Positive Grid Spark Control Wireless Foot Controller for Spark Amps

I had bought the Spark control. Now it works as advertised and i do find it useful. however there are a few key things that means i wouldn't recommend for others with sparks. #1: The Control doesn't directly connect to the amp. it requires you to have your phone or device with the App on it so if you don't have your phone near you you cant use the Control. #2: You have to be on the app for it to work. I could have put up with the first problem. But to use the Control, You have to be IN the app. you cant just have your phone off or on a different app. It requires you to have the app open and on screen. which is just stupid in my eyes considering i spent $150 AUD on something that wouldn't work unless i had what is needed

Really impressed with the control and the amount of flexibility it adds to the already excellent Spark. It's completely changed the way I use the amp.I have a couple of minor issues, the first being that the control is directly connected to your phone, not the amp. That means you have to have your phone on and the Spark app open to use the switch, which does feel a bit cumbersome. This led to a slight issue (which maybe was my phone's issue) that being connected to the Spark, the Control and trying to use the Spark as an output device (to play along with) was causing issues with connecting the control. I was finding that I couldn't do all 3 at once reliably, so eventually I resorted to disabling the Spark as an output device for my phone. Once I did that the ... MoreReally impressed with the control and the amount of flexibility it adds to the already excellent Spark. It's completely changed the way I use the amp.I have a couple of minor issues, the first being that the control is directly connected to your phone, not the amp. That means you have to have your phone on and the Spark app open to use the switch, which does feel a bit cumbersome. This led to a slight issue (which maybe was my phone's issue) that being connected to the Spark, the Control and trying to use the Spark as an output device (to play along with) was causing issues with connecting the control. I was finding that I couldn't do all 3 at once reliably, so eventually I resorted to disabling the Spark as an output device for my phone. Once I did that the Control connects reliably.I also thought it a bit of a limitation that the Control can only switch between hardware profiles. I'd also like to be able to default the control mode to something other than the default #1.On the plus side though, the customisability of the footswitches is brilliant. You can really tailor profiles to suit your patches.Given there's such a huge reliance on the Spark app, being able to have switchable hardware profiles (as in, 4 profiles which are loaded to the amp together) would be a huge leap forward. Having to make sure you have your profiles backed up and then load them to each slot individually is fiddly.

Minus 1 Star for Functionality, minus another Star for the Rattle inside.My biggest grievance is that you have to have the app open on the phone to connect it to the amp. Every. Time. You. Play. And you have to KEEP the app OPEN. Then it has an on/off button. Why can't a step on a footswitch turn it on? The footswitch assignments are decent and fairly easy to navigate. Just minorly clunky since you have to enter each knob in the app and pick your function. However, that's it. 4 buttons, 4 assignments. No ability to move between preset modes and stomp modes using something like a long-press or double-button-press like Fractals and others would. And it only recalls the 4 presets. no ability to scroll or create banks of your app presets. Since you need the app open ... MoreMinus 1 Star for Functionality, minus another Star for the Rattle inside.My biggest grievance is that you have to have the app open on the phone to connect it to the amp. Every. Time. You. Play. And you have to KEEP the app OPEN. Then it has an on/off button. Why can't a step on a footswitch turn it on? The footswitch assignments are decent and fairly easy to navigate. Just minorly clunky since you have to enter each knob in the app and pick your function. However, that's it. 4 buttons, 4 assignments. No ability to move between preset modes and stomp modes using something like a long-press or double-button-press like Fractals and others would. And it only recalls the 4 presets. no ability to scroll or create banks of your app presets. Since you need the app open to use it, might as well be able to access more things in it. I got a minor sale discount, but knowing all this now, I wouldn't purchase it even at the tiny discount. To top it all off, there's a loose plastic part or solder residue inside that rattles around every time you barely touch it. And you can't open the thing without removing the stick-on rubber feet to access the screws. Glad it's made in the USA, but the rattle is also the downside symptom of US mass production. Sending it back for warranty would require me to pay shipping.

Pros: is perfect for the Positive Grid Spark practice amp. Works seamlessly and software update is a breeze. Loved the design and the LED that reminds me what mode i’m in. Sleek design and looks.Cons: The foot switch does not click like most foot switch i have which makes me doubt if i have switched to another mode already. I’m old school and i like to feel and know when pressing the foot switch. Bluetooth pairing is a hit or miss even though i’m not far from the Spark amp/iPad. It kept me repeating the pairing on the initial connection. This foot switch is a bit pricy. It’s double the price compared to the other competitors. I was not impressed with the long shipping. I waited 3 weeks before i received my oder. I was almost ready to cancel but stuck with it ... MorePros: is perfect for the Positive Grid Spark practice amp. Works seamlessly and software update is a breeze. Loved the design and the LED that reminds me what mode i’m in. Sleek design and looks.Cons: The foot switch does not click like most foot switch i have which makes me doubt if i have switched to another mode already. I’m old school and i like to feel and know when pressing the foot switch. Bluetooth pairing is a hit or miss even though i’m not far from the Spark amp/iPad. It kept me repeating the pairing on the initial connection. This foot switch is a bit pricy. It’s double the price compared to the other competitors. I was not impressed with the long shipping. I waited 3 weeks before i received my oder. I was almost ready to cancel but stuck with it thinking its all worth it.

Bluetooth interference deal breaker

The Spark amp and controller *concept* is amazing. Unfortunately its execution is far from showtime in any meaningful way. If you have any other Bluetooth computers, phones, devices in the vicinity, you will get stuttering playback, endless buffering, repeated attempts to connect and reconnect between amp, controller and app- (and consider, where would you use a practice amp, other than around any number of other Bluetooth devices?)Unfortunately, it’s a hot mess.Take a minute or two to search for related issues- outside of positive grid’s fairly curated support pages, and you will find endless reports of struggles with these issues.I am hoping for a software update or fix to this.Until then- I sadly recommend holding off on the controller.

Can't connect via BT (amp to app), so Control is useless

Still continually fighting an inability to reliably connect from Spark app to Spark amp via bluetooth. All other bluetooth devices connect reliably, except for this amp. Reloaded/updated firmware in amp - no improvement. Rebooted and updated Spark app - no improvement.If I can't get the app and amp to connect reliably, the Control item is just a paperweight.Hoping to get more support or a replacement of the amp (bought early in its initial production, or so I was led to believe) in hopes a more current version has better bluetooth circuitry.

I like it. I wanted to love it.

Conceptually, I love it. Like a pedal board (and pedals) for your Spark amp. It works well once it is connected (seems responsive, no excessive latency, etc). Very flexible to set how you want it using the app. Out of the box, it cycles through the four Spark amp presets.So why only 3 stars? Honestly, I have consistently had trouble getting it to pair. On several occasions, I've had to factory reset the unit to get it to cooperate. It is both literally and figuratively a black box -- when it isn't behaving, it can be very hard to know why. I have a lot of difficulty determining if I'm in the correct mode or not, and because the device actually pairs with your AMP, and NOT with your phone, you can't really do trouble shooting from there either.It feels like some ... MoreConceptually, I love it. Like a pedal board (and pedals) for your Spark amp. It works well once it is connected (seems responsive, no excessive latency, etc). Very flexible to set how you want it using the app. Out of the box, it cycles through the four Spark amp presets.So why only 3 stars? Honestly, I have consistently had trouble getting it to pair. On several occasions, I've had to factory reset the unit to get it to cooperate. It is both literally and figuratively a black box -- when it isn't behaving, it can be very hard to know why. I have a lot of difficulty determining if I'm in the correct mode or not, and because the device actually pairs with your AMP, and NOT with your phone, you can't really do trouble shooting from there either.It feels like some corners were cut.

Issues that should NOT be.

Overall I wish I’d looked at YouTube first to understand what this pedal lacks.1) I don’t believe PG is listing to the people who buy these things.2) i don’t believe PG realizes that there are plenty of players using the Spark 40 as a pre-amp for a stage performance rig.3) Therefore I believe PG’s unwillingness to utilized the small number brain cells required to understand that the Control app’s inability to function in the background of an iPad, iPhone, etc is a HUGE disadvantage. Especially when players utilize a chord chart / lyric app like OnSong. It you do, and you want tokeep the pedal, you will need two pads. SUPER HUGE BUMMER. Lucky for me I have two. But not all do or want to-have two.4) There is clearly a latency issue when switching. It’s definitely ... MoreOverall I wish I’d looked at YouTube first to understand what this pedal lacks.1) I don’t believe PG is listing to the people who buy these things.2) i don’t believe PG realizes that there are plenty of players using the Spark 40 as a pre-amp for a stage performance rig.3) Therefore I believe PG’s unwillingness to utilized the small number brain cells required to understand that the Control app’s inability to function in the background of an iPad, iPhone, etc is a HUGE disadvantage. Especially when players utilize a chord chart / lyric app like OnSong. It you do, and you want tokeep the pedal, you will need two pads. SUPER HUGE BUMMER. Lucky for me I have two. But not all do or want to-have two.4) There is clearly a latency issue when switching. It’s definitely not instant-like a hard wired pedal. And because the buttons are cheaper and do not “hard click”, allowing a player to know when the button has been activated, a player can’t tell for sure if the button has been depressed-without looking at the top lights on the Spark 40.5) I haven’t had it long enough to understand battery life.6) Consistently bragging about what a product will do in the future is no way to run a company.7) Based on cost, I’ve decided to keep it and work with it. Hopefully one day, SOON, PG will employ the firmware allowing quicker switching and for the primary control app to run in the background.Nuff nuff…

Requires App to be Showing on Phone Screen

Really like the sounds I can get from my Spark, and decided to use it for my very infrequent church gigs, by running the headphone out into the church sound system. Thought it would be good to be able to switch channels by foot. Well, it'll work that way, but this thing only works if the app is running in the foreground (showing on the screen). If the phone gets out of bluetooth range it doesn't work. So I'll have to keep the phone right there with me & make sure the app is on (if phone goes to lock screen the switch doesn't work). Bluetooth audio also has to be connected, so I'll have to remember to turn down the separate "music volume" knob to avoid surprises if my phone makes a sound for some reason. Should have checked more reviews; was kind of an impulse ... MoreReally like the sounds I can get from my Spark, and decided to use it for my very infrequent church gigs, by running the headphone out into the church sound system. Thought it would be good to be able to switch channels by foot. Well, it'll work that way, but this thing only works if the app is running in the foreground (showing on the screen). If the phone gets out of bluetooth range it doesn't work. So I'll have to keep the phone right there with me & make sure the app is on (if phone goes to lock screen the switch doesn't work). Bluetooth audio also has to be connected, so I'll have to remember to turn down the separate "music volume" knob to avoid surprises if my phone makes a sound for some reason. Should have checked more reviews; was kind of an impulse purchase.Was about to return the unit, but talked myself into keeping it. To be fair, I'm trying to use the Spark & switch for live performance, which it's not designed for. It may end up being useful, and if it loses connection I'll be close to the amp anyway & will just reach over & push the channel button.

Spark control

I must say the Spark control is the best thing since sliced bread. Positive Grid was on point including this pedal into the Spark amps. This just takes these amps into the creative space. The Spark Mini is just more than a mini, switching between programs and setting up the presets is just the building of one creative style. This is not just your average practice amp, I can’t keep away from wanting to play, I know this isn’t a new thing , however taking battery powered all the plugins and the Spark control Bluetooth it’s amazing. Peace…