#FAQ Hi Olla ^^ Speaking of Positive Grid, I'm a Bias FX 2 owner and also purchased the Metal Signature Pack (with Keith Merrow, Jeff Loomis and your signature amp plugins.) I recently discovered that the amps and effects which were yours no longer support your name, being called "Frost Burn" instead. Is there a particular reason ? I know i'm maybe too curious, but i wonder ;) Thank you so much for all the inspiration and motivation you give us for so many years, cheers from France!
You can’t be upset if your a beginner and got this . I do think it’s a great produce to help a new player and actually get them to keep interested and learn . Pretty cool 👍
Tell me about it! The money I spent when I gigged could have bought a car! These are also great for downgraders like me who want great sounds at lower volumes though the Spark 40 definitely has some crank to it!
Like i use the spark 40 and perfer it over any other amp ive owned have a 100 watt katana with cab that sits cuz its less convenient and i like the sound of this better at low volumes
The gear coming out nowadays really has us spoiled! Growing up, all I had was a Digitech RP90 (cheap plastic floor unit) that I used with cheap earbuds and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. 😂
As a commentary, I think the extras are not only amps that come with the AMP, I think it comes with a bunch of Jimi Hendrix songs and tones associated with them along with the full tabs. So the device can do the auto switching of tones during the song in order to play the full song if it has guitar changes. It's perhaps worth to look at it a bit more in-detail ;)
It sounds pretty good for a "battery" style amp I live on the East Coast and I can picture people down at the shore on the Boardwalk using this for playing Electric guitar which is awesome!!! 🎸
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 That's exactly where I was thinking Ocean City, NJ Manco and Manco pizza rocks!!! For those that read this if your in NJ Wildwood has an awesome boardwalk and Ocean City is nice for families, not just Atlantic City but most South Jersey beaches are awesome!
I'm so happy you are finally reviewing this. I'm not gonna lie, ever since I bought a Spark 40 I have been secretly waiting for you to create a dimebag tone and upload it to the cloud. I can't get it right to save my life.
I have a Spark 40 and I love it. It's not the "big sound" of a pair of 12's but it's actually one of the best learning tools on the market for a guitar/bass play (I am learning both) It has so much capability I am surprised it's not expensive.
I run my Spark 40 through a Headrush FRFR12 and it sounds killer after a few tweaks, and will almost certainly be using as a live rig with the Spark control using two wireless into a wah pedal and Ernie Ball tuner volume pedal, so a totally wireless/Bluetooth setup
@@stevehawthorn8733 bros help my spark 40 flubby airy flopy bass response is killing my ears i thought it was great at the beginning but now is just downright annoying, i can dial it out by turning the bass to 0.6 but on bluetooth mode... holy crap it chuffs and wooshes!!!
@@ernestochang1744 needs eq in the App and probably reducing the master setting of the amp model and a tube screamer with the tone on the treblier side, a bit of experimenting, while making notes of settings. Could also be old or dirty strings adding to it, or even the bass side of your pickup needs lowering a bit too.
@@stevehawthorn8733 naa man theres no doubt about it, this little amp fills the room with more bass then id like to admit, on a guitar its just odd on a bass it feels right but on a clean channel the low E and A strings ring out louder and beefier then all the other ones, ive tried different guitars too different pickup heights etc... its just the way the amp is built but it gets annoying real fast i can EQ that out by using the bass eq and setting it to 0.8 or 0.5 but on bluetooth mode? When i play an orchestra its just constant chuffing this WOOOSH sound it sounds like youre blowing on an empty 2L bottle of soda LOL!!
I mean, that that wee vox unit that is just on the the jack you plug into the guitar sounds miles better than this. really think this just sounds awful.
So many haters with this thing, and I don't get why. It doesn't sound like shit. It's a tiny battery operated amp. I'm thinking this thing got so popular and every TH-camr is making a video, people simply got tired of seeing it, and tired of hearing the praise for it. So, they are being that person who rebels against it, or they're an elitist. What usually comes next is " yeah, I bought one and hated it, so I returned it and bought the Yamaha, or Katana instead." I gifted this to someone, and they went from hardly ever playing, to playing everyday because they are having fun with the amp. It encourages practice because all those sounds are available and you don't feel you need to go purchase every pedal your favorite song uses. You can plug in, play to a song you're trying to learn. Slow it down go learn the solo and get better. That's what it's meant for. It's not meant to compete with your favourite amp.
Hey, idk if I’m dumb but what do you need to connect your computer to your amp to use like the Gojira effects for example, like do I need a special amp for that?
You don’t need to. Just by the spark footswitch which is Bluetooth and allows you to switch channels, add effects etc. Xsonic also make an Airstep footswitch for the Spark amps that cost $99. I just bought the Airstep YT that works with my Yamaha amp. It’s dope cool. Plus Yamaha THR30II blows away the Spark as far as tone. Doesn’t have the dope app with backing tracks but it’s easy to find anything you want on TH-cam. I am an advanced player so do not need the chord charts which is so dope if you are a beginner which makes the Spark perfect practice amp for beginners.
Finally a famous TH-camr presenting this amp using a room mic. Not like some other famous TH-camrs who use the line in thus giving a FALSE impression how this amp really sounds like
well to be quite honest, it's not easy to showcase how an amplifier like this sounds like in the room without hearing it yourself. You have to experience it for yourself.
@@OlaEnglund I run my Spark 40 through a Headrush FRFR12 and it sounds killer after a few tweaks, and will almost certainly be using as a live rig with the Spark control using two wireless into a wah pedal and Ernie Ball tuner volume pedal, so a totally wireless/Bluetooth setup
Can someone recommend some speakers that would be much better than the original ones? Because it's great, but I find the speakers are just the weak link.
Waiting for my mini to ship. Already have the spark 40 and love it, mini is going to be my new office amp and backyard portable. Ola, you skipped one of the best features, the SoundCloud. It lets you search thousands of different sound setups that users in the community have created and shared. I’ve been really impressed with how close I can get to specific voicings when I’m chasing a particular song’s sound. It really is impressive, and is ultimately the reason why I play my spark more than any of my other amps. Oh, and this little beast also doubles as an audio interface too, so you can DI in off it, which is super awesome for a practice amp.
So you still like the Spark 40? I’ve been on the fence on this amp. The mini looks cool. I have an iPad Pro with Bias FX 2 and run it into my Roland cubes in stereo. Hmm going to decide what to sell off. Thanks for your input.
Dude I ordered mine and then got a wonderful message saying I'm not getting it till UFCKIN JUNE! Fml!! I wanted to review this before you!!!!!!.... one day Ola... one day...
How it sounds? Like everything with small speaker. History proves even old shitty modelling 20W amps like mustang1 v2 can sound great on 12inch subwoofer. Same is here, good guts, speaker can't articulate too much of it ;) My mobile alternative is fender mustang micro plugged by cable into w-king 70W(?) bluetooth speaker. Together is like £170 but you can use it separately too, so you have 1: good gituar headphone amp 2: really powerful bluetooth speaker.
When testing out the different amps, I'm worried that having the comp/wah pedal on was altering the tone of the amps and giving it a cocked sound. But the preset tones sounded pretty good.
I had the larger version. The metal tones suck. Like Ola says....needs presence or resonace or something. The size of the speaker just doesn't allow for good metal tones.
I own one I hate it. sound slike garbage. Glitches out and after a year starts to buzz. Bluetooth issues. not worth it Yamaha THR 30 II wireless is way better.
The "Insane 6508" sounded very "Entombed" like, I can hear it with a low tuned guitar sounding a lot like Entombed's guitar sound :) What a cool unit for the money, it sounds a lot more than it's size lead you on. If this unit would have a built in external sound card so you also could use it to plug in your guitar to the computer and record stuff and use it with programs like AmpliTube and record to Pro Tools with it, this Spark Mini unit would be a "no brainer" for anybody starting to play guitar. I would like the Spark mini to have some more clean ambient guitar sounds, like some cool dreamy ambient kind of "Synth pad" sounds for a guitar. I have been hearing some really cool ambient reverb guitar pedals lately that sounds soooo amazing when playing guitar through them :) What more GOOD mobile amplifiers like this are there ? Do you guys know, like what good alternatives is there to this Spark Mini that sounds bigger than it is and you can bring with you outside like this ? And that comes with guitar effects and stuff like this one ? Also the 20 bucks to get 12 extra amps and some effects from a band / artist that you like is not too much to ask at all I think, but then the effects and amps must remind me at least something of the artist / band's sound that I like, otherwise what is the point. But for example 20 bucks for some Pantera / Dimebag amps and effects that makes that tiny speaker sound more like a Dimebag guitar I would by in a heartbeat without hesitating. Ola said in the video "We've been seeing more and more of these type of amplifiers coming out lately" I have not seen any others that compares to this one except the Boss Katanas maybe but I do not think they are really in the same league at all. Maybe I have missed some stuff ? What other bluetooth guitar amplifiers is Ola talking about that there are lots of out there ?
wow i gotta say thats really fn awesome, it sures beats packing 3 pedals and a 15 watt amp with ur guitar or sacrificing tone and bring a micro stack camping.. this changes the game
Hi Ola. Great review on the Spark Mini. You did overlook one of its biggest features however. If offers access to what it calls the cloud. You’ll see a icon of a mini cloud on the upper right hand side of the Spark App. Inside that cloud they claim there are over ten thousand pre programmed tone packages. I did a quick check after your review and found fifty one different Pantera tones. Some referred to specific songs “Walk” etc. some were programmed just to Dime or Dime solo. Some of these tones on the cloud are made and posted by owners you could make and post a Haunted tone if you wanted. Some are Positive Grid (most) presets. As for the Hendrix thing they had to enter into a license agreement with the Hendrix estate on a per user bases in order to get access to Jimmy’s catalog, image and sounds with his name. They have had other upgrades in the past and assured users the Hendrix deal was a one of. Future upgrades will again be free to all. Check out the tone cloud and maybe review if it’s a good collection and maybe even leave us a package or two. Keep up the great work. I’m a big fan and felt compelled to point out your oversight. Thanks.
Thanks bro. But i cant see that much difference while you were changing the settings on a pedal or on an amp in the application. Sees to be just visuel switching, and the sound doesn’t change that much. I was wondering how the EQ is doing wrongly. Just the clean sound was acceptable. Honestly, i didn’t like it.
Try outputting this into a big speaker, it'll blow your socks off. And I think you can get more sounds out of this than you get out of a 100w Marshall, for a fraction of the price. I'm currently waiting for the Spark Go in the mail, I figured, same app same amps and effects, I've got plenty of powered speakers to try it thru, see what trouble I can make, and it only cost less than a couple of good pedals.
Seems like a decent small portable amp, some sound is better than no sound. It sounds pretty horrible to me though, not sure if that's just due to the mic setup or if it really sounds that bad in person.
I only WISH I had this thing when I was learning to play. Young guitarists have no idea...I used to buy sheet music! Lol. But I fear that all of the tab, and etc that's available, might strangle the creativity that comes from learning by ear to create ur own style.
Pretty great sounding little amp. I bought a Spark over a year ago. I think i have about 10 hours on it (apt). Most mileage lately from a first gen MicroCube. 3 watts on years old batteries . Sounds awesome. The rest, head phones.
Thanks for the reply! Seemed like all the Roland Cube amps from that era were pretty awesome. Family had a Cube 30 and a new HSS S Type. He was just starting but i got a killer tone in less than 10 seconds. Sounded great.
@@glenkepic3208 mine's been going for 35 years - any portable with built-in rechargeable batteries like the spark - would have flaked out a long time ago. I know I go on about it - but people don't usually realise what a gem this little amp is and how it solved the problem of portable battery amps a long, long time ago
Ive been saying this for a while but with the technology they can build into portable Bluetooth speakers for music, theres no reason they can make more micro guitar amps that dont just sound sh#tty. For the longest time, all we had was the Blackstar Fly 3 and then the Katana Mini. Its time we get some real amps in the micro catagory!
Exactly. These companies know how to plan obsoletion, so you buy the next version with slight upgrades. I have been playing with these toys since 1987 ADA, DIGITECH, LEXICON, EVENTIDE, ART, ZOOM 9050, ZOOM 9002, The Zoom 9050 let the users control EVERY parameter of every pre am or effect in 1990! I was able to use more features at hand in 1990, they didnt hold back and rip us off back then. With out a phone this over all sucks.
@@madmod part of the reason it’s “modern” is because half the technology to what it does amazingly is what it does with the phone. I just received mine last week after 3 months wait. The amp itself sounds decen, literally amazing for its size. The app allows you to choose 4 of your favorite tones, then if you so choose, you never need to look at it again. This a sub $200 amazing guitar toy, phone app technology will likely last longer then the amp and the battery in it. I’ve spent more on dinner than I have on this amp, to take a stance to not buy an amp because an app, yeah it’s silly. If it were $2k your sentiment would be understandable, but it’s cheaper than my echo pedal and does incredible things.
I agree on the purchasing upgrades. I did however purchase the Jimmy pack and there are some great high gain metal amps on it that you would probably love.
for people that needs justs simple & something everything’s ( for practice ) but…. it’s been better forever me “ Yo Willd “ 1000 songs done Just ad jum up to it + mastering suit . & its golden .
I live on the Jersey shore. This is great for me to take to the boardwalk with my solar 1.6 BLB and rip on a beautiful day. I’m sure u can play backing tracks while u rip on this thing.
as an oldhead that picked up guitar late in life and also doesn't have a dedicated space that I can play without disturbing the whole house (and frankly not very good anyway) I'm seriously lookin at one of these because of the battery so I can take it to the porch or the barn and play without disturbing the fam. I know ~just~ enough to be able to teach myself and this seems like a great little tool for this purpose. hopefully it will also entice my college age boys back into playing a bit as well. keep up the good work on your channel, really enjoy the content.
I'm right there with you....I've always been a late bloomer and didn't really pick up guitar until a couple of years ago...better late than never. With that said, I've invested in high end guitars, along with a couple of amps. The regular Spark 40 is an awesome little amp! For even more portability, I'm considering getting the mini for travel, (I just ordered a travel electric guitar). This mini Spark looks and sounds very cool! My advice is to do anything that will encourage you to play! Cheers!
The mini is an awesome little amp, it being able to handle bass too has been a nice little plus for me. I’m curious as to it’s longevity when adding a output Jack for an external speaker cab tho.
You would likely be disappointed if you wanted more than one effect. Or more than a couple amps styles. But you’d save a little money. You could put that towards the batteries you’d have to buy for the Katana if you wanted it to be mobile.
"there's not that much you can do as far as setting a tone" Brother, there are literally hundreds of pedals modeled in that little contraption. You can make some bonkers tones. I got my spark 40 about a year ago and there had been one free update that added some new amps and pedals and then the Jimi Hendrix thing that I suspect cost extra because they had to license the name.
@@jamrsmartin3478 The Spark does a huge amount of things the Roland cannot. The thing will make a drum track for you to play to based on what you play to it first.
i think better is to start with joyo zombie with abcand some cheap pedals, nothing compares to real deal. with rest you can play in vst. this one just sucks - created for money making.
I'd say it's for money making like everything else as well as for users prioritizing convenience. I have the big one and you'll be surprised it sucks way less than most other home/desktop/small practice solutions. It can also sound quite good if you tweak the sounds a bit around your guitar/pickups. Not that bad, honestly. Only practice amp I've initially sold, then bought another which I'm keeping. I mean, it has some flaws but for the money it fares quite well compared to *ahem* other popular dekstop amps.
It's like a modeling amp for people who never realised modeling amps exist and think the Spark thing is somewhat innovative lol Tried the bigger version... just get a Fender Mustang GTX, same shit but better lol
And you have to pay for the pedals and effects too? Might as well just get an interface and use Ampliube on your laptop or PC if you have to pay for the software as well anyway...
Spark 40 was decent for low volume practice. This one adds the portability to make it killer for traveling practices, practicing to clicks/drums, on the road, warming up etc. 8 hour battery life alone made me order it. Tonally its not the best but the response and articulation is very good. For what it is- a helpful portable tool that doesn't require power or pedals to plug in- not much like it out there with all the possibilities it offers.
Extremely easy to power the 40 with battery banks and a usb to dc cable. Then your only limit to battery time is the number and size of banks you have. I knew PG was holding back on the battery power for this. So glad someone discovered that cable.
Theres the katana air but it's twice as much and runs on regular aa batteries so its annoying changing or removing and charging 8 batteries wvery time you use it outside
*Great work with the demo! I’m looking forward to buying a compact decent modeling amp. ⚔️🛡️ Something I could plug strain into my mixer for silent recording with my guitar.*
remember when people would comment like " this thing doesnt have tubes - its DIGITAL" and everyone would light up torches and pitch forks would come out ....
My Mini is coming on Monday. I also have the Spark 40 and just for shits and giggles, I also ordered the wireless foot controller. Now why would a guy like me buy all of their stuff? Because...IT Fucking Sounds Incredible. Take the Spark 40. Put it somewhere in a large room. Turn it on. Now play. Wherever you go in that room, these damned amps sound AMAZING. Real quick; I didn't get ANYTHING from Positive Grid to post this comment or make review videos. I buy my own stuff on my dime and I do unbiased reviews. The Spark sounds incredible. It's like they use some Waveguide speaker MoJo. Think of, it sounds like Nose or Pose. Got it? Okay, now add in a killer, powerful app and you get WAY more than you'll ever want or need. I have nice amplifiers. All top end names. Since I've had my Spark 40, my other amps remain covered. I'm really looking forward to freedom of battery power and the Mini. The foot controller is wireless and I can use it for both the Spark 40 and Spark Mini. If you're serious about your guitar tone and getting in some great sounding practice, get the Spark. Hey, @Ola Englund how you dooin?
Yeah...., stay away. It's the same delay/zero communication from POSITIVE GRID, shipping the units. Guitar content creators would be wise to stay back from reviewing any POSITIVE GRID amp that only exists on YT channels, & glossy pre-order adverts ..... DO NOT PRE-ORDER ONE OF THESE, YOU WILL NOT GET IT THIS YEAR!!
I am a truck driver and after seeing your videos, I have bought a SPARK 40, but my APU on my truck won't power the amp with the AC on. I am thinking about giving my wife the 40,and buying the MINI for the truck. Your videos are the best and it's great to see someone keeping DIMEBAG ON EVERYBODY'S MIND "GETCHA-A-PULL"
I use the small spark in my truck all the time. No apu problems with the ac on. Also use a ps5 with the ac on 350 watts max on that. No problems. Just make sure the apu is running full speed first.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for testing shit!
Would be great if you could share a preset on the tonecloud!
have u missed the tonecloud? :D
#FAQ
Hi Olla ^^
Speaking of Positive Grid, I'm a Bias FX 2 owner and also purchased the Metal Signature Pack (with Keith Merrow, Jeff Loomis and your signature amp plugins.) I recently discovered that the amps and effects which were yours no longer support your name, being called "Frost Burn" instead.
Is there a particular reason ? I know i'm maybe too curious, but i wonder ;)
Thank you so much for all the inspiration and motivation you give us for so many years, cheers from France!
I don’t know if you signed off on it but there is an Ola Preset, it sounds killer.
You can play Wonderwall at campfire with any acustic guitar, but with this little beast you can play Raining Blood at campfire 🤘
Anyway, here's raining blood
LMAO 🤣
😂 🤘🔥
@@ipredictacatastrophe4370 xD
I’m going to get this and gather my children for a solemn melody by Cannibal Corpse called “Hammer Smashed Face” I think it’s fitting
You can’t be upset if your a beginner and got this . I do think it’s a great produce to help a new player and actually get them to keep interested and learn . Pretty cool 👍
Dude, if I would have had this when I was a beginner…
Imagining if something like this existed when I was a teenager learning to play.
Tell me about it! The money I spent when I gigged could have bought a car! These are also great for downgraders like me who want great sounds at lower volumes though the Spark 40 definitely has some crank to it!
Like i use the spark 40 and perfer it over any other amp ive owned have a 100 watt katana with cab that sits cuz its less convenient and i like the sound of this better at low volumes
The gear coming out nowadays really has us spoiled! Growing up, all I had was a Digitech RP90 (cheap plastic floor unit) that I used with cheap earbuds and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. 😂
As a commentary, I think the extras are not only amps that come with the AMP, I think it comes with a bunch of Jimi Hendrix songs and tones associated with them along with the full tabs. So the device can do the auto switching of tones during the song in order to play the full song if it has guitar changes.
It's perhaps worth to look at it a bit more in-detail ;)
I just bought a full size spark and am loving it, really great for the price
I mean… Who doesn’t use a Mesa Boogie MKV for a camera stand. So metal.
It sounds pretty good for a "battery" style amp I live on the East Coast and I can picture people down at the shore on the Boardwalk using this for playing Electric guitar which is awesome!!! 🎸
Ocean City?
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 That's exactly where I was thinking Ocean City, NJ Manco and Manco pizza rocks!!! For those that read this if your in NJ Wildwood has an awesome boardwalk and Ocean City is nice for families, not just Atlantic City but most South Jersey beaches are awesome!
@heyitspete6472 ?
@OlaEnglund PLEASE TRY THE BRAND NEW POSITIVE GRID SPARK 2 50Watt Ola!
I'm so happy you are finally reviewing this. I'm not gonna lie, ever since I bought a Spark 40 I have been secretly waiting for you to create a dimebag tone and upload it to the cloud. I can't get it right to save my life.
I have a Spark 40 and I love it. It's not the "big sound" of a pair of 12's but it's actually one of the best learning tools on the market for a guitar/bass play (I am learning both) It has so much capability I am surprised it's not expensive.
I run my Spark 40 through a Headrush FRFR12 and it sounds killer after a few tweaks, and will almost certainly be using as a live rig with the Spark control using two wireless into a wah pedal and Ernie Ball tuner volume pedal, so a totally wireless/Bluetooth setup
@@stevehawthorn8733 bros help my spark 40 flubby airy flopy bass response is killing my ears i thought it was great at the beginning but now is just downright annoying, i can dial it out by turning the bass to 0.6 but on bluetooth mode... holy crap it chuffs and wooshes!!!
@@ernestochang1744 needs eq in the App and probably reducing the master setting of the amp model and a tube screamer with the tone on the treblier side, a bit of experimenting, while making notes of settings. Could also be old or dirty strings adding to it, or even the bass side of your pickup needs lowering a bit too.
@@stevehawthorn8733 naa man theres no doubt about it, this little amp fills the room with more bass then id like to admit, on a guitar its just odd on a bass it feels right but on a clean channel the low E and A strings ring out louder and beefier then all the other ones, ive tried different guitars too different pickup heights etc... its just the way the amp is built but it gets annoying real fast i can EQ that out by using the bass eq and setting it to 0.8 or 0.5 but on bluetooth mode? When i play an orchestra its just constant chuffing this WOOOSH sound it sounds like youre blowing on an empty 2L bottle of soda LOL!!
@@ernestochang1744 also one small thing that helps is pressing in the contour button on the Headrush cab
I mean, that that wee vox unit that is just on the the jack you plug into the guitar sounds miles better than this. really think this just sounds awful.
hardly a fair comparison, the vox plug has no speaker so in that demo you are hearing a direct line out.
I've got the Spark (not the mini).
It is incredible. You need to hear one in the room.
You can replicate pretty much every tone ever.
I can assure you the little vox plug does not sound better haha
So many haters with this thing, and I don't get why. It doesn't sound like shit. It's a tiny battery operated amp.
I'm thinking this thing got so popular and every TH-camr is making a video, people simply got tired of seeing it, and tired of hearing the praise for it. So, they are being that person who rebels against it, or they're an elitist. What usually comes next is " yeah, I bought one and hated it, so I returned it and bought the Yamaha, or Katana instead."
I gifted this to someone, and they went from hardly ever playing, to playing everyday because they are having fun with the amp. It encourages practice because all those sounds are available and you don't feel you need to go purchase every pedal your favorite song uses. You can plug in, play to a song you're trying to learn. Slow it down go learn the solo and get better. That's what it's meant for. It's not meant to compete with your favourite amp.
Agree! I’ve done all the popular practice amps on my channel and Spark wins
To much messing about..just plug in and play .
Hey, idk if I’m dumb but what do you need to connect your computer to your amp to use like the Gojira effects for example, like do I need a special amp for that?
Just Bluetooth to this.
Hmm. Sorta sounds like garbage.
I must be the only one who does not want to have to fool with my phone to play guitar.
You don’t need to. Just by the spark footswitch which is Bluetooth and allows you to switch channels, add effects etc. Xsonic also make an Airstep footswitch for the Spark amps that cost $99. I just bought the Airstep YT that works with my Yamaha amp. It’s dope cool. Plus Yamaha THR30II blows away the Spark as far as tone. Doesn’t have the dope app with backing tracks but it’s easy to find anything you want on TH-cam. I am an advanced player so do not need the chord charts which is so dope if you are a beginner which makes the Spark perfect practice amp for beginners.
Finally a famous TH-camr presenting this amp using a room mic. Not like some other famous TH-camrs who use the line in thus giving a FALSE impression how this amp really sounds like
well to be quite honest, it's not easy to showcase how an amplifier like this sounds like in the room without hearing it yourself. You have to experience it for yourself.
@@OlaEnglund yes that’s correct, but at least your video is ten times better and most importantly honest and I want to thank you for that 👌🏻
@@OlaEnglund I run my Spark 40 through a Headrush FRFR12 and it sounds killer after a few tweaks, and will almost certainly be using as a live rig with the Spark control using two wireless into a wah pedal and Ernie Ball tuner volume pedal, so a totally wireless/Bluetooth setup
@@stevehawthorn8733 How are you doing this Steve - via headphone out or...?
@@TheFiredragon01 yes, exactly that
And what happens in 10 years when iOS is updated and the app is long dead? Is it a paper weight then?
Had to look it up. 200 kr is 20 bucks US. That's kinda steep.
Can someone recommend some speakers that would be much better than the original ones? Because it's great, but I find the speakers are just the weak link.
I have now adopted Ola's pronunciation of "Meenee", life is good.
And "MeeDee" too.
Waiting for my mini to ship. Already have the spark 40 and love it, mini is going to be my new office amp and backyard portable. Ola, you skipped one of the best features, the SoundCloud. It lets you search thousands of different sound setups that users in the community have created and shared. I’ve been really impressed with how close I can get to specific voicings when I’m chasing a particular song’s sound. It really is impressive, and is ultimately the reason why I play my spark more than any of my other amps. Oh, and this little beast also doubles as an audio interface too, so you can DI in off it, which is super awesome for a practice amp.
he talked about it briefly at 12:05
So you still like the Spark 40? I’ve been on the fence on this amp. The mini looks cool. I have an iPad Pro with Bias FX 2 and run it into my Roland cubes in stereo. Hmm going to decide what to sell off. Thanks for your input.
How did you DI with the Mini?
Does the spark 40 have the SoundCloud setting as well?
dude thats sick!!! i think u just fully sold me bro hahaha
Dude I ordered mine and then got a wonderful message saying I'm not getting it till UFCKIN JUNE! Fml!! I wanted to review this before you!!!!!!.... one day Ola... one day...
How it sounds? Like everything with small speaker. History proves even old shitty modelling 20W amps like mustang1 v2 can sound great on 12inch subwoofer. Same is here, good guts, speaker can't articulate too much of it ;) My mobile alternative is fender mustang micro plugged by cable into w-king 70W(?) bluetooth speaker. Together is like £170 but you can use it separately too, so you have 1: good gituar headphone amp 2: really powerful bluetooth speaker.
We all only care about the metal... Mwahaha
I use the full size Spark at home, and no complaints! Just have to EQ it accordingly and use the App. 🎸
Same I love mine best money I spent
Sold mine, didn't sound good at all imo. Not so surprising given its size. My 15 year old Roland Cube 30X sounded much better.
Coming out of the speaker it’s sounds ok. I use it more with headphones more then anything, which sounds better that way to me.
@@luigizanellato2959 do you have to pay in the app?
@@sirmephisto5332 Only for certain upgrades
When testing out the different amps, I'm worried that having the comp/wah pedal on was altering the tone of the amps and giving it a cocked sound. But the preset tones sounded pretty good.
Yeah I noticed that as well.
brooooo, this would have got me through my first 10 years of practice playing and recording for fun really easy
I had the larger version. The metal tones suck. Like Ola says....needs presence or resonace or something. The size of the speaker just doesn't allow for good metal tones.
Just discovered the haunted because of this video. Bad ass vocals/instrumental.
I own one I hate it. sound slike garbage. Glitches out and after a year starts to buzz. Bluetooth issues. not worth it Yamaha THR 30 II wireless is way better.
The "Insane 6508" sounded very "Entombed" like, I can hear it with a low tuned guitar sounding a lot like Entombed's guitar sound :)
What a cool unit for the money, it sounds a lot more than it's size lead you on. If this unit would have a built in external sound card so you also could use it to plug in your guitar to the computer and record stuff and use it with programs like AmpliTube and record to Pro Tools with it, this Spark Mini unit would be a "no brainer" for anybody starting to play guitar.
I would like the Spark mini to have some more clean ambient guitar sounds, like some cool dreamy ambient kind of "Synth pad" sounds for a guitar. I have been hearing some really cool ambient reverb guitar pedals lately that sounds soooo amazing when playing guitar through them :)
What more GOOD mobile amplifiers like this are there ? Do you guys know, like what good alternatives is there to this Spark Mini that sounds bigger than it is and you can bring with you outside like this ? And that comes with guitar effects and stuff like this one ? Also the 20 bucks to get 12 extra amps and some effects from a band / artist that you like is not too much to ask at all I think, but then the effects and amps must remind me at least something of the artist / band's sound that I like, otherwise what is the point. But for example 20 bucks for some Pantera / Dimebag amps and effects that makes that tiny speaker sound more like a Dimebag guitar I would by in a heartbeat without hesitating.
Ola said in the video "We've been seeing more and more of these type of amplifiers coming out lately" I have not seen any others that compares to this one except the Boss Katanas maybe but I do not think they are really in the same league at all. Maybe I have missed some stuff ? What other bluetooth guitar amplifiers is Ola talking about that there are lots of out there ?
I have the big spark and I love it
Классный усилок
Возьму наверное
Бери обычный Spark, год назад купил и никак не нарадуюсь.
wow i gotta say thats really fn awesome, it sures beats packing 3 pedals and a 15 watt amp with ur guitar or sacrificing tone and bring a micro stack camping.. this changes the game
Now amps are being shipped with paid DLC. . .hard pass
The only DLC that costs money, is the Jimi Hendrix pac, due to branding and royalties. Klon centaur and others were free
Truly if all these videos show anything its that if you get a real mic in a decently treated room on anything you can get some good tones.
Hi Ola. Great review on the Spark Mini. You did overlook one of its biggest features however. If offers access to what it calls the cloud. You’ll see a icon of a mini cloud on the upper right hand side of the Spark App. Inside that cloud they claim there are over ten thousand pre programmed tone packages. I did a quick check after your review and found fifty one different Pantera tones. Some referred to specific songs “Walk” etc. some were programmed just to Dime or Dime solo. Some of these tones on the cloud are made and posted by owners you could make and post a Haunted tone if you wanted. Some are Positive Grid (most) presets. As for the Hendrix thing they had to enter into a license agreement with the Hendrix estate on a per user bases in order to get access to Jimmy’s catalog, image and sounds with his name. They have had other upgrades in the past and assured users the Hendrix deal was a one of. Future upgrades will again be free to all. Check out the tone cloud and maybe review if it’s a good collection and maybe even leave us a package or two. Keep up the great work. I’m a big fan and felt compelled to point out your oversight. Thanks.
I found an Ola preset, someone probably matched his tone and loaded it up.
@@jasonday8334 Yep The Ola Engl Fireball is one of my favorite presets, Its my go-to metal tone.
I’m still King of Spark!! 😜🎸🤘🏻
Thanks bro. But i cant see that much difference while you were changing the settings on a pedal or on an amp in the application. Sees to be just visuel switching, and the sound doesn’t change that much. I was wondering how the EQ is doing wrongly. Just the clean sound was acceptable. Honestly, i didn’t like it.
That Mimi amp sounds awesome Ola maybe you can use it to play live lol
well for 200 bucks it sucks , you can much more for that money , 50 will be a good price for something like this is just a blutooth speaker with a app
Use BASS EQ, it has a wider range!
Try outputting this into a big speaker, it'll blow your socks off. And I think you can get more sounds out of this than you get out of a 100w Marshall, for a fraction of the price. I'm currently waiting for the Spark Go in the mail, I figured, same app same amps and effects, I've got plenty of powered speakers to try it thru, see what trouble I can make, and it only cost less than a couple of good pedals.
Seems like a decent small portable amp, some sound is better than no sound.
It sounds pretty horrible to me though, not sure if that's just due to the mic setup or if it really sounds that bad in person.
Good Luck getting any help from Positive Grid Customer support. Mine became a brick after a month and PG was totally unresponsive. what a waste of $$
I only WISH I had this thing when I was learning to play. Young guitarists have no idea...I used to buy sheet music! Lol. But I fear that all of the tab, and etc that's available, might strangle the creativity that comes from learning by ear to create ur own style.
Pretty great sounding little amp.
I bought a Spark over a year ago. I think i have about 10 hours on it (apt).
Most mileage lately from a first gen MicroCube. 3 watts on years old batteries . Sounds awesome.
The rest, head phones.
Yes, I've had my microcube to decades - bought and sold a number of portable amps since then but the Microcube is still the best
Thanks for the reply!
Seemed like all the Roland Cube amps from that era were pretty awesome.
Family had a Cube 30 and a new HSS S Type.
He was just starting but i got a killer tone in less than 10 seconds. Sounded great.
@@glenkepic3208 mine's been going for 35 years - any portable with built-in rechargeable batteries like the spark - would have flaked out a long time ago.
I know I go on about it - but people don't usually realise what a gem this little amp is and how it solved the problem of portable battery amps a long, long time ago
Ive been saying this for a while but with the technology they can build into portable Bluetooth speakers for music, theres no reason they can make more micro guitar amps that dont just sound sh#tty. For the longest time, all we had was the Blackstar Fly 3 and then the Katana Mini. Its time we get some real amps in the micro catagory!
Exactly. These companies know how to plan obsoletion, so you buy the next version with slight upgrades. I have been playing with these toys since 1987 ADA, DIGITECH, LEXICON, EVENTIDE, ART, ZOOM 9050, ZOOM 9002, The Zoom 9050 let the users control EVERY parameter of every pre am or effect in 1990!
I was able to use more features at hand in 1990, they didnt hold back and rip us off back then. With out a phone this over all sucks.
@@eddiejr9169 i will NEVER buy anything restricted to a phone app , NEVER .
@@peteytwofinger cause you’re never gonna have a phone again? I mean sure, but what a silly reason. Obviously this product is not for you.
@@kagefuakakage9250 Nothing silly about it. Why should your modern amp rely on your phone to be usable?
@@madmod part of the reason it’s “modern” is because half the technology to what it does amazingly is what it does with the phone. I just received mine last week after 3 months wait. The amp itself sounds decen, literally amazing for its size. The app allows you to choose 4 of your favorite tones, then if you so choose, you never need to look at it again. This a sub $200 amazing guitar toy, phone app technology will likely last longer then the amp and the battery in it. I’ve spent more on dinner than I have on this amp, to take a stance to not buy an amp because an app, yeah it’s silly. If it were $2k your sentiment would be understandable, but it’s cheaper than my echo pedal and does incredible things.
Prefer the Nux Mighty Lite BT MKII (newer version) over the Spark Mini tones.
I agree on the purchasing upgrades. I did however purchase the Jimmy pack and there are some great high gain metal amps on it that you would probably love.
I bought it as well after grumbling about it for a while, but I don't regret it at all. With it just for the univibe.
for people that needs justs simple & something everything’s
( for practice )
but….
it’s been better forever me
“ Yo Willd “
1000 songs done
Just ad jum up to it + mastering suit . & its golden .
I live on the Jersey shore. This is great for me to take to the boardwalk with my solar 1.6 BLB and rip on a beautiful day. I’m sure u can play backing tracks while u rip on this thing.
I bought a spark and got rid of it 2 weeks later. Cheap sounding practice amp.
I wish I had a room like that , instead of a bedroom to live in. And I’m old.
Awful times musically.. All the toys in the world won't save this generation of robots..
The bigger Spark has the weirdest reverb I've ever heard. If you're looking directly at the amp, the reverb will almost sound like it's behind you.
He missed the whole part of searching for tones and premades
Can u do a spark go demo? Everyone has it on here but with no actuall speaker sound. They havent mic'd it. I want to hear it lol
as an oldhead that picked up guitar late in life and also doesn't have a dedicated space that I can play without disturbing the whole house (and frankly not very good anyway) I'm seriously lookin at one of these because of the battery so I can take it to the porch or the barn and play without disturbing the fam. I know ~just~ enough to be able to teach myself and this seems like a great little tool for this purpose. hopefully it will also entice my college age boys back into playing a bit as well. keep up the good work on your channel, really enjoy the content.
I'm right there with you....I've always been a late bloomer and didn't really pick up guitar until a couple of years ago...better late than never. With that said, I've invested in high end guitars, along with a couple of amps. The regular Spark 40 is an awesome little amp! For even more portability, I'm considering getting the mini for travel, (I just ordered a travel electric guitar). This mini Spark looks and sounds very cool! My advice is to do anything that will encourage you to play! Cheers!
No thats average size at least , if not on the bigger side
Maybe the distorted tones didn't translate well in the recording but they all sounded like a Marshall ms2. Uninspiring.
Do you think that this amp would be loud enough to use for busking?
You forgot to mention the jam session mode where you choose the tempo start playing and itll create a track to go along with it.
After selecting an amp, you close the selection window by clicking the word amp or the down arrow next to it. Same for selecting effects pedals.
hmmmm I'd get the Katana Mini over this...
The mini is an awesome little amp, it being able to handle bass too has been a nice little plus for me. I’m curious as to it’s longevity when adding a output Jack for an external speaker cab tho.
You would likely be disappointed if you wanted more than one effect. Or more than a couple amps styles. But you’d save a little money. You could put that towards the batteries you’d have to buy for the Katana if you wanted it to be mobile.
MyVolts USB to DC cable allows you to run the full size Spark with battery banks, FYI.
This is the problem with apps, they can change things whenever they want and then charge you for a features on it.
I dont have a good experience with spark amps. It in deed had a GODLY TONE but the amp itself got lots of problems
Would love to hear what kind of problem you encounter.
Positive Grid's software is great but these spark products just don't interest me at all.
"there's not that much you can do as far as setting a tone"
Brother, there are literally hundreds of pedals modeled in that little contraption. You can make some bonkers tones.
I got my spark 40 about a year ago and there had been one free update that added some new amps and pedals and then the Jimi Hendrix thing that I suspect cost extra because they had to license the name.
I've got a Roland ,with twin Speakers , 6 batteries ,
and a lot of effect petals built in , it Rocks...
@@jamrsmartin3478 The Spark does a huge amount of things the Roland cannot. The thing will make a drum track for you to play to based on what you play to it first.
Can you use the spark 40 live?
i think better is to start with joyo zombie with abcand some cheap pedals, nothing compares to real deal. with rest you can play in vst. this one just sucks - created for money making.
All products are for money making.
I'd say it's for money making like everything else as well as for users prioritizing convenience. I have the big one and you'll be surprised it sucks way less than most other home/desktop/small practice solutions. It can also sound quite good if you tweak the sounds a bit around your guitar/pickups. Not that bad, honestly. Only practice amp I've initially sold, then bought another which I'm keeping.
I mean, it has some flaws but for the money it fares quite well compared to *ahem* other popular dekstop amps.
You can use a electro harmonix magnum 44 power amp pedal. Use a 3.5mm to 1/4 inch cable. Run it into a 4x12 cab.
Just excellent Sir. I really enjoyed it. Now I want the 40 watt one. I've heard it comes with all the fixings.
It's like a modeling amp for people who never realised modeling amps exist and think the Spark thing is somewhat innovative lol
Tried the bigger version... just get a Fender Mustang GTX, same shit but better lol
And you have to pay for the pedals and effects too? Might as well just get an interface and use Ampliube on your laptop or PC if you have to pay for the software as well anyway...
All amp models are starting to sound the same to my ears.
Spark 40 was decent for low volume practice. This one adds the portability to make it killer for traveling practices, practicing to clicks/drums, on the road, warming up etc. 8 hour battery life alone made me order it. Tonally its not the best but the response and articulation is very good. For what it is- a helpful portable tool that doesn't require power or pedals to plug in- not much like it out there with all the possibilities it offers.
Extremely easy to power the 40 with battery banks and a usb to dc cable. Then your only limit to battery time is the number and size of banks you have. I knew PG was holding back on the battery power for this. So glad someone discovered that cable.
Theres the katana air but it's twice as much and runs on regular aa batteries so its annoying changing or removing and charging 8 batteries wvery time you use it outside
You can search for tones that others have made which is a great feature.
Can you make a video of bfmv guitar tones clean and metal
Man, that thing sounds like shit for metal
Too complicated just wanna plug in and play.
*Great work with the demo! I’m looking forward to buying a compact decent modeling amp. ⚔️🛡️ Something I could plug strain into my mixer for silent recording with my guitar.*
OMG finally!!!!
try the direct signal via the USB jack.
Can I use an expression pedal with this or a way pedal?
remember when people would comment like " this thing doesnt have tubes - its DIGITAL" and everyone would light up torches and pitch forks would come out ....
You should take some time and make semi (official) presets for some Feared and Haunted songs
My Mini is coming on Monday. I also have the Spark 40 and just for shits and giggles, I also ordered the wireless foot controller. Now why would a guy like me buy all of their stuff? Because...IT Fucking Sounds Incredible. Take the Spark 40. Put it somewhere in a large room. Turn it on. Now play. Wherever you go in that room, these damned amps sound AMAZING. Real quick; I didn't get ANYTHING from Positive Grid to post this comment or make review videos. I buy my own stuff on my dime and I do unbiased reviews. The Spark sounds incredible. It's like they use some Waveguide speaker MoJo. Think of, it sounds like Nose or Pose. Got it? Okay, now add in a killer, powerful app and you get WAY more than you'll ever want or need. I have nice amplifiers. All top end names. Since I've had my Spark 40, my other amps remain covered. I'm really looking forward to freedom of battery power and the Mini. The foot controller is wireless and I can use it for both the Spark 40 and Spark Mini. If you're serious about your guitar tone and getting in some great sounding practice, get the Spark. Hey, @Ola Englund how you dooin?
I have the original P.Grid and I love it! As a beginner player it saved me ton of money on effects etc..
If you buy packs, you can use the effects on other P.G. gear too?
@@RealGengarTV I would think so since its connected to your account but I have only one PG device so cant confirm
Why do people microphone the amplifier,?? when you never do that at home practice.
So that we hear it accurately on TH-cam.
sounds like fuckin shit for 200 bucks man, but I'm poor as hell, maybe this a GOOD price for some classes
Now try hooking it up to a external power amp with the line out (the headphone out has a line out mode) and into a 4x12!
Yeah...., stay away. It's the same delay/zero communication from POSITIVE GRID, shipping the units. Guitar content creators would be wise to stay back from reviewing any POSITIVE GRID amp that only exists on YT channels, & glossy pre-order adverts ..... DO NOT PRE-ORDER ONE OF THESE, YOU WILL NOT GET IT THIS YEAR!!
I am a truck driver and after seeing your videos, I have bought a SPARK 40, but my APU on my truck won't power the amp with the AC on. I am thinking about giving my wife the 40,and buying the MINI for the truck. Your videos are the best and it's great to see someone keeping DIMEBAG ON EVERYBODY'S MIND "GETCHA-A-PULL"
I use the small spark in my truck all the time. No apu problems with the ac on. Also use a ps5 with the ac on 350 watts max on that. No problems. Just make sure the apu is running full speed first.
Ok, is it better than microcube?
I love my Spark 40, but this would be a nice addition.. thanks Ola.
What's the song at the end? Anyone help me?
Small piece of s**t amplifiers XD hahaha
Sounds too dark and muddy..
I ordered this as a brand new guitar player. Figured it would work well playing in my truck on the road. Now the guitar just needs to get here lol.
It works fine in a truck. Using it for a month now.