Positive Grid Spark Go Amplifier - REVIEW

A long overdue 'Not A Ukulele' review for you today with a look at a little device that's had me intrigued for a while. This is the Positive Grid Spark Go Smart Amplifier.

This isn't going to be a full detailed review and much of what you want to hear on this is in the video below, but the Spark Go is the latest, and smallest in the range of smart amplifiers from Positive Grid.

VIDEO REVIEW

You may recall me looking at their original Spark amp some time back and being rather impressed with the sound and features. The Go, remarkably, packs much if not most of that into a teeny tiny form factor with a 5 Watt speaker. That is to say the same integration with the app giving you almost endless tonal mixes of amps and effects pedals, the ability to play along to music or even just use it as a Bluetooth speaker, chord lessons, tuner, metronome and song tutorials on the app - you name it. Just in a tiny box. A really tiny box. I in fact it's impossibly cute and so small you could take this anywhere. And the build helps there as it feels solidly made with a pleasing rubberised outer to most of the case.

Now, I've said before to people that I don't tend to like recommending small amplifiers with speakers that get really small. Put simply the smaller the speaker cone the less decent the sound will be regardless of volume. They have always tended to sound kind of thin and tinny to me. But.. I do realise that technology is marching on and i've seen a dizzying number of reviews and comments about just how good these sound so I had to try it out. You tell me from the video, but I think you can see i'm quite impressed and how full it sounds. That's not to say 'louder' it's still a low output, but it sounds much bigger than it is. Remarkably so in fact. No, you are not going to perform with it, but that's not really the point (and Positive Grid make larger stuff that you CAN do that with). I am not sure if that is processing power doing the trickery or the speaker layout or the intriguing ridges on the back. Answers on a postcard.

It's a simple little amplifier that you connect an instrument to with a regular ¼ inch jack on the top into a dial that doubles as master volume. And that's it. There are no other tone or mix controls on the unit, you do that with the app. Which does beg the age old question of 'what if you don't have the app' or 'what if support for the app ceases'.. It's a good question that applies to most 'smart' stuff these days so be aware of what you are buying. 

That's not to say it won't work at all as you can still use it, turn it up and cycle through a range of four preset tones (that you can save your own settings to with the app) it's just you cant then control things like treble or effects on the unit. Elsewhere is a headphone out (though sadly, no support for bluetooth headphones), and a USB-C charging socket  which doubles as a data interface for using this as an audio input to a DAW (that's a nice thing to have). Also on the top is a separate volume control for 'music' which is either the music you are playing along to through the app, or using this as a standalone bluetooth speaker without using and instrument at all (that's another nice touch). One thing missing is a line in for playing music to jam along to in a way that bypasses the app, but I guess they WANT you on the app.  And while I am at it, I think i'd also like a regular line out too alongside the headphone level socket to allow connection to a larger amp, but...  we can't have everything.  (EDIT - apparently there is a way of switching the headphone output to a line out in the settings! )And that's it really bar the choice of two hand straps and two cover grilles in the box (cleverly, one cloth and one a tougher, harder plastic if you intend to through this in a bag with your cables and other gear).

Have a look at my (rambling) video to get a better feel and have a listen, but I think that for the £129 asking price it's a bit of a no brainer if you want to dabble with a plugged in sound. It's far more suited to steel strung electric uke tones than acoustic but it has a bit of that too (just nowhere near as much) but then it is a guitar amp at heart. Oh and it has options for playing bass too (though I think the speaker really IS then too small to move enough air to work that well). For other forms of plugging in though.. it's a little sweetie!

KEY SPECS

¼ input

Headphone out

5W power

Rechargeable battery (USB-C charge) - 8 hours play time

Bluetooth streaming in

Customisable presets

Almost endless options on the app 30 odd amps, 40 odd effects pedals, tens of thousands of recipes to share with others on app

Jam mode (which creates drum and bass that play along with you)

Video record mode

Tuner and metronome

Chord recognition system on app (but guitar chords only)

Fewer options for acoustic players - steel strung will be laughing - but not all effects suit standard acoustics

Price: £129

IN THE BOX

Spark Go Amp

Two hand straps 

USB cable (for both charging or using as a data cable to connect as an audio interface - cool!)

Two cover grilles (one cloth, one hard plastic, presumably for putting throwing in a bag)

PROS

Ultra portable

Looks solidly made

Pretty solid tone for such a small speaker - sounds huge

Great for headphone practice (though not bluetooth)

Remarkable number of tuition features, tones and effects

Good price

CONS

Age old issue with 'Smart' stuff - how functional is it without an app by your side?

Really wish it had a bluetooth headphone option

Missing a line in option to avoid needing the app, or a line out for running to another speaker

https://uk.positivegrid.com/

© Barry Maz

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