![]() ![]() Another impressive and surprisingly useful feature is the Tone mode, which enables you to switch between three separate preamp modes – mild compression, full range and mid boost. So small practice amps still have a place in my life and after some incredibly positive experiences with Positive Grids Bias Amp modelling plugin. To be honest though, it did take a few attempts to get it right. Auto Gain automatically adjusts your gain level depending on the output of the pickups on your guitar, which is a really useful feature for those who're swapping guitars throughout a recording session. With Bias installed, your Riff will be automatically recognized as your main audio device – and then the Auto Gain process begins. ![]() The Riff comes to life, however, when used in conjunction with Bias FX 2. Opening up a new project using the Riff as our input device was as easy as doing so with any other audio interface. For this review, the Riff was being used with Logic Pro X on a MacBook Pro – and once we'd plugged it in, there was no need to download any extra drivers or other software – although PC users will need to do so from Positive Grid's help centre. When it came to setting up the Riff, the process was easy. We'd have to put this choice down to lack of internal real estate though, which is fair enough. The micro-USB output seems like a slightly strange move from PG, as there are many higher speed, higher output connections that could be used. ![]() This finish, along with the all-metal construction, reinforces the impression that the Riff is a utilitarian, no-frills interface.įurther into the box, and hidden away under some extra packaging is the Quick Start guide – a numbered run-down of the Riff and its features – as well as one micro USB to USB-A cable and one micro USB to Lightning cable for use with any iOS device. ![]() From a range of four different finishes – blue, red, green and black – we're reviewing the all-black version, which looks slick and unassuming. I’m seriously surprised how good this little amp sounds.Out of the box, the Riff feels well-made, durable and really solid. When it comes to sound, I don’t know, man. Long story short: If it comes to usability, Bias FX is a professional tool to record guitars or reamp recorded tracks while Spark is a practice amp that could be used for recording with way less features. I still prefer the THR but when I compare both Positive Grid products, they are pretty similar sounding. To my surprise it sounded very close to the Bias FX and in some regards even better. To play and practice literally in the bedroom. I bought it purely for its software especially for the jam along feature which the THR doesn’t have. It finally arrived yesterday after 2 months delay. I’m a long time fan of the Yamaha THR series I bought the THR II 30 and used it on several demo recordings and even one studio recording because it sounded better than the Helix. Bias FX 2 is the only software solution I’ve used in productions to reamp a guitar because sometimes the beautiful tube amp sound that you hear in the room doesn’t translate into a recording. And I have a soft spot for practicing amps and software solutions. As the singer/producer/Rhythm guitar player I’m the only one who dabbles in the digital world. I’m fortunate to be in a band that does have a lot of real amps (Bogner, EVH, Mesa Boogie). For pedals, both have Rat and Tube Screamer clones, but they have different names, images, and knobs. For instance, both have a Vox AC30 amp clone, but they have different names, images, and knobs (the Spark amps don't have a "Presence" knob, like on the BIAS-FX amps). You can't share presets between the two and they are completely different "ecosystems", with completely different ToneCloud databases. The Spark's software is also completely different software from BIAS, so people shouldn't expect "BIAS Lite". I'm not implying lower-quality - I just mean that it doesn't have close to the feature set of BIAS, because PG isn't going to cannibalize their flagship hardware products like BIAS Head/Rack/Mini. Not just a lot fewer amps and pedals, but fewer types of pedals/effects, and you can't stack pedals or change the order of the audio chain. Although, if someone is really into the SmartJam and autochords features, then that is also something beyond what BIAS-FX offers.Īs long as people understand that the Spark is an entry-level product and very stripped-down compared to BIAS-FX, with a lot of limitations in the audio chain and what you can do, then it is a decent supplement to BIAS-FX. It really comes down to whether someone wants the convenience of a separate (from BIAS) self-contained combo-amp solution in a box, with the understanding that it is more limited in features and flexibility. So they don't really overlap in that sense. It's kind of an apples-oranges thing when people try to compare the two, because BIAS-FX is a purely software solution, while the Spark is hardware. ![]()
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