The MASSIVE New Amp From Positive Grid....The Spark Mini!

[@DarrellBraunGuitar]

This thing is genuinely super fun to play, and sounds WAY better than something this small should! Tones at 5:20 Enjoy :)

[@willmcgil460]

Would be great with some headphone jamming

[@Richtone85]

No they are the direct recorded tones and not recorded from the speaker. It’s a combo amp. Demo the damn speaker.

[@hunterheath6939]

Yess Ive been waiting ever since i saw this cant wait

[@jant3106]

Please demo using the built-in speakers, that's how it will be used by most. This review makes me hesitant to buy really...

[@johnamcclintock1]

@@Richtone85 stop being so entitled and rude! If you want something a little manners and politeness goes a very long way!

[@GoldtriggerDude]

It's good for what it's designed for: bringing to the park, your front porch, your next-door neighbor's house. Not expecting it to sound like a $1500 dollar amp for recording in a professional studio. I give it 2 thumbs up.

[@hughmann1118]

The direct out sounds great. Now I would really like to hear what the speaker sounds like, as that's probably how most of us would want to use it. Cheers.

[@castleanthrax1833]

Is that why it sounded so good. I didn't think 3 inches were that good. ✌️🇦🇺

[@Biowolf626]

@@castleanthrax1833 you’re kinky

[@Richtone85]

And there are beginner guitarists that have no doubt ordered one of these now because his demo sounded so good, not understanding he didn’t really demo the amp. Great way to treat your viewers 👍

[@ExplodingPsyche]

@@eldritch6871 You don't seriously think that bot is Darrell?

[@DMSProduktions]

@TELEGRAM only 👉 @DarrelBraun STOP SPAMMING ARSE HOLE! REPORTED!

[@rayschoch5882]

Good demo, Darrell, but more useful if we heard more of the tones through the Mini's own speaker.

[@duncanneilson9312]

I agree, I loved the app for the original but the sound out of the speakers was a weak link IMHO compared to others like the THR or vox adio. Just a bit too boxey for me.

[@davidlamb8787]

exactly ray

[@Papa-Bogey]

They are on the Spark web site ...

[@stringbender57]

@ Ray Schoch - I couldn't agree more. What was Darrell thinking???

[@joakimolsson1024]

@@stringbender57 maybe he was thinking that what you will hear is not actually what it will sound like, since it will go through his mic, and then crushed by youtube, and then through your speakers/headphones which will sound nothing like the actual speaker.

[@jokermtb]

Why no mention of how it sounds using it’s built-in speakers?

[@adventureawaits3646]

Love my spark 40, sits under my desk and is my day to day amp. I never used the buttons on top, do all changes on my ipad that's on a stand right above it, so won't miss those controls on the mini. I ordered mine this morning, it'll partially be my daughter's practice amp for her room I think, and it'll be the one we take along for vacation. And if it sounds great streaming music, we'll use it for that too. I've had my spark for quite a while now and I'm still blown away by the versatility, the options in the software, and most importantly, buy it's sound. Have a Mesa Boogie DC3 and a Fender Mustang GTX 50 in the other room, but the spark is my go to. Small and out of the way under my desk, where I spend most of my day. Supposedly my mini will ship in April, looking forward to it!

[@RapttorX]

reviewing an amp like this without a room mic is like reviewing an electric guitar without plugging it in...

[@stringbender57]

My thoughts exactly. What the hell was Darrell thinking???

[@jasonmelo1974]

​@@stringbender57he was thinking he needs to sell this for the company obviously! There are no genuine reviews anymore.

[@courier11sec]

Okay but why didn't you mic the thing to show how it sounds in the room? Anything sounds good direct.

[@offidano9587]

Absolutely! How does "it" sound and how does it sound in comparison to the Spark 40? I'd also like to hear a little more disclosure.

[@Richtone85]

This video is extremely misleading. He didn’t even mention how the built in 2 mini speakers sound. Thumbs down button getting a workout.

[@slo_carry]

If I didn't already have the Spark, then the mini would have been purchased in a heartbeat.

[@AxelAlexK]

I have the original and it's been a decent amp. I use it for recording covers for my KZbin channel and it's also my regular practice amp. My experience with it has been mixed. A lot of the app features I thought I'd use I have ended up not. The app is pretty laggy. The Bluetooth connectivity is the greatest part but it is easier and faster to just browse backing tracks on KZbin then actually use the app if I want to jam. When I Tab out covers I've done on my KZbin channel I end up just using chordify instead of the spark app if I need help finding chords. Again, it's just faster and simpler. Also, the app uses just uses KZbin anyway. The Spark's variety of effects is pretty great though, lots of options without having to own a ton of pedals. The other problem is the amp has been pretty buggy for me. Until a recent update I couldn't get the interface to work properly for recording. The guitar sound came out distorted every time. And when I updated it temporarily bricked the amp, fortunately positive grid support was able to email me some files to fix it. I think the amp is a good choice for practicing but looking back I'm not sure I wouldn't have chosen a Yamaha thr or boss Katana instead.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

Thanx for the heads up :-)

[@florisvanlingen]

For recording and silent practice I'd rather use a real amp with a loadbox and cabinet simualtions or impulse responses. Now that rig is way more expensive than the spark. You can even get bias fx for like 50bucks and start recording. No matter the brand amp sims do sound and feel noticabbly different from a real amp, but they are improving fast.

[@DMSProduktions]

@TELEGRAM only 👉 @DarrelBraun STOP SPAMMING ARSE HOLE! REPORTED!

[@14TacomaDR]

I love Chordify. Lots of songs I never tried because I thought they were to hard . Turns out they aren't that hard

[@AxelAlexK]

@@14TacomaDR it is pretty great. Not always the most accurate as with any chord recognition program, but it gives a good start and I have always been able to use my ears to find any mistakes.

[@offidano9587]

For me, a key question is how does the sound of the Mini compare to that of the bigger brother(sister) Spark 40? I would love to see a comparison video and your comments.

[@aphotosyntheticworld]

I've found personally that the tradeoff in sound is made up for in the portability. I have both and use the Mini way less frankly because it doesn't sound as good. I do use it more as a desktop rig to record with since the spark 40 is in the living room as my main Bluetooth speaker.

[@rocpile2517]

The sound from the built in speakers sound fantastic

[@And1slash]

That is a fantastic sounding amp and I'm sure I'd consider buying one when I see a proper review that uses the speaker that's in the mini amp

[@totallynotjohn8083]

Thank you for making this video Darrell, I will definitely buy this amp when it's fully released and buyable not just as a pre order so I can use this at home, a friends house, or even at school. As much as I like this amp I do wish it was a bit cheaper but I can't complain too much since it has a huge library of tones and it also works as an audio interface.

[@user-cg7dg7uv8f]

A demonstration of the sort of volume possible in a room would have been nice

[@Stoney3K]

Makes me wonder if they are also going to make a "big" Spark 100 amp with a single 12" which would be suitable for gigging.

[@SteveDave227]

Love my Tele FMT HH. Glad you still play yours!

[@MashaT22]

Were the audio recordings done with a mic? Or through the audio interface? I’m curious if we are getting a close representation to what is heard in the room or whether it went straight into a computer. Because it’s going to sound better through the audio interface when we watch this video if it wasn’t mic’ed. I would really like to hear it from a high quality mic . . . and get a comparison to the larger Spark while it is also connected to a mic. That would give us a better idea about what it sounds like in a room and as compared with its big brother.

[@lavabyrd]

he mentioned in the video its done through the lineout on the Spark mini into his audio interface, not via the interface on the mini, and no mics

[@duncanneilson9312]

@@lavabyrd yeh should have probably had atleast a section of the review about how it sounds through the speakers

[@altpath]

Just got my mini a couple days ago and have been loving it so far. Putting the volume up past noon can get a little crackly on the low end, might be i just use too much gain and my baritone tunings are too much but even with that, I'm still very happy. I got it as a birthday gift but I would have bought it anyway because it's portable, not too loud (my kids don't want to hear me play terribly) and I can use it for listening to music when I have the house to myself. I love having the app to control it, I prefer that over physical dials on the amp actually.

[@Russell_Optics]

I agree with Hayley's comment that my original spark just sounds too muddy. I expected a lot more sound from a 40 watt amp. I did not return mine because it was more trouble than I thought it was worth plus I'm hoping they might come out with a download that reduces the flabby bass and increases the mid-range and treble. I do like the convenience of it's size and the effects. I just wish it sounded better.

[@martin-1965]

It's a fun thing for anyone who wants to learn guitar and jam along to stuff but it's not as great as Darrell suggest imho. I mean Darrell can make any guitar and amp sound great lol. I almost bought one but spent a night around a friends trying it out and decided nah... sounds too processed and fake for me sorry. I'm past that stage and too long in the tooth. It's TikTok to my 7 inch vinyl world but.... damn, wish they'd been around when I was a teenager as they would have been amazing :)

[@courier11sec]

I'm sure you have heard before, but putting it on a stand up off the floor helps a lot with the muddy sound, and the EQ they added as an update can also sort it, but I dislike that it takes up the modulation slot.

[@itsalwayssomething7490]

Turn the bass to zero and use the EQ pedal in the app.

[@johnphillips4033]

Yep

[@whatwouldhousedo5136]

I've posted about this on a couple of other videos. The problem with the Spark programming is that he Gain knob also increases bass (no idea why this would be a thing, but it is). So the best thing to do is to turn the bass and gain way down, and use a pedal for distortion- I find the Black Op and SAB Driver to be the best for this. As someone else mentioned, the new EQ pedal is also an extremely useful addition.

[@kenmasters007]

Mini vs full version please.. need to know what those small speakers sound like...

[@MrUSFT]

Of course the direct out sounds good. It's a computer with a sound chip. I'm disappointed that you didn't let us hear what the speaker sounds like.

[@Dj_baby_benz]

it's not that good

[@logandudley2552]

@@Dj_baby_benzlike ur username?

[@Dj_baby_benz]

@@logandudley2552 clairo is literally perfection

[@YachtPapiDayne]

Not even gonna watch thank you !

[@TV-Villain]

Dude literally played through it half the video

[@curlyhoward6434]

Thanks for a great review. I also liked that you put links to everything you used during the review so we can take a trip to those sites and see the rest of your gear too.

[@kiloalpha8273]

As 100 others have said, I have doubts about how it actually sounds thru it’s own tiny speaker. 🤨

[@leesagomez6615]

I've got one and it compares to the 20w blackstar very clean to crunchy. It's heavy and built very sturdy two speakers

[@joshzero4293]

Man those were some REALLY cool licks you played on the solo patch! Bravo, great video.

[@bostonbesteats364]

Love my Spark 40...waiting for the "Spark Pro"!

[@strumlead8741]

Thanks Darrell for the sponsored demo. I have the standard larger Spark so don't know why I need this too. Do you know the difference between this headphone/line out and the 40W Spark headphone out?

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

I like the Marshall chime on the chord's. cool telli Paul. nice lead tone also.

[@juana1483]

Thank you!!! You helped me decide right now on which Positive Grid product to order!!!! Mini. MINI. MINI. Mini

[@LuizRibas1]

Crazy little thing!

[@paultooms86]

This tiny amp from Positive Grid sounds great, but a 10 or 12 inch amp as Kemper did would be perfect. 🤘

[@davidwilliams1326]

Looks like a space heater 😂

[@JonNewquist]

Especially with the red grill.

[@Orville123]

At least no one will steal it if they think it is a ph...lol

[@milesjeffery6817]

Great review! I own the Spark 40 - one word: Awesome! Positive Grid - please make an 80 or 100W Spark.

[@ramspencer5492]

Did you mic the speaker for some of those tones (at the beginning).... So we have a sense of the built in speaker? The line out isn't going to tell us much as a plug and play option. Cool little box.... Kind of spendy though..... Depending on the software package that's included. I dunno. I think for the money there monoprice all tube practice mix is going to sound much better..... Albeit the need to figure out how to do your effects and pedals... That good get expensive.

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

In addition to use as a practice amp, or audio interface, a little battery powered amp so much fun and easy to use for camping, informal house party jams, etc.

[@FancyHamsters]

You have one?

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

@@FancyHamsters no, I have a Roland Micro Cube, one of the first small battery powered practice amps, and the Spark Mini is similar, but with a lot more programmability and features. I’m going to buy the Spark next.

[@the_giant01]

I’ve been waiting for this video from you thank you

[@gmartinez6495]

Thx Darrell, great review as always. I agree with others in getting some mic'd/room tones. I wish they released this before the Spark40, 40 watts is a little overkill for me in my apartment. PS. I'd like to get your opinion on the Spark Control remote foot swich. Keep it up.

[@bluepedalsrock9271]

0:00 The focused face of a man who is PRAYING he can pull this trick off. 0:01 A mixture of smug and relief. 😂 (Edit: why is pausing the video and pressing the two time stamps back and forth so amusing?)

[@brandonsmith2625]

Love all of your videos Darrell, was one of the first people to go out and "pre-order" the Spark Mini. Was supposed to be delivered in April now they are hoping that it might be delivered in "June" this isn't the first time Positive Grid has done this. Positive Grid has a nice product but they really need to get their customer service in order and stop taking peoples money for products they can't deliver.

[@ScottDreyfus]

I have a g&l set up hh spec carved top, similar to your fender. I thought I was content but I'm experiencing maple top envy. Humbuckers wail in teles.

[@kevhol1973]

Outstanding review of the mini. I just bought mine at the end of video

[@shawnfaulkner7889]

I think this thing has the slash effect? The amp slash used back in the day that gave him his sound. Was a small practice amp he found in the studio. This to me kind of has that tone?

[@williamvelez6522]

The mini holds its own..for sure

[@Richtone85]

Did you just review a combo amp and not demo the built in speaker?? Did I miss that part? Wtf. You basically reviewed the app.

[@DisplacedPanda]

It is almost like that is a huge selling feature for the Spark Mini. You could be thankful that he did a review for you instead of being critical.

[@bjornbecker1816]

Why wouldnt he respond to this Major question?

[@DisplacedPanda]

@@bjornbecker1816 He didn't need to. He reviewed the Mini well. Explained it in comparison to the Spark 40, and then went onto the main selling feature which is the amazing and robust app. Quit looking a gift horse in the mouth.

[@Richtone85]

@@bjornbecker1816 Because the video is a paid advertisement and he does what he is told. This video is a joke.

[@Joe-mz6dc]

With all due respect, and speaking as a guitarist of four decades, I am completely puzzled why people think they can judge the audio quality of a speaker through a KZbin video. How would that even work? Sure you can get a basic idea of the sound but the only way to truly know how a speaker in an amplifier will sound is if you're standing right beside it.

[@idontknowreality7479]

I was just ab to buy a audio interface after I just ordered a spark mini and I’m so glad I watched your video before I did that

[@johnmac8084]

Thanks Darrell, but we know it'll sound the same direct, can you mic it up please?

[@Fingerpikr]

Hey Bro....how about doing a demo with an acoustic guitar with the mini......thinking about picking one up for my acoustics

[@hidesertmusic]

If I’m using this as a super portable practice amp I won’t be using it as an interface. What does it sound like by itself?

[@huailiang1098]

I got a spark mini last week, found 2 intolerable problems: 1) aux-in has a serious delay(about 0.5 sec), impossible to sync with other imput. 2) the amp has dead-halted 2 times when I was switching a tone by the app (iPhone 13 and a good ASUS wifi router), writhing 3 days uses. IMHO it’s a product not mature enough… Pros: very good bass sound for musics, and clean tone is better than NUX mighty LT

[@wicked3564]

Trust me, get a Marshall Kilburn ii + a fender mustang micro. It’s the ultimate on the go setup. It does what this wishes it could.

[@rcgillsympaticoca]

The ecosystem sounds cool alright. Wish I could have heard it thru its own speaker. Other than lacking Bluetooth I'm still enjoying my Yamaha THR10C after countless years. Always connected to my pc so I can easily jam to anything YT or Spotify I'm playing, no fuss. Great battery life too if I take it away. Thanks for the vid.

[@ClaudeHopper1969]

I returned my Spark a couple of weeks ago, quality control issue. I am now looking at the Yamaha THRs. From what I've seen heard they sound better.

[@rcgillsympaticoca]

@@ClaudeHopper1969 Ok, cool. Yeah mine is the old series. The new one has BT and available in different sizes I guess. Funny, I also use a Line 6 G10 Relay wireless so I would get alot of value out of one of the new ones since it supports that directly. There's a software deep editor to give you more control over the tones you can save into it. I do wish it supported a simple footswitch for changing tones. That would be killer.

[@ClaudeHopper1969]

@@rcgillsympaticoca That is exactly what I'm looking at. A THR wireless with the GT10.

[@KeithMilner]

@@rcgillsympaticoca There is a Bluetooth footswitch which looks pretty cool, as well as being wireless. If the Spark Mini is anything like the Spark 40, then compared to the THR you would be disappointed with how it sounds. For the record, I have a Spark 40 as well as a Yamaha THR10ii with GT10ii. Guess which one gets most use.

[@drdave971]

Love the Van Halen playing sounds awesome

[@chriscuthbertson]

This looks like a great hotel room companion.

[@StormdriverOne]

Nice that it's still stereo. I have the original and love it so I don't have much use for this one. It's neat though. PG added an EQ pedal to the app a while back so the bass really isn't a big deal anymore. I never thought it was to begin with.

[@ipcameraguy]

5:50 a little 'Drop Dead Legs" intro...sweet!

[@TomaszCzajka80]

Sorry to say that but demoing it with the direct output is just not fair. Everything sound good with direct output. I bought the original Spark and was soo disappointed with the sound. I sold it very quickly. I would assume that the Mini sound much, much worse but we would still like to hear the actual speaker output rather than the direct output.

[@teokiatuan2]

The only reason why he didn't do it is because it doesn't sound good

[@UmVtCg]

I've got the Spark amp. It's a 40 Watt solid state practice AMP which sounds awesome for what it is. Want a bigger sound? Get something with bigger speakers, it's physics and has nothing to do with the amp. This is a 10W battery powered audio interface /bluetooth speaker / guitar practice amp. It sounds fine for what is it. Bu I agree Micing it up on ytube and comparing that with the other spark would have been better. Also it sounds great with some monitor headphones.

[@chrishyde1216]

Thanks for a helpful review. What's it sound like in the room and also interested in how it compares with the original in terms of sound/tone for home practice.

[@johnwelch557]

Do I have to buy an "interface" to hear good sounds? What's that?

[@txkflier]

How many "practice" flips did you do before you caught it with the front toward the camera? ;-)

[@Afurthyclays]

He's gonna test those tones oat! 😁😉

[@horstlippitsch]

Also good for live playing with band? Amp into PA?

[@Llyrin]

Thanks, Darrell. I received a couple emails about that little guy from Positive Grid and was wondering about it.

[@carlbaumeister3439]

When using Bluetooth, can you use Spotify or Apple Music to select a song (for instance, Birthday by The Beatles) and then play along with it on your electric guitar, and have both sounds (Beatles, your guitar) coming out the speaker?

[@jant3106]

Yes, definitely! You can do this with the spark 40 and the app works same on this mini supposedly.

[@carlbaumeister3439]

@@jant3106 Very cool! Thanks, Jan!

[@mrplitsum]

Can you put an Acoustic with pick up into it. Mic to?

[@Wejohnsn]

thanks for review. I was just looking into one of these. great timing

[@blankblank4642]

Brilliant!, It's smaller than my line 6 amplifi 30, ideal for jamming with my mates, defo want 1.

[@briankeller2048]

Always enjoy your reviews. Love my Spark, mini looks and sounds great. Thanks.

[@rodrigoacevedo1075]

Would this theoretically work if used in a FRFR speaker for monitoring and then copy that signal to the PA? I mean, for a larger gig I it's viable alternative as a backup rig.

[@Torbenstergard]

I've noticed a sudden sound drop when playing sustained tones on my new Spark Mini. Tried various presets, guitars, and cables,, but the issue persists, especially with higher notes. Any similar experiences or suggestions?

[@Torbenstergard]

Was advised to adjust the noise gate which helped. However, for some presets, I have to disable the noise gate or turn down the threshold almost entirely to prevent the sound from dropping. But at least, I can now adjust it.

[@RA.lightofwarz]

Oh wow got my interest on this lil baby 👏👏👏 DBG 🤘

[@edrozenrozen9600]

Wow. You could take that anywhere.

[@VisualControlRoom]

That solo tone! ⚡️

[@ronoberbeck967]

We've come a Long way since the Pignose. 🙄 My thought is what does it sound like when there's absolutely no network available. My thought is, it just retains one sound, the previous one you used before you turned it off. But I like to play at the park and I was thinking of buying this and there is absolutely no network availability at the local park.. So..? I think I'm just going to get a battery back up power supply for my Spark 40 which I Love. Then I could at least retain my four favorite sounds/tones and have them always wherever I go. Am I missing something here?

[@stevengoodman3498]

Digging the new intro DB! Thanks for the review. That thing is tiny, lol

[@dr.stevenpennym.d.3241]

Why do I have to turn off and on my iPhone to connect to the Bluetooth on my Spark mini? Great video.

[@alaneddy4575]

The speakers are overloading in a bad way. Another reviewer pointed out you can't gain too high or it distorts.

[@dougbrown2920]

Enjoy your channel Darrell. Can we please hear some tones with it mic'd? I already have an audio interface and play through my PC and headphones but if this sounded good through the speaker I would consider it as my first amp for my small space.

[@DC_MA]

Is it normal for these to start to rattle over about 60-70% volume or did I get a dud?

[@williammolina9792]

It's normal.

[@brianburke808]

Thanks for the review! Man, a giggable spark combo around $450 would dominate the market. Line 6's catalyst was mostly a disappointing copy of the katana. Now that it has a footswitch, a 12" (or volume equivalent) spark combo would blow them both out of the water even if positive grid didn't add a single feature.

[@robe619]

Well, the just announced for pre-order the Spark Live.

[@Phatzo1000]

this would be a good busking amp too

[@Thenicksamples]

I love the hints of Van Halen's 316 at 5:50

[@rickseconds7676]

The guitar is a beauty!

[@HilalKalawi]

I used a Spark 40 and it sounded like it has too much bass no matter how you play or adjust the tone, is it the same here with this amp?

[@songfantasy670]

Show what the speaker sounds like...not the direct out into a mix. The direct out, of course will sound great.

[@SVFresh2Salty]

Can you use the foot switch with it ??

[@sgtmac62]

Awesome. Many ways of making this your own sound!

[@9372duffy]

Great video. Does it “Really” sound that good?

[@JasonsGuitarJams]

It’s on my list. Nice video 👍🏻

[@ernieb3626]

I think the Battery addition is awsome! I dont know if I will add this to the spark but I can see me owning it for sure. I love the idea of throwing it into a suit case and using it camping or vacation. Thanks for the video Darrel. Great as always. I just wish it was a little longer with some examples of verb sounds and stuff.

[@r.e.johnson801]

did the backing track go thru the amp via bluetooth>?

[@lynneftw]

Can you do loops in the app?

[@michaelwieczynski6369]

Is the a line out? Or could you use the direct out into a larger amp?

[@nickd.2172]

Good demo Darrell, thanks. It would have been Great if you had also demonstrated the speakers’ sound. This is a “must” for this kind of demo. And a feature that is missing in this awesome product is the “looper”. Maybe it will be added in the future app update??

[@ronaldyemmansii6445]

Our son is heading off to college and he needs a small amp for the practice rooms at Michigan State. He has a JC-40, Fender Deluxe Reverb and Fender Blues Jr all of which I think are on the big size, is this Spark Mini the right choice? Thank you for the help, I am the dad and knows ZERO about these things.

[@garyddavis560]

This is definitely on my wishlist

[@porforyticbasalt]

Is the battery easily changed, for when the battery is no longer good?

[@nikkmorse]

Love my spark amp, great vid Darrell, very informative 🤘🏼😈🤘🏼

[@lynneftw]

Can you plug in an acoustic, or is it specifically electric guitar tones?

[@ggrunau]

Can you get a clean tone without reverb? I would like to use this around a campfire with an acoustic and a small effects pedalboard.

[@slimsantilli4476]

A little VH never hurt

[@SeanOBrien888]

Darrel Braun Guitar can you please do an in depth video on the different ways to connect the Spark to your computer. I'm using the USB to computer and I can't get any Stereo FX that way and I can't listen to the jam tracks either. All I get is my guitar in mono. Please help. Thanks.