2013 NAMM Show: Arturia has introduced SparkLE – a new ‘hybrid instrument’ that combines software and a MIDI drum machine controller.
Features:
- Full featured Spark Software
- 3 synthesis engines: Virtual analog, Physical Modeling, Sample playback
- Works Standalone & as a plug-in (VST, VST3, AU, RTAS)
- Backlit velocity and pressure sensitive Pads
- Touch sensitive FX pad
- Mode selector – Bank, Pattern, Seq, Tune
- Bus powered, class compliant USB input
- User assignable encoders
- Advanced Looper Divide/Move function
- Classic ‘TR style’ programming
- Real-time programming from the pads
- Protective travel sleeve
- Small, Portable, Solid construction
- MIDI mode for use as a controller with any software
Here’s a video introduction:
Arturia SparkLE
The SparkLE hardware controller is designed to give you a classic ‘TR’ style workflow, inputting your patterns from the step sequencer buttons or letting you lay down beats in real time, using the 8 velocity and pressure sensitive backlit pads.
The Spark Engine features sample playback and layering, paired with a Virtual Analog engine.
Arturia SparkLE is priced at US $299 / EURO 249. See the Arturia site for details.
Sparkle?
Razzle Dazzle
I don’t believe the guys below bitching about the price…sigh….
Just give me a call when it gets to Australia.
Seems pretty expensive to me, especially when my funds should be directed towards Push..
and the MS20 mini.. ..and the Minibrute.. and the Sub Phatty.. ..and the Pro12.. aaannd.. you get the idea//
😉
little pricey..
I’ve been wanting one of these for ages! and it really does look like the ultimate drum controller. But I dont care about the software, I just want a TR style midi controller. I feel like about $100 of the price is the software that I dont care about. Which I guess I cant really blame them for if they are selling it, but I just dont want another VST drum machine. Still. I might pick one up just cause i’ve been daydreaming about basically this exact thing for a couple years now.
Yeah, already have Spark VDM, so I’d love to just buy the controller.
I hope there will be an discount for SPARK users…
not that pricey and slightly less ugly than the spark.
I think 299$usd is quite reasonable, if you look at preavious prices of Spark… And this ones better looking, not so clunky looking. Hopefully they improved the pads, always wanted spark this just might be my chance !
I’m sorry, but $200 for something so simple as a MIDI controller dedicated to 1 type of software? Now if they added SD card support and internal DSP so you could at least use it without a computer that would be something..
The Real Beat Thang, but in white and 1/3 the price…
this comment is the most hilarious one ever!
another controller without a soul =D
Seems useful, but i think I’ll stick with my er-1 mkII
If it was $100 bucks I would get it. I don’t know how this is $300, their lil’synth labby or whatever is $200, with more use in the outside world then just one drum vst…. this thing will be worthless in 5 years, at half the price of their own minibrute, which i imagine will hold its value….
direct competitor with maschine mikro, which is priced at $349 and is probably more worth your while. Still, a VA modeling drum engine from the people who actually get VA about as right as it can be ain’t a bad thing.
well i don’t know about how much they got VA going on right now. In all fiarness, 8 years ago they were ahead of the pack, approaching the 80% range, but u-he etc have left them in the dust. listen again to their minimoog emulation, …. not there at all. again, they were closer in 2005 then most, but haven’t really progressed, hell, even went “real” analog….. i will say, i like the interface on the spark line better then NI’s cryptography of enbedded interfaces….. but NI creates far more flagship products then arturia…. who also has some of the worst customer service i have ever seen. having paid for all their products, i have had more stuff fail at the times they should not, enough to almost resort to a krack… I appreciate their attempts, but this thing should be priced at $150 street. It would fly off the shelves, hurt NI a lot, and actually bring them to VA relevance….
Maschine is better software I think, sure this has a drum synth but maschine can do so much more
the software is what you are paying for , it has emulations of all the classic TR drum machines, plus DMX, Linn etc etc
The main drawback to the Spark and this LE version is the lack of Audio outputs, if you could use it without a computer……………….theyd sell a metric shit ton of them
The hardware does not produce any sound so audio outs would not be something it would have. It is only a controller, just like REN, STUDIO and MASCHINE. The software does the work. Which is why it is, and should be, a plugin. I like the form factor of SPARK LE better than the SPARK, but the LE does not have a midi out so you can not sync external hardware with the sequencer.
I own both Spark and Maschine and in the end the best is…to use both a the same time! Two very different animals actually. Spark is awesome because very intuitive and great sounding. In the end it will make you lay down beats in a very different way than an MPC solution. Thumbs up Arturia!