The Spark software will run stand‑alone or under a DAW host - it's supplied in AU, VST and RTAS formats. This addressed several issues that had arisen in the time I'd been Sparking and also appeared to reduce the number of crashes. A couple of weeks later, I very carefully installed version 1.1.2, the one I've been working with since. The online authorisation went fine, but on starting Spark, I was plagued by a long list of messages about missing samples.Įventually, I discovered that my content had become fragmented, a situation I rescued by gathering all the folders together, then reassuring Spark of their location. Having picked a location and folder, I installed from DVD, before downloading and applying the updates from Arturia's web site.
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Installing this became a bit of a trial, perhaps because I chose to place the content (around 700MB) on a drive other than my Mac system disk. The Spark's rear panel features just MIDI I/O sockets, a USB port and a socket for an optional 9V power supply.īy itself the hardware is mute - it gains a voice only via the Spark software on your computer.
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Arturia are therefore confident all new Sparks will be free of this flaw. These have now been recalled and the factory placed on high alert to ensure it doesn't recur. I queried this behaviour with Arturia and they confirmed that a problem had been reported with some units in the first batch. A couple even needed coaxing back up manually after being pressed. Many were uneven, or wobbled when an adjacent button was touched. I'm afraid those on the review unit were also eye‑catching, but not in a good way. These are used for pattern selection, sequencer programming, transport controls, and so on. Marked 'A' for Arturia, this is primarily used for kit or instrument selection.
Perhaps even more eye‑catching is the circle of buttons with a large and distinctive encoder at its hub. Performers and experimenters will instantly notice the 'FX pad' and begin pondering its filtering, slicing and rolling capabilities. Three encoders per drum ensure instant access to favourite parameters, while six other encoders adjust the filter, effects sends and mix of the currently selected pad. The pads are both velocity and aftertouch sensitive, and they shine white when hit or triggered. In an ideal world, there would have been 16 of these - one for each drum of a kit - but as it is, toggling between two rows is a workable compromise. The Controller's solid presence is reinforced by a highly whackable row of eight pads positioned along the bottom. For power, its perfectly happy to get its juice via USB but there is a 9V adaptor socket, should it be needed. The rear is quite minimal, having just MIDI In and Out sockets for use with external gear and a USB port that acts as the main computer connection.
These will require handling with care if they're to survive outside the safe environment of the studio. Considering that there is no sound‑generating circuitry inside, the Controller is heavier than it looks and it's tilted at a slight angle courtesy of rather spindly plastic supports. Where better to start than with the Spark Controller? This large and imposing chunk of aluminium (approximately 36 x 27cm) has buttons and drum pads that glow brighter than Hollywood dental work! The panel is a stylish design, spacious and welcoming, although the display is rather small and therefore restricted to simple messages. Its classic drum machines and acoustic kits are created by modelling and sample playback, and this engine is paired with an impressive‑looking Controller supplying the hands‑on relief that drum-machine lovers crave. Zut alors!Īrturia know a thing or two about bundling software and hardware together - remember the Analog Experience and Origin synths? Now it's the drum machine's turn, in the form of the Spark. French synth experts Arturia get their groove on with a hybrid software/hardware drum machine.
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