Software, Firmware and Functions Update Ideas

[Airfleet]

I'm a lucky and new user of the Spark. For me its the greatest drum machine 'thing' at the marked and i'm so in love with it that i buy an arturia origin too for my studio.

On our products are the workflow, possibilities, function and of course the sound quality amazing and untouched. I plan in the future often use this products.


So I tested the Spark  a little bit out and found some functions that should be added in later updates for higher perfomance possibilities etc. This are my Interests, but i think other people from the community or users of the scene (on the market) thinks so.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Some first improvments

1 ) a Menu to adjust the sensitivity of the rotary faders (the sensitivity is at the moment a little bit to little for my feelings)

2 ) There should be a Shift button function on the 3 instrument parameter (rotary) knobs to use them for 6 (2 x 3) instrument parameters. This Shift function should be used in the midicontroller Version, too.

3 ) Some Crashes are in the actually firmware V 1.1.0, example when a pattern is playing and u swicht an sampled instrument bassline to an Analog i get a crash, not ever but sometimes) --> Sofix some bugs, but i need to say its mostely works fine in the way i'm using it.

4 ) There should be an VST/ AU Plugin supported in the Spark software for the Effects, this would be great.

5 ) the Pattern export function should be optimized by drag and drop then should optionally open a little window to ask for export midi or audio

6 ) a parameter automation should automatic be ovverwritten when a record is on and the this parameter get modulated by the user, like the Touch Automation Mode in Logic.

7 ) the loop postition on the sequencer should be in a other color in the spark software, for better and faster visual orientation

8 ) In the style category should be added more electronic music style (for me) like minimal techhouse, TECHNO or better there should be a function to create a new style category (edit new style category Function)

9 ) a little bit crazy, but i think the spark surface needs a lot of space, the design should be more efficiently, mainly on the Top and Bottom panel. Monitor Space is on live sets a rarity. so maybe you find a solution to shrink the wide of the white frame an make the important informations on the panels little bit greater. but i know design get support to buy products on a market.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Level Extensions

10 ) SAMPLE KEY MODE
There should be a fast function (Mode) to set 1 Sample on all 16 Instrument Racks in semitone steps, like the ableton Simpler or the MASCHINE Instrument function.

11 ) PATTERN LIVE MODE
There should be a Mode in that you can use the 16 Instrument Lines not for Instruments but directly for maded Patterns, so you can alternative to the SONG MODE djing LIVE with 16 Patterns on the SPARK and use the Instruent Knobs for effects or Filter (Low, Mid, High) together with the Mute and Solo Mode. This would get a new Level to the Spark for ultimate live performance approximately the pattern djing in ableton Live but of course 'only' on the Spark.

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I hope some people of Arturia (your great) read this and found some nice impressions, wanna give my workflow and ideas in your hands to get this nice new product and their programmers some new impressions.


greetings
Airfleet

[guardner]

Hi!
I agree in Most of your topics!

1 ) a Menu to adjust the sensitivity of the rotary faders (the sensitivity is at the moment a little bit to little for my feelings)

YES! Give us a sensitivity knob at the pref section!

2 ) There should be a Shift button function on the 3 instrument parameter (rotary) knobs to use them for 6 (2 x 3) instrument parameters. This Shift function should be used in the midicontroller Version, too.

YES! That would Be amazing!


3 ) Some Crashes are in the actually firmware V 1.1.0, example when a pattern is playing and u swicht an sampled instrument bassline to an Analog i get a crash, not ever but sometimes) --> Sofix some bugs, but i need to say its mostely works fine in the way i'm using it.

I have to Test that...

4 ) There should be an VST/ AU Plugin supported in the Spark software for the Effects, this would be great.

Hmmm... It's nice but Not needed... I think everything will get more unstable! Please give us a stable 1.0 First

5 ) the Pattern export function should be optimized by drag and drop then should optionally open a little window to ask for export midi or audio

As i wrote, drag'n'drop isn't working for me...

6 ) a parameter automation should automatic be ovverwritten when a record is on and the this parameter get modulated by the user, like the Touch Automation Mode in Logic.

Hmmm , could Be an Option....

7 ) the loop postition on the sequencer should be in a other color in the spark software, for better and faster visual orientation

+1

8 ) In the style category should be added more electronic music style (for me) like minimal techhouse, TECHNO or better there should be a function to create a new style category (edit new style category Function)

I think that could Be an Option too...

9 ) a little bit crazy, but i think the spark surface needs a lot of space, the design should be more efficiently, mainly on the Top and Bottom panel. Monitor Space is on live sets a rarity. so maybe you find a solution to shrink the wide of the white frame an make the important informations on the panels little bit greater. but i know design get support to buy products on a market.


I Love the Hardware...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Level Extensions

10 ) SAMPLE KEY MODE
There should be a fast function (Mode) to set 1 Sample on all 16 Instrument Racks in semitone steps, like the ableton Simpler or the MASCHINE Instrument function.

Not needed here. I have other Machines for that!

11 ) PATTERN LIVE MODE
There should be a Mode in that you can use the 16 Instrument Lines not for Instruments but directly for maded Patterns, so you can alternative to the SONG MODE djing LIVE with 16 Patterns on the SPARK and use the Instruent Knobs for effects or Filter (Low, Mid, High) together with the Mute and Solo Mode. This would get a new Level to the Spark for ultimate live performance approximately the pattern djing in ableton Live but of course 'only' ...

...

Thanks for your post, and we have to work it out

Best
Marcus

[Airfleet]

Hi at first thanks for your feedback and impressions

4 ) There should be an VST/ AU Plugin supported in the Spark software for the Effects, this would be great.

Hmmm... It's nice but Not needed... I think everything will get more unstable! Please give us a stable 1.0 First Wink

Airfleet:
Truely so first target is a really stable Version, maybe later AU plugin support, or alternative add new spark effekts, a tube saturator would be nice.

5 ) the Pattern export function should be optimized by drag and drop then should optionally open a little window to ask for export midi or audio

As i wrote, drag'n'drop isn't working for me... Sad

Airfleet:
Yeah they have to optimize that drag'n'drop function, at the moment it only works in the bottom panel -> Library -> current project -> bank or phattern.

For me it should work on the Song section in the top panel, too. And directly in the center Panel with the pattern circle.

greetings

[guardner]

2 main feature reqs for me are:

- (autom.) Slicing option for loops and/or possibility to import already sliced loops to different pads (Rex import on Mac)

- a sensitivity pref for the encoders. because they react tooo slow for live performances.
it would be great to set a range (for example filter start: 3000, end: 10k), so it's faster.
and/or to set the tempo of the encoders to go faster from a starting point to the end point.
and/or use a "shift" button, which works like a "speed up function" (see Elektron Machinedrum, pressing the button and turning it, speeds it up).
MUCH BETTER for live - and i think Spark main place is at a Live set up!

[Kevin]

Hi,

I'm a lucky and new user of the Spark. For me its the greatest drum machine 'thing' at the marked and i'm so in love with it that i buy an arturia origin too for my studio.

On our products are the workflow, possibilities, function and of course the sound quality amazing and untouched. I plan in the future often use this products.


So I tested the Spark  a little bit out and found some functions that should be added in later updates for higher perfomance possibilities etc. This are my Interests, but i think other people from the community or users of the scene (on the market) thinks so.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Some first improvments

1 ) a Menu to adjust the sensitivity of the rotary faders (the sensitivity is at the moment a little bit to little for my feelings)

It will be in the forthcoming update. 

2 ) There should be a Shift button function on the 3 instrument parameter (rotary) knobs to use them for 6 (2 x 3) instrument parameters. This Shift function should be used in the midicontroller Version, too.

It is a good idea but we can not include this for the moment, probably in the near future.

3 ) Some Crashes are in the actually firmware V 1.1.0, example when a pattern is playing and u swicht an sampled instrument bassline to an Analog i get a crash, not ever but sometimes) --> Sofix some bugs, but i need to say its mostely works fine in the way i'm using it.

If you have a way to reproduce it, I want it 

4 ) There should be an VST/ AU Plugin supported in the Spark software for the Effects, this would be great.

Not planned for the moment

5 ) the Pattern export function should be optimized by drag and drop then should optionally open a little window to ask for export midi or audio

Why not, maybe with a right click.

6 ) a parameter automation should automatic be ovverwritten when a record is on and the this parameter get modulated by the user, like the Touch Automation Mode in Logic.

As Marcus proposed, it could be added in a preferences.

7 ) the loop postition on the sequencer should be in a other color in the spark software, for better and faster visual orientation

I agree, we will try to add it soon.

8 ) In the style category should be added more electronic music style (for me) like minimal techhouse, TECHNO or better there should be a function to create a new style category (edit new style category Function)

Good idea.

9 ) a little bit crazy, but i think the spark surface needs a lot of space, the design should be more efficiently, mainly on the Top and Bottom panel. Monitor Space is on live sets a rarity. so maybe you find a solution to shrink the wide of the white frame an make the important informations on the panels little bit greater. but i know design get support to buy products on a market.

I agree with you when you say that space should be used to useful stuff but you are also right when you say that "design get support to buy products on a market" 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Level Extensions

10 ) SAMPLE KEY MODE
There should be a fast function (Mode) to set 1 Sample on all 16 Instrument Racks in semitone steps, like the ableton Simpler or the MASCHINE Instrument function.

you are not the first one to ask for this MPC style mode, maybe in the future...

11 ) PATTERN LIVE MODE
There should be a Mode in that you can use the 16 Instrument Lines not for Instruments but directly for maded Patterns, so you can alternative to the SONG MODE djing LIVE with 16 Patterns on the SPARK and use the Instruent Knobs for effects or Filter (Low, Mid, High) together with the Mute and Solo Mode. This would get a new Level to the Spark for ultimate live performance approximately the pattern djing in ableton Live but of course 'only' on the Spark.

I don't understand exactly what you mean can you give some details?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope some people of Arturia (your great) read this and found some nice impressions, wanna give my workflow and ideas in your hands to get this nice new product and their programmers some new impressions.


greetings
Airfleet

Best
Kevin





[/quote]

[CC4]

(former Beta tester here)

...you've got some good suggestions there.  a "features request" thread should probably get started soon. i'll have to go back through some of my suggestions that i requested during Beta testing (they actually implemented several of them).

i think it's interesting you want a setting to adjust the sensitivity of the knobs. my top feature request would still be velocity sensitivity settings, which i was told they would be working on.  i was hoping to see it implemented in the first official version. you can certainly bang the hell out of the pads right now--so i'm hoping i'll be able to increase the sensitivity between a thumb pound and a finger tap some day.   

[guardner]

my top feature request would still be velocity sensitivity settings, which i was told they would be working on.  i was hoping to see it implemented in the first official version. you can certainly bang the hell out of the pads right now--so i'm hoping i'll be able to increase the sensitivity between a thumb pound and a finger tap some day.   

AND we need a "100%" velocity knob!! i think every drum machine has got that!!

[Kevin]

About the knob, we implement a preference. You will be able to choose between:
- slow
- medium (the current one)
- fast

Kevin

[Airfleet]

@ Kevin

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Level Extensions

10 ) SAMPLE KEY MODE
There should be a fast function (Mode) to set 1 Sample on all 16 Instrument Racks in semitone steps, like the ableton Simpler or the MASCHINE Instrument function.

Kevin: you are not the first one to ask for this MPC style mode, maybe in the future...

Re: Airfleet: No Problem, that was something of my first missing functions but in the past, but now i've to say i don't want that anymore. I will see the SPark now and in the Future as a high professional virtual analog Drummaschine emulation of classic drummaschines like the Roland TR (DR-909 ) Line, and others. Maybe u should build up there because there is a lot of power in this amazing spark maschine. Now im sure i haved bought the spark exactly for this for virtual analog and physical modelling and of course sample if there are spezial effects etc...

thats the truely Force of the Spark so keep that line and grow it up .
So there are things they have to been optimized.

1) on first point is in the SAMPLE MODE, if you pitch a sample extremly down or up the replay time gets larger or shorter., not what i want so there should be integrated a timescretch  algorithm.

2) By using the Jog Dial should only be seeing the User Kits or User Projects (as whitch one is selected in the preferences page) in the Selection, if in the Library (bottom Panel) is only User Library activated

3) It should be possible to life record in a Looped Section in the Pattern

4) the reverb effect is specifically unharmonic, u have to work on that sound, but for me not a problem i ad effects in the DAW, but maybe forlive users its at the moment not really a deeply and impressive hall but u know hall plugins are undisputed the difficultest things in effect programming.

5) The patterns should get better access to organize and copy & clean and move
at the moment i see no way to move a Bank A pattern to the Bank B, or to copy a pattern from Pattern 1 to Pattern 2 and use it there as basis for the new Pattern.

6) Working on Rotary Fader sensivity, and maybe u guys can optimze the Pad velocity, but this two Steps are already discussed.

7) In Sample mode there is a way to select in one Slot up to  6 Layers, it would be more usefull when the Gain Knob is adjustable for each of the Layer separatly.

a right click to export a Pattern as option to determite between midi or audio export would be nice, but u have every pattern to right click and select. This is little bit out of workflow, so maybe a Switch Button (Switch between Audio or MIDI export mode) over the head Panel, left from the Controller Initialize Button would be really nice.

So in live and Jam everyone can slightly switch in Audio Mode or in the Studio in Midi Mode.

9) REX files doesnt work at the moment. But i dont use that so for me no point.


10) there are some child diseases in the Software and some running functions I've to test that,  maybe this weekend. So u hear about that when i find some specifics.



My Spark Pro's:
+ the hardware optic is great and Easy to handle
+ the sound quality and 'emulations' are amazing
+ for me the Spark is going to the perfect studio drummaschine
+ unique concept,  as i have seen this, i now thats what i've searched in drummaschines and best integration to the daw possibilities (but grow up with the point 5 in the upper list)


Quote from: Airfleet

11 ) PATTERN LIVE MODE
There should be a Mode in that you can use the 16 Instrument Lines not for Instruments but directly for maded Patterns, so you can alternative to the SONG MODE djing LIVE with 16 Patterns on the SPARK and use the Instruent Knobs for effects or Filter (Low, Mid, High) together with the Mute and Solo Mode. This would get a new Level to the Spark for ultimate live performance approximately the pattern djing in ableton Live but of course 'only' on the Spark.

Kevin: I don't understand exactly what you mean can you give some details?

Re: Airfleet: this was a little thing in my brain but now im now thats nothing for me and nothing for someone this idea wasnt thinked to the end so we'll better forget it .


yeah thats my opinion at the spark . I'm in love but there is more potential that you guys can tease out with the user community concerning Workflow.


thanks for all your great products  

airfleet

[guardner]

a RESAMPLE mode would be amazing too!

so you can tweak sounds resample single slots and work with that again.
nice feature for whole loops too! but then we need a slicing feature first...

with this feature you can create really nice new sounds and beats.

And i think it could be managed, because you have already a "drag as audio" feature, so internal mixdown/bounce is working. Now you need to send the audio with a click on button to a free slot - that's it...

[Airfleet]

an other usefull function,

the Instrument of a slot should get better and faster access to change, maybe a rotary Fader (Knob) which can be used to navigate the Slot Presets (or Samples) of the selected Instrument Slot.

[HardwayBros]

First and foremost - thanks Arturia for such a great product. I got mine earlier this week and very happy so far - a really intuitive piece of kit.

Feature suggestion;-

Would it possible to implement different swing / shuffle templates; ie MPC, Cubase etc in the same way as Guru / Geist.

Also +1 for pattern copy from hardware!

[dijidave]

   With regard to copying patterns for subsequent modification, could there be a "Copy Attributes" command, which would allow a patterns information to be pasted into a different pattern which could then be modified without affecting the original pattern?
    I also would appreciate a Pad velocity sensitivity adjustment function, & to be able to record FX pad  use into automation.
   Thanx also for your work, I am enjoying loading up my own Didgeridoo samples & playing physically impossible rythms with them.