Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

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Marco
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Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

Hallo guys I'm in Bulgaria on vacation and the postman just brought my new used Arturia Spark Hardware to my home, with a huge collection of sounds of most popular drum machines from the past. The big controller gives you the feeling of using a piece of Hardware if you forget that it is connected with your pc.

But the sound is the most important, I have tried the software before and it is Phantastic. I am a drum computer fan since ever. I have a yamaha RM50 rack version of the RY30 and the alesis DM5. With the individual outputs and scope I have a million different options and it always sounds good. The spark brings new sounds and easy access for a easy total recall.
In the past I often used a combination of the 2 drummachines and scopes drums to get the craziest drumkits of the world or exactly what I wanted.

Does anyone have experience with this spark drums? What is your favorite drum machine.

I have to wait until Sunday coming back home.

BTW Bulgaria is a great place to be lazy swimming and getting brown in the sun, surrounded by all these bikini girls....
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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yayajohn
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by yayajohn »

Where's the pics of the chicks in bikinis?

I hate programming drum parts. It's not fun and I never seem satisfied with the result of course I could be that I just suck at it haha.

I have been using robot drum machines on the ipad lately and they are quite good as long as you don't want really complex stuff.
a developer named Luis Martinez of the company Lumbeat has a few.
Another one called Patterning is great for weird sounds and complex beats.
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

I saw this incredible towel in Bulgaria and took a photograph. It is a nice propaganda tower. I'm sure when you use this hero towel in Germany in a public place, you will be a star.
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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garyb
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by garyb »

moved to off-topic.

:)
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

Hallo Yayajohn, programming the drums isn't everybody's darling. I play the drums on a real set and I know what I play, so programmieren is no problem.

Maybe you should make some exercises on a real drumset......!
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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yayajohn
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by yayajohn »

Well I tried that many years ago. I bought an Alesis DM4 and built a set of electronic pads out of practice pads with some peizos.
Never bothered with the bass drum or hi-hat because as it turns out i'm feet spastic!
So I would split the drum part into bass drum and snare and then go back and add toms and cymbals etc.
So as you can see the parts were not comprehensive and it was one more thing that I had to practice to sound good and I eventually just gave up on it and concentrated on my keyboard playing.
I am for the advancement of robotics, maybe I will be able jam again with other intelligent beings before I die. Artificial intelligence will do since there is a shortage of live human beings that are just looking to fart around on a Friday night and make a little music for fun.
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

Hallo Yayajohn, a real drumset is much easier to play, I hate Edrums because it is like sex with a thick condome. You don't have the feeling and sound possibilities. Maybe you can visit one of your friends and have a try just for fun. Splitting the drum parts is a really hard job for a good result.
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
jksuperstar
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by jksuperstar »

I had the DM5 for a very very long time. one of the best drum "brains" out there! It is even better with Sound Quest connected to edit sounds!!

Ironically, I finally sold it to downsize to an Arturia SparkLE. Which I like the format of as a sequencer...it reminds me of the Electribe, but with the power of a computer.

I just picked up a 2017 iPad, which runs iSpark with my SparkLE attached...that's even better! You can export projects from the PC, and import them into iSpark. They are supposedly even creating the modular editor for the iSpark. All the other models & samples work, but current version you have to import a sound from another project, there is no way create a fresh new sound from scratch by choosing a model/synth.
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dante
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by dante »

From what I recall Shay Dan made excellent use of it :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bamVGAm ... e=youtu.be

As always, its the man behind the maschine rather than the machine itself.
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Nestor »

I can't really tell, because I don't usually work with drum machines.
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

Nestor you are a bass player? With what do you play? Who gives you rhythm?
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

dante wrote:From what I recall Shay Dan made excellent use of it :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bamVGAm ... e=youtu.be

As always, its the man behind the maschine rather than the machine itself.
Shy Dan is a great musican!
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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Nestor
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Nestor »

Marco wrote:Nestor you are a bass player? With what do you play? Who gives you rhythm?
Mainly a bass player, yes, but I am more of a composer nowadays, because of the things I have to do in the market, and then I’m a music teacher too. I play with an Ibanez 485, the one in my avatar.

In regard to rhythm, I build my own drums when I do tracks, I play and or program them, it is a mixture of both methods, and this mix of MIDI impute gives me pretty good results, musically speaking. Due to the kind of music I do, I would very rarely pay attention to a drum-machine, perhaps for a commercial song.
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yayajohn
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by yayajohn »

Marco wrote:Hallo Yayajohn, a real drumset is much easier to play, I hate Edrums because it is like sex with a thick condome. You don't have the feeling and sound possibilities. Maybe you can visit one of your friends and have a try just for fun. Splitting the drum parts is a really hard job for a good result.

Well I would definitely agree with you. Having a real drummer is the best. However, for those of us stuck in isolation there have been advancements in AI drumming. Along with the iPad programs, I have been using Jamstix by Razoon for years now and it will automajically create parts based on predefined settings. You can even use drum sounds from other programs.
Again, certainly doesn't replace a real drummer but does way better than i could ever do....or want to do painstakingly by hand.

I might start looking for a virtual bass player too......... :D (incoming!!!)
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Marco
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Re: Arturia Spark Drum Machine with big controller

Post by Marco »

A virtual bass player? Just ask one of your friends around or Nestor or me, the internet is a good collaboration center.
:wink: out and about for music production. Are you still configguring your Studio :lol: music first!
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