in general). Not that it's been a showstopper for me for the time being, but I'd like to hear your opinion.

[@StevenParente]

It depends on what you're using the Spark for. As a practice amp, the sounds you create (including reverb and delay) or buy from Positive Grid like the Jimi Hendrix pack and many of the free sounds created from other users in the app, are really good. I've heard some people play at small venues with the Spark. I'm thinking about doing that and have jammed with friends with it. It's plenty loud and sounds good if you get it off the ground. It also depends on the style of music you play. Super clean, high gain, distortion, etc. But it sounds like you are mainly asking about recording the Spark, in which case I think the reverb and delay from the DAW is better. I use Logic, which also has really nice guitar amp software. Positive Grid and other companies have even higher quality guitar amp simulations and they all have various prices, form $50 to over $300. Having said that, the Spark has some amazingly good amp sounds as well for recording. but you aren't able to customize as much as what you can in the DAW. I have heard a few recordings by people and you wouldn't think it was from a Spark, but those people were really experienced at recording with their DAW. Spark doesn't have stereo out or MIDI. However, if you want to get a stereo effect, duplicate your guitar track in the DAW, change one of the tracks with filters and offset by a millisecond... mainly change it a little. Pan both tracks left and right and you can achieve a nice stereo like effect. Thanks for watching! FYI - I checked out your channel. You play well, keep it up!

[@rdisipio]

@@StevenParente thanks for your reply and for your appreciation! At the moment I'm exploring the possibilities to record guitar parts with this amp and I must say I'm quite impressed. I wish I had something like that 25 years ago..!

[@StevenParente]

@@rdisipio Yes indeed. I wish I had one 40 years ago!

[@billygwalthney369]

How do you save a tone to one of the pre set buttons on top the amp ...so u can just hit one of the numbered pre sets to get the tones u use alot without having to mess with app

[@StevenParente]

Aloha Billy! You do this through your Spark app on your phone or tablet. As you make your adjustment from your app., you'll find 3 dots on the upper right side of you app. Click that and a selection will appear for "Save to hardware presets". Click that, and you see another screen for "preset name" (which you could change) and "Genre" which says "Channel 1". Click the arrow down and select whichever channel on your amp you'd like to save to. You have 4 channels to choose from. Thanks for watching!

[@donnyt7799]

Why does my spark app not let me click on each individual amp and pedal and give me a list??

[@StevenParente]

Aloha Donny, first make sure that the app and amp are connected. Once you are connected, then you should be able to access each channel, including the type of amp and all the pedals. Be sure to tap the amp icon at the bottom of the screen if the amp and devices aren't showing. It should be the first icon, lower left. If you want to change current settings of the amp and pedals by tapping once and then manipulating the controls. If you want to change the amp or devices to something else, you double tap the icons at the top and you'll see the available list that you can choose from to change any of the devices. Also, Positive Grid has tutorial videos at the following link. There's one for the amp and app and more advanced things you can do. help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/categories/360002263432. Thanks for watching and I hope this helps.

[@donnyt7799]

@@StevenParente I was able to get to it. Thank you for replying! Loved your video!!

[@StevenParente]

That's great Donny! Now you can start having some fun adjusting the tone you want.🙂