A weird issue...

Questions about the Spark amp hardware
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DrBaroni
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:06 pm
Italy

A weird issue...

Post by DrBaroni »

Hi everyone,
I've got a weird issue with my Spark. :roll:
When I use my Charvel, everything goes smooth.
But when I use my Cort, the first two strings, E and B, have a much lower volume than the other 4.
I thought it was a problem of the guitar, so I connected it to my ZOOM G5n pedalboard, and... No such problem at all! :shock:
I went back to the Spark... Same issue.
Back to the ZOOM, no problem. Tried the even older Digitech RP355... Everything ok. :shock:
Back to the Spark... Same issue again.
I always used the same cable, so that is not the culprit.
It doesn't make any sense to me. :o
Does anyone have any idea?
Thank you
Davide
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S@muele
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 10:58 am
Italy

Re: A weird issue...

Post by S@muele »

DrBaroni wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:32 pm Hi everyone,
I've got a weird issue with my Spark. :roll:
When I use my Charvel, everything goes smooth.
But when I use my Cort, the first two strings, E and B, have a much lower volume than the other 4.
I thought it was a problem of the guitar, so I connected it to my ZOOM G5n pedalboard, and... No such problem at all! :shock:
I went back to the Spark... Same issue.
Back to the ZOOM, no problem. Tried the even older Digitech RP355... Everything ok. :shock:
Back to the Spark... Same issue again.
I always used the same cable, so that is not the culprit.
It doesn't make any sense to me. :o
Does anyone have any idea?
Thank you
Davide
even with the noisegate disabled?
this has never happened to me with only a few strings, but I think it is a software problem since it seems to eliminate some frequencies in an anomalous way,
as happens to me with the gate activated which truncates and eliminates parts of the sound in the wrong way.
DrBaroni
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:06 pm
Italy

Re: A weird issue...

Post by DrBaroni »

S@muele wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:21 pm even with the noisegate disabled?
this has never happened to me with only a few strings, but I think it is a software problem since it seems to eliminate some frequencies in an anomalous way,
as happens to me with the gate activated which truncates and eliminates parts of the sound in the wrong way.
Interesting... I'll try disabling the noise gate. Yet, it doesn't really explain why it only happens with ONE of my two guitars, and not with the other one. :)
I'll make the test tomorrow and I'll let you know.
Thank you for the tip. :)
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S@muele
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 10:58 am
Italy

Re: A weird issue...

Post by S@muele »

DrBaroni wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:17 pm Interesting... I'll try disabling the noise gate. Yet, it doesn't really explain why it only happens with ONE of my two guitars, and not with the other one. :)
I'll make the test tomorrow and I'll let you know.
Thank you for the tip. :)
I am not a sound engineer (and maybe I'm saying nonsense) but, logically, I believe that each guitar with its own configuration of tensions, mechanics, pickups, etc ... produces sounds of different frequencies even at the same strings (indefinable difference to the human ear but not to the gate of the Spark that perhaps perceives them as noise)
DrBaroni
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:06 pm
Italy

Re: A weird issue...

Post by DrBaroni »

S@muele wrote: Mon Nov 23, 2020 9:36 am I am not a sound engineer (and maybe I'm saying nonsense) but, logically, I believe that each guitar with its own configuration of tensions, mechanics, pickups, etc ... produces sounds of different frequencies even at the same strings (indefinable difference to the human ear but not to the gate of the Spark that perhaps perceives them as noise)
Ok, I just tried that possible solution. AND I discovered that it makes a little difference, AND that the issue is not exactly as I described. :shock:
It happens when I'm playing a backing track, and it makes a mess of the backing track too. :shock:
I used the David Gilmour's "Near the end" backing track, and it sounded as if it had a flanger on it. And my guitar sound was totally messed up. When I recorded it on Audacity, most of the signal was ABOVE the center line, and all notes under a certain frequency range were so loud they saturated and clipped. :o
I thought it may be the recorder, so I recorder another track using only the ZOOM pedalboard as a looper + solo... No problem whatsoever. I just don't understand. :?
Here's how the backing track sounded through the Spark: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j3bfnnt5f6tj4 ... G.mp3?dl=0
I do NOT think this is "normal"...

Later I'll try using the ZOOM as a looper, but playing the solo through the Spark.
DrBaroni
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 7:06 pm
Italy

Re: A weird issue...

Post by DrBaroni »

Ok, here I am with the next episode of the Saga :D .

Today I had a few time, and tried another solution.
I put the backing track on a computer, connected the headphone out ot the computer to the Aux In of the Spark, and played the backing track that way. And I tried playing along through the Spark.
What I discovered? First, that backing track is flawed in itself, it seems :roll: . Second, whaen I tried a different backing track, it worked flawlessly. Here is a short sample: https://www.dropbox.com/s/jtds75f9m0pko ... B.mp3?dl=0
So now I should try to play different backing tracks via bluetooth and Spark App, and play along, and see what happens.
MAYBE I'll do that in the weekend. :)

To be continued! :D
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