Free online tools from Positive Grid

Elio

Student Of The Blues
I posted some of this to another thread about tools for looping, changing keys, tempo, and other modifications to songs or jam tracks, but I thought it would be valuable here, as well.

The Spark amp comes with a smartphone app that has some very cool functionality -- but you do not need to have the Spark amp to take advantage of it. AND, there is a website version, if you do not want to add another app to your phone or tablet.

You can search for a song or jam track across YouTube or Spotify and do the following with it:

Analyze the song to produce a chord sheet
Interactively view the chords as the song is playing
Change tempo
Use the virtual capo
Loop portions of the song

Another feature that I really like is that you can click on a chord on the chord sheet to take you to exactly that spot on the song. This makes it really easy to go to a particular chord change without having start earlier to listen for it.

The website version is located at https://spark.positivegrid.com/home, and you can also download the smartphone app from there as well. I entered "Stormy Monday" in the search box, and found my way to the Allman Brothers version at https://spark.positivegrid.com/songs/Bqa1s4jhkQ8 . To loop a portion of the song, you can just click on each 1/4 note portion of a measure that you want looped. It's very quick, easy, and visual.
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
Tried it for the Mac and it said it was only available for the iPhone and iPad. I'll try one of those.
Thanks Elio!
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Tried it for the Mac and it said it was only available for the iPhone and iPad. I'll try one of those.
Thanks Elio!

You should be able to just run it through the website on the Mac without having to install the app. Just enter the name of a song in the SEARCH box, then select one of the results and it will take you to the options for it.
https://spark.positivegrid.com/home
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Apparently I ain't very smart.

After trying to find the "Spark Control App" most of last evening and early this morning, I finally found the Spark manual which informs me that my Android tablet (Android 6) is too outdated to run the App.

And I ain't gonna buy a new tablet or a phone.

Spark.jpg
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Apparently I ain't very smart.

After trying to find the "Spark Control App" most of last evening and early this morning, I finally found the Spark manual which informs me that my Android tablet (Android 6) is too outdated to run the App.

And I ain't gonna buy a new tablet or a phone.

View attachment 12545

You don't actually need to use the app. Instead, just go to the website and use the web interface on any computer. Just type in the name of the song on the search box, select one of the results, and it will give you pretty much the same functionality as the smartphone app, except for the ability to connect to the amp. https://spark.positivegrid.com/home

Spark1.PNG Spark2.PNG
 
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Crossroads

Thump the Bottom
Apparently I ain't very smart.

After trying to find the "Spark Control App" most of last evening and early this morning, I finally found the Spark manual which informs me that my Android tablet (Android 6) is too outdated to run the App.

And I ain't gonna buy a new tablet or a phone.

View attachment 12545
Runs fine on my shity Android phone using the Chrome browser
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Yeah, but I'm talkin' bout the Control App.

It says I need at least Android 8.1 and my tablet has 6.

The app doesn't even show up in Google Play using my tablet.

So, no ToneCloud, Effects, Smart Jam, Voice Command or Auto Chords.

The main reason I bought the amp was to access the ToneCloud and experience some new sounds. :(

I'm on my way over to Amazon to see how much an Android 10 tablet would set me back.
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Yeah, but I'm talkin' bout the Control App.

It says I need at least Android 8.1 and my tablet has 6.

The app doesn't even show up in Google Play using my tablet.

So, no ToneCloud, Effects, Smart Jam, Voice Command or Auto Chords.

The main reason I bought the amp was to access the ToneCloud and experience some new sounds. :(

I'm on my way over to Amazon to see how much an Android 10 tablet would set me back.

Sorry, I didn't realize you had purchased the amp. I ran into same problem trying to install the app on an older tablet that I haven't used in a couple years. It's fine on my phone, but I have a vision impairment that makes it much smaller than I prefer so I thought it would be a good use for my tablet, which turns out to also be Android 6. I was going to see if I could update the O/S to 8.1 but haven't had the chance to yet. If not, I will just spring for an inexpensive Android tablet to install it on. There seem to be lots of sub-$100 options on Amazon.
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Sorry, I didn't realize you had purchased the amp.
Didn't we just talk about the smell when I opened it up yesterday?

That's my bugaboo. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

Anyway, yeah, I purchased the tablet I've got at Walmart for $100.

So, I'm looking to do the same.

But there goes the bucks I saved by buying the amp on sale. :confused:
 
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Elio

Student Of The Blues
Didn't we just talk about the smell when I opened it up yesterday?

That's my bugaboo. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

Anyway, yeah, I purchased the tablet I've got at Walmart for $100.

So, I'm looking to do the same.

But there goes the bucks I saved by buying the amp on sale. :confused:

Oh, that's right -- that was you! I have the attention span of a mosquito this week. I'm sure my wife can verify that!
 

Stinger22

Blues Junior
The website version is located at https://spark.positivegrid.com/home, and you can also download the smartphone app from there as well. I entered "Stormy Monday" in the search box, and found my way to the Allman Brothers version at https://spark.positivegrid.com/songs/Bqa1s4jhkQ8 . To loop a portion of the song, you can just click on each 1/4 note portion of a measure that you want looped. It's very quick, easy, and visual.

The app actually has me "practicing" a little more than just "playing".
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
You should be able to just run it through the website on the Mac without having to install the app. Just enter the name of a song in the SEARCH box, then select one of the results and it will take you to the options for it.
https://spark.positivegrid.com/home
Thanks, Elio! Wow! That's an impressive app. I just typed in the first song that popped into my head and it played it, and showed the chords! Very cool!
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
It works okay, but I've tried a few tunes that the chords given weren't so good

It's interesting, I was trying out the smart jam on a simple I-IV-V pattern and it was consistenly getting the IV and V chords wrong. I switched over from 9th chords to dominant 7th and then it started to nail them. I find the same thing happens with my Digitech Trio. Simple chords and triads are fine, but the fancier the chord, the higher the probability it will get one wrong. The one good thing about software and firmware based products is that they can be improved and updated over time, so hopefully that will be the case here.
 

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Didn't we just talk about the smell when I opened it up yesterday?

That's my bugaboo. Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome.

Anyway, yeah, I purchased the tablet I've got at Walmart for $100.

So, I'm looking to do the same.

But there goes the bucks I saved by buying the amp on sale. :confused:

Here is the tablet I ended up getting to replace my old one. So far, it is working out great
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WLNZB78/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Here is the tablet I ended up getting to replace my old one.
Thanks, Elio.

I was looking at that same one.

However, the newest Androids are Android 10.

The Spec's on the APP say 8.1 to 9.

So I'm gonna try to find out if PG has updated a new APP or if it works with 10, but the APP came out before that.

This is what drives me nuts.

About the time I buy an Android 9 they may come out with a new APP that runs on 10. o_O

Yes, a new tablet runs just over $100, but for some of us that's a challenge.

And it's more than what I saved buying the Spark on sale in the first place.

And today it gonna be the first day I actually try the amp out. :)
 
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