If you want to make Spark (software) to react to general MIDI mapping, go in Preferences view and change the "Choose MIDI Drum map model for Pads" to "General MIDI".
It should do the job.
If you want to make Spark Controller send GM mapping messages, you have to use MIDI Control Center and create a template.
When you edit Spark controller message in MIDI Control Center, this change only messages sent in MIDI Controller Mode but not when in Spark Controller Mode. As you noticed, when Spark is in MIDI Control Mode, the 1-8/9-16 button has no effect. We will try to improve this in a future update but I can not tell you when it will be done.
Kevin