Arturia Spark???

So what do you guys think about the Arturia Spark?

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/en/pro ... intro.html




I've been looking at some other drum machines to get into. I already own the Mashine be it that it's kind of technical to get used too.

I was looking at the SPark didn't think much about at first but the real time adjustments you can do with a beat look interesting. Only thing is it's software dependent like the Mashine and well... I'm not big on that. The MPC 2XL lacks the ability to model your drums to make them sound crazy but it's also hard to beat. Like if you own an MPC you really don't have a reason to own any other drum machine since the MPC does everything just about.

The Mashine was cool but it's just not as hands on like the MPC is if you know what I mean. I'm looking at the spark maybe but wanted to hear if any of yall have messed with it.

It's a pain trying to find out about gear with no music store to go to and see it live for yourself. I missed when I lived like 30 minutes from guitar center. I used to just go in there and lounge on the equipment.

well isn't there a demo of the pluggin available on the site? it's a drum synth vsti... picture a digital version of an 808 machine... but it has other drum machines it models too... I dont think other than 1) drums, and 2) it has a usb pad controller... that it can really be compared to the maschine or those types of things.

mr_debauch wrote:well isn't there a demo of the pluggin available on the site? it's a drum synth vsti... picture a digital version of an 808 machine... but it has other drum machines it models too... I dont think other than 1) drums, and 2) it has a usb pad controller... that it can really be compared to the maschine or those types of things.

Yes they have a demo available. I've tried the controller at GC. It's aluminum on the top and the riders are plastic. Overall pretty well built. The synthesis models while not spot on are still really good approximations of a ton of classic drum boxes and the sequencer is pretty cool.

Like debauch said it's similarities to Maschine end pretty quickly as it's a drum synthesizer and sequencer, that's it. It's currently about $150 off the regular price and is going for $399USD.

I've owned mine for almost 3 months and I like it. I got it used for a good price and after I registered it Arturia was running a promotion for V collection 3 (200 bucks for the whole thing).

The sequencer is awesome. Follow the metronome if you are tapping out the pads and gradually set your swing / shuffle and you will get a good MPC groove feel and setting up drums and percussion on the 16 step pads is a breeze. The bright white lights of the pads and 16 steps are nice enough to play in the dark. What I do is load up my kit and start playing in the dark with my computer monitor off just to see what I can build off of. I just delete the preset patterns on the first few sequences and start building from there.

I noticed one thing about the synthesis modes Arturia is using with each version they release. They are fine tuning certain sounds so I think that by the time the spark hits 2.0 it could sound more realistic with the Roland boxes. Arturia gives you enough parameters to work with on both Analog Synthesis Emulation and Physical Modelling. I am going out on the limb by saying this device is a virtual Elektron Machinedrum SPS-1 MKII.

The oberheim filters are nice for when you are chopping up your own samples and throwing them in the mix.

At 399 on sale for this versus 349 for Maschine Mikro more people should hopefully bite.

Any other questions let me know.

v00d00ppl, do you use Sonic Charge Microtonic? Covers a lot of the same ground as Machinedrum, cheap plugin too.

Metatron72 wrote:v00d00ppl, do you use Sonic Charge Microtonic? Covers a lot of the same ground as Machinedrum, cheap plugin too.

Never tried it.

I know that FXpansion Tremor (on sale for 99 bucks until 12/31) is also trying to do the same thing.

I will look into microtonic.

v00d00ppl wrote:

Metatron72 wrote:v00d00ppl, do you use Sonic Charge Microtonic? Covers a lot of the same ground as Machinedrum, cheap plugin too.

Never tried it.

I know that FXpansion Tremor (on sale for 99 bucks until 12/31) is also trying to do the same thing.

I will look into microtonic.

Actually if it came to a choice between those Tremor is beast, Microtonic is actually pretty old although was updated within the last two years. Tremor, definitely cop it for $99.

Microtonic's interface looks like it is used by Engineers in Prometheus.

v00d00ppl wrote:Microtonic's interface looks like it is used by Engineers in Prometheus.

It's actually almost identical to ReDrum from Reason underneath the spacy GUI elements. The company owner is the guy who did Malstrom for Propellerhead years ago. It's a really good plugin but Tremor at the sale price does a lot more.

I really like the Spark. I sit with mine on my lap in front of my HD TV screen, build kits and bang out beats. The hardware is very well integrated with the software in my opinion, and it provides a nice balance between sequencing drums using the pads and sequencing drums using the software sequencer. It's a drum solution that is very under-rated in my opinion.

Arturia has released a number of additional kits with each Spark software update as well. The Arturia produced updates (and new kits) have always been free. Were Akai to provide this type of support, the Ren would be a monster.

Here's the thing though. It doesn't support recording a sample, chopping the sample up and assigning it to pads. It really is for creating drum kits, playing those kits and creating patterns.

MeSoHordey wrote:I really like the Spark. I sit with mine on my lap in front of my HD TV screen, build kits and bang out beats. The hardware is very well integrated with the software in my opinion, and it provides a nice balance between sequencing drums using the pads and sequencing drums using the software sequencer. It's a drum solution that is very under-rated in my opinion.

Arturia has released a number of additional kits with each Spark software update as well. The Arturia produced updates (and new kits) have always been free. Were Akai to provide this type of support, the Ren would be a monster.

Here's the thing though. It doesn't support recording a sample, chopping the sample up and assigning it to pads. It really is for creating drum kits, playing those kits and creating patterns.

I always chop my samples ahead of time in my audio editor. You can also do non destructive editing of loops in it by setting start and end points.

Another trick to do is once you have your drum hits chopped up, use the default drum sample, clear the sampled stock drum and drop in your hits and you will have a different tweak to your sound. You can make random noises sound more like a snare depending on how you replace sounds with presets.

A very cool virtual drum machine along with the controller love this thing.

http://uploaded.net/file/y8grl971

I made this kit by recording novation drum station samples into my mpc 60 with the audio boost set to high. Then I recorded the mpc60 single shots into my emu 1616m. Turn down the mixer volume if it sounds like it's distorting.
Have fun with this and it also works on SparkLE. If you want Sparkle for cheap novamusik is selling it for 249 on ebay new!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ARTURIA-SPARK-L ... 0639855717?

Amazon also sells it for 249 for the sparkle.


I'll post more kits when i can. peace.

http://www.arturia.com/evolution/smf/in ... c=13142.30

1.7 beta has started. Sign in on the forums. New browser. New effects from the Wurlitzer v engine. Less of a CPU hog. Your automations in a sequence will now be saved as part of a sequence.

v00d00ppl wrote:http://www.arturia.com/evolution/smf/index.php?topic=13142.30

1.7 beta has started. Sign in on the forums. New browser. New effects from the Wurlitzer v engine. Less of a CPU hog. Your automations in a sequence will now be saved as part of a sequence.

you need the controller right?