Recording from Spark amp to Audacity or Cakewalk
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Hello. Basically my question is if the Spark acts like an audio interface, say a Scarlett Solo or Behringer UM-2, and can record my sound from the amp to the computer using the software mentioned above? If so, where do I get the drivers? Does the PC recognize the device by plugging it? Does it just use ASIO drivers? (I'm on Windows 10).
And when it records, does it detect the effects? Thanks in advance. I've been trying to get these answers on the Internet but I haven't had any luck at all.
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@j-m-corr I believe you need Positive Grid's own version of the ASIO drivers.
https://help.positivegrid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039598451-Spark-Windows-ASIO-Driver-
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@mcgillivray-kevin If only the ASIO drivers actually worked! I can install them and I can even play it as a speaker (Windows installs it as a speaker even without the drivers). But using it as an interface? Not working at all!
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@tim-2 So I can't use it as an interface on Windows? How are people recording then?
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@j-m-corr Weirdly - I got it to work, kind of, in Mixcraft - but using crappy Windows drivers rather than ASIO - which means the latency is appalling. No point in recording without ASIO drivers. Can't get it to work in Presonus Studio One AT ALL!
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I know this thread is a tad old but I had the same issue and thought I'd share my fix. I had to get the asio4all driver from here. Once I installed it you can use the drivers control panel to select the devices you want to use. Actually works out better cause I can use my computers speakers as the output monitors, and the amp as my guitar in as well as use my blue snowball mic. There's a tad bit of latency, but not much. Works pretty well. Much better than PositiveGrids driver.
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@redbeardtheweird Hello. I have same issue with the positive grid asio. Mine is a bit worst. There's a crackling sound along with the music.
Should I uninstall the spark asio driver before installing asio4all?
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I found the asio driver (newest) works good with everything BUT cakewalk so far. Just make sure projects and asio settings are at 4800
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@nwfungi Sometimes crackling noises are the result of buffers being the incorrect size -- after being sure the resolution is at 48kHz for the project, if that doesn't solve the problem, try changing the sizes of the buffers. It might help.
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Just following this.
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You don't need to uninstall PG's native driver if you want to use ASIO4ALL. ASIO4ALL just becomes another device to choose from inputs/outputs, and you can simply switch back-and-forth. Over the years, I've found that ASIO4ALL works better than most native drivers, although it does usually require a bit of setup, but well worth the effort, once you get the hang of it.
I didn't even install PG's native driver when I first got the Spark a few weeks ago, since ASIO4ALL already worked out-of-the-box. Out of curiosity, I did just now install the PG native driver and tested it with all my guitar software. I have three DAWS installed (Ableton Live Lite, Studio One Artist, Reaper) along with two standalone apps (BIAS-FX and S-GEAR), and noticed the following:
- With ASIO4ALL, all five pieces of software see the Spark fine.
- With the PG's native driver, all three DAWs plus BIAS-FX standalone see the Spark fine, but not S-GEAR standalone.
- Interestingly, this is identical behavior to my older 2011 MacBook Air using builtin CoreAudio, in which everything sees the Spark fine, except S-GEAR standalone.
- For some reason, PG's native driver restricts everything to a 48K sample rate. ASIO4ALL does not have this restriction.
I suspect that the issue with S-GEAR standalone is the same as with CakeWalk, and like w/S-GEAR, ASIO4ALL will probaby work. You can also try another DAW that does see the Spark with PG's native driver, like the Studio One Prime license that came with the Spark, or Reaper, which has a 60-day trial (and is relatively inexpensive).
On another note -- I haven't used Audacity in years, but last I knew, Audacity did not support ASIO, due to licensing issues. Unless that has changed, I thought that the only way to get ASIO support in Audacity was to compile it from source with the ASIO support patched in?
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Hello,
. I've tried it with studio one but it won't work with my spark. Also, I tried to use my spark amp to my other laptop with i5 process and it works fine. I think I need to tweak something in my i7 7th gen. laptop but i dont have any idea how to solve this audio latency issue.
Anyway, thank you for the input
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To the OP, Audacity on windows does not support asio
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So after a few failed attempts to find a good/no latency solution to using cakewalk with the spark amp interface.... I have settled for mic-ing the amp with a sm57. granted, speaker box is the limitation, but if I like the room sound, should be workable (albeit not as "big" as a 4x10 box). So two questions... and maybe this belongs on another thread (although a driver update to support bandlab cakewalk would be GREAT... hear me PG?... and yes, I have already submitted a ticket).
- Any suggestions on mic placement?
- Has anyone connected an external speaker box of any size?
ok, 3 questions
- Has anyone tried to use the headphone out to audio interface hooked to a computer? (I am currently using Motu M4 as my interface into a surface pro 7).
Thanks all.
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Tif: Here's a copy of another thread I'm following, which I posted about 2 weeks ago.
@madmarcus1960 - Following this regarding jack & line out.
Please let us know what you run the new line out to. And any electric current, impedence, or wattage considerations.
I saw the Steve Stine, Positive Grid live stream on Facebook a few minutes ago, and he always runs the Headphone line out to his digital audio interface, then wherever. I'll be getting an interface eventually for a condenser mic I have, but your fix would be good for simplifying when I don't need to hook up the interface/preamp.
Thanks. -
I have used it to work with cakewalk by using the headphones out into my Focusrite solo
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@tiftaaft On a side note -- do you need to use Cakewalk specifically? I only ask, since I have a MOTU M2 (gave-up trying to find an M4 in-stock...), and both M-series devices come with licenses for MOTU's new Performer Lite, as well as Ableton Live Lite, one of which may work better for you. I love Ableton Live Lite too, but Digital Performer Lite is the best lite/free version (at least "free" with hardware purchase) of a DAW that I've used. It is quite full-featured on its own, and what really surprised me is its impressive guitar amp/effect mod plugins that come builtin, especially for something at the lite/free level:
https://cdn-data.motu.com/manuals/software/perflite/Performer+Lite+Plug-ins+Guide.pdfSome people were even questioning whether MOTU made the lite version a bit too powerful, and they may be cannibalizing their paid product, Digital Performer. In any case, both MOTU's Performer Lite and Ableton Live Lite are great DAWs, although Ableton Live Lite does have the 8 audio track limitation. MOTU's Performer Lite does not have this limitation. Either way, not usually an issue for me, since I started as a teenager in the 80's on a 4-track cassette recorder for a full band, so I can certainly get by with 8 tracks for a single person!
EDIT: I also wonder about the future of Cakewalk, since it seems like they are pushing people toward their cloud-based BandLab app (in which they can commoditize accounts), and Cakewalk doesn't seem to be updated as much.
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Reaper DAW is another great choice
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@nwfungi Yeah -- I was going to mention Reaper, but my post was already getting long, and also wanted to keep in the free realm. But Reaper has a 60-day trial, and the non-commercial license is more than reasonable (US$60).
For anyone who doesn't have access to a free/lite DAW from a hardware purchase, or they need full-features on a budget (since lite versions are limited in some way), I always recommend Reaper. I started out on Reaper, and learned a lot with it -- they also have a great video learning series.
I had switched to Ableton Live Lite over time because the interface fit my way of working better, but still use Reaper from time-to-time. Although now, I'm really digging MOTU's Performer Lite, which has better guitar mods builtin and fewer limitations than Ableton's Live Lite.
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@redbeardtheweird said in Recording from Spark amp to Audacity or Cakewalk:
Once I installed it you can use the drivers control panel to select the devices you want to use.
Thank you for posting this! Was having hell getting my Mini to record on Studio One, working good now