A Week With My Spark
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I received my Spark a week ago. It was rough start at first. I'm used to modeling amps but ever interface does it a little differently. For the most part I like the presets but they are a little loud, I've had to turn the gain down a bit across the board. The auto chording would not work on my iPad but changing the app over to my Samsung Android phone cured that. I'm really liking it now that I have a better feel for the app. I must say it is the way to go as it's the only way to know what amp model you're using, unless you have the ears of superman. My only question is why no presence control. I know older amps don't use it but more than half the models included do have some form of presence control. It's a weird omission to me. I love the Spotify integration and YouTube, hopefully more will follow, like Amazon or Google music. I am a little bummed that the smart jam feature does not work when you're wearing headphones. I live in an apartment and that is mostly how I play. Overall I'm pretty happy with it and plan on doing a video on it for my upcoming channel.
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@valascia
I too am tech challenged and just received my two days ago but, I LOVE this little black box!! Couldn’t be happier with it! I wouldn’t trade it for my Marshall stack, Peavey Ranger, or anything else! It’s the perfect practice amp in my studio. I will be digging deeper into it this weekend since I have the time off and probably making my wife mad but hey, IVE GOT A NEW TOY!!! LOL
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@valascia said in A Week With My Spark:
I am a little bummed that the smart jam feature does not work when you're wearing headphones.
Can anyone else please confirm if this is correct?
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@crystalpit The smart jam feature requires that the device (phone or tablet) be able to hear the sounds of the guitar being strummed in order to detect the chords being played. There is no audio information sent over bluetooth from the amp to the device, so the smart jam feature doesn't get any audio input through bluetooth. If a person is using headphones then there is no sound coming from the amp, and presumably the person is playing a solid-body electric guitar which has very little sound coming from the guitar itself. Thus the smart jam feature can't register the chords which are being played unless you move the guitar right next to the microphone of the device.
I know that's how things work because I can create smart jams using my device and an acoustic guitar. Since my amp won't be shipped at this point for another 4-6 weeks, I obviously don't have an amp and yet I can create smart jams if I wish.
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@dhbailey ok thanks, understood, the mic permission on the app is processing the sound,or any sound.. not the amp connection to the app.
This is been incorrectly marketed as the spark amp feature I think, not the app feature?
or must probably they just list all the features in bullet form, as one.
This is then just a modelling amp then that can use the app to change sounds.
all the extras on the app are free to use without the spark amp.
I was interested in the features of the app and misunderstood that I needed the spark amp to use them.
Good marketing, but not honest
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@crystalpit
After a few ampless uses, the app asks you to verify your identity as a customer, so it would have limited "free" use to a non-customer.
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@mbcarrol
really? I've used the app for months without a problem.
The features work even without logging in.
I only ever had the amp connected for 4 days,well over a month ago, but good to know
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@crystalpit After a few uses it tells a person that the maximum number of uses has been reached. But a person who has a valid order number can use that to get past the limit even without having an amp yet.
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@dhbailey ok thanks.. Good to know
