Power supporter user, think I got a DUD, at least i hope so
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Has anyone that has received their Spark amp had any issues? I have to plug in the USB cable from my amp to my computer to quiet this thing down. Lots of incessant noise coming out in the form of fizzy awfulness. This is with or without the app. Also, the amp sound cuts in and out and if I strum lightly sometimes there will be no sound at all even with the guitar volume turned up. I have to pick the strings forcefully to get a sound with any type of sustain. Hopefully i just got a lemon. I have logged this with PG, waiting to hear back. This amp can produce some really good tones and has some really cool features. I just can't get past the spitting and sputtering and cutting out, especially if the gain is past half way. I get there is some noise expected, not like this.
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There seems to be some sort of issue (possibly a grounding issue) with my amp. Mine buzzes on the clean channels and it is unusable, due to loud background buzzing, on the high gain presets. If I touch the on/off switch, the buzzing stops.
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@bigdaddy did you try the new firmware?
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@cleelee
I resieved my spark today and I have the same problems.
Without the USB Cable a lot of noise.
If I touch my strings or the on/off switch it disapears.Maybe something with the earth/ground.
Sorry for my bad englisch. I am from Germany.
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@cleelee @fabian-hirschmann @BigDaddy I've had my Spark for a while now but don't appear to have had the issues you are experiencing. I'm in the UK so may have some differences in power. The was a topic a while ago from a few users in the US that had problems with buzzing. As @diegofiorillo-uk suggests, its worth trying the new firmware.
One cause of the cutting out might be the noise gate. I found it really difficult to use (and don't like them anyway) and I think most of the patches has it turned on. Obviously if you remove it/turn it off the hum increases. Hopefully PG will get back to you with a solution. If the do can you please post on the forum as I'm sure others may have this problem too. Cheers Andy. -
I heard if you plug your USB cable in, the buzz will go away. You don't need to play it through the computer, just plug the USB cord into the amp and connect it to your computer.
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@trav-g-hall It does help but I don't want to have to take it to a computer and plug in the usb every time I want to use this amp.
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@diegofiorillo-uk I am using firmware version 0.1.2.197
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@cleelee is that the latest one?
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@diegofiorillo-uk I updated to the beta version and still get a terrible buzzing noise. It goes away if you hold the on/off switch or while touching the strings.
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@bigdaddy can you ground it?
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What kind of Guitar are you using do you have Humbuckers or Single coils.
Guitars do ground through the stings on most guitars there is a wire to the bridge so you should get hiss and buzz when you are not touching the strings but it should drop when touching the stings you become part of the shield, the only guitars that I know dont need to ground to the strings are active pickups like EMG also is your guitar cord shield good and right kind of cable sound like a ground problem to the guitar.
I play with Mesa Boogies amps so alot of gain I just got my spark and do not have this problem. -
@f-madore
If tested diffrent guitars. The buzzing happens with all of them.
If i touch the on/off switch the buzzing goes lower and if i plug a USB cable it disapears.I never had or have such noise with my other amps.
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A person on You Tube who just got his amp recently complained about it and PG responded and said it was the power supply and they will replace it. I will try to find it and post the link for you.
Update: Sorry, I went through my You Tube Spark history and this person must have taken his video down. Sorry. In the meantime, just connect a USB cable and enjoy.
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@xbfoz
Just use a USB cable ist no solution.I just want the amp for practiceing without my MacBook Pro.
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@fabian-hirschmann I mean to connect the Spark to your computer....
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The buzzing disapears if the usb cable is pluged into a Computer or charger.
But i want to use it without a USB cable.
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@fabian-hirschmann It is definitely a grounding issue. I attached a wire from the on/off switch to the ground on the outlet and the buzzing goes away. The amp is free of buzzing even in the hi-gain channels.
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@fabian-hirschmann Yes, I understand that and this was just a temporary fix to make the amp usable. As I said before, contact spark and they will replace the power supply. Unfortunately, I cannot find the You Tube thread that PG said the power supply is defective and they would replace it. Have you contacted them yet?
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@fabian-hirschmann The latest firmware v1.1.3.13 fixes it.