Playing with backing tracks

[imwjl]

Knowing the OP has a Spark, my curiosity, and interest in portability I did more experimenting.

The mobile/cheapskate path I was interested in has proven you most likely need a decent audio interface for the mobile Bias FX2 Spark has. I cycled through the powered Apple camera adapter route and other cables. That lets Biax FX 2 mobile at its cheapest level recognize your Spark amp but I'm not having luck with all the features.

USB-C of Spark to your Mac's USB-C port recognizes the amp.

Your spend can be similar if you buy an audio interface for an iPad or phone vs the desktop Positive Grid software.

Your Spark app works without the Spark amp. Remember it will log into Apple Music and Spotify in addition to search and play YouTube content. If they already know a track in your streaming library playback is often YouTube where the track already has the chords parsed.

I point out this stand alone aspect because I have desktop amp world in m office and a corner of the downstairs with my tube and acoustic amps, pedal board, looper and music stand. I'll output audio from the iPad or my phone to the acoustic amp also a sort of PA and with fidelity the guitar amps don't have. It will play music and YouTube not colored by pedals or effects.

If you organize with an Apple Music or similar playlist it is portable across devices and works with even more platforms. Example: My Guitar Playing playlist isn't just seen when I log in with via Spark app. It's there for all devices and can also play to Apple's "Home". That puts the playlist on my computers, the little HomePad speakers, the TV, and a computer can mix between its speakers and any in "Home".

Consider a basic looper or band in a box type looper pedal too. A Trio+ has a learning cure for the non-looping part but is neat. Like backing tracks, you might want that output to not be a traditional guitar amp so the output is not colored by effects.

The discontinued but great JamMan Express XT looper pedals are either side of $50 and take a 9V battery. After fooling around with the looper in Bias FX just put the title JamMan inline with the Spark amp just like bigger amps.

It's not countless but there are lots of easy and great ways to do this. For a Spark amp owner it makes a lot of sense to be organized where your music and bookmarked or playlist stuff is on a mobile device.

Don't forget you also have physical aux/headphone ports on the Spark.

[Brent Hutto]

At the near-zero cost level, I just run my music apps (the ones that do slowdown and/or pitch change and/or break out stems) on my iPad, right through the iPad speaker.

Then I play my guitar through my guitar amp. If I set the volumes correctly, I can hear the backing track and my guitar in balance.

Maybe it's easiest to just punt on trying to run everything through a computer and let you ears in the room be the "mixer app".

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by imwjl

Knowing the OP has a Spark, my curiosity, and interest in portability I did more experimenting.

The mobile/cheapskate path I was interested in has proven you most likely need a decent audio interface for the mobile Bias FX2 Spark has. I cycled through the powered Apple camera adapter route and other cables. That lets Biax FX 2 mobile at its cheapest level recognize your Spark amp but I'm not having luck with all the features.

USB-C of Spark to your Mac's USB-C port recognizes the amp.

Your spend can be similar if you buy an audio interface for an iPad or phone vs the desktop Positive Grid software.

Your Spark app works without the Spark amp. Remember it will log into Apple Music and Spotify in addition to search and play YouTube content. If they already know a track in your streaming library playback is often YouTube where the track already has the chords parsed.

I point out this stand alone aspect because I have desktop amp world in m office and a corner of the downstairs with my tube and acoustic amps, pedal board, looper and music stand. I'll output audio from the iPad or my phone to the acoustic amp also a sort of PA and with fidelity the guitar amps don't have. It will play music and YouTube not colored by pedals or effects.

If you organize with an Apple Music or similar playlist it is portable across devices and works with even more platforms. Example: My Guitar Playing playlist isn't just seen when I log in with via Spark app. It's there for all devices and can also play to Apple's "Home". That puts the playlist on my computers, the little HomePad speakers, the TV, and a computer can mix between its speakers and any in "Home".

Consider a basic looper or band in a box type looper pedal too. A Trio+ has a learning cure for the non-looping part but is neat. Like backing tracks, you might want that output to not be a traditional guitar amp so the output is not colored by effects.

The discontinued but great JamMan Express XT looper pedals are either side of $50 and take a 9V battery. After fooling around with the looper in Bias FX just put the title JamMan inline with the Spark amp just like bigger amps.

It's not countless but there are lots of easy and great ways to do this. For a Spark amp owner it makes a lot of sense to be organized where your music and bookmarked or playlist stuff is on a mobile device.

Don't forget you also have physical aux/headphone ports on the Spark.

I love the Spark. The more I use is, the more I appreciate what it was designed to do. You run a USB cable from the Spark to your computer (in my case, an iMac), plug your guitar and headphones into the Spark, and you're done. That's it. Anything you play on your computer comes out your headphones. Anything you play on your guitar comes out your headphones. You adjust the levels easily, because each has a separate volume control. Stupid simple.

As for portability, I just carry the Spark into my local music store and send backing tracks to it from an iOS device via Bluetooth. With headphones on, I'm a one man band and no one is the wiser.

My issue has been getting any other modeler to behave the same way. All of the others (e.g., Fractal, Line 6) appear to be "core audio" devices, which disable your computer's volume control. From a design standpoint, that's just astonishingly stupid.

And, by the way, for all the tube guys out there, I get better tones from my stupid Spark than I ever did back in the day playing thru a Marshall 2550 Jubilee, 412 Hiwatt cabinet and a zillion pedals...for a small fraction of the cost and no Soviet mil-spec tubes. So, there.

[JackC1]

Originally Posted by AX17609

It's also not a recording question. It is a play-along-with-backing-tracks question.

Can't you just use the computer to play the backing track via some speakers and then play the guitar with it's usual amp? It seems pretty simple; or are you needing to record? (although you mentioned you don't need to). If you need to record, you should look into USB loopback; it'll make your life much easier.

I used to trade videos of solos over backing track with a group of players. I used either my Yamaha THR10IIWL or Yamaha AG03 (it's got a built-in guitar amp sim). Both has a USB "loopback" feature. Recording was very straight forward with these; I can slow down the backing track on the computer to whatever speed I needed. I output the slowed down backing track to the device (selecting it as my computer speaker) and record both the BT and guitar by selecting the device as computer mic.

[JackC1]

Originally Posted by AX17609

I love the Spark. The more I use is, the more I appreciate what it was designed to do. You run a USB cable from the Spark to your computer (in my case, an iMac), plug your guitar and headphones into the Spark, and you're done. That's it. Anything you play on your computer comes out your headphones. Anything you play on your guitar comes out your headphones. You adjust the levels easily, because each has a separate volume control. Stupid simple.

Ah, I see you've solved your problem. Good job!

For a super compact solution; check out the Fender USB micro. You can play your backing track to it via Bluetooth and it'll mix it with your guitar sound and send the mixed output to headphones.

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by JackC1

Can't you just use the computer to play the backing track via some speakers and then play the guitar with it's usual amp?

For reasons too numerous to itemize, I only play thru headphones.

Originally Posted by JackC1

For a super compact solution; check out the Fender USB micro.

The Fender Mustang Micro was my guitar store solution for a long time. It saved me from a lot of bad decisions. These days, I prefer to just lug around the Spark, because I get better tones. I should be a YouTube Spark advocate. I am their biggest fan.

[JackC1]

Originally Posted by AX17609

The Fender Mustang Micro was my guitar store solution for a long time. It saved me from a lot of bad decisions. These days, I prefer to just lug around the Spark, because I get better tones. I should be a YouTube Spark advocate. I am their biggest fan.

I have a Fender Mustang Micro and a Spark Go.

I got the Spark Go for its built-in speaker; otherwise, the Fender is a lot more convenient and don't need me to carry a cable or wireless system (which I use with the Spark).

I don't notice better tone with my Spark; maybe it's because it's the low-end Go model. The Spark is very limited to only 4 amp/reverb models (and can't change) while the Fender has more than 10 amp models and can set reverb and other effects too. (I've never used the Spark's phone app.)

Here's a size compare (for other folks). The Spark Go is 7x larger than the Fender. Both units can play external music/backing track via BT. Both units have built-in rechargeable battery.

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by JackC1

I have a Fender Mustang Micro and a Spark Go.



I got the Spark Go mainly for its built-in speakers; otherwise, the Fender is a lot more convenient and don't need me to carry a cable or wireless system (which I use with the Spark).



I don't notice better tone with my Spark; maybe it's because it's the low-end Go model. The Spark is very limited to only 4 amp/reverb models (and can't change) while the Fender has more than 10 amp models and can set reverb and other effects too. (I've never used the Spark's phone app.)

Most of the sparks tones / capabilities come from the app. Currently 39 amp models, 9 reverbs for the Go and a bunch of different effects etc. Nice thing is you can update the four presets from the app as well so you only need the app to create the tones initially.

I'd also say that I much prefer the tones I've put together than the stock presets.

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

Most of the sparks tones / capabilities come from the app. Currently 39 amp models, 9 reverbs for the Go and a bunch of different effects etc. Nice thing is you can update the four presets from the app as well so you only need the app to create the tones initially.

I'd also say that I much prefer the tones I've put together than the stock presets.

I agree. This Spark Go is a lot more powerful than the four presets would lead you to believe. In fact, the presets are kind of crappy. Once you pair up with the app, you've got unbelievable flexibility and tone control.

[Aspiring]

To the OP i just caught up with your comments on the fm3. I have both an fm3 and an axe fx 3 however I use them from a windows PC.

I think I know of several ways you can do what you want and I do similar. Note that in the windows PC I can set both the overall volume from windows to the fractal device via Windows both for the individual app (ie in you tube) and the overall windows volume.

But what I normally do is this:

First you can use the fractal output volume to control the overall level and use that to set the volume from the backing track where you want it.

Then I add a pan/ volume control in the chain for my guitar signal just before the out1 block in the edit app.

Then I add a modifier to the volume parameter to that control which I tie to my expression pedal. Now I have foot control adjustment of the guitar level relative to the backing track level.

If you don't have an expression control you can still tie it to a knob on the fm3 or just modify it in your computer.

Also on the settings section (tools setup from the companion app) you have the settings for input levels for each pair of USB channels where you can adjust the USB level from the PC and that will not change your guitar volume.

Note this is near zero latency for the guitar as it is going from fractal input to fractal output directly not to the computer and you are just mixing USB output to your out1 on the device so there will be a small amount of latency on the backing track but that shouldn't matter as you will just time your playing to what you hear.

Btw I put this together looking at my axe fx 3 app. There may be some slight differences for the fm3 but if you need help happy to look at the fm3 setup.

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

To the OP i just caught up with your comments on the fm3. I have both an fm3 and an axe fx 3 however I use them from a windows PC.

I think I know of several ways you can do what you want and I do similar. Note that in the windows PC I can set both the overall volume from windows to the fractal device via Windows both for the individual app (ie in you tube) and the overall windows volume.

But what I normally do is this:

First you can use the fractal output volume to control the overall level and use that to set the volume from the backing track where you want it.

Then I add a pan/ volume control in the chain for my guitar signal just before the out1 block in the edit app.

Then I add a modifier to the volume parameter to that control which I tie to my expression pedal. Now I have foot control adjustment of the guitar level relative to the backing track level.

If you don't have an expression control you can still tie it to a knob on the fm3 or just modify it in your computer.

Also on the settings section (tools setup from the companion app) you have the settings for input levels for each pair of USB channels where you can adjust the USB level from the PC and that will not change your guitar volume.

Note this is near zero latency for the guitar as it is going from fractal input to fractal output directly not to the computer and you are just mixing USB output to your out1 on the device so there will be a small amount of latency on the backing track but that shouldn't matter as you will just time your playing to what you hear.

Btw I put this together looking at my axe fx 3 app. There may be some slight differences for the fm3 but if you need help happy to look at the fm3 setup.

Good ideas. Thank you. You are correct that when you do the mixing within the unit, latency is not an issue. That's the appeal. There is a USB I/O level knob, but it's buried deep in the setup menu, so adjusting it with the unit on the floor is inconvenient to say the least. Inserting a volume block with expression pedal control is a novel idea and one I hadn't thought of. I remain surprised that the whole operation requires this level of sophistication. It should be easier than this.

[Aspiring]

Originally Posted by AX17609

Good ideas. Thank you. You are correct that when you do the mixing within the unit, latency is not an issue. That's the appeal. There is a USB I/O level knob, but it's buried deep in the setup menu, so adjusting it with the unit on the floor is inconvenient to say the least. Inserting a volume block with expression pedal control is a novel idea and one I hadn't thought of. I remain surprised that the whole operation requires this level of sophistication. It should be easier than this.

I hear you on it not being as easy to use as it should be. BTW you can get to the usb levels moderately easy from the companion app under tools setup. At least you wouldn't be trying to adjust it with your feet.

I also use my FM3 up on a stand that keeps it more at face height cause I'm too old to bend over to the floor.