A guide to getting started with the Positive Grid Spark Amp, including frequently asked questions
This is a community-maintained guide to getting started with the Positive Grid Spark Amp, including frequently asked questions. Feel free to contribute changes.
Most original spark amp orders were pre-orders via the Positive Grid website. Customers ordering today can expect less wait time. The amp is not generally available in stores currently.
Get the Spark Amp App for your device. You can install this app even if you don’t have your amp yet:
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.positivegrid.spark&hl=en
iPad/iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/spark-amp/id1457653921
There is currently no offical app for desktop computers (Windows or mac OS).
There is an unofficial community app developed Desktop app called Soundshed, for Windows, macOS and Linux, which can be used to control the amp, manage presets and browse video backing tracks etc: https://soundshed.com
People with recent Chromebooks with Google Play store may find they can use the Android App.
Confusingly, Positive Grid also make a music tuition app called Spark Edu which is a subscription service that is no relation to your Spark amp. You do not have to pay to use the spark app with your amp, so if something is asking for money you’ve gone to the wrong place.
To use the app on iOS/iPhoneOS/iPadOS you should have a device capable of running iOS 13 or higher. Apple no longer allow app updates to devices which do not support this version of iOS or higher, so if you have an old device (iOS 12 or lower) you will no longer have app updates.
On Android, the app is currently supported on Android 8.1 and higher. Users of Android 7.0 have previously managed to get the app to work but this is not guaranteed especially as the app receives updates which may make it less compatible.
Spark 40 Audio and Bluetooth Low Energy Spark 40 BLE). You need to pair with Spark 40 Audio before you use the app. The app also needs Location Services to be enabled so that BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) works: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207092Music Volume knob is turned up and the audio is turned up on your mobile device, this applies when using as a Bluetooth speaker as well.The basic Smart Jam functionality uses your mobile device microphone to listen to the chords you are playing an suggests a backing track (drums and bass). Your mileage may vary. For some users this feature is a great match for their playing style, others may consider this a limited novelty feature.
The app has limited support for sourcing the names of backing tracks from your music library (Spotify, Apple Music etc). It then finds this track on YouTube and passes the information to the app/Positive Grid in order to analyse the music and generate approximate chords. The accuracy of auto-generated chord etc will vary by music style.
The Firmware is the software the amp uses internally to function (bluetooth connectivty, amp and FX models, controls etc). The firmware version you have installed can be see in the app when the amp is connected (it’s a version number such as 1.2.3.37). Firmware is a completely different thing to the mobile app.
To update your firmware see the PG guide: https://help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038685111-How-To-Update-The-Firmware-on-Spark-
You can put any other physical FX pedal in front of the amp if you want to (Wah, Pre-amp, Noise gates, Compressor etc) but there is no FX loop so you can’t insert FX after the amp FX in the signal chain.
This is the current list: https://help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038772571-Spark-Amp-List
This is the current list: https://help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038388192-Spark-Effect-List
Some users of the first generation Spark Amp have reported hum (buzzing) when using the amp. This has mostly been attributed to lack of electrical grounding on the power supply unit and affects users differently dependin on their house wiring and local electrical interference. The isse will be particularly apparent when using guitars with single coil pickups and non-grounded hardware. Affected users should open a support ticket with PG to discuss. Several users have reported being sent replacement power supplies by PG to help resolve the issue.
Note that in general, hum/buzz is considered a normal characteristic of amplifiers when used on high-gain settings, because low level electrical interference is amplified by the gain stages of the amp (common to all amplifiers). Over the years this has led to the introduction of Noise Gates (which silence noise when the guitar is not playing). The Spark has a noise gate setting which you can adjust in the app.
Ensure the Noise Gate effect is enabled and adjust the Threshold value (when no notes are playing) to the minimum level required to line/pickup noise but to still allow for note sustain.
Noise gate usage: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.marriott.96/videos/3165897856812563
If playing a note leads to the sound cutting in and out erraticaly, adjust the Noise Gate settings within the app for the preset you are using. Ensure the Noise Gate effect is enabled and adjust the Threshold value (when no notes are playing) to the minimum level required to line/pickup noise but to still allow for note sustain. The required level varies slightly for each guitar/pickup combination.
The amp has a deeper bass presence when placed on the floor. Lift it off the floor.
Spark Amp Owners Club facebook group is probably the most useful and active community for Spark Amp Owners: https://www.facebook.com/groups/202479867664001Sorry, can’t help you. You’ll toughen up soon enough.