Arturia SparkLE Hybrid Drum Machine review
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Taking a look at the new SparkLE hybrid drum machine from Arturia. This is a software and hardware combo drum machine with virtual analog, physical modelling, and sample playback capabilities. It can run standalone or in a host and has a super slim form factor.
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Very impress by you hands on review. The way you present your product is super helpful for a novice like myself thinking of buying it. Thanks a lot
Thanks for the making this demo for this product. I enjoyed the fact that you demoed some of the sounds and how to use them.
This a really good demo. Some people don't really take time to actually really perform on the machine.
because the kit is setup to use choke groups, the purpose of a choke group is so you can use samples to cut each other off. You have to take it out of the choke group if you don't want that sample to cut other samples off.
you can route the sounds out to separate tracks if you wish, or you can trigger the plugin via midi tracks
When you get any drum pad in front of you, it's like you're so at home with it, you generate interesting sounds and beats quickly. Fun to watch!
Thanks for the reply Saint Joe
I know you can use SparkLE as a plugin in your DAW... But how many tracks does the SparkLE's sequencer have standalone?
glad to help man, thanks for watching
there's no poly setting but you can set choke groups, you do have filter cut off and a few other things. Really depends on if you're looking for a drum machine or not, Ra is dope for sure.
you can load whatever you want inside of it, you can load loops if you want but I don't believe it will automatically timestretch them
thanks for watching, glad to help
Have you checked out the analog drum sounds in Spark? Some of them sound really cool and you get more tweaking possibilities than with samples.
it's mainly a drum machine, I would look into something like maschine if you want to make full beats, but this is a nice tool for sure and you can definitely make some music with it
This joint hits hard too. Made my drumz sound fat and clear!!
Reggie Brown Thanks for watching.
yeah I really like the small form factor too, thanks for watching!
you could record it as audio, or record the midi data, either way would work just depends on what you want to do. I can look into doing a video on it if you want.
Nice review mate!
You can actually adjust the volume of each track easily, select the pad, press Select+XY instrument mode you want (say, vol/pan) and the top two parameter knobs will now be assigned to volume and panning. Same with filters or Aux sends. I use it far far more than the XY to control these parameters.
that's rough...ordered one of these earlier this week...trying to incorporate this with live instruments...somehow i missed no dedicated tempo key on this model. Still looks like fun...I guess I'll see when it gets here.
as for storage their is no mention os an sd card or hard drive capacity and does the spark have any individual outs ?
Paul Jorge Montalegre Pinto It's a controller, there is no storage or outputs, you hook it up to your computer and it works with the software.
They are just different types of products, it's more based on the drum machine model than the sampler type instrument. There's not a lot of options so it's just straight forward in terms of making sounds and creating grooves.
you would probably load both into a daw, you could most likely midi sync them together but in order to create a final recording you're going to need a daw of some sort.
it should come in the box with the controller, or you can just buy the software on it's own from their website
yes, it's the same software/sounds just a different controller and you can change the software interface to look like the SparkLE or the big Spark
Have you reviewed Spark yet? I'm interested in the stand alone features in that. This looks dope though, just something classic about this new piece of gear, if that makes sense.
Yeah, this isn't something I would compare to Maschine at all, I definitely enjoy it's form factor and on a strictly size basis it is more sexy than the Mikro which I also have. But this thing is just something different than that, it really just feels like a classic drum machine with it's own vibe, good stuff!
Nice review, did a good job showing how it works in a short amount of time!
Thanks for watching man!
You said there is no tap tempo on the hardware but Arturia touts the Spark LE as better suited for live performances than the original version...is there any way to change tempo on the fly in the software?
man them sounds are nice ..I love the look of the Interface/hardware. Dope
glad you are back man, when will you review the arturia minilab?
I see some on eBay already from dealers you may check there and get it a little cheaper, as for the stores it just depends on when each store will get their shipments.
Awesome review Joe!
What up Saint Joe
Maybe you could make a video of using SparkLE as a plugin in Maschine... and make a quick beat using both... just to show guys that are thinking about buying SparkLE but already have Maschine how the two can work together.
if a sound is in a choke group, than any sound in that group will cut off another sound playing in that group, so if you have a cymbal playing then hit another hi hat, it will stop the cymbal from playing
Hi Joe, I was wondering, how does this integrate to a DAW? Can you send different patterns to different channels, or different tracks within a pattern to different channels? Can the software be used as a VST, or is it just standalone?
thanks for watching man!
yeah, I just dig the idea of being able to quickly do it without assigning anything :)
Thanks man! That was fast! BTW, you can load your own samples on this, right?
thanks for watching, the two are very different so it depends on what you want to do with them
I don't get everything free, and I definitely don't get paid by the companies lol. I do get some stuff for review, but my expense sheet is quite large as well lol, however this is what I do so...it's all part of the business. I just started off reviewing stuff I had already purchased and it grew from there.
Dope review, as usual. I use my SparkLE almost exclusively for my beats.
Cool, thanks for watching!
Hi, you had your hands also on the big Version? I'm thinking of buying this one because i love the Stepsequencer right in front of me, but the Bigger has Knobs and looks more Pro, i don't know... sadly i cant test both of them. Did you? Which one is your Fave?
I show the software in this video, but I don't make rock music, though it has some acoustic style drums and such, are you just looking for something to make drums? Have you tried the demo of the software?
yeah you can make your own kits using all the sounds in the library
Thanks brother!!! Good2 know this will be mine Christmas gift and so is the minilab keep up the good work.
yes I plan to be buying one for myself
Can this be used in conjunction with the mini lab? Basically the mini lab has its own 5000 presets and the spark le it's own. Is it possible for the spark le to control the functions of the mini lab as far as slice, filtering etc like you did in the video? Do I need a separate daw for creating the beats or is it a daw program itself. I use a motif xs8 for sequencing but it is behind in modern tech.
Man, this little machine looks fun! I was planning on getting one of the new Volcas from Korg but it seems this little drum machine has much more possibilities!
Thanks for watching. Just remember this must be connected to your computer to work where the volcas are standalone.
SoundsAndGear.com Thanks for the info. I was wondering if this software requires a very powerful pc ? Is it buggy ? I'm just a little concerned since I've heard some horror stories regarding Arturia's software with the minilab crashing pc's and not being compatible with windows 8.1
exionem I didn't run into any bugs when I was testing it out, I'm on Windows 7 and didn't have any issues with crashing or anything. I can't speak on how it works with Windows 8 as I haven't hooked it up to a Windows 8 computer. As far as power, I don't think it requires anything special, most computers today should be able to run it. I would check their forums for current info or issues from current users just to be sure.
Cheers mate, tryin to decide between this, Machine LE and MPC Studio. Probably go with the Spark I'd say. How I miss the beautiful jog wheel of my MPC2000xl!!
Definitely different tools so depends more on what you're looking for. Spark isn't really a "sampler" as the Maschine and MPC are so that's something to think about. It's more of a drum machine type of device.
SoundsAndGear.com Yes I'm just looking for something put the fun back into making drum patterns, it will be just to sit in my DAW, I've heard good things about the onboard kits and will can make my own kits as well, plus the step sequencer is another reason I like it, cheers.
lardosian There ya go then, you'll probably enjoy it, it's a great drum machine :)
Great review buddy! I'm hesitating about buying this or Native Instruments' Mikro Maschine.
When you did that 808 part,you took me back 2 da synsonic drums dayz... #salute
Can you put your own samples in this EG.. wavs files and how long can the sample be please....nice review
I wouldn't compare them because they are vastly different tools, this is more of a drum machine and Maschine is more of a sampler/sequencer. I like showcasing them for what they are :)
yep, it can work in any program that hosts vsts
It's dope man, I loved it ever since I first saw it, but having a chance to really play with it makes it even more dope, they did a good job.
Hi Saint Joe, thanks for the awesome review, I'm looking into purchasing either a Maschine Mikro, or a SparkLE. I'm looking for something to create beats, loops, has filter envelopes knobs ( I see that the SparkLE has a touch filter which is really cool), but I do a lot of pitch shifting and time stretching, and have seen that the Machine was able to do it, not sure if the Mikro version can do it as well.
Could you shed some light on my question if you have the time?
thanks very much!
I like the layout of this one a bit better, but, the screen/knobs on the big one is nice. I just think the smaller one looks a bit more sleek.
I knew what you're were saying, I just understand why someone would want to know if it hosted vsts, the sequencer is fun and would make you want to load and sequence vsts in it :)
you can just adjust the tempo manually, maybe they meant the size and some of the features like tune, etc
There's an export option in the library menu
Sorry for the barrage of questions but... does the software come in the box, or can it be downloaded elsewhere?
and can i switch my own integrated sampled also with the jogdial or does i need the mouse for it ??? thx
hey sir, i had the oppurtinity to try this gem but only in standalone putting my hand on the hardware for the first time, i honestly llloved it!! do you know how this works onto ableton?? what about timing, sync and other shit. My only hardware is still an mpk mini, so... . Hope you know the answer ::)
oh. Thank's for your quick replay :)!! I'll surely come back in this vid when this baby'll arrive
Good work. I'd love to see a tutorial showing the work flow of creating patterns, and how those patterns are sequenced OR played into software like Cubase. My focus is creating drum tracks as a songwriter and NOT a gifted drummer. Also would like to hear more of the real acoustic drums. Any chance of seeing this in the future? Thanks!
thanks for watching man!
after you do your beats can you save it on a flash drive or download it from you machine into the computer and can you separate in to tracks
This hardware is just a controller so everything is already on your computer in the software. You can export from the software if you wish.
ok, it comes with the program separate. r
The software comes with it, it's a hybrid unit.
load it as a plugin in your daw, I may do a video on loading it in a daw
PLEASE do this video! Ive been trying to get my SparkLE into Protools 12 for a week with no success!
@SoundsAndGear bro when is available? to buy it same as ableton push not ready shipping yeat
No problem fam, yeah you can load up samples for sure!
St. Joe thanks for the great review videos!! I know that its been a really long while since you tested (4years!!) but I was wondering if you can recommend another drum machine with this pricetag after that long 4 years passed ? Also spark le seems perfect for my workflow but should I get something newer? I really need your advice man.
Spark is still going strong, but if you want an actual drum machine you may want to look at Drumbrute, it isn't a controller/software combo like Spark but an actual analog drum machine.
Yeah it's smaller than the mikro, really sleek and nice. It's a great product, would be dope if I could keep it lol.
Nice little Toy - but what would be your favourite - Native Machine or The SparkLE then?
haven't used it in that mode yet let me check it out
Just purchased a used one of these as i am not good at building drum patterns. It should help make music production quicker, easier and more interesting.Great vid thanks..
Thanks for watching
I think I saw on another demo that you can adjust the volume on any channel by having it selected and using the touch pad to drag up and down... Can't test it, cuz mine hasn't arrived yet.
Tommy Hutcherson Been a while since I used it, there's were a few shortcuts like that though
What up Saint Joe
I think I read that you had to send the SparkLE back after the review so... do you like it enough to go ahead and buy your own SparkLE.
It's one thing to say you like it... but it's another thing to go out and buy one.
So do you plan on buying a SparkLE?
Well reviewed. What is that audio interface you use behind you? That yellow thing.
It's a Dave Smith Mopho synth
Hey, great review. I typically use FL Studio. Do you know if the Sparkle is compatible with that, so I can put down some beats while using FL Studio? Or would I have to use the software that the sparkle comes with? Thanks.
Hey man really nice vid! Thx for that... i was wondering though how it would work with Live 9? Like for instance not using it like a midi controller but integrating it properly like a instrument... so song wise, if i want to record some groove on the Sparkle and then add some voice in Live should i record the Sparkle on an audio track or what?
Thanks in advice ;-)
Peace
Very nice. Considering getting one.
Excuse my naivety, the sound comes out of the computer speakers?
what up St Joe, is this thing portable, can i take this with me on a plane w/o my laptop... can i sample , can i drop my own samples/sounds in there via usb? can i save my stuff to some type of sd card etc..??? thanks bruh
thanks for watching bro!
yeah you can put whatever sounds you want on the pads
does it have the same amount of kits and instruments on the big brother "SPARK"
After seeing the first incarnation in a youtube video I thought wow this is good, maybe better than my Roland TR-8 which I bought recently, not knowing these even existed... now the sparkLE seems very good indeed and your review was inspiring, so I'm gonna sell my TR8 and my TB3 and get one of these and a minibruteSE :) thanks
Ha, cool man, the main difference in my opinion is that the Spark and SparkLE are not standalone, they require the computer since all the sound comes from the software. Where the Tr8 is it's own sound engine.
also if i make a own kit with my samples and save it ? thx
hey! How would you compare this to the bigger Creative Spark?
I'm trying to figure out if the bigger would be more useful then the tiny one ( even though they use the same engine ), The option to copy the waves out directly from the Creative looked useful
+Jean-Philippe Huard I haven't used the big one so I can't fully speak on it, seems cool though and I like that there is a screen on it.
Great review and playing;) can you use/ record from it to cubase?
Thanks for watching! It will run as a plugin inside of Cubase.
I'd use Emagic Logic's environment to send MIDI notes to that software/hardware.
Yeah in Maschine I would just use it as a plugin and trigger it from Maschine's pads mostly.
Nice review ! It seems that you cannot control other VSTis than Spark2 with the SparkLE, but is it possible to export MIDI files from the patterns you made with the SparkLE sequencer into a DAW (Reaper) and assign those files to a track where you place another VSTi ?
The controller looks great and I would like to be able to use it with other Drumsynths I have.
It's been a while since I tried this, not sure if it can be used as a standard MIDI controller or not, I thought so, but again, it's been a while.
@@SoundsAndGear Thanks for your answer ! It seems you can. ;)
Cool!
wht up at 8.30??? hats are deleting the piano sample??
when i export it to my desk top it only be like 9seconds long what can i do to make it go into more than that
You have to create a song with more patterns.
Hey how would u set it up so u can record into ur saw ???
thanks for watching man, I really dig it, it's very fun and sexy lol
Thank you for this awesome review. I'm looking to get this so it helps a lot. I have a question. I'm new to this type of instrument, is there a place in the software to record everything that you played to create a song?
Thanks for watching. If I recall correctly, you can chain together multiple patterns into a song, but it's been a while since I tried this so you may want to check on their website to be sure.
@@SoundsAndGear thank you for your answer. I bought the thing and i love it. It came with the Spark2 software free which is like 150$ alone for the software . It was the best drum machine that i could find in that price range and your review is the one that convinced me to buy it. However i have a big issue right now. When i play what i recorded it plays it with backtrack that i cant get rid off, therefore i cant create any loops right now. I send Arturia an email but they didn't get back to me yet. I was wondering if you had that problem too.
@@Mr.D34 Cool, glad you dig it. I haven't used this in years so I can't remember, I never really used it in that way though, more as a sound source.
I have spark on my IPad and love it. The question I have. Can this drum machine work without using a PC, or it this simply a controller and can not run dawless.
It is just a controller for the software
cool, thanks for watching!
great review... i want it now!
Hi St. Joe, hope you can help me with something. I am planning to buy this soon.
Everywhere on the internet the demos showcase mainly the EDM side of this machine, and while these sound neat (with additional packs to download and sampling capability, pretty nice), I am concerned about the quality of the acoustic kits, most significantly I'm thinking about the various nuances acoustic drums exhibit when hit at different velocities and/or places on the drum head. This is usually covered in different drum VSTs by multisampling carefully recorded drums, but how does this look in Spark's kits? Do they sound natural when hit at different velocities, retaining all these little changes in sound, or is the volume of the individual strike the only parameter that changes? This would sound flat, artificial and unconvincing.
This is very important for me as I need a natural sound as a finger drummer and I will most likely not always use the traditional x0x-style drum machine workflow which focuses on inserting hits and accenting some; I need multiple levels of velocity and a natural response from playing with pads.
I also own an AKAI MPD218 pad midi controller, so this is not really a question about Spark's own pads or their involvement in this issue; just the sound and the software response, as I can easily send MIDI to Spark from another controller.
Please help!
I haven't really used this for anything acoustic, I'd look to things line toontrack, bfd, addictive drums, etc.
Ok, thanks anyway.
HELLO, SORRY FOR THE LATE REPLY. COULD YOU PLEASE MAKE SOME TUTORIAL VIDEO ON THIS MACHINE ? THANKS. BYE.
it happened to me to, just using the software as demo while saving money :)!!!! i still don't understand why in ableton it dont happens 1 similar thing.
First just want to say THANK YOU for all the videos. You have helped me with my MPC hardware, and now I will be getting the Spark Le next week via Sweetwater. I have one question : Can you tweak the knobs in real time while recording a sound, kinda like the Electribe idea ? Would be cool to do that. Thanks Fam. ;)
Thanks for watching! Remember SparkLE is just a controller for the software, it's not a self contained unit. I can't remember if you can record automation in real time or not, I want to say yes, but it's been super long since I tested it. I'd say check with Arturia first before you buy.
Very cool. I just got it in the mail yesterday, and it WILL record automation. Not quite as fancy as the MPC stuff, but does work. So far I like it, some great old school sounds in it. I will say this.... the install disc that comes with it, is useless. It won't work on windows 8-10. Now you have to install the service center ( like Native inst ) to install everything. Thanks again.
Cool man, thanks for the follow up!