Spark Improvements!

[mauronedj]

Ok Rodanmusic, I modified the first post, take a look at it

7.   I would like to control external hardware's (and vst hardware) knobs using the spark in stand alone mode so I could alter parameters such as cutoff on my external gear on the fly without switching to midi control mode (which makes it so you can't record the changes).

I still don't understand this....sorry!
How can you control external synth if you are controlling the spark software? Do you mean that you like the ability to change only few knob from controlling Spark to send midi CC's or something else?

I'm only a simple user, so dont blame me
Mauro.

[rodanmusic]

Ok Rodanmusic, I modified the first post, take a look at it

7.   I would like to control external hardware's (and vst hardware) knobs using the spark in stand alone mode so I could alter parameters such as cutoff on my external gear on the fly without switching to midi control mode (which makes it so you can't record the changes).

I still don't understand this....sorry!
How can you control external synth if you are controlling the spark software? Do you mean that you like the ability to change only few knob from controlling Spark to send midi CC's or something else?

I'm only a simple user, so dont blame me
Mauro.

Basically I'm just saying that when I turn a knob on my hardware synthesizer I would like that knob turn data to be recorded into spark's sequencer.  Next time I press play it would send that exact knob movement out to my hardware as automation. 

Does that clear it up?

[rt2034]

It would be very useful if currently selected pattern number could be saved in DAW project files (like Ableton Live live sets).

Currently it works like this:
If I make a live set where I had selected some pattern to play, let's say 7. I did not change the contents of the pattern.
Later when I open the live set, the current pattern is always 1. Not 7 that it was when saved.

[BwoupBwoup]

Could you add the capability for spark to record lenght of the note while playing on the pad (The only way to this now is by automatising the decay) it's very important for style of music like
hip-hop, acid jazz, down tempo kind of music.

Sorry english is not my mother language I hope you could see what I'm talking about..

[CC4]

..would like to be able to name my own categories of drum Style beyond the current eleven (Rock, Pop, House, Electro, Jazz, Hip Hop, Latin, Dub, R' n' B, Creative & FXs, Dubstep).

[stevism]

Not sure if this is possible, but i would love to have the "roller" as a parameter that could be assigned individually to each parameter...

so like, if i wanted the snare to always be a roll of 1/32 notes, it would do that. I would still be able to sequence quarter notes, but those quarter notes would be comprised of 1/32 notes.

hope that makes sense...if it's possible i'd love to know how 

[horstpetersen]

Repost of my 2 cents I posted before...

1. The display reacts a bit slow -
I wish you could improve that with a future firmware update.

2. My MPC Quantize Algorithms are sorely missed. ATM I do that in Logic but if I could have that instant J Dilla / Flying Lotus oddness on the fly in Spark would be really cool.
So please add some more quantize modes (MPC 2k, MPC 60, ESP 1200, Korg DDD, etc.)

3. Found a small bug. When I switch from Instrument 1-8 to 9-16 by pressing the button on the hardware the view on the screen sometimes doesn't switch.

4. Editing the sample pads (bottom view): naming the all pad elements by hands is a bit of a hassle. I suggest when you create an empty kit and save under a certain name the kit name should given to all elements so you don't have to rename all the "New project" elements. Otherwise you have dozens of these in your library and don't know what's what.

5. Please make the wave edit window zoomable. ATM it's almost impossible to properly set start and end points when loading and unproperly cut sample.

[horstpetersen]

When setting up Spark as a multichannel instruments the setting should be global.
It's a bit annoying that all setting are lost as soon as you change the kit.

[djzemigl]

Some things I would Like to see...
1 - Total recall when Spark is used with a DAW -
That means Patterns, Mixer settings, Out Routing, etc.. . all is saved with the DAW project ...
I know this is now tied to Spark's own software but most people will expect a project to play exactly as the way they left it when last saved and exited the DAW.
Maybe a setting in Sparks preference for
"Loading New Kit does not Change Mixer"
"Loading New Project does not Change Mixer"
And another one
"Loading New Kit does not Change  Patterns/ Songs"
"Loading New Project does not Change  Patterns/ Songs"
  ... I guess it makes sense that These settings would be OFF by DEFAULT.

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Someone Also mentioned this, but in a more extensive way.
In the MPC days a lot of us would just sketch a track on a single sequence with multiple tracks (one for each PAD/ Sound), and then just copy to the next where We'd mute and Un-mute Tracks in order to break it up into different variations (different sequences). So This means Saving Mute State with patterns

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From my part I can say that loads of ideas come up just by swapping sounds/ Kits, so it is really crucial to be able to quickly preview sounds, a bit like most samplers were you'd be playing a sequence (or Ableton's Hot Swap) and just try out different sounds (synth/ samples/ PM).. someone mentioned this here with a suggestion on how to do it, I just wanna stress that I really find this extremely important.
Changing a sound is simple by selecting a Pad and using the Big knob with instrum. selected BUT it does have an annoying prob ...
If you so happen to use the mouse to navigate sounds, then when you move the big knob it just jumps to the beginning of the list so you definitely have to memorize the number of the sound/ instrument, so that you don't get lost while navigating the sound list... this will be more tricky with SparkLE cause you don't have the small Display to tell you where and which number you are...
Maybe a preview mode where you don't have to press de Big Knob, only when you are sure you like the sound and you want to load it!

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I miss a sidechain in the comp. which is a must have in today's EDM.

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Minor One: Transport should control DAW's Transport ...  This would mean configuring it as a DAW remote .. Not major but still very useful and Practical



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When Mute is engaged it would be awesome, and very useful, to be able to use the seq. step keys for muting PADs, this is so much more efficient for Live performing, as having to page thru 1-8 ; 9-16 is just not very practical. This way we'd have instant access to all Pads in one go a beeing able to visualize which are on and of 1 thru 16!
The same applies to Solo.

Cheers for all the great products.

Z

[rodanmusic]

I was playing around with a song in Spark, and I was wishing I had a step mode.  Step Edit mode would be SOOOO cool.

It could work something like this:
1. Select + 13 or 14 turns step edit mode on
2. First sequencer step light turns on but doesn't move.
3. When you find the value you are trying to set(e.g. pitch, cutoff, res, step pitch, ...), you press and continue holding select as you turn the knob to the value you want.
4. Release the select button to set the value.
5. In this mode the forward and backward arrow keys could move up and down steps for step selection, but it'd be cool if there was an option to automatically progress to the next step after setting the value.

It would also be awesome if you could press play to start the sequencer while in step edit mode.

Finally it would be even more cool to be able to use tune mode while in step edit mode.  Every note you clicked on the pads would record a note to a step, and there could be a button to skip a step.

Of course it wouldn't record the steps edits if you didn't have record on. 

It's fun dreaming!

[rico.toh]

Hi Spark Community,

This topic is a nice attention for Spark users

I will be happy to see some new features in Spark software with the feature in this topic :

- Have a sort of performance mode where when you play in live, in example, you're currently playing pattern A5, you tweak some parameters of PAD 2/5/8, when you switch pattern, maybe A6, you can recover your old parameters without reloading the project.

Maybe you enter in the performance mode, where all changes on sounds are not applied for the global project.
I Hope you understand what I mean.

- In second, more effects or effects with more parameters, like sidechain compressor and more routing possiblities (but routing was evoqued in another post).

Sorry for my English, I'm a Frenchie

Thanks a lot.

[stevism]

idk if you can do this or not already but i'd love to be able to select multiple instruments at once, to shift say filter cutoff or volume at once. this would be especially applicable for toms

just like holding down select + keep choosing until you let go of select

[AlexZ]

Maybe this is possible with the current software version (I'm using 1.5), but here are some things that I find missing:
I have several hardware synthesizers, all of them connected via MIDI.
I use one of them as a master keyboard that sends MIDI preset changed commands when required and generates MIDI clock messages so that all synthesizers run in sync.
I would like to be able to add the Spark to this setup using it as if it were a hardware synthesizer.
To do this I need to be able to have Spark be able to (from most important to least important):
1) receive MIDI preset change commands
2) receive MIDI clock messages and sync to them
3) send MIDI clock commands
4) receive MIDI CC (or NRPN) commands to control different parameters of a preset in real-time
5) setup what CC controls whats part of the preset (in the software on the computer)
Probably some of these things are possible by using the Spark in a DAW (which I will try), but I would like to depend on (and worry about crashing during a live performance of) the least amount of software possible, so I would like to have these features in the standalone program.

[steveswisher]

Please give us the Dubstep and EDM skins!

[mixalis]

When do you think the next update will be available? Does even arturia has spark update plans?
 I would like to see more shorcuts and generally to be able to work completely on spark without even looking at the computer screen..And since spark is trying to cover many many music genres i think some classical music kits would be useful.  oh and one question.. How can i set aux 1 and aux 2 to have different effects?
 Thank you!!