Arturia Spark 2 Software is out

[jeye_musik]

Quick question, I see from my Arturia account that I qualify for the super-Spark VDM upgrade deal and that is mighty tempting. However, I am also tempted by the SparkLE controller. Is there anyway you can order a SparkLE and take advantage of that Spark-VDM upgrade?

Thanks in advance,
John

[secretkillerofnames]

Quick question, I see from my Arturia account that I qualify for the super-Spark VDM upgrade deal and that is mighty tempting. However, I am also tempted by the SparkLE controller. Is there anyway you can order a SparkLE and take advantage of that Spark-VDM upgrade?

Thanks in advance,
John

I asked a similar question earlier. Apparently if you get the SparkLE you get Spark2.0 upgrade for free.

[filter303]

I must admit the current deal of $199 for Spark LE, which includes the controller and Spark 2, seems like a good deal. Might bite. Filter303, are you able to use that controller with any other software at all somehow or have you found it only usable for Spark?

How are the sounds in Spark2 compared to Spark? I already own Geist but have been thinking about some kind of drum synth for a while and it sounds like the Spark2 drum synth may actually be kind of cool.

Besides Spark I also own Tempest, Nerve, Geist & Tremor and I consider Spark being a really good deal for anyone needing electronic drums in his songs. The price is good and so is the build quality and also the sensitivity of the pads. The interface is well thought and the included kits are huge in numbers and in quality (I currently have about 300+ kits). Arturia customer service has also been very responsive and they have been very fair to me. Spark2 kits sound the same to as Spark1 but there is more of them and you can tweak them more because of the modular page.

Only thing I don't like about the kits is that they seem to be aimed for making complete songs instead of just drums because they have so many extra instruments in them like bass, synths, vocals, fx. I would have liked the kits more if there wasn't any of this extra stuff. But I realize many people like this AIO groovebox thing and Arturia certainly can't please everyone. Of course it's still a bit frustrating to mute these instrument channels from the spark mixer every time I want to try a different kit but I try to ignore this stuff. And I can always make my own kits if I want. So far I haven't done any of my own kits because the included stuff is very good.

I am using Spark with Reaper and I find it difficult to use it with other instruments. If I go to the options and enable spark as a midi device to use it with other plugins, it stops working as a controller for Spark. You can't have it as an regular midi input for your daw and as a Spark controller at a same time. It's possible to use the controller with Spark and 3rd party plugins at the same time by creating a send track(s). For some reasons I have hard time fitting controllers into my workflow and this doesn't make it any easier.

I have a few questions of my own for other Spark users:

I am wondering if anyone knows whether it's possible to split the rex files automatically so you can play the individual hits from different pads? It would be so cool if it was possible to do it.
I also don't know how to import user kits. I would really like some of the user kits I managed to download from Arturia forums. Can anyone shed a light to these questions?

[fisherKing]

I have a few questions of my own for other Spark users:

I am wondering if anyone knows whether it's possible to split the rex files automatically so you can play the individual hits from different pads? It would be so cool if it was possible to do it.
I also don't know how to import user kits. I would really like some of the user kits I managed to download from Arturia forums. Can anyone shed a light to these questions?

am also trying to figure out the rex thing. i emailed arturia, they told me to drag a rex file to a drum pad, which gives me...a rex file on a drum pad. zzzzzz...

i want to map each slice to a pad...in fact, i want it done automatically. does anyone know if this is possible?

[Uncle E]

I must admit the current deal of $199 for Spark LE, which includes the controller and Spark 2, seems like a good deal.

It's a nice system, super fast and easy to work with. For editing sounds, it's still better to use your mouse and screen (the larger Spark controller may have been better in this regard), but for making patterns, you really can do it all from the controller and never touch your computer.

[ke2041]

btw, there's a little bug you might be aware of.

In the sequencer if you select the eraser tool and erase some control information when you select a different channel the eraser stays highlighted but drawing acts like the pen tool is selected.

Thanks for the report.
We are already working on a bug fix update so it might be fixed soon.

Kevin

[ke2041]

Love Spark 2, but I'm finding it pretty sluggish, anyone else finding a time lag?

This is a known issue. We will work on it in the upcoming weeks to improve this.

[ke2041]

i want to map each slice to a pad...in fact, i want it done automatically. does anyone know if this is possible?

Hi,
this is not possible sorry. This should not be to hard to add it in a future update.

[Robmobius]

Love Spark 2, but I'm finding it pretty sluggish, anyone else finding a time lag?

This is a known issue. We will work on it in the upcoming weeks to improve this.

Thanks for letting me know! That's great news.

It's already an amazing piece of software. I'm having a lots of fun playing with it.

Cheers,

R.

[fisherKing]

i want to map each slice to a pad...in fact, i want it done automatically. does anyone know if this is possible?

Hi,
this is not possible sorry. This should not be to hard to add it in a future update.

ah...ok. not sure what the point is currently? i can trigger a rexfile from a drumpad?
anyway...the joy of using rexfiles in reason was being able to play each slice on a different key...allowing you to easily restructure the original pattern, make your own pattern (or just use some slices). etc.

meanwhile, in all other ways, spark 2 is AWESOME.

[T-CM11]

ah...ok. not sure what the point is currently? i can trigger a rexfile from a drumpad?

I never tried it (don't think I have any rex files)... but do the slices, once triggered, play in tempo/time with the rest of the pattern?

[DenisArturia]

ah...ok. not sure what the point is currently? i can trigger a rexfile from a drumpad?

I never tried it (don't think I have any rex files)... but do the slices, once triggered, play in tempo/time with the rest of the pattern?

Yes T-CM11,

This is actually what is very nice with Rex files! Spark now becomes very good at playing loops.

Cheers,

D

[cyphersuit]

how long is the update price valid?

thx

[fisherKing]

ah...ok. not sure what the point is currently? i can trigger a rexfile from a drumpad?

I never tried it (don't think I have any rex files)... but do the slices, once triggered, play in tempo/time with the rest of the pattern?

Yes T-CM11,

This is actually what is very nice with Rex files! Spark now becomes very good at playing loops.

Cheers,

D

but boring. i don't want to play the rexfiles as they ARE, but as i WANT them to be.
ah, well...i can do this in logic's sampler if i need to...

[DenisArturia]

ah...ok. not sure what the point is currently? i can trigger a rexfile from a drumpad?

I never tried it (don't think I have any rex files)... but do the slices, once triggered, play in tempo/time with the rest of the pattern?

Yes T-CM11,

This is actually what is very nice with Rex files! Spark now becomes very good at playing loops.

Cheers,

D

but boring. i don't want to play the rexfiles as they ARE, but as i WANT them to be.
ah, well...i can do this in logic's sampler if i need to...

In order to create your own Rex files you need to use Recycle from Propellerhead.

All the best,

Denis