Regarding Spark 2, Spark Dubstep, Spark EDM, and Spark VDM (in V Collection 3)

[Belegur]

Hi all...

I've dug in the forum, and also emailed Arturia sales... who seemed to be as confused as I still am.

I own Spark Dubstep, Spark EDM and V Collection 3 (containing Spark VDM). I have these installed and running fine on a Mac Pro tower system with a Steinberg dongle.

Recently purchased a MacBook Pro to do some mobile stuff with... collaborations with others etc... and installed the above (after various error codes during installation etc) and have them running.

Most of V Collection 3 now authenticates using the new ASC, which is great, but all the Spark stuff still requires the dongle. This isn't so good when both your USB ports are powering Maschine and Push controllers.

So I asked Arturia if I can get my VDM, EDM and Dubstep into Spark 2 if I buy that (apparently I've just missed some super upgrade / crossgrade options)... which uses the ASC, hopefully then negating the need for a dongle on the MacBook...  here's where I get confused...  they replied and said that VDM, EDM and Dubstep are all included in Spark 2. However, I can't find any evidence of that on the Arturia site or elsewhere...  can someone clarify if that's correct? Or if I can import VDM, EDM, and Dubstep into Spark 2 somehow?

I'll more than likely buy Spark 2 or a controller containing it if I can import it all and not need the dongle for the mobile rig.... or if it in fact already contains the other products, but I find it hard to believe... even if it came from the sales desk.

Surely someone else out there has been in this situation before...  any help would be appreciated.

Cheers!

[stuey]

HI,

The kits are all the same, on a mac the library is here /Library/Arturia/Spark/Spark Library/ In theory you can just copy the folders into this location. Which I have done on occasion and has worked perfectly.

Here you'll find all the kits under Factory, kits you save will be under user. Looking through the Spark 2 kits the VDM is there, the EDM is there and the dubstep seem to be there in parts. I also have the expansion packs installed so I do have extra kits not in VDM, EDM or Dubstep. Looking through the names of the dubstep kits, although the names seem to be different, I do have these sounds and samples.

I think this is just down to how the kits were called in EDM and Dubstep. In the bank selection you can see Spark Vintage as a sub category and all the kits are listed below, this isn't the case for EDM or Dubstep, yet some kits and sounds are installed. 

Certainly the names of some of the projects have changed, whether that means the kits are different, I'm not sure.

In answer to you other question, yes. It's easy just to drop your kits into the above file location and restarting your machine should bring all your kits in. Not sure of the PC location, something like C:\Program Files\Arturia I imagine

Hopefully this will help out out


Cheers, Stuart

[stuey]

Just to update you.

Spark Dubstep isn't included in Spark 2, apart from perhaps the Derpstep kit, but that's maybe because I have some expansion packs installed.
It's easy to combine the kits, Just move them over as per my last post

Cheers, Stuart
 

[Belegur]

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for the info.

So it doesn't matter that the older standalone instruments were versions 1.7.x ? They'll still load up in Spark 2 after I move the folders...  I really hope so

Some stores are still listing crossgrade packs online, will have to find out if they still work, or if it's just old listings that haven't been taken down. I don't really need the controller, but I might as well if I'm buying Spark 2 software, even though I'm only buying it so I don't have to use a dongle on the MacBook... heh.

Thanks again for your response.

[stuey]

I don't know about what's included with what, it's difficult for me to really say as I own a fair bit of gear. I have Spark 2 which I upgraded from 1 but I also have V collection 3 which when upgraded to 4 included Spark 2.

I also have some of the expansion packs which are essentially different kits. I suppose that the EDM and the Dubstep are just Spark for those who didn't buy it with the CDM or LE and therefore only got specific kits.

As far as them being included in Spark 2, some of them were but as far as my system goes, some of them were not. 

I'm guessing that the Spark 2 license will allow you to use all kits from those Spark variants. I downloaded the EDM and Dubstep on my other system, I just installed the library and nothing else. I then just combined the kits into now folder and they are fine, the play with no issues.


Cheers, Stuart

[Belegur]

LE Crossgrade ordered 

Should have it in 2-3 days. Will let you know how I go!