Positive Grid Spark Cab (Game Changing FRFR?) 

Great work Elmo as I was keen to hear what these were like ; think ill stick to my Laney FRFR112 or just going through the PA at any studio/gig im at!

Thanks for the review Elmo 🎉🙏✌️❤️🎵🎶🎼

It works great. Sounds great. The "hiss" is nothing more than barely perceptible white noise when not playing guitar. Great piece of equipment for not much money.

Easy. I see a video from Elmo, I click LIKE 🎉🎉🎉

Had the headrush 112 frfr and it sounded great but was just physically too big for my rehearsal space so i went with the headrush 8. I don't thinknthe spark sounds as good. Thanks for the vid Elmo! Hope you're well.

DUDE!!!! Nice jams! Amp sounds good enough but gotta go tube to hit the killer sound. IMO. + pedals of course.

Its a good day when Elmo does a new video 😊

Tempted to buy this. Those complaining about noise - I did have noise issues with the Spark 40 but have to say that Positive Grid’s customer support was top notch.

I have a spark 40. It’s good as a practice amp. It’s not great, but I got mine cheap, and it’s convenient for my purposes. It’s fine for goofing around.

Had one and returned it. It had a very loud wind noise without anything plugged in. The hiss mentioned by others is maybe the same thing, but it definitely sounded more in the mid frequency range than a higher range hiss, but it was LOUD and very annoying, to the extent it couldn't be left on. I have loads of amps and cabs and powered FRFR PA speakers, and none of those have this noise issue. I contacted Positive Grid and they said there's no issue despite me explaining my long experience as a giging muso. So folks, I'd avoid until Positive Grid silence the hiss/wind/roar when it's idling!

10:40 - Sounds like you just switched on a Roger Mayer Octavia pedal! Nice.

As soon as i read the title, i just knew that chances are there would be issues with another member of the "Spark" range of gear. I gave up trying to get a decent sound out of the original spark amp, so it was no surprise that this cab had issues from the start. I have all the heads and cabinets that i need, and since i put the spark amp out it's misery i will stick with what i have. Hope you are keeping safe and well Elmo.🙂👍💗

Is it possible to connect some backing track to it in some way and go to bask on the street?Any baterry to it?

I think the hissing is the way the noise gate is configured in the specific preset you're using. Some default presets have the noise gate off, and others have it on but at various settings.

I have no issues with your talking in your videos, because that is why you try out gear; to report your reactions and opinions about the gear you are reviewing. I feel the sincerity of your comments and although I play a slightly different style of guitar from you, I find that by doing the maths in my head I'm able to arrive at how your tastes and opinions relate to mine... so please don't change your format or approach,because you are a known quantity to me and I value your presentations as they are. I'm sure you won't adapt your videos for the many varied opinions of your viewers anyway, so no problems there... nothing to see.. moving right along. I've been watching your stuff for abiut 3-4 years now and it's important to me that you continue to do things the way you feel is best. I also appreciate the msny times you've replied or responded to my comments so far. Don't change anything, Elmo, we love you just the way you are.( not that I think you would anyway)! All the best for 2024, and I'm only sorry I can't afford to fund your patreon etc.👍

5:56 Nice tone. John Mayer through and through

Could you plug the Mini into the return of the FX loop on a valve amp ?

what could else could it have done to make it a gamechanger in your opinion? You mentioned good price, good sound, good connectivity, looks good. that's a good list!

I have a pair of 112 head rush speakers and was thinking of selling them to get this ........but not sure on build quality and room sound if I'd be making a mistake

Awesome.

Good video Elmo. I got one of these cabs just before Christmas and so far it’s been good. I’ve had a Spark amp for quite a while now and that’s what drew my attention. However, apart from adding to the ability of the Spark I’ve also got a Line 6 Firehawk which works well through it and I also got an electronic drum kit. The final clincher is the xlr out so I can run that straight to my interface for recording. If it was just for the Spark I wouldn’t have bothered, but factoring in its versatility made the difference for me.

I run my Spark 40 ( brilliant) in to Headrush FRFR 8 2000w. Now thats a different level.

What is the volume set at on the amp????

As long as it works and the warranty is still intact wouldn't have an issue with their fix. I still haven't bought any Spark products, I looked pretty hard over xMas but picked a couple of SEs instead. Maybe I'm immune to them...🎸😂🎸 Thanks Elmo!

Hi Elmo Maybe the cabinet would be louder if you were using the Spark 40 Watt head instead of the Spark Mini you have demoed it with. After all more is more. Just a thought. Alex

Can you use the cab with other heads?

Great vid! Thanks for checking this out 😀👍 I'll stick with a PA monitor for now. It's only the Fender FRFR that looks interesting to me, then I remind myself - I went ampless for a reason 💪😅 Is there anything up with the grill cloth on the Spark Cab? Maybe just how the camera picked it up, but it looks like it's sagging in a couple of spots 🤔

Using the spark controller is kinda convenient and inconvenient at the same time. It has a delay when changing channels. The spark is fun for practicing, but I would never gig with it.

Glad to hear that Positive Grid has a good support team......🥊🥊 0:12 - It looks like the grill cloth is bubbling near the Spark logo? I'd return it just for that.

Thought I was going to hate this but actually it's got it's own sound rather than sounding like all the rest which is a big plus. Far too expensive for me when a second hand Marshall is so much cheaper but for those with money it's a choice I suppose. I guess the real test is if you could bring yourself to play as badly as me - then you would hear what it really sounds like 🙂.

Why is the cloth distorted?

Been a while Elmo! Love your downright honest opinions! Also...Not guitar or music related..I love long sleeve Jean shirts, and they are hard to find here in the US anymore. I do love yours and if you could send me a brand name or a link I would be very grateful!!! :) Regards, Scott

Here is the other good use for the Spark Cab. If you got a Spark or mini as a beginner (like I did) and played for a year are starting to get to the point you can play some songs and are wanting something different then when its time to upgrade from the Spark amp you do not have to buy a new cab you can go get a amp head or something like the quad cortex, the ToneX etc and you dont have to buy a cab or if you want to start off with one of those this is a good priced cab. Thats why I got one. I know in the next year I am going to be looking to get off the Spark eco system into something a little more advanced prolly ToneX where I can play with different amp and cabs and use Amplitude for some effects or still put real pedals into the chain and experiment that way or maybe by the time I am ready for that Positive Grid will come out with a ToneX / Quad Cortex type more advanced thing to plug into their other software and maybe I would stay with the positive grid eco system then who knows.

My 2 cents as an FM9 owner: If you're just playing at home, a wedge style FRFR works great for always projecting sound directly at you. I use an ElectroVoice PXM-12mp and it's been great

Elmo, where's your Spark 40? Are you getting the Spark 2?

First thing I noticed was what is up with the grill cloth???

I have one and it’s going be for sale the hiss is normal as per Customer service. Not happy

I'm thinking that perhaps the age of the guitar cab may have passed. Most venues - even small ones these days - have installed some kind of sound system which may in the end produce a better overall sound. Of course that involves permission from the venue to run your gear through it - and you need one of those guys on a mixer that says - 'testing 1-2'.

Dude, can you put a looper between the spark and the cab?? Did you play around with it that way?

IN my experience with my daughter's Sparc, the only good tone it makes is the "Glassy" setting for playing single coils. It might be the most digital-sounding amp I've ever heard and I owned Line6's back in the 90s.

Cab sounded ok on Quad Cortex, not so great on Spark. It was clear to me from the beginning that Positive Grid beta tests out to the public each new Spark hardware before it's really ready for public consumption. This completely unhooked cable in the Cab is the silliest mistake I've heard of yet. But all the beta mistakes have kept me from diving into the Spark ecosystem. I like my Bias FX2/Amp series on a PC, but I also have a little Quilter Superblock UK 20W with both cab sim DI and 8ohm speaker out so I'm looking at various cabs that might work.

I wonder how it compares to the Fender Tonemaster FR-12

It is amazing with two notes opus and soldano astro. Btw mine is dead silent

What do you make of all of the complaints about hiss.

The only issue ive had with positive grid is that their software pisses me off because you are unable to modify the signal chain.

Joku Thomannilla valitti palautteessaan liian äänekästä idlaushurinaa. Miten on?

Aren’t they just PA speakers? I use a Syrincs cab and although I find it boxy sounding, it’s alright and not worse than many amps.

Would love to see a head to head of the PG cab against the HR108.

I have this and a fender FR-12. I’d spend the extra for the fender. It’s 1000w and sounds great.

Can it be plugged into a 220v power source?.... I'd love to take it to the Philippines with me!!!😊🤘

for almost the same there is the headrush frfr 12 or for 300 the headrush 8....what do you think of them compared to this one?

Next review will be of the new spark live. Maybe it will be better than buying the spark 40 with this cab.

Onko tossa DI-liitäntä?

so its like a music speaker that's trying to be a guitar cab??

From Amazon I bought the Spark 40 amp - Tried it but didn't like it - sent it back for a refund . Too much computerization . 🎸🇨🇦

Can you run it to front of house?

I just rather buy a combo 50W -100W with an attenuator.

...I "am not" a Spark fanboy...The mini sounds the best(..alone..)...The "big-one" sounds...."off"?...Pumping it thru a cab won't change that...If "I" purchased one, it would-be the little "pocket" one, for that "pocket" reason.......I would-rather have a Valeton GP-200 thu a FRFR cab...A great & affordable sound choice. IMO......Peace, my Brother...

Can you play some ACDC

Hello Elmo, A suggestion: In terms of older gear but still affordable gear I would be very curious if you tried to use a regular stock Proco Rat as a a dirty boost like Nuno Bettencourt does- in front of your marshall- ( Gain @9 or so, Tone noon or so, Level @3 or so as a starting point) I have been trying this through my tube amp and trying to find something to beat it - Nothing has yet !!IMost use this pedal like a fuzz and i think thats a mistake for getting the best out of it. From the sounds i am getting with my P90 I think you might really dig this and be surprised at how well it hangs with the DOD and Strymon stuff👍🏻

❤❤❤❤

Social manufacturing. When customers have to finish the production process at their homes.

You need to turn the amps to 10 in the app. Thus the difference with Quad Core.

I can get a powered PA speaker for lesa than $200 used. Whoch is what i did.

Almost sounds a little bit muddy to me

Would love to know how this affects the manufacturer’s guarantee in this - generally you go near anything with a screwdriver and your guarantee evaporates. Users carrying out this kind of remedial work might not have any practical experience, so who would be liable if the user ended up trapping and chafing cables upon reassembly? Very unprofessional of Positive Grid. In any case, if you’re considering gigging with a Spark, wouldn’t you just run it through the PA?

You can use any frfr cab I use a headrush

QC!

I think it's good for gigging but not so much for recording

As regards mini amps, the BlackStar Fly 3 Special Edition double amp combo sounds better than the Positive Grid Go Spark.

😀

All these people complaining about hissing, do you plug your amp directly into the wall? Much of the power your city provides is dirty and filled with noise. I use a good quality power conditioner and have none of these issues at home, but if I plug it in a a buddy’s house I get all kinds of hiss and popping. Sometimes it’s not the gear it’s the setup.

Maybe it's how my ears hear things but nah, I would rather go with BOSS Katana 100 watt or even 50 watt ,

It's a noisy piece of crap!!!! Returned!!!

Dozens of messages : be carefull Elmo , your identity is used , dozens , everything is deleted .... WTF is going on ?

So wat do you think? “Makes me want to quit guitar” jones? 😂😂😂

Unsurprisingly the sound was better using the QC - I know that the point is about the cab but I thought it was interesting because I've watched a few demos of this with the spark and thought it generally sounded a bit dull and lifeless, lacking sparkle. Just my opinion.

I didn't like mine. Ik had a nasty hiss and was bass heavy. I sent it back. I recommend the Harley Benton G112A-FR, cheaper and better.

Can you use a footswitch for looping and changing effects?

Yeah it’s a practice amp and should only be used as such. The tones are crap to use live

Sounds horribly compressed.

FFFFFFFF , at least , i hope it will be usefull and that you are already aware ....

I've been following you for a couple of years. As a subscriber I wish you may think about compressing your vids down to 5-10 mins. Otherwise I feel is too much similar talking and starting to loose interest. Otherwise the channel is great, thanks

Yikes.

So probably not loud enough to be heard by a metal drummer playing a blast beat at 175 BPM.

Elmo. Pls stop to be so neutral. Everyone knows the cab is cr4p. And for the price of a cab plus spark i get a good sounding amp without hiss, without AC Hum, without special cables, with actual good software, with fx loop and so on. PG looses their momentum. Instead of improving the app and the amps, they release mostly unusable products. Next thing is a spark with that cab integrated. They showed it on namm. Meanwhile no IR's in the app, no signal chain modification, no fx loop, no normal drum machine and looper, no real pedalboard...... PG goes the quick money gimmicky way. And i bet in 5 years the brand is gone. NUX does everything better and i dont even speak of the really good options like GTX or Katana or a Tube 15 with pedals. The Spark plus cab combo isnt cheap. If this would go for 300 bucks, no problem, but its 600 plus. I can buy a GTX 100 for that. Or a Tube 15 with a decent flamma pedalboard.

Don't waste your money with the cab.. go for the live... I sold my cab and the 40 immediately after I heard about the live... No remorse ... the cab is sh#&t

My personal opinion is it’s for beginner musicians who want to get louder. No real musician is going to gig with this.

Spark cabs are shit I took mine back

It is absolutely a piece of garbage. I regret buying it because it makes so much noise when it's not being played through. The spark and the spark mini were great, but the cab is totally garbage.

Has anyone had trouble accessing presets on the Mini when plugged into the Cab? Maybe I am connecting it wrong?