Positive Grid has expanded the Spark eco-system with a wireless system for microphones and XLR-equipped instruments that connects to mixing desks and PA systems with a minimum of fuss.
From the brand that brought us the next-gen desktop amp in the shape of the Spark, comes the Spark Link XLR, the plug-in-and-play wireless dongle connector, thingamajig, that could be the $169 solution your live performance has been waiting for.
If it performs as well as the MusicRadar-approved Spark Link, which is a guitar wireless system something similar for 1/4” connections, we will have few complaints – “easy to set up, crystal-clear audio, excellent range, and durable build” in the plus column, “no pedalboard charger” in the minus. And what about that range.
With a range of 70 feet (line of sight, matching the original Spark Link), it should cover most stages, most venues. We all can all think of at least one vocalist in our social circles that would make full use of that range – whether their audience or bandmates like it or not. Hey, sometimes it is good to be unshackled from all that cabling.
It will naturally be a neat fit for microphones. But any XLR-equipped device can be connected.
You can use up to four of these at the one time, and the performance stats measure up to the 1/4” equivalent, with a frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz, a latency of less than 3ms, and a battery that gives you a maximum of six hours playing time. That’s a lot of singing.
But then you don’t have to be singing – as Positive Grid helpfully suggests, these could be used for public speaking, hosting Q&As, content creation, podcasters and livestreamers, and for religious services, or hooking up a DI box or dynamic microphone to deliver an acoustic guitar performance to the PA.
There are no menus to navigate. “Simply plug its transmitter into an XLR mic and plug its receiver into the mic-level input of a PA system, mixer or audio interface,” says Positive Grid. That’s pretty much the manual.
The quality of the audio is tip-top, professional-grade, handing it at 24-bit/48kHz resolution with a dynamic range of 103.7dB, over a 2.4GHz connection.
Available now, the Link XLR is priced $169, and is available direct from Positive Grid, Amazon, and dealers.
You can check out MusicRadar’s review of the Positive Grid Spark Link to see how that performed.
