I Need some Backing Track Volume (too low) advice...(SOLVED)
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So I finally got my Spark in today and I've adjusted and played for several hours. So far the tones I really like.
But (there is always a but), for the life of me I can't figure out how to adjust the volumes on the Spark to get the backing track loud enough to hear much less equal with the 4 "Hardware" patches set now for equal volume levels on each. If I raise the Master and or overall volume pot up to hear the backing track, then the patches are WAYYY TOO LOUDDD, and If I then adjust it back down to get the guitar patches at a comfortable level I can "barely" hear the backing track playing.Is there a ticket in to increase/raise the Backing tracks/Volume control knob so that it reacts correctly with the guitar patches?
Or am I just doing it wrong? If so please advise on what the secret is.
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nah, that's the way it is,
you can use an external source plugged into a preamp and out, into aux in the spark, that's the only way to get an aux sound loud enough to be able to play the spark amp with volume anything over 1/2 way and hear you aux sound.
I havent experimented much, but I wonder how high the volume can get on the external source before it starts distorting the sound. -
I'm using the "Headphone stereo out" of the Spark directly into Hi-Z inputs on my Audio Interface, and the guitar sounds fine and as loud as I want it, but the Backing track volume level is turned "ALL THE WAY UP" and is barely audible. Now, I can make that backing track volume louder by turning up the input gains a Mackie mixer channel and feeding the headphone outs L&R to these inputs, but when I do that the guitar patches are then too loud. Compensating by turning the volume on the virtual amp (patch) down to practically nothing just does not work well. I am not using the USB interface atm, because it's not needed I thought. Is there a way to split the headphone outs for the backing track only while using the USB connection for the guitar perhaps?
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no, you need to amplify the bluetooth or any signal going into the aux in by an outside source first and manage it with the onboard aux level dial to suit.
Using it just as it is, your guitar master level needs to be 1/4 or lower, only good for quiet bedroom jams.
So in old tech terms, you need to feed the music track(or any signal} into an amplifier and send that amplifiers output signal into the spark aux in. -
So you are telling me in order to get the volume level high enough on the "built-in" backing tracks from youtube, Spotify, etc, that is software designed and "built-in" to the amp via software/Bluetooth, I need to invest in an "external preamp" of sorts and then feed audio into it, and then out of it and then into the Sparks aux-in jack, just to get the engineered and "designed" backing track loud enough to hear it at bedroom levels to match the guitar volumes at bedroom levels? WTH? I appreciate the advice/help but that's a "beat to fit and paint to match" kludged workaround when PG's design of the amps volume control next to the headphone jack should have provided enough volume in the 1st place, don't ya think?
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yes, correct...
welcome to the club.
there are a few little irritations here and there we all have to put up with.
As a few people mentioned, the spark is not perfect, and at that price, good enough.
I beg to differ.
whether all the irritations get resolved,? and when? .. that is the question... -
@crystalpit It's funny that many people are saying the backing track volume is just fine while others are complaining that it's too quiet. My first question would be "Are the volume levels on the device that's playing the backing tracks turned up?" If the volume on the bluetooth device is all the way up and the aux input volume knob is turned all the way up, then are the three different volume knobs on the Spark set properly? If the gain and the master are set properly to get the proper tone and to balance with the bluetooth input, then using the output knob can't that properly balanced combination be made louder? I don't have my amp yet (Tuesday, hopefully) so I can't test it out. But it seems to me that if some people can get decent volume from the backing tracks to blend properly, everybody should be able to.
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I can get a decent mix, no problem
at a below average volume, for my liking.
But i think one person's average can be another's too loud or someone else's too soft.
I can understand folk, country and blues might pass the test, but for metal? Impossible.
it's just that you can't rock out really.
what I found is the spark is way too powerful for the bluetooth or aux in signal.
Even with my fones Bluetooth volume on max or my ipods volume on max into the aux in, there was no way I could push the spark amp volume knob anything past 1/2 way, as it would be too loud and overpowered the backing track. -
@dhbailey said in I Need some Backing Track Volume (too low) advice...:
My first question would be "Are the volume levels on the device that's playing the backing tracks turned up?"
1st thing's 1st- THANK YOU for writing this! No, the volume was not turned up on the iPad, and I am an idiot! I read this the 1st thing this morning and basically "ran" to the studio and looked at volume lvl on the iPad, it was down below 1/4 volume. When I turned it up my backing track volume nearly blew me out of the chair! It "never" dawned on me to adjust the volume on the iPad after adjusting the audio interface and the mixer channels- DUH..... Sorry for all the confusion on my part.
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@michael-howell Yeah, I did something similar, I have had my Spark since May and played on it many times with the iPad, but a few days ago, there was no sound at all. I screwed around with everything I could think of, then realized, maybe I should check the volume control on the iPad, and sure enough, it was all the way off. Dummy me! Also, fyi, the other night, I was starting to have problems connecting the iPad through Bluetooth and it was very flakey, plus once I finally did get it to connect, the amps and pedals were not responding properly. I finally decided to quit for the night and when I plugged the iPad in, I noticed power was down to 10%. The next morning with the iPad now at 100%, Bluetooth connected perfectly and all the amps and pedals worked, too. Geez! I have a lot to learn!! But, I have been having a blast with it!
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@dhbailey I have zero problems with backing track volume, including the ones from YouTube.
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@ernluz007 said in I Need some Backing Track Volume (too low) advice...(SOLVED):
@dhbailey I have zero problems with backing track volume, including the ones from YouTube.
I don't either, now... ; )
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Mucho thanks for this thread. Since playing along with jam tracks was one of the main reasons I bought a Spark, low streaming volume had me thinking I'd made the wrong choice. No amount of tweaking solved the problem, and of course app settings don't exist. I typically have my iPad volume set to about 75%, which works fine for everything else so it hadn't occurred to me it might be insufficient for the Spark, but boosting it to 100% made all the difference, lemme tell ya. Now the jam tracks are loud enough that I can crank the guitar/amp/pedals to get the tones I'm chasing. Back in bidness and having fun. Thanks again.
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Mucho thanks for this thread. Since playing along with jam tracks was one of the main reasons I bought a Spark, low streaming volume had me thinking I'd made the wrong choice. No amount of tweaking solved the problem, and of course app settings don't exist. I typically have my iPad volume set to about 75%, which works fine for everything else so it hadn't occurred to me it might be insufficient for the Spark, but boosting it to 100% made all the difference, lemme tell ya. Now the jam tracks are loud enough that I can crank the guitar/amp/pedals to get the tones I'm chasing. Back in bidness and having fun. Thanks again.
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Mucho thanks for this thread. Since playing along with jam tracks was one of the main reasons I bought a Spark, low playback had me thinking I'd made the wrong choice. No amount of tweaking solved the problem, and of course app settings don't exist. I typically have my iPad volume set to about 75%, which works fine for everything else so it hadn't occurred to me it might be insufficient for the Spark, but boosting it to 100% made all the difference, lemme tell ya. Now the jam tracks are loud enough that I can crank the guitar/amp/pedals to get the tones I'm chasing. Back in bidness and having fun. Thanks again.