Verdict

This lilliputian adenosine monophosphate that could is another soil - breaking practice session guitar amplifier from Positive Grid . The Spark MINI offer the same sonic versatility and smart feature and stake it all up with surprisingly groovy auditory sensation and a rechargeable battery . It set free the galvanising guitar in entirely new ways .

Pros

Cons

Key Features

Introduction

ThePositive Grid Spark guitar ampwas an out-and-out divine revelation for myriad hobbyist guitar players around the humanity . The practice ampere changed how ( and how often ) I execute the legal instrument I ’d fall in and out with for a couple of ten .

Pound - for - Irish pound it sound incredible ( better than it has any right to ) , there are super smart mobile connectivity features to scrub the tech itch , let in a remarkable range of iconic and fully customizable guitar tone blood-related to a having load of AMP and full forcible foot lever board at your disposal . Simply put , it ’s in my top five pieces of outfit ever .

So , I was delighted to hear Positive Grid was inflate the range with a Spark MINI – a much small and more portable version that could run off a rechargeable battery for up to eight hour – countenance foroff pisteshredding .

Yet , Positive Grid also run a risk part of the original ’s temptingness by go away to much smaller speakers and a much less powerful amp . The full - size Spark lick above its weighting , but tiny practice amps tend to vocalize bad and there ’s never been much getting around that .

Are the trade wind - offs deserving it for an even more approachable experience ? Can the modest Spark polish off the high note like its ground - give out handsome brother ?

Design

The Spark MINI ( 146.5 x 123 x 165 mm ) is considerably smaller than its predecessor   ( 190 x 350 x 180 mm ) . But the breadth is where you really palpate it . The A weigh just 3.3lbs ( 1.5 kg ) equate to the 11.46lbs ( 5.2 kg ) original Spark amp . It ’s almost solid and gibe on a standard desk much more comfortably .

There are some touchable advantages to this . first of all , you’re able to keep it on display . Sometimes that ocular cue is enough to remember to play the guitar today . Secondly , there ’s a ready to hand junior-grade usage as aBluetooth speaker .

Of course , you ’ll still need to secure your guitar in and there ’s a stock ¼-inch old salt stimulation , as well as 3.5 millimeter earpiece port wine on the back . Charging the amp is handled byUSB - C , meaning you do n’t have to tug a king brick around with you , and offering far more flexibility for adding succus . You could easily charge it in the car with USB - A to USB - C cable . The USB - C out enables connectivity to a computer if you wish to lay down your crush seance with recording software package like GarageBand or the wad in barren download of PreSonus Studio One Prime .

Positive Grid has maintained the excogitation wholeness of the original . The vinyl covering with amber piping and speaker grille cloth remains . The amp also comes with a faux leather shoulder strap for carrying around .

Naturally , give the width constraints there are far few knobs for on - amp control . There are four programmable pre - sets and volume control for guitar and connected music .

in person , the absence of the common bass voice , three-fold , reverb , and delay knobs was n’t really overleap as I have them all zero out and handle those adjustment through the app - based tones that can be endlessly adjust on the display .

On the tooshie is an AUX out as well as the power button ( no longer a square definitive transposition ) , and a pair button ( doubling as the built - in guitar radio set energizing ) to make the A ascertainable to your mobile machine .

While it would detract from the portability somewhat , Positive Grid does offer an fantabulous little foot switch for easily switch between two guitar television channel . This is an extra £ 100/$100 . It ’s worthwhile though if you have some presets you opt to jam out with and saves mess up around within the app .

Sometimes altering the channels within the app is n’t commodious because you wo n’t require to interrupt your rate of flow . So , if you ’re bet to go from a unobjectionable sound to a distorted sound with loads of overdrive as you channelize into the Greek chorus ( retrieve Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana , for example ) , you ’ll can just step on the foot electrical switch to change between those pre - placed channels . The buttons on the foot switch have a overnice satisfying click too .

Features

Naturally , the speakers and amplifier are humble than the original . The Spark Mini has a yoke of 2 - column inch utterer ( liken to 2x 4 - inch on the OG ) for stereo sound . gain comes with 10W of oomph compared with 40W on the sib .

There ’s   90dB SPL @1 m maximal sound level imperativeness , compared to 116dB SPL @1 m on the original .   I ’ve never been able to amply bend the original ’s muscle as I live on in an flat , so on the surface it , this is enough loud enough for home player if the intelligent quality can give up .

In testing , the sound does n’t feel as monolithic or as rounded as the original Spark adenosine monophosphate , which is to be bear given the scaled back innards , but it ’s still more than elbow room filling , and you wo n’t be able to go full whack without annoying the neighbours .

Bluetooth 5.0connectivity is on display board for connecting to your mobile machine , which has proven solid during examination . There ’s no Wi - Fi connection on either Spark Amp model .

Sound quality

So here is where I was have a bun in the oven to have to warmly urge the original full - size Spark Amp over the Mini and predate the advantages in price , smaller footmark and on - the - go battery power .

The smaller guitar amp ( and extension the Bluetooth speaker is ) , outdo its size to insure it ’s still an great sounding drill adenylic acid that can get gimcrack enough to vex the neighbours .

The original Spark produced a marvellously rounded , full bodied sound that very much defied its own bantam sizing . While that is n’t entirely procreate here , and sound can get a act ragged , it smashes any practice A of its size of it I ’ve used before . They commonly sound like you ’ve plug away your guitar into a bee ’ nest .

The audio gets rawer and a little service department - esque when you push the volume a little too far ( depend on what you ’re playing that can be a bonus ) , but in the main this amp wo n’t let down in the household setting or if you ’re just jamming in the park .

So how do those two - inch drivers do it ? More seasoned guitar pros than I seem to conceive it ’s the down - facing passive radiator doing the ramification workplace at the low-toned goal to reach an admirable amount of bass and sub - basso .

The Spark Mini has also replace my Bluetooth speaker in recent workweek . It bring on a pretty full soundscape with a surprisingly bassy performance . As it sits on the desk , the vibration at mid - volume was a little distracting despite the presence of golosh feet .

As I refer earlier , having it on the desk is a great reminder to pluck the guitar up a picayune more often .

I briefly sampled recording with GarageBand on Mac and find that ( after updating to the latest firmware ) the amplifier interfaced neatly with the app , instantly recognise it as an comment gadget . Recorded sound were hissy to say the least , but I believe that to be an result on my end , rather than the app .

Mobile experience

The fluid experience is what transubstantiate the Spark ironware from standard drill amp ( and Bluetooth speaker ) into the all - singing , all - dancing tonal sensations that will take a stab at replicating any and every iconic guitar sound you could think .

So , if you want to master Slash ’s iconic reverb - laced Gibson Les Paul solos you may get a somewhat decent estimation of his amp and foot pedal set up . Or if you want the beautifully clean whole step of John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers , the Spark adenylic acid will have a solution .

The full software suite is free to anyone who has buy the app , instantly unlock more than 10,000 tones ( let in user generated ) and loads of other feature like Smart Jam ( which adds endorse to your mess session ) , Auto Chords ( which can help you figure out the chords to song ) , and the ability to play along with real world track from your best-loved creative person .

There ’s a guitar tuner build up in and you could connect to Spotify or Apple Music for playing along with your melodic phrase and there ’s payload of interesting picture content – including tabbed strain – to research . There ’s also a ego record feature of speech , which enable you to catch video transcription of and edit your press session , with the pick to let in second music .

We ’ve found using the Spark app on a tablet is a much nicer experience than on the smartphone where things can feel really cramp and it ’s fiddly when using the smartphone .

regrettably , and this was the case with the original Spark App , microcode updates for the adenosine monophosphate can not be transferred via the app . You need to do it by connecting to a computer via USB .

Spark MINI tones

I do n’t have the time or the expertise to bet around with sempiternal place setting on the guitar and amp , I do n’t have the room or want to grease one’s palms and muck up about with loading of effects pedals ( distortion , postponement , stochasticity gate , etc )

In my opinion the unbelievable raiment of downloadable and customisable tones that does most of this work for you is the main reasonableness to purchase a Spark amp .

A guitar tone is the unique sound it make and many of the world ’s most renowned guitarists have their own touch sounds and it comes via an copiousness of factors . The guitar manufacturer and style , the physical pickup used , the on - guitar configurations are some of them .   The adenylic acid is no help here .

However , the amp model , the place setting on the adenosine monophosphate , and the issue pedals used are the other factors , and that ’s what the Spark app ’s tones set about to copy .

There are 33 A models based on Greco-Roman producer and a total of 43 effects . The community has used these to create thousands of unique tones you could also total your own twist to .

There are mountain of pre - sets Positive Grid has create across genres ( including bass part and acoustical ) , but the jewel are the community created tone , which enable you to search the ToneCloud for your favourite Sung and feel a tone someone has created aiming to replicate that phone .

They can be downloaded to the app and saved as a pre - set tone on the amp computer hardware itself . This is majuscule if you find one you love , you’re able to save it to the rhythm method , booster cable , solo or custom setting , and it ’ll be ready for you without needing to configure through the app .

If you want to blow up farther , you’re able to buy a Jimi Hendrix pack for $ 20 . It admit 12 amps and pedals , a new machine tone feature that switches as you play along to a Hendrix song .

Smart Features

As well as all those tones , the Spark amp also admit a number of smart features to boost your playing and practicing experience . Smart Jam , for good example , will render game full cart track based on a few second of your playing style . you may choose from pre - set playing profile like ‘ Sharon ’ who is “ an first-class role player with funky grooves that can make you move . ”

Auto Chords is a feature claiming to transpose the chord from any vocal you eat it from a connected Apple Music or Spotify story .   That enable guitarist to flirt along with any vocal and is especially handy when also using the app as a Bluetooth speaker system . Some illustration do work better than others and the circumscribed chords interface is only utile for beginners .

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Should you buy it?

If you ’re depend for ready access to a universe of different guitar tones in a practice amp with sound sound . The built - in barrage fire is a bully option for guitarists look to play anywhere and it work well as a Bluetooth talker

If you ’re a more veteran tone tinkerer your money may be better spent on a straight up practice amp with more on - amp ascendency . If you do n’t be after to bring on the move , the battery may not be necessary , so opt for the original Spark Amp , which sounds better .

Final Thoughts

The Spark MINI tot to the experience rather than subtracts . It ’s the ultimate piece of minimalist guitar technical school that combines glorious A and pedal modelling software program , enceinte sound in a flyspeck package , and the freedom to play away anywhere .

If your priority is effectual quality and bigger sound over sizing and freedom , get the original Spark ampere , but the little comrade ’s added economic value is hard to brush aside . You might terminate up with both .

Trusted Score

How we test

We test every amplifier we brush up exhaustively over an extended period of sentence . We apply industriousness stock trial to liken features properly . We ’ll always tell you what we find . We never , ever , take money to refresh a intersection .

Find out more about how we quiz in ourethics policy .

FAQs

Yes there is ! Positive Grid sells a foot switch that can set aside you to easily swap between pre - set channels

The MINI is well used in the dwelling house or on the go . Sound gets a little ragged at the top of the volume range and probably would n’t be suitable for gigging at a locale .

The Spark MINI ismostsuited to founder guitarists who are n’t as intimate with make their own sound and want to replicate iconic guitar sounds

Absolutely , you’re able to set the A to play your preferent whole step and stop up the amp into your laptop and utilise your favourite recording software to lie down some tracks .

Full Specs

Sustainability

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