What is the future of Spark?

[jsmirk]

A recent beta surfaced which seems to address a few longstanding bugs, but others remain. There are also many workflow issues that can be refined to make it more useful and productive. An Arturia staff member recenlty commented that they may “have to deeply change the spark code and it will take lot of time” to address some issues on Mac.  Spark has the potential to be an extremely powerful live/production tool and a real money-maker for Arturia - it just needs some effort put into it.  Does anyone, Arturia included, have any thoughts about what’s on the roadmap for Spark? Is this product truly a long-term commitment for Arturia?

[stuey]

http://forum.arturia.com/index.php?topic=84144.new#new

Hopefully we will see something soon. It's come a long way from 1.7.3 but I agree that there could be some nice additions making it a very usable but of SW

Thanks, Stuart 

[dokbrown]

ARTURIA’s commitment to this software will make or break SPARK.  AKAI is getting killed by NI b/c it is clear that NI is dedicated to see maschine grow.  I don’t see a need for spark 3.0 so much as bug fixes/updates until 2018.  I think they should add hardware shortcuts to the SPARKLE AND SPARK CDM, then publish a PDF with all the shortcuts listed for power users. 

[jsmirk]

Agreed, I definitely don't need a 3.0. I'd just like to see it work with the LE controller at all in Logic, but hat has yet to happen.

[ClydeLyman]

I would like to see for the original Spark, a module that would enable you to use it like a standard drum box with a sort of "Spark Junior" software, power unit, USB and audio output that you could set up on the computer then take on the road using the main Spark Console as a control panel. still keeping the main ideas of Spark (different drum kits, some edit to the pattern functions and create the patterns on the computer and store them in this proposed small module without having to drag a computer or laptop or tablet around. I wouldn't expect it to have full functionality but this is 2015 and we can put a LOT of power in a tiny box these days

[artao]

I really want to see interface improvements and a larger UI. Re-sizeable. (all Arturia's VSTs need a re-size, really -- except the newest of the new ones)
Also, having watched a series of videos where a guy went thru the hardware and software (the old Spark software, not Spark2) it looks like there's numerous features missing in Spark2 that were available in Spark.
Such as drag-n-drop single instrument's patterns from one instrument to another, as well as drag-n-drop single instrument MIDI files to the desktop or DAW. Right now, you can only do that with an ENTIRE pattern, with ALL instruments.
Also missing is drag-n-drop samples directly into the Studio view.
The modular view is rather a mess, how it keeps (non-sensibly) re-arranging all your modules that you've set up in a nice flowing order.

Arturia, PLEASE update and fix Spark2. Thanks

[stuey]

I would like to see for the original Spark, a module that would enable you to use it like a standard drum box with a sort of "Spark Junior" software, power unit, USB and audio output that you could set up on the computer then take on the road using the main Spark Console as a control panel. still keeping the main ideas of Spark (different drum kits, some edit to the pattern functions and create the patterns on the computer and store them in this proposed small module without having to drag a computer or laptop or tablet around. I wouldn't expect it to have full functionality but this is 2015 and we can put a LOT of power in a tiny box these days

I just set it up on my laptop with an audio interface, take out stereo L&R into my main rig. I can then 'play' it like a real drum machine.
I don't really go in for the plug in mode, unless I'm writing

Stuart 

[stuey]

Arturia, PLEASE update and fix Spark2. Thanks

What would you liked fixed? Not everything in Spark is great, but you just have to use the stuff that is and find a way to the other stuff you want with other things. Or bring out a competitor

I would leave the modular thing in Spark well along if I were you, There's not much you can't do with all the other stuff in there.

Stuart 

[artao]

Arturia, PLEASE update and fix Spark2. Thanks

What would you liked fixed?

Just the stuff I mentioned really
The modular thing has some real potential, but it could use some work. It's usable, but can be frustrating at times.

[artao]

OH! A couple other things I forgot:
It would REALLY be nice to be able to audition all the drums in any given kit without actually loading it into the pads. There's all those nice little graphics there. It'd be a great place to click to hear each instrument in a kit.
Please give us a way to export an entire song (or sections of a song, by column or linked columns) to our DAW as MIDI in particular, or audio for those who prefer that. .. rather than having to let the whole song play while recording it to another track.
Creating a random pattern (for the whole kit, or just for specific instruments) would really be a nice creative tool. Particularly when in a rut of creating the same sort of beats over and over .. We've all been there now and then, no?
Another feature that I'll actually call missing is Pattern Shift, left or right, by single step, beat, or measure.
Basic copy/paste functionality for individual instruments or full patterns would be really nice. .. Say I've created a 16-step, 2 bar pattern; copied it to another pattern slot, and now want to lengthen that new pattern to 4 bars -- but I want to copy the first 16 steps to the next 16 steps for a few of the instruments rather than program them all in again in the sequencer. Copy/Paste functionality would really be useful here.

That's all I can think of right now. I just remembered them while watching some vids about Spark usage.
I just bought a Spark CDM off eBay, and am VERY excited to get it -- hopefully by this next weekend (says the delivery estimate)
I really do love the Spark2 software. It's now my go-to drum machine. There's just a few hiccups here and there and polishing that need to be done.
Thanks Arturia for another great product. I'm VERY pleased with my purchase of the V Collection 4 as well as my MiniLab. 

[stuey]

OH! A couple other things I forgot:
It would REALLY be nice to be able to audition all the drums in any given kit without actually loading it into the pads. There's all those nice little graphics there. It'd be a great place to click to hear each instrument in a kit.

There is, in your instrument tab in the library. On the right under the instrument details, under that there is a speaker icon to audition. The wee graphic in the studio tab just auditions the sound already loaded.

Please give us a way to export an entire song (or sections of a song, by column or linked columns) to our DAW as MIDI in particular, or audio for those who prefer that. .. rather than having to let the whole song play while recording it to another track.

There is export for midi and audio in the sequencer tab, it exports the pattern in which flavour you prefer. If you want to export each instrument at a time, export each sound whilst building your kit up then put that together in your DAW.

Creating a random pattern (for the whole kit, or just for specific instruments) would really be a nice creative tool. Particularly when in a rut of creating the same sort of beats over and over .. We've all been there now and then, no?

As in Reason? Yep I can see the benefits but given you have so many presets to take inspiration from, I can't imagine you would need a random patch creator.

Another feature that I'll actually call missing is Pattern Shift, left or right, by single step, beat, or measure.
Basic copy/paste functionality for individual instruments or full patterns would be really nice. .. Say I've created a 16-step, 2 bar pattern; copied it to another pattern slot, and now want to lengthen that new pattern to 4 bars -- but I want to copy the first 16 steps to the next 16 steps for a few of the instruments rather than program them all in again in the sequencer. Copy/Paste functionality would really be useful here.

Yes, agreed I have asked them for copy and paste features in pattern and each pattern part. It's fine if you are using an 8 bar section but once you get to 64 it's time consuming to add in each bit.


Thanks, Stuart

[stuey]

The modular thing has some real potential, but it could use some work. It's usable, but can be frustrating at times.

I find it surplus to requirement. The windows are too small, the icons are too small, the connections randomly disconnect, it doesn't resize correctly.
I leave it well alone. I can see how it could be really useful and given some time it would be a nice addition, but as far as i'm concerned it's a half baked rushed addition to try and get drum synthesis into Spark 2.

Thanks, Stuart
 

[artao]

OH! A couple other things I forgot:
It would REALLY be nice to be able to audition all the drums in any given kit without actually loading it into the pads. There's all those nice little graphics there. It'd be a great place to click to hear each instrument in a kit.

There is, in your instrument tab in the library. On the right under the instrument details, under that there is a speaker icon to audition. The wee graphic in the studio tab just auditions the sound already loaded.

Yes, for single instruments. I mean for entire drum kits.
When browsing drum kits, it's got those 16 images of what's in the kit. It'd be nice to be able to click on each of those to hear what sound it is.

Regarding exporting songs, I mean the WHOLE song layout. Otherwise the song "tab" is really only useful for live performance ... but even then, you still have to use your mouse to change which column of the song to play. AFAIK there's no way to switch that using a hardware controller.

In the older versions of Spark, you could export individual instrument MIDI or audio. Now you can only export ALL the instruments. Unless, as you said, you do it one by one as you build it up. Which is kinda a PITA. .. Also, you could drag-n-drop a pattern from one instrument to another.

[stuey]

OH! A couple other things I forgot:
It would REALLY be nice to be able to audition all the drums in any given kit without actually loading it into the pads. There's all those nice little graphics there. It'd be a great place to click to hear each instrument in a kit.

There is, in your instrument tab in the library. On the right under the instrument details, under that there is a speaker icon to audition. The wee graphic in the studio tab just auditions the sound already loaded.

Yes, for single instruments. I mean for entire drum kits.
When browsing drum kits, it's got those 16 images of what's in the kit. It'd be nice to be able to click on each of those to hear what sound it is.

Regarding exporting songs, I mean the WHOLE song layout. Otherwise the song "tab" is really only useful for live performance ...

Which is kind of the point.

Yeah, i suppose doing it one by one would be a PITA

Thanks, Stuart