It is a practice amp by itself. I put mine through an old Bose SoundDock XT. I got the grid when they had it on sale, so I have a great sounding practice amp I can carry in a small handbag for cheap. With guitar in other hand, it makes going to a friend's house easy. The SoundDock has enough volume to get good sound and play with others. You are right: It is the software that makes the deal. You can get the Bose used for about $60. Not the cheapest solution, but it sounds great, has an outstanding number of effect permutations, and a good setup with a guitar can be hand carried over to friend's house for practice. Plus with a long quality mic cord extension, you can put the XT Speaker in many places a regular effects and speaker rig would be a nightmare. Using only one guitar cord, an extended mike cord, and one power cord, I can play/practice for hours. And in a car?? It is as easy as walking to your car and driving to practice. If you have an old Bose full range speaker of some sort, try it out. Or if gas hits you, get one for about $60 and try it out.
As a Spark Mini owner, when they came out with this, I was pretty sure this'd be just for wandering around the house not caring if you had any low end whatsoever. The Spark Mini sounds 100 times better, and is just a little bigger (and you can hang it off your strap if you like, though it's a little more cumbersome...). I think the Positive Grid modeling is decent but the software tries too hard to be the physical pedals (without any of the chain customization that would be awful nice to have). I'll go watch your part 2 and see what you say now. :)
Hey Thanks man. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I have no doubt the bigger Sparks would be better as stand alone amps, and they definitely have something interesting with this software, but I still feel there's something missing. The control of pedal order, tap tempo, amp type for specific genres, etc... don't seem to be there. Like where are the Brad Paisley Z Wreck amps? Or the SRV tones? Where is the artist tab where you can play their amp settings? That's what I'd want😀
@@j-man9457 yeah once you get the hang of the app and dial in presets the 40 is a great amp. If I’m travelling a headphone amp is way more useful to me so the Mustang is the way to go. Just enough features I can control with button clicks and plug in my headphones so I don’t bother anyone. Also comes in handy after the wife and kids are in bed and I want to practice.
Just realized I already commented the same things on your part2 video, but anyway: preordered it for cheap, use it every day, some tips: - forget the preloaded presets, they are trash - use a PC or android device (bluetooth and unfortunately location must be enabled...) to do the firmware update without any problems - check the device overall setting in your profile, there is a very IMPORTANT setting to choose if you have low or high out pickups, this will make the speaker crackling go away if you have high output pickups - EQ pedal in the chain is very recommended - do not use the noisegate if not needed it is a bit aggressive - a sustainer in the chain worked wonders on my clean patch
Without the software update, which I had no idea about (it's $120, hoss), it sounds like an earbud dropped in half a can of Beeferoni. Except you can eat the beeferoni as it left the factory, the same cannot be said of the Positive Grid Sparks Mini Go.
Yup I returned this one and bought Beeferoni! Hahaha It's a cool idea but at the end of the day, for me, if I can't gig with it with a band, I dont want it!
My instincts tell me that its meant for playing through a system- I can hear really good things in the tone if you can get past the "thinness" of it...also I bet it would sound bigger on like a metal table or something instead of the cardboard box. BUT I really appreciate your review because now I know its probably not worth the money 😂
Thanks man... well these are alot less in the US, and I think this thing has a lot of potential, just not convinced that the drawing out of potential is worth the effort hahaha! J
@@PotatoKing86 A speaker out jack is usually a 1/4" female output jack to plug in a 1/4" male plug cable that can be connected to an a speaker cabinet. The output in ohms should matched the the ohm rating of the speaker of speaker cabinet ohm rating for best results. The most common is 8 ohm, but 2 ohm, 4 ohm and 16 ohm may be encountered. With guitar amps and cabinets 8 and 4 ohm are the most common.
It sounds a lot better with it's own speaker if it's laying on its back on top of some sort of box type structure. It's a lot richer sounding. I'm sure you have discovered this for yourself already though.
@@j-man9457 you actually gigged it? I'm sure that didn't go well at all. That's very adventurous of you. That's one of the reasons I really enjoy your content. You seem to be a go for it type guy. Me too, send that sucker! We'll see what happens in the real world. Haha
@@615theGuitar haha yup I set 4 tones that sounded great at home through a Headrush 108 cab but then at the venue, the tones and drive levels were totally different sounding so I was in a panic changing all of the perimeters for every patch to get the settings to sound good... Never again hahaha!
I think it's meant to be kind of a quilter with a built in speaker for monitoring before you wanna plug it into something bigger. Along with the app, it makes it a full system
Nah... definitely not a quilter! The quilter is a 25 watt head that os point and shoot. Plug it in with a cab, or headphones, or XLR out and rock on! This thing is more like a guitar recording interface to use in a recording studio...the possibilities I believe are endless, but I just don't know if the possibilities are worth the hassle or the time lol!
I'm liking you can put it through a real speaker and not a thin bumblebee. I'm not liking that $99 US becomes $180CAD. This is a rip off price to me. The big but is if the features make it all worthwhile in part 2!?
Put a dynamic mic in front of that little guy, run it through the PA. Let the mixer's EQ fix a few things... Problem solved, lol... Pretty useless, but if it has a headphone or line output, I guess that's worth something... It's $30 less than a PigNose amp and sounds a lot better than a PigNose, so there's also that...
Yep good points! I think itxs a great platform for someone with an at home recording studio who needs a variety of pedals and multiple amps for different genres of music. But for me a gigging cover band musician who litterally only 3 sounds and sometimes a wah pedal, it's not practical... sure I can preset up to 4 sounds, but they don't have a foot controler to switch between them... so at this point, I can't see myself keeping it...🤨
J-man, these are great to go into a usb audio interface(or line out to a power cabinet )and into a daw or you have the ability to use it as a audio interface alone. Use it in your Daw, like Reaper or what ever daw of choice. You will get the big sound in a recording. You won't get anything good out of those speakers though. It would probably sound better to you if you hook some nice head phones with it.
Hey Mitch, thanks but that's my point. I have no clue about anything you described there lol! I'm a guitar player that's it. These are advertised as a portable guitar amp. Really though, like you said it's a full on recording tool but this is not how these are marketed. You sort of have to just know this stuff... J
@j-man9457 J-Man, You have a lot to offer with your excellent guitar playing and ability to fix and mod guitars. It would not be as hard as you think to learn how to use a Daw, audio interface, and video editing software, all for not much of a monetary investment. Other than a decent pc.. Just my two cents worth because I think you're really that good and love what you do.
So you are saying that an amp as big as the palm of your hand can't play gigs. Come on man. It is a fun little piece of gear to mess around with at the beach or walking around the house.
It's cool for sure, just not sure it's cool for me hahaha... Too much screen time for my taste to use it to it's potential. Not done exploring it so time will tell! Thanks for commenting! J
@j-man9457 - Always appreciate your honesty in these reviews! Yeah - the 2 inch speaker really doesn't do the amp any justice. Definitely sounds a lot better thru your Rumble. My Blackstar Fly's 3 inch speaker seems better, but not by much, though it was $60 new and doesn't have all of the Go's effects. Wondering if the Fender Mustang Micro might be an alternative to a flexible headphone amp that could drive an external powered amp if available. I'l have to tune into your Part 2 to see if you decide to keep the Spark!
Hey man. Spark may have tiny little speaker, but if you use app and connect it to bigger speakers, it beats Fender Mustang Micro by truckload. I even forgot, where my micro mustang is. Another stupid thing is to put it into any guitar or bass amp. It has to be some kind of FRFR, Hi-Fi audio. Then it is really really great.
@@SamuelTheGerman Thanks, man! I have neither so this is great info. With the current holiday discounting, it looks like the Spark Go costs less than the Mustang, and has a small speaker as well. I've been generally disappointed with headphone amps that don't support stereo effects - esp. delay and reverb.
Yup for sure! But for me, not being very good, I like to practice with what I use at a live show so that I can feel familiar and dial in my sound easier. These things are great for practice, but the tones you set at home don't sound anything like those settings once you plug this thing through a sound system then I'm scrambling to re-adjust all if the patches... So for me, If I can't gig with it, I don't keep it. If I only played at home, I would probably have all 3 models haha... I do see that they came out with a powered cab for these so maybe they would be gigable now... 😉
Hahaha you're funny. I'm Canadian! Here's the point: If you are not a gigging musician, you'll like this thing. If you are, then you'll soon discover that this is just another gadget at best.
![ILLSLICK X YOUNGOHM - We're The same [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yUJNkobYR0E/mqdefault.jpg)
It is a practice amp by itself. I put mine through an old Bose SoundDock XT. I got the grid when they had it on sale, so I have a great sounding practice amp I can carry in a small handbag for cheap. With guitar in other hand, it makes going to a friend's house easy. The SoundDock has enough volume to get good sound and play with others. You are right: It is the software that makes the deal. You can get the Bose used for about $60. Not the cheapest solution, but it sounds great, has an outstanding number of effect permutations, and a good setup with a guitar can be hand carried over to friend's house for practice. Plus with a long quality mic cord extension, you can put the XT Speaker in many places a regular effects and speaker rig would be a nightmare. Using only one guitar cord, an extended mike cord, and one power cord, I can play/practice for hours. And in a car?? It is as easy as walking to your car and driving to practice. If you have an old Bose full range speaker of some sort, try it out. Or if gas hits you, get one for about $60 and try it out.
Interesting John! Yeah still sorting this out! All these comments sure do help!
Thanks!
J
As a Spark Mini owner, when they came out with this, I was pretty sure this'd be just for wandering around the house not caring if you had any low end whatsoever. The Spark Mini sounds 100 times better, and is just a little bigger (and you can hang it off your strap if you like, though it's a little more cumbersome...). I think the Positive Grid modeling is decent but the software tries too hard to be the physical pedals (without any of the chain customization that would be awful nice to have). I'll go watch your part 2 and see what you say now. :)
Hey Thanks man. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. I have no doubt the bigger Sparks would be better as stand alone amps, and they definitely have something interesting with this software, but I still feel there's something missing. The control of pedal order, tap tempo, amp type for specific genres, etc... don't seem to be there. Like where are the Brad Paisley Z Wreck amps? Or the SRV tones? Where is the artist tab where you can play their amp settings? That's what I'd want😀
I have the Spark 40 and I love it. I have my Mustang Micro for when I want to be quiet practicing.
Cool Mark! I hear good things about the 40. This thing is pretty neat but it's not a stand alone amp that's for sure lol!
J
@@j-man9457 yeah once you get the hang of the app and dial in presets the 40 is a great amp. If I’m travelling a headphone amp is way more useful to me so the Mustang is the way to go. Just enough features I can control with button clicks and plug in my headphones so I don’t bother anyone. Also comes in handy after the wife and kids are in bed and I want to practice.
@@markpetten9777true
Just realized I already commented the same things on your part2 video, but anyway: preordered it for cheap, use it every day, some tips:
- forget the preloaded presets, they are trash
- use a PC or android device (bluetooth and unfortunately location must be enabled...) to do the firmware update without any problems
- check the device overall setting in your profile, there is a very IMPORTANT setting to choose if you have low or high out pickups, this will make the speaker crackling go away if you have high output pickups
- EQ pedal in the chain is very recommended
- do not use the noisegate if not needed it is a bit aggressive
- a sustainer in the chain worked wonders on my clean patch
Awesome man, thanks for the tips! Much appreciated!
Really valuable comment, thanks a lot for posting!!
Without the software update, which I had no idea about (it's $120, hoss), it sounds like an earbud dropped in half a can of Beeferoni.
Except you can eat the beeferoni as it left the factory, the same cannot be said of the Positive Grid Sparks Mini Go.
Yup I returned this one and bought Beeferoni! Hahaha
It's a cool idea but at the end of the day, for me, if I can't gig with it with a band, I dont want it!
My instincts tell me that its meant for playing through a system- I can hear really good things in the tone if you can get past the "thinness" of it...also I bet it would sound bigger on like a metal table or something instead of the cardboard box. BUT I really appreciate your review because now I know its probably not worth the money 😂
Thanks man... well these are alot less in the US, and I think this thing has a lot of potential, just not convinced that the drawing out of potential is worth the effort hahaha!
J
Have the Spark 40 and like very much outside of no speaker out jack.
Yeah I heard really great things on the 40! I would have gotten one if it had a speaker out jack!
J
@@j-man9457 Although the speakers in the 40 sound pretty good!
@@twowaymuir I have no doubt they sound 1000 times better than the one on this Go! Haha
Whats a speaker out jack
@@PotatoKing86 A speaker out jack is usually a 1/4" female output jack to plug in a 1/4" male plug cable that can be connected to an a speaker cabinet. The output in ohms should matched the the ohm rating of the speaker of speaker cabinet ohm rating for best results. The most common is 8 ohm, but 2 ohm, 4 ohm and 16 ohm may be encountered. With guitar amps and cabinets 8 and 4 ohm are the most common.
It sounds a lot better with it's own speaker if it's laying on its back on top of some sort of box type structure. It's a lot richer sounding. I'm sure you have discovered this for yourself already though.
I ended up returning it. Tried gigging with it and it didn't go well hahaha!
@@j-man9457 you actually gigged it? I'm sure that didn't go well at all. That's very adventurous of you. That's one of the reasons I really enjoy your content. You seem to be a go for it type guy. Me too, send that sucker! We'll see what happens in the real world. Haha
@@615theGuitar haha yup I set 4 tones that sounded great at home through a Headrush 108 cab but then at the venue, the tones and drive levels were totally different sounding so I was in a panic changing all of the perimeters for every patch to get the settings to sound good... Never again hahaha!
I think it's meant to be kind of a quilter with a built in speaker for monitoring before you wanna plug it into something bigger. Along with the app, it makes it a full system
Nah... definitely not a quilter! The quilter is a 25 watt head that os point and shoot. Plug it in with a cab, or headphones, or XLR out and rock on! This thing is more like a guitar recording interface to use in a recording studio...the possibilities I believe are endless, but I just don't know if the possibilities are worth the hassle or the time lol!
I'm liking you can put it through a real speaker and not a thin bumblebee. I'm not liking that $99 US becomes $180CAD. This is a rip off price to me. The big but is if the features make it all worthwhile in part 2!?
100% agree! Stay tuned!
Put a dynamic mic in front of that little guy, run it through the PA. Let the mixer's EQ fix a few things... Problem solved, lol... Pretty useless, but if it has a headphone or line output, I guess that's worth something... It's $30 less than a PigNose amp and sounds a lot better than a PigNose, so there's also that...
Yep good points! I think itxs a great platform for someone with an at home recording studio who needs a variety of pedals and multiple amps for different genres of music. But for me a gigging cover band musician who litterally only 3 sounds and sometimes a wah pedal, it's not practical... sure I can preset up to 4 sounds, but they don't have a foot controler to switch between them... so at this point, I can't see myself keeping it...🤨
J-man, these are great to go into a usb audio interface(or line out to a power cabinet )and into a daw or you have the ability to use it as a audio interface alone. Use it in your Daw, like Reaper or what ever daw of choice. You will get the big sound in a recording. You won't get anything good out of those speakers though. It would probably sound better to you if you hook some nice head phones with it.
This is what I came to say- it reminds of like 10 years ago when little Bluetooth speakers started becoming really popular.
Hey Mitch, thanks but that's my point. I have no clue about anything you described there lol! I'm a guitar player that's it. These are advertised as a portable guitar amp. Really though, like you said it's a full on recording tool but this is not how these are marketed. You sort of have to just know this stuff...
J
@j-man9457 J-Man, You have a lot to offer with your excellent guitar playing and ability to fix and mod guitars. It would not be as hard as you think to learn how to use a Daw, audio interface, and video editing software, all for not much of a monetary investment. Other than a decent pc..
Just my two cents worth because I think you're really that good and love what you do.
@@MitchHaman thanks buddy! But I am old lol!
@@j-man9457 I'll be 68 in 3 weeks. I love learning this stuff.
Wowza, nice playing to go with the demo, go cat go! 🔥🔥🔥🐈
Jeepers! Thanks man... much appreciated!😊
So you are saying that an amp as big as the palm of your hand can't play gigs. Come on man. It is a fun little piece of gear to mess around with at the beach or walking around the house.
It's cool for sure, just not sure it's cool for me hahaha...
Too much screen time for my taste to use it to it's potential. Not done exploring it so time will tell!
Thanks for commenting!
J
“It can’t do X” so it’s crap, another crap review
I predict that you will be absolutely amazed by the Spark app, the features and the tone cloud.
Hope you're right 😃
I'd be amazed if they just built a chorus into an amp that costs $120.
@j-man9457 - Always appreciate your honesty in these reviews! Yeah - the 2 inch speaker really doesn't do the amp any justice. Definitely sounds a lot better thru your Rumble. My Blackstar Fly's 3 inch speaker seems better, but not by much, though it was $60 new and doesn't have all of the Go's effects. Wondering if the Fender Mustang Micro might be an alternative to a flexible headphone amp that could drive an external powered amp if available. I'l have to tune into your Part 2 to see if you decide to keep the Spark!
Hey TR, thanks!
Yeah the fender maybe a better option?! Part 2 coming soon, stay tuned lol!
J
Hey man. Spark may have tiny little speaker, but if you use app and connect it to bigger speakers, it beats Fender Mustang Micro by truckload. I even forgot, where my micro mustang is.
Another stupid thing is to put it into any guitar or bass amp. It has to be some kind of FRFR, Hi-Fi audio. Then it is really really great.
@@SamuelTheGerman Thanks, man! I have neither so this is great info. With the current holiday discounting, it looks like the Spark Go costs less than the Mustang, and has a small speaker as well. I've been generally disappointed with headphone amps that don't support stereo effects - esp. delay and reverb.
It is not for performing. It is for practicing.
Yup for sure!
But for me, not being very good, I like to practice with what I use at a live show so that I can feel familiar and dial in my sound easier. These things are great for practice, but the tones you set at home don't sound anything like those settings once you plug this thing through a sound system then I'm scrambling to re-adjust all if the patches... So for me, If I can't gig with it, I don't keep it. If I only played at home, I would probably have all 3 models haha...
I do see that they came out with a powered cab for these so maybe they would be gigable now... 😉
@@j-man9457 Not very good? You do yourself a disservice.
@@catherinewilson3880 different strokes for different folks I guess 😀
I think you are supposed to have some loud drums, background music in a mix and only play the high strings.
Hahaha good luck with that!
Never, never connect a cable like that! Did you expect playing on a stage with that?
Like what?
WOW the next vid is the clincher !!!!!!!!!!! NICE J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More like yawner hahaha! You'll see what sponsored reviews won't ever show you🙄
You get Full Play over here DOG!!!!!!!!! you are doing a great thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@theguitarprofessionals8584 thanks big dog!
Sounds CHEAP!!!
My initial reaction as well.... however, I think it has potential!
You didnt put a real pedal on it
Nope... why would I do that? Every pedal available is in the app...
you just talk too much. Typical american issue. Stick to the point.
Hahaha you're funny.
I'm Canadian! Here's the point: If you are not a gigging musician, you'll like this thing. If you are, then you'll soon discover that this is just another gadget at best.