A Klon-inspired drive pedal and boutique Dumble ODS 50 HRM-style clean amp head up the unexpected gear drop from Positive Grid
(Image credit: Positive Grid)
Positive Grid has unveiled a surprise digital gear drop for its celebrated Spark amp, which includes a number of vintage-inspired amp and effects simulations.
The free collection is available for all Spark users by way of a firmware and app update, and in total offers up three new amp models and three freshly voiced pedals.
In the amp department, the ODS 50 provides the clean tones of the catalog, and is inspired by Dumble’s boutique ODS 50 HRM. This lines up alongside the Blues Boy crunch amp, which pays homage to the Fender Blues Junior tube combo.
The final amp offering is the Insane 6508 – a high-gain option that aims to capture the “monstrous” tones of the Peavey 6505.
Elsewhere, the gear drop also sees the arrival of the Clone Drive, which, as may be expected from its name, is an attempted recreation of the highly coveted, much-cloned Klon Centaur overdrive pedal.
Also making its Spark debut is the Guitar EQ – a granular-level frequency spectrum controller – and the Bass EQ, which is the same as its electric guitar-friendly counterpart but modeled exclusively for bass guitars.
To access the new tones, Spark users must update their amp’s firmware, achieved by downloading the relevant firmware update tool from Positive Grid’s support page.
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After backing up your tone presets, connect your Spark to your laptop via a USB-to-USB type B cable in order to complete the update. Your smartphone or tablet Spark app must also be updated in order to obtain the new tonal offerings.
If you need more information, check out the video below, which also features in-depth demos for all the new amps and pedals that have been included in the Spark gear drop.
As is the case with the rest of Positive Grid’s digital effects and amps catalog, the new offerings will be compatible with the Spark’s preset-saving tool, which lets users create, tweak and share tonal combinations with a number of other Spark users.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
