Spark PEDAL: Positive Grid crams an entire guitar rig – with amps, effects, a looper and Bluetooth – into a compact pedal format
In just 15 years, Positive Grid has established itself as one of the most innovative guitar gear makers in the game. Lately, most of the San Diego-based brand’s equipment has seen AI as a key selling point. Take BIAS X, for example, a comprehensive in-the-box amp suite featuring AI-driven text-to-tone capabilities. Or the Reactor, a physical amplifier that ships with an AI chatbot…
But its latest release sees the company foray into the world of floor-based amp modellers, placing less emphasis on AI this time around and returning to the basics that made its flagship Spark amps so popular: top-quality tones, Bluetooth connectivity for jamming and practice, and a massive suite of digital amps and effects to play with.
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Built on Positive Grid’s HD Tone Engine – the same DSP architecture found in the flagship Spark 2 – the Spark PEDAL offers guitarists 33 onboard amp models and 43 effects, as well as access to over 100,000 tones via PG’s online ToneCloud tone-sharing community.
The Spark PEDAL features an intuitive set of controls, with multi-function knobs depending on the mode selected. In Amp Mode, these knobs adjust your standard amp parameters, like Gain, Bass, Mid and Treble. Meanwhile, switching to FX Mode makes these knobs control Drive, Modulation, Delay and Reverb depth. The centre multi-function knob can be held down to activate a built-in tuner, while guitarists can also store up to six presets across two banks via the onboard footswitches.
There’s also an onboard 60-second looper, which can be operated via the unit’s footswitches, meaning no menu navigation and seamless looper access. Guitarists can also jam along to tracks via a mobile Bluetooth connection, and practice silently using the stereo headphone out.
In terms of connectivity, the Spark PEDAL can function in a range of scenarios. Alongside its functionality as a standalone floor-based amp pedal, the amp section can be bypassed and the unit used as an effects unit in front of an existing rig, it can be used on an existing pedalboard, and even as an audio interface for desktop recording.
AI has made up a big part of many of Positive Grid’s most recent products, and via the free Spark app, Spark PEDAL users can also utilise Text to Tone to describe and be delivered any tone they can imagine. These tones can then be either saved or manually tweaked further.
Credit: Positive Grid
Additionally, the Spark PEDAL features an impressive onboard battery, with up to seven hours per charge.
The Spark PEDAL is available now for $199. For more information, head to Positive Grid.
Credit: Positive Grid
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
