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1. 1 Click and drag a pattern from one bank into a song slot 2 Select song slot and click copy button C to copy into SPARK clipboard 3 Click on destination slot then click on paste P If you have copied 3 slots the 3 slots located at your paste location will be replaced 4 If bars are copied into clipboard click on a slot where you want to insert your selection and click Insert 5 Once slots are selected you can click on Delete to delete them This will shift back all the slots that were located after the last deleted bar 6 Song slots are numbered from 1 to 64 Click to select ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 82 6 5 7 The song slots The Song plays chained patterns from the first one to the 64 The song is organized in 64 slots each slot can receive a pattern But your song can be any number of patterns with a maximum of 64 6 5 7 1 How to copy patterns to song slots To copy a pattern to a song slot click on a pattern in the pattern wheel and drag it to a song slot 6 5 7 2 How to move and paste insert slots You can select a slot or a group of slots and paste or insert them in another location To do so once the slot or group of slots has been selected drag the selection and drop it ont
2. Y No Selection Sparki Midi OUT In the Physical Input box draw a cable from Sparki MIDI OUT to Sequencer Input ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 99 D MIDI Click Sequencer Input SLL Input Notes L gt D IG D D E D D D D D D D D IG IG D D D D D D IG D D D IG D D D D D D D IG D D D IG D Select the Spark track Set Record OFF on the Spark track in Logic z to prevent a MIDI echo Deactivate the Host button the Spark LE plug in window Press Record in Logic hit the R key Play the Spark pattern 7 7 CONTROLLING SPARK WITH AN EXTERNAL MIDI CONTROLLER 7 7 1 Assign a MIDI note to pads Click holding Cmd on Mac Ctrl on Windows on Pads 115 to 122 and press a button or key on your MIDI controller 7 7 2 Assign a MIDI note to bank buttons Same as previous on corresponding button pad 7 7 3 Assign a MIDI note to pattern buttons Same as previous on corresponding button pad 7 7 4 Assign a MIDI note to loop on button Same as previous on corresponding button pad 7 7 5 Assign a MIDI CC to Loop divide knob Click holding Cmd on Mac Ctrl Win on Loop 49 and move knob or fader on your MIDI controller 7 7 6 Assign a MIDI CC to Loop Move knob Same as previous on corresponding knob ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 100 7 7 7 Assign a MIDI CC to shuffle knob Same as previous on cor
3. l vd No Plug in EFM1 FM Synth ES E Ensemble Synth ESM Monophonic Synth ES P Polyphonic Synth ES1 Synthesizer 1 ES2 Synthesizer 2 EVB3 Tonewheel Organ EVD6 Electric Clav EVOC 20 PS Vocoder Synth EVP88 Electric Piano ExS24 Sampler External Instrument Klopfgeist Sculpture Modeling Synth Test Oscillator Ultrabeat Drum Synth Analog Factory ARP2600 V2 Brass 2 cS 80V2 jJupiter 8V2 gt mini V Modular V 2 AU Generators gt Prophet V2 AU Instruments r VW WENNER EECH GarageBand Instruments Hyper Editor Stereo Multi Output d ses MER wv SS 7 4 2 2 Multi Output Mode To use the separate outputs Select an Instrument track On the portion of the mixer corresponding to the selected track click on the button I O to obtain the list of plug ins then select AU Instruments gt Arturia gt Spark gt Multi Output 16xStereo ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 94 inserts Inserts 1 i l ILB Sends di No Plug in EFM1 FM Synth ESE Ensemble Synth ES M Monophonic Synth ES P Polyphonic Synth ES1 Synthesizer 1 ES2 Synthesizer 2 EVE3 Tonewheel Organ EVD6 Electric Claw EVOC 20 PS Vocoder Synth EVP88 Electric Piano ExXS24 Samplers External Instrument Klopfgeist Sculpture Modeling Synth Brass 3 Test Oscillator Ce BO Ultrabeat Drum Synth iter 8V2 r Sample Edita r Gara
4. Selects the appropriate driver for your audio device Chooses which audio output SPARK will send sound out of Default is Built in Output on the Mac for Windows we highly Suggest to use an adequate ASIO driver for your sound card Send out a short sine wave tone to help make sure sound is being sent out the correct device Choose the sample rate default is 44 100 Hz Increasing the Sample rate increases the quality of sound but adds a bigger load to CPU Chooses the audio buffer size displayed in samples and milliseconds Default is 512 samples Decreasing this number lowers latency but adds more load to CPU Increasing lessens load on CPU but increases latency latency is the delay between a note played and actual sonic output Displays the available MIDI outputs that can be used to send Midi data out or Midi Clock out from Spark Sequencer and Pads in Standalone Mode Set an offset on internal Spark Midi Clock to compensate audio driver latency errors Displays the available MIDI inputs that can be used to control SPARK ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 89 MIDI Clock inputs Displays the available MIDI Inputs for receiving Midi Clock to control Spark Sequencer When a port is used as a Midi clock receiver it can t be used as Midi Inputs for controlling Spark CLOCK FOLLOWS Sequencer will start and stop playing according to the Start and STOP CONTINUE stop Command received with the Midi cl
5. 6 5 4 1 How to select a track To select a track move your cursor over the track When the track lights up click to select 6 5 4 2 How to copy or swap tracks To copy a track move your cursor over the track When the track lights up click Option alt on Mac Ctrl on Windows then click and drag the track onto another one To swap tracks just drag a track onto another one 6 5 4 3 How to copy or swap Step parts To copy step parts click on a step part button while holding Option Alt on Mac Ctrl on Windows and drag it onto another one To swap step parts click on a step part and drag it onto another one 6 5 4 4 How to export a track to a MIDI file To export a track as a MIDI file drag the track outside Spark window to a system explorer window or to your host window ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 80 6 5 5 The Automation editor 1 Click to display the automation value of a single parameter in the current pattern 2 Pen tool Line tool Eraser tool Global automation tool Smart automation tool 3 Click and drag to draw automation on a single parameter using the pen or line tool or erase drawing Except for velocity repeat and shift parameters you can use up to 4 sub values per single step Use Cmd on mac and Ctrl on windows to erase or move the four automation sub values of a single step note together 4 _ Disable Enable all automations
6. SPARK Creative Drum Machine Pxrturia Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ARTURIA The hardware unit and the software product described in this manual are provided under the terms of a license agreement or non disclosure agreement The license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose other than purchaser s personal use without the explicit written permission of ARTURIA S A All other products logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners ARTURIA SA 1999 2012 All rights reserved 4 Chemin de Malacher 38240 Meylan FRANCE http www arturia com January 2013 1 6 edition ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 2 PROJECT MANAGER Emilie de Fouchecour PRODUCT MANAGER Glen Darcey Romain Dejoie PROGRAMMING Kevin Molcard Lead Developer Emilie de Fouchecour Bruno Pillet Adrien Courdavault Tobias Carpenter ELECTRONICS Laurent Baret Bruno Pillet DESIGN Thomas amp Wolfgang Merkle Bitplant Axel Hartmann Design Box Morgan Perrier Daniel Vester SOUND DESIGN Noritaka Ubukata Jean Michel Blanchet Christian Lafitte Cigale Prod Mike Hosker Kevin Shroder Greg Savage INDUSTRIALIZATION Nicolas Dubois
7. sounds with it In fact Jupiter 8V sounded the way it looked sleek and polished The electro pop community quickly became convinced by the qualities of the original Jupiter 8 Artists that have used the Jupiter 8 include Thomas Dolby Tangerine Dream Jean Michel Jarre Depeche Mode Prince Kitaro Elvis Costello Duran Duran Huey Lewis and the News Journey Yes Devo Billy Idol Jan Hammer and BT to name a few Recognizing the commitment artists the world over had to the sound of the Jupiter 8 Arturia took great pains with Jupiter 8V to maintain absolute faithfulness to the sonic characteristics of the beloved instrument while also following our penchant to allow users to venture well beyond its original capabilities Then in the year 2011 Arturia introduced the SPARK Creative Drum Machine This powerful hybrid instrument was aimed at the producer and the live beat maker It proposed a unique workflow mixing the 16 step style of programming with the live approach of pads filtering slicing and looping functions Taking advantage of its expertise in virtual analog Arturia not only integrated emulations of classic analog drum machines but also acoustic drums physical models and powerful electronic kits all rolled up in one easy to use interface Spark was quickly and widely used by top producers and artists such as Sandy Vee the Glitch Mob the Mars Volta Vitalic DJ Quick and Yeasayer And finally in 2013 Arturia continue
8. New Project button in the library window 6 4 4 4 How to load Kits and Instruments To load a Factory or user project in your current project double click on an instrument kit in the Library Project window This will load the entire kit to your current project To load one or several instruments from a kit go to the Library Instruments window Double click on an instrument to load it to your project When double clicking on an instrument it is placed in the selected instrument slot in the Loaded Instruments window in the current project window To select a slot click on the instrument number in the Loaded Instruments window An easier way is to Drag and Drop an instrument from the Instruments window to any slot in the Loaded Instruments window You do not need to select an instrument slot when doing it this way 6 4 4 5 How to load Banks and Patterns In the same way you can load a bank or a pattern from the library to the same bank or Same pattern number in your current project by double clicking on it If you want to load Bank A from the Library to Bank D of your current project drag and drop Bank A on to Bank D To load pattern A1 to pattern C3 of your current project simply drag and drop Ail to C3 Pattern C3 will light up to confirm your selection 6 4 4 6 Importing and Exporting a project To import a project click on the Import button in the current project window A menu lets you choose between MIDI file and
9. Stereo 15 Stereo 17 Stereo 19 Stereo 21 Stereo 23 Stereo 25 Stereo 27 Stereo 29 Stereo 31 Stereo The Audio Unit plug in is automatically installed and by default in the following folder Library Audio Plug Ins Components 7 4 2 Use in Logic Pro From version 7 and on Logic Pro features an Audio Unit plug in manager To launch the Audio Unit plug in manager click on the menu Preferences gt Audio Units Manager ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 93 About Logic Pro Preferences E e Audio Provide Logic Pro Feedback MIDI Services Display Score Hide Logic Pro Video Hide Others Automation Show All Sharing Quit Logic Pro Initialize All Except Key Commands Audio Units Manager Chord Grid Library Control Surfaces Key Commands This Manager will show you the list of available plug ins test their compatibility with Logic and then allow you to activate or de activate them If an Arturia plug in poses problem in Logic start by checking that this plug in has passed the compatibility test and that it is actually selected 7 4 2 1 Stereo Mode Select an Instrument track On the mixer portion of the corresponding track click on the button I O to obtain the list of plug ins then select AU Instruments gt Arturia gt Spark gt Stereo setting EQ EQ inserts Inserts J k l Sends
10. in which each pattern is played can be changed from the Center panel When in Song mode each step pad numbered from 1 to 64 represents the position occupied by a pattern in the chain to select the next page click on the next 16 steps page button gt gt When the Song plays the step pads will light up successively showing you which pattern is currently being played in the chain The number under the step pad represents the position of a given pattern in the chain This number has no relation whatsoever with the pattern number For example you can decide that the pattern B 12 will be played first then pattern A 1 and so forth To edit a song first of all make sure you ve selected the Song mode by clicking on the Song Button The song button should blink Then press the record button in the transport zone You are now ready to assign a location to your patterns in the chain Let s say you want pattern A 2 to be in first position when playing the song Click on Step pad 1 and then in the Song pattern zone click on Bank A then on pattern 2 That s it When you play your song A 2 will be the first pattern Repeat this operation to create your song Remember to click on the next or previous 16 pattern page button gt gt or lt lt to go to the next or previous page 6 2 3 3 Banks and Patterns The patterns are organized in 4 banks labeled from A to D of 16 patterns each numbered from 1 to 16 To select pattern number
11. 3 5 2 The Slicer button The Slicer will grab a portion of the pattern and apply the effect you have chosen repeatedly at the timing value you select with the FX Live pad except for the Tape effect which only happens once per press Multiple presses of the Slicer button will allow you to choose between the following effects Repeat Slicer example 1 Repeat effect options Click to choose a timing value for the Repeat effect If you click 1 16 for example a sixteenth note sized chunk of the pattern will be looped until you select another value or let go of the pad Results will vary based on where you were when you triggered the effect Note that the Repeat effect is similar to the Repeat mix effect except that Repeat does not continue to play the entire pattern underneath the repeated section Tape Click the Slicer button again to select the next effect which will be the Tape effect Slicer example 2 Selecting the Tape FX The Tape effect simulates the effect of slowing down a tape player The different values inside the FX Live pad grid represent the amount of time it will take the pattern to slow to a stop Reverse The Reverse effect simulates the effect of playing a tape recording backwards Strobe The Strobe effect will play and shut off the sound alternately at the rate of the selected note value ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 45 Pan The Pan effect will move the sound from the left
12. 8 9 16 button With 1 8 9 16 button off you can play notes from current instrument pitch minus 8 semi tones to current instrument pitch minus 1 semi tone With 1 8 9 16 button on you can play notes from current instrument pitch to current instrument pitch plus 7 semi tones You can offset the starting pitch moving the jog dial when you are in Tune mode To exit Tune mode Hold Select button and press step sequencer 13 again Alternatively you can choose to use the sequencer steps for playing notes on the current instrument setting the 16 Tune mode preference in the preferences panel Step 9 will play the current instrument pitch Step one will play the current instrument pitch minus 8 semi tones and step 16 will play the current instrument pitch plus 7 semi tones 6 2 7 2 The Parameter Knobs Each instrument pad has 3 parameter knobs above it These parameters act on the sound generator to modify the sounds in real time so as to give each sound its own color Each instrument has 6 parameters 3 of which are mapped to the knobs You may choose which parameter each knob modifies by clicking on the name underneath the knob A contextual menu will appear listing the 6 parameters available in addition to the Filter Mixer and available Fx parameters if an effect is set as insert on the instrument s mixer track ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 38 Osc Pitch wv Osc Pitch LPF Decay Noise LPF Cutoff
13. Agreement You may not lease loan or sub license the software The use of the software within a network is illegal where there is the possibility of a contemporaneous multiple use of the program You are entitled to prepare a backup copy of the software which will not be used for purposes other than storage purposes You shall have no further right or interest to use the software other than the limited rights as specified in this Agreement Arturia reserves all rights not expressly granted 3 Activation of the Software Arturia may use a compulsory activation of the software and a compulsory registration of the OEM software for license control to protect the software against unlawful copying If you do not accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement the software will not work In such a case the product including the software may only be returned within 30 days following acquisition of the product Upon return a claim according to 11 shall not apply ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 119 4 Support Upgrades and Updates after Product Registration You can only receive support upgrades and updates following the personal product registration Support is provided only for the current version and for the previous version during one year after publication of the new version Arturia can modify and partly or completely adjust the nature of the support hotline forum on the website etc upgrades and updates
14. Buttons When using the Spark Engine as a plug in within a DAW the tool bar will show two additional buttons ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 90 1 Host button When on the current Spark pattern will start and stop along with the host sequencer transport 2 Tempo button When on the current Spark tempo will match the host tempo 7 2 2 Saving a project When the project is saved the Spark Engine is saved in its last mode of operation with all modifications intact For instance if you are working on a project in which you have modified parameters without saving this as a separate preset in the plug in itself the next time you open the project the Spark Engine will load the project and the modifications as well You can use the drop down Save menu of the VST sequencer with Spark of course However it is highly advisable to use SPARK LE s internal menu Projects saved in this way are usable in any other mode standalone or with another sequencer and can be exported and exchanged more easily Most importantly doing this also will maintain compatibility with future versions of SPARK 7 2 3 Configuring the Spark Sequencer or Pads to Send MIDI to a host MIDI information generated by Spark can be recorded into the host software both from the pads and from the patterns This includes all parameter automation activity Use the preferences to select which kind of MIDI data is to be sent e
15. Channel 1 to 16 WW Choose Knob MIDI Message Mode Choice between Absolute Relativel Relative2 Relative3 Choose Knob MIDI Message Min Value O to 127 should be lt max val Choose Knob MIDI Message Max Value O to 127 should be gt min val ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL Choose Knob MIDI Message Acceleration Choice between None Slow and Fast not available for encoder with detent Encoders with detent are Move Jog Dial Loop 107 8 3 1 3 Edit Instrument Parameter knob window 7 Koob l Edit Instrument parameter knob 1 to 8 MIDI Message 2 Choose Knob MIDI Message Type Choice between CC and Off 3 Choose Knob MIDI Message Number 0 to 127 A Choose Knob MIDI Message Channel 1 to 16 5 Choose Knob MIDI Message Mode Choice between Absolute Relativel Relative2 Relative3 6 Choose Knob MIDI Message Min Value 0O 127 should be lt max value 7 Choose Knob MIDI Message Max Value 0 127 should be gt min value 8 Choose Knob MIDI Message Acceleration Choice between None Slow and Fast not available for encoder with detent Encoders with detent are Move
16. In the connection menu of the MIDI track select the instrument and the MIDI channel that you want to use Make sure you activate the track before starting to play or record 7 4 4 Stereo Mode and Multi Output Mode 7 4 4 1 Stereo Mode To add an instrument choose the menu Project gt Add Track gt Instrument Track gt Arturia gt SPARK Once you have added this instrument it s possible to assign a MIDI track to it In the connection menu of the MIDI track select the instrument and the MIDI channel that you want to use Make sure you activate the track before starting to play or record 7 4 4 2 Multi Output Mode To use separate outputs select an Instrument track Then on the portion of the mixer corresponding to the selected track click on the button I O to obtain the list of plug ins then select AU Instruments gt Arturia gt SPARK gt Multi Output 16xStereo ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 96 7 5 PRO TOOLS 7 5 1 Installation In Mac OS X the plug in is directly installed in the folder reserved for the ProTools plug ins in Library Application Support Digidesign Plug Ins In Windows at the time of the installation procedure select the RTAS plug in among the proposed choices of plug ins Then when the system asks indicate the folder in which the other RTAS plug ins are located Usually this path is C Program Files CommonFiles Digidesign DAE Plug Ins 7 5 2 Utilization and o
17. Jog Dial Loop ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 108 8 3 1 4 Edit Clickable Knob window 7 There are only two clickable knobs on the Spark Creative controller The Jog Dial 1 Choose MIDI Message Type Choice between CC Note Start Stop Continue Program Change Channel Pressure Aftertouch and Off i Choose Action on MIDI Message Choice between Push release The Move knob Loop Move 1 Choose MIDI Message Type Choice between CC Note Start Stop Continue Program Change Channel Pressure Aftertouch and Off 2 Choose Switch MIDI Message Number O to 127 3 Choose Switch MIDI Message Channel 1 to 16 4 Choose Switch MIDI Message Mode Choice between Toggle Trigger Gate Inc Gate and Toggle 5 Choose Knob MIDI Message Min Value 0 127 should be lt max value 6 Choose Knob MIDI Message Max Value 0 127 should be gt min value 7 Choose Switch MIDI Message Action On Choice between Push or Release Not available in Gate Mode 8 Choose Action on Choice between Push Release ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 109 8 3 1 5 Edit Touch Pad window Zp Filter X Filter Y Slicer X Slicer Y Roller X Roller Y Mame IDI Channel Niessage Type Mode Message Number Acceleration Choose Touch Pad MIDI Message Type Choice between CC and Off Choos
18. LPF Reso Release Cutoff Resonance Aux Au d Panning Volume E ALADE TE ST Click on a different parameter name to assign the knob to that parameter To select different parameters via the hardware controller Press and hold SELECT and turn the knob that you want to change assignment on You will see the different parameters in the LCD screen and on the software screen Common instrument parameters are tuning pitch filter cutoff envelop decay attack and release different effect depths and rates ring shift etc Filter parameters are Cutoff and Resonance You can set the filter type for each instrument in the studio panel Mixer parameters are Ausl effect amount Aux2 effect amount Panning and Volume Fx parameters depend on the chosen insert effect set on the instrument mixer track Each effect has its own parameters exposed as well dry wet feedback delay time You do not need to select a specific instrument to change its parameter Any effect is applied in real time while the pattern is playing The parameter motion can be recorded as an automation into the pattern and edited later accurately using the automation editor see section 6 5 5 Right click on a parameter knob to edit the corresponding automation You can also choose to momentarily disable a Motion parameter in this way You can also record step automation for parameters that can be automated With Spark or SparkLE hold a sequencer step button
19. Pads for sending MIDI data from Spark pads and pattern changes to your host Choose Send Midi From Sequencer for sending MIDI data coming from Spark s sequencer to your host Choose Send Midi Clock out for sending Spark Midi Clock to a Midi output and synchronize another device or application capable of receiving Midi Clock 6 5 8 4 Controller Preferences 7 Knobs speed sets the reactivity of the knobs in Spark and can vary between slow normal and fast Set Controller Detection to off if you want to disable the automatic detection of the hardware at startup or on if you want to enable it ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 85 6 6 THE BROWSER 6 6 1 Browser overview The Jog Dial allows you to access the browser From there you will be able to load Projects Kits and Instruments or to access a Disk browser The Project Kit and Instrument browsers will display factory and user elements The Disk browser will let you find your samples via a file browser tree Click on the jog dial to open the browser window The top toolbar will let you access the different browsers Please Select A File Please Select A File e A Center A Bottom Pros o Kaziotone KPR KR 100 LargerThanLife Maestro King Miami Club Micromatix Mima Vibes Minimalism Phatwerk Progressive Trance House Pulsator P Warnecke Electro Race 2 Break CDM Rave Beats 120 0 Electro Red Planet_l40BPM S
20. Richard Phan Gerard Buracchini MANUAL WRITING William Talgorn Sebastien Rochard MANUAL TRANSLATION Tomoya Fukuchi Niccolo Comin Philippe Wicker Vincent Travaglini Niccolo Comin Guillaume Piolat Pierce Warnecke Oliver Fauque Thomas Koot Glen Darcey Hernan Velasco St phane Schott Randy Lee Pierce Warnecke Antoine Back ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL J rome Parrod S bastien Rochard SPECIAL THANKS Sean Weitzmann G rard Buracchini Cedric Pallier Elodie Cao Denis Frouin Philippe Girard Buttoz Yannick Bonnefoy Peter Gelhaus acoustic drum kit photo Kevin Lamb Patrick Kunz Frank Orlich Miguel Silva Houston Haynes Cristian Kreindler Paul Steinway S bastien Rochard Tobias Carpenter Hung Lee Jason Huang Wenyu Huang Matty Yuan Chen Xiaomai SOUND SAMPLES MODERNBEATS UltimateSoundBank ueberschall ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 4 Thank you for purchasing Spark This user manual covers three distinct products e Spark software a highly creative beat production center e Spark Creative Drum Machine controller e SparkLE controller The manual concentrates on two main areas hardware and software with occasional side chains to focus on the specific functionality of each controller and its unique approach to controlling the software In most cases the information in one chapter will be sufficient to cover both controllers but occas
21. SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 97 Please refer to the Pro Tools documentation for more details on automation plug ins 7 6 RECORDING MIDI OUT FROM SPARK INTO A HOST DAW 7 6 1 Recording MIDI out to a VST or RTAS host Here s an example of a VST Host configuration for recording Midi out from Spark using LIVE Note Configuration for Pro Tools RTAS will be handled in a similar manner Add the Spark VST plug in on a Live track Add a Midi track for recording Midi from Spark LE Configure the new Midi track the left track in the image below Set Midi From to Spark and change Pre FX to Spark in the drop down menu Set Monitor to Auto Arm the session recording Configure the Spark track the right track in the image below Set Midi From to the new Midi track 2 MIDI in this example Set Monitor to Auto Press the Record button in Live Note that the Host and Tempo buttons must be activated in the Spark LE plug in window Display the Arrangement view in Live press Tab to confirm that you ve recorded some Midi notes Del Auto on Ho Output ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 98 Set Monitor to In on the Spark track Set the Spark LE Host button to off this means that pressing the Play button in Live will not start the Spark sequencer anymore Press Play in Live from the beginning of your arrangement You should he
22. The Send Midi from Pads setting will send MIDI data from the controller s pads and also transmit pattern changes to your host see Chapter 1 1 e The Send Midi from Sequencer setting will send Midi note data generated by the Spark sequencer to your host Send Midi from Sequencer Send Midi from Pads For more precise timing we recommended not using both options at the same time First record Midi from the pads by setting the Send Midi from Pads option to Yes and setting Send Midi from Sequencer to No and then record Midi from the sequencer by setting Send Midi from Pads to No and Send Midi from Sequencer to Yes 7 3 VST 7 3 1 Installation 7 3 1 1 Windows During installation select the box VST among the proposed format choices of plug ins The installer will automatically detect the VST folder of the instruments shared by Cubase or any another compatible VST sequencer ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 91 7 3 1 2 Mac OS X The VST plug in is automatically installed in the folder of the system corresponding to the VST instruments Library Audio Plug Ins VST The VST plug in will be usable by all your VST host applications 7 3 2 Instrument use in VST mode Opening the Spark VST plug in is the same as opening all other VST plug ins Please consult the instruction manual of your favorite host sequencer for more specific information For instance under Cubas
23. at any time The product registration is possible during the activation process or at any time later through the Internet In such a process you are asked to agree to the storage and use of your personal data name address contact email address and license data for the purposes specified above Arturia may also forward these data to engaged third parties in particular distributors for Support purposes and for the verification of the upgrade or update right 5 No Unbundling The software usually contains a variety of different files which in its configuration ensure the complete functionality of the software The software may be used as one product only It is not required that you use or install all components of the software You must not arrange components of the software in a new way and develop a modified version of the software or a new product as a result The configuration of the software may not be modified for the purpose of distribution assignment or resale 6 Assignment of Rights You may assign all your rights to use the software to another person subject to the conditions that a you assign to this other person i this Agreement and ii the software or hardware provided with the software packed or preinstalled thereon including all copies upgrades updates backup copies and previous versions which granted a right to an update or upgrade on this software b you do not retain upgrades updates backup copies und prev
24. connected the MMC instantly updates the controller with any changes made this means that you don t have to worry about uploading your settings as it is done automatically However to permanently save your MIDI mapping on the hardware you must use the store command details in 8 4 2 8 4 1 The Interface The SparkLE MIDI Control Center interface consists of three main elements a screenshot of the SparkLE controller the Global Control Parameters window and the Selected Control Parameters window Global Control Parameters Selected Control Parameters Knob Acceleration lt Click a Control gt Mode Channel cc number Pad Curve Min LSB Max MSB Instrument Parameters Arturia E FIG 17 32 33 48 49 64 SS EL OQ amp Erase R e Divide Move ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 113 8 4 1 1 SparkLE Controller Screenshot and Selected Control Parameters The main component of the MCC s interface is a screenshot of the SparkLE controller which allows you to select the control you want to change simply by clicking on any one of the Knobs buttons or pads The selected control will turn pink to confirm that it has been chosen and its name will be displayed in the Selected Control Parameters Window File Action Global Control Parameters Selected Control Parameters Tempo 3 a a Knob Acceleration Te Tempo Mode Channel a W CC
25. deactivate the current filter ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 48 Click and hold the Jog Wheel then scroll it to select a different browser Project Kit Instrument or Disk Alternatively you can use the Project Kit and Instrument buttons to access the according browser directly Hold the Select button and click on the Jog Wheel for 1 second to close the browser window without loading anything To browse the list you can choose to switch to infinite or non infinite mode in the preferences Default mode is infinite Mode In non infinite Mode the Jog Dial will stop scrolling at the end of the instrument kit or project list when scrolling forward and at the beginning of the list when scrolling backward 6 3 8 Song Mode in the Center panel 6 3 8 1 The Song button When you click the Song button it will flash continuously indicating that SparkLE is now in Song mode A song is constructed from as many as 64 patterns chained together which are then played one after the other The patterns in a song can be drawn from any one of the four banks of patterns The Sequencer Step pads provide information regarding the song while it is playing depending on which of the four Sequencer Step Pad function buttons is pressed e Bank Ifa pattern from bank B is playing at this point in the song for example the B button will light up e Patt The Sequencer Step pads will show you which pattern is playing by jumping
26. e After processing Composite Device will be installed correctly e Installation should continue with USB Audio Device install Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard Windows will search for current and updated software by looking on your computer on the hardware installation CD or on the Windows Update Web site with your permission Read our privacy policy Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software Yes this time only Yes now and every time connect a device Click Next to continue e Choose No not this time and click Next ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 12 Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps vou install software for USE Composite Device IF your hardware came with an installation CD or floppy disk insert it now What do nou want the wizard to do Install the software automatically Recommended Install from a list or specific location Advanced Click Next to continue Found New Hardware Wizard Please choose your search and installation options C Search for the best driver in these locations Use the check boxes below to limit or expand the default search which includes local paths and removable media The best diver found wll be installed v Search removable media floppy CD ROM L Include this location in the search Browse Don t searc
27. may not apply to you All programs and accompanying materials are provided as is without warranty of any kind The complete risk as to the quality and performance of the programs is with you Should the program prove defective you assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing repair or correction 9 Remedies Arturia s entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be at Arturia s option either a return of the purchase price or b replacement of the disk that does not meet the Limited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt This limited Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident abuse modification or misapplication Any replacement software will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or thirty 30 days whichever is longer 10 No other Warranties The above warranties are in lieu of all other warranties expressed or implied including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose No oral or written information or advice given by Arturia its dealers distributors agents or employees shall create a warranty or in any way increase the scope of this limited warranty 11 No Liability for Consequential Damages Neither Arturia nor anyone else involved in the creation production or delivery of this product shall be liable for any direct indirect consequential or incidental damages aris
28. next to it e If you want to install the SPARK Library contents to a custom location e g to an external hard disk click the folder icon in the Location column to open a dialog in which you can specify a destination for the installation e Click Install to continue The Setup Program will lead you through the installation procedure Follow the onscreen instructions ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 15 3 REGISTRATION amp AUTHORIZATION 3 1 REGISTRATION Now that the Spark Engine has been installed the first step is to register the software in order to obtain the activation code that will enable you to use it The registration process will require you to enter the Spark serial number and the unlock code Depending on the Spark controller you own you will find these on a small plastic card Spark Creative or on a sticker at the back of the Quick Start Guide SparkLE Connect your computer to the Internet and go to this web page http www arturia com login If you don t have an Arturia account yet please create one When you do you will see this form Create your account here Indicates required fields Firstname Lastname Emall address Confirm email Password Confirm password Address City State zip Postal code Country H I wish to recelve the Arturia newsletter Til If you already have an account simply log in ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE US
29. number 48 General Purpose Controller 1 LSB 7 IS Quant On Off Mode E epapk Pad Controls Arturia 3 4 5 6 7 8 ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 114 The Selected Control Parameters window allows you to customize the MIDI functionality of the chosen control Segected Control Parameters Tempo Mode Off Disabled Ze Channel 1 el CC number 1 Modulation Wheel Min LSB 0 Max MSB 1 Displays the name of the selected parameter 2 The first Mode menu is used to select the mode of operation assigned to a control The second Mode menu specifies sub categories of the selected mode The different modes and sub categories available are e Continuous Absolute Relative e NRPN RPN e MMC e Switched Toggle Gate e MIDI Note Toggle Gate e Patch Change e Pitch Bend Standard Hold e Channel Aftertouch Standard Hold Note The availability of modes is dependent on each control 3 Allows you to select a sub category of the mode defined in 2 4 Specifies which MIDI channel is assigned to the parameter 5 Specifies the MIDI control number assigned to the parameter 6 Specifies the minimum possible value or LSB of the selected parameter 7 Specifies the maximum possible value or MSB of the selected parameter AR
30. one step Shift by one loop size E Sequencer Steps ON OFF pads Shuffle knob right click Swing range Velocity emphasis 33 Master volume knob ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 28 6 2 1 The Display The display is the central hub for all the information needed while using SPARK i e Project name parameter value changes etc 6 2 2 The Sequencer zone el en0 The Sequencer zone is divided into several zones 6 2 2 1 The Sequencer Step pads The 16 Sequencer Step pads are numbered from 1 to 16 or from 17 to 32 depending on the length of the pattern and the timing value assigned to each step These pads allow you to edit your pattern by triggering note on messages on your instrument track Patterns have a maximum number of 64 steps If your pattern has more than 16 steps use the lt lt or gt gt buttons to navigate to the previous or next page If you click on the gt gt next page button you will see the numbering on the pads switch from 1 16 to 17 32 for the second page and so on You may choose to follow the cursor as it advances on the step pads the pages will change automatically by right clicking on the gt gt button A contextual menu will appear allowing you to check or uncheck the follow current step option If this option is activated both lt lt and gt gt buttons will be lit If the follow option is deactivated the buttons will not be lit up The st
31. panel where you will be able to edit the instrument with a full array of parameters See section 6 4 2 The Studio One really cool feature is the ability to import your own samples into the Spark Engine by dragging them from a folder on your computer and dropping them onto one of the sixteen pads From there you can right click as described above so you can shape the sound of the new sample using the powerful voice architecture of the Spark Engine 6 3 11 1 Tune Mode Pressing Tune allows you to play the selected instrument at different pitches using the Sequencer Step pads numbered from 8 to 7 But if you like you can use the Pads for the same purpose To do this locate the Tune mode preference in the Top panel s Preference section and set it to Pads instead of Sequencer Steps You can now use the pads as a keyboard to play notes on the current instrument The pads offer a range of 16 semi tones by using the 1 8 9 16 button ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 53 e With the 1 8 9 16 button unlit you can play notes from the current instrument tuned from 8 semi tones to 1 semi tone e With the 1 8 9 16 button lit you can play notes from current instrument pitch upward to 7 semi tones You can offset the starting pitch by moving the Jog Dial when you are in Tune mode ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 54 6 4 THE BOTTOM PANEL 6 4 1 Overview The Bottom pan
32. playing your pattern When in solo mode you can select multiple instruments in order to solo them together Use Select Solo to clear the solo status 6 2 7 7 Filter Mixer parameters A specific filter is applied to each instrument of a kit The filter type can be changed in the Studio Edit instrument view See next chapter 6 4 2 The Studio To change the filter and or the mixer parameters first select an instrument and simply click on one of the filter or mixer parameter knobs and while maintaining your click move your mouse up or down to change the parameter The Digital display window in the center of the main panel shows you the changes applied to the selected parameter in real time These motion parameters can be recorded as automations into the pattern and edited later accurately using the automation editor see section 6 5 5 Right click on a Filter or Mixer knob to edit or disable its Motion e Cutoff Set Filter cutoff on current instrument e Resonance Set Filter resonance on current instrument e Auxi Aux2 Set Ausl or Aux2 amount on current instrument e Pan Set amount of Pan on current Instrument e Volume Set the volume on current Instrument ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 40 6 3 THE CENTER PANEL SPARKLE 1 Transport zone 2 Pad controls Select Instrument Shortcut Toggle Instrument page 1 8 9 16 Mute and Solo buttons 3 Tempo and Shuffle control knobs 4 FX Live pad and FX Select
33. radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used according to the instructions found in the user s manual may cause interferences harmful to the operation to other electronic devices Compliance with FCC regulations does not guarantee that interferences will not occur in all the installations If this product is found to be the source of interferences which can be determined by turning the unit ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 121 OFF and ON please try to eliminate the problem by using one of the following measures e Relocate either this product or the device that is affected by the interference e Use power outlets that are on different branch circuit breaker or fuse circuits or install AC line filter s e In the case of radio or TV interferences relocate reorient the antenna If the antenna lead in is 300 ohm ribbon lead change the lead in to coaxial cable e If these corrective measures do not bring any satisfied results please the local retailer authorized to distribute this type of product If you cannot locate the appropriate retailer please contact Arturia The above statements apply ONLY to those products distributed in the USA 9 3 CANADA NOTICE This class B digital apparatus meets all of the Canadian Interference Causing Equipment Regulations AVIS Cet appareil num rique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Reglement sur le mat riel brouilleur du Canad
34. sent when pad is pressed 3 Edit Midi Message sent when pad is triggered and Mute is ON 4 Edit Midi Message sent when pad is triggered and Solo is ON 5 Edit Midi Message sent when pad is triggered and Select is ON 6 Choose Switch and Pad MIDI Message Type Choice between CC Note Start Stop Channel Pressure Aftertouch and Off 7 Choose Switch MIDI Message Number Not available for Start Stop Continue 8 Choose Switch MIDI Message Channel Not available for Start Stop Continue 9 Choose Switch MIDI Message Mode Choice between Gate and Toggle _ Not available for Start Stop Continue 10 Choose Switch MIDI Message Minimum Value Not available for Start Stop Continue 11 Choose Switch MIDI Message Maximum Value Not available for Start Stop Continue 12 Not available in Gate Mode ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL Continue Program Change Choose Switch MIDI Message Action On Choice between Push or Release 106 8 3 1 2 Edit Instrument knob window Track Name Message Type Messac e Number Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Track 7 MIDI Channel pera ta Acceleratior Edit Midi Message sent by instrument 1 to 8 knob Choose Knob MIDI Message Type Choice between CC and Off g Choose Knob MIDI Message Number O to 127 Choose Knob MIDI Message
35. speaker to the right speaker at the rate of the selected note value Bit Crush The Bit Crush effect allows you to reduce the audio bit rate creating a bit reduction or bit crushing sound effect Reduce the audio anywhere from 7 bits down to 2 bits Slicer example 3 Bit crusher options Repeat mix Click to choose a timing value for the Repeat mix effect The effect will be applied for the amount of time your mouse click is maintained Release your click to cancel and resume normal playing The Repeat Mix effect is different from the Repeat effect in that it will continue playing the entire pattern underneath the looped section 6 3 5 3 The Roller button The roller could be described as a Drum roll tool It allows you to perform perfectly timed drum rolls easily from the pads while also changing from one timing value to Roller effect options Choose the note value for the Roller effect from the choices in the FX Live pad area Then click and hold the snare drum pad The snare drum will play a basic drum roll You can play any instrument pad using this effect The beginning point of the roll is quantized by default A swing effect dotted or triplet can be added by selecting one of the upper set of note values while the bottom set of values will be played straight ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 46 When Swing dotted effect is on a dotted beat is added after the first beat When Tri
36. the first pattern location inside the song Next click the Bank button and select bank A then click Patt and select button A2 That s it When you play your song A2 will be the first pattern ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 49 To place pattern B10 in the second pattern location click Seq and then press Sequencer Step pad 2 to select the second step of the song Next click the Bank button and select bank B then click Patt and select button B10 Repeat this operation as needed to create your entire song Remember to click on the next or previous pattern page button gt gt or lt lt to move between the pattern pages For more information about assembling and editing songs see section 6 5 6 The Song Panel 6 3 9 The Instrument Parameter knobs nsirumen r 8 gr Attach E a Freg Shiti The three knobs on the right side of the Center panel control the selected instrument s parameters Let s say you want to change the pitch of the bass drum for example First click Select and then click the bass drum pad After this the Instrument Parameter knobs will show which three parameters have been selected for the bass drum in this case Pitch Attack and Freq Shift With a pattern playing click and hold the Pitch knob and then move your cursor up and down This will rotate the Pitch knob and change the pitch of the bass drum The displ
37. to the bank pattern row For example if pattern A3 is playing you ll see row A1 A16 shown with the A3 button lit Then when the song jumps to pattern D4 you ll see row D1 D16 shown and the D4 button lit e Seq The Sequencer Step pads will light up as each pattern within a song is being played However rather than indicating the actual pattern name this indicates the current position within the song the first pattern the second pattern etc So if you re in the third step of the song the third Sequencer Step pad will be lit even though the Spark Engine might be playing pattern C12 at that point If there are more than 16 steps in the song you ll see the LEDs in the Pattern Length section switch from 1 16 to 17 32 which means the next pattern page in the song has been selected You can switch manually from one pattern page to the next by pressing the lt lt or gt gt buttons e Tune None of the Sequencer Step pads will light while the song is playing 6 3 8 2 Editing Songs from the Center panel To edit a song from the Center panel first of all make sure you re in Song mode the Song button should blink Then press the record button in the transport zone You are now ready to assign a location to your patterns in the chain You may want to refer to the previous section as we learn to do this Let s say you want pattern A 2 to start the song To do this click Seq and then press Sequencer Step pad 1 this is
38. 6 of Bank B click on Bank B and then on pattern 6 The selected pattern can now be played when clicking on the Play button in the transport zone But you can also use the Song Pattern zone to copy or swap patterns in the currently selected Bank TO swap a pattern drag and Drop a pattern number while holding Option Alt on Mac OSX or Ctrl on Windows and drop it on another pattern number A pop up menu will ask you to confirm your choice Click Ok To copy patterns simply drag and Drop a pattern number onto another one A pop up menu will ask you to confirm your choice The exact same procedure applies to copying or swapping Banks To export a pattern to a MIDI file on your system or in your host drag the pattern outside Spark window and drop it on your system window or host window ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 33 6 2 4 The Jog Dial 6 2 4 1 Loading Kits Projects Instruments or Samples Click the Jog Wheel to open the browser window Use the jog dial and the select button to browse kits projects instruments or samples Scrolling the Jog Wheel will let you navigate the result list Clicking on the Jog Wheel will load the highlighted element Scrolling the jog wheel while the Select button is pushed will navigate the list of filters Clicking on the jog wheel while Select is held will activate deactivate the current filter Click and hold the Jog Wheel then scroll it to select a different b
39. 9 g These buttons fulfill two functions while the pattern is not playing they can toggle between the currently selected set of steps and the next 1 16 or 17 32 etc But when used in conjunction with the Select button they allow you to change the pattern length which can be done while the pattern is running When a pattern contains more than 16 steps the Sequencer Step pads can follow the position of the pattern when it crosses over from steps 1 16 to steps 17 32 and then to steps 33 48 etc This is called Sequencer Follow mode To toggle this feature on or off simply press the lt lt and gt gt buttons at the same time 6 3 10 4The Loop mode controls 9 h j Patterns are always looping so Loop mode means something else It allows you to set up a loop within a loop and experiment with different portions of the pattern either for editing or performing Here are its components e On Will engage or disengage Loop mode e Divide Allows you set the loop size Moving it one notch will cut the loop in half or double its size when possible The settings are 1 2 1 4 and 1 8 of the pattern size all the way down to the minimum loop size one step e Move Will move the loop start in one of two ways Right click on the Move knob to choose an option o Shift by one step will shift the loop start point to any given step of the pattern o Shift by one loop size will move the loop start point in increments of
40. EDBACK a Delay Time 2 Depth EN Hate ON Feedback Flanging effect by mixing two identical signals together with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period Varying the time delay causes these to sweep up and down the frequency spectrum The delay time between signals is modulated Flanging can create both subtle and extreme effects depending on the rate and depth of the modulation High values for Feedback will create repeated echoes ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 69 Space Pan parameters S SPACE PAN MOTION 2 Motion Space panning is the spread of a sound signal into a new 3D sound field The sound will be set at a position or automatically Pan set to 0 and the position will be modulated with the motion parameter Space pan must be used on stereo sounds Sub Generator parameters W SUB GENERATOR SUB OSCILLATOR SUBGRUNGE SUBGRUNGE 1 OCT VINTAGE SUB HARM RELEASE THRESHOLD TUNE TYPE 1 Type 3 Threshold 2 Release 4 Tune Sub Generator adds low frequency to your signal Sub Oscillator adds a decaying boom Subgrunge and Subgrunge 1 Oct have a similar effect to compress low frequencies Subgrunge 1 Oct works at an octave below like an octave pedal guitar Vintage Sub Harm adds a smooth sub octave using the release time parameter Tune is the maximum boosted frequency at low value it helps reduce distortion Threshold is used
41. ER S MANUAL 16 Already have an account nee Password Remember me Forgot my password Want to create an account Click here Once you are logged into your account you can register your Spark unit and request your activation code Go to the My Registered Products section of your account and click on the Add button My Registered Products You don t have any license This guide details the full process to virtual Instrument authorization STEP BY STEP GUIDE It consists In 2 major steps How to authorize my virtual instrument e 1 Register your synthesizer on your Arturia account e 2 Download a license on your eLicenser dongle being virtual or hardware In the form that appears select SPARK Software from the drop down menu type in your software serial number and unlock code as written on the registration card or sticker and click Submit My licenses You don t have any license Add a license Product Serial number RB EEA MXMM MMXMKM XXMX XMMXX for Please use SONN MN for Unlock Code x Only if printed on your registration card Submit Cancel You should see the following confirmation screen If the information is correct click Submit ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 17 Please confirm the following information e E mall address youremail yourprovider com Product Spark Serial Numb
42. HER EE 15 3 REGISTRATION amp AUTHORIZATION RE 16 k RECO NEE 16 SN REN Ee E LECH 18 4 THE SPARK CREATIVE CONTROLLER AN OVER VIEW z cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccces 19 SCENE 19 a2 IREAR PANE OVER VIEW heie a E A conus A E E 21 5 THE SPARKLE CONTROLLER AN OVERVIEW ssesesesesesesesesecseoscscsesesesececeseseoeococccesesesesesesesesesesese 22 Sek VEE ERO NIE AINE EEN 22 SD SIDE PANELAOVER VIEW EE 24 6 USING SPARK The Controller Interface ccccccsccccscccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccsccccsccccscccess 25 Geck THE TOOLBAR ee Ehe ee eh 25 6 2 THE CENTER PANEL SPARK CREATIVE sascesanaivessbsaravedducisvecnscvawesanaiSuese KEES ANS 26 ele KT e CN TE E SPARKLE E 41 Oa TAEBOTLOM PANE EE EE 55 OF SAO PAIN e RE 71 T MODES OF OPERATION ronnie ee 88 TE STANDALONE MODE aaco a EN E E T E OT 88 Ra EECHER RA OR RY OA EN Wee PN RP ER a 90 GE UN GS EE EE 91 TA AUDOUNIT MACOS X ONLY EE 93 es E ee 97 RECORDING MIDI OUT FROM SPARK INTO A HOST DAN 98 Oe DEE EE 98 7 7 CONTROLLING SPARK WITH AN EXTERNAL MIDI CONTROLLER nanannsesesnsnesesesesosesresesesosesesreseses 100 S THE SPARK CONTROLLERS esesesscccseseseseseseseseoeoccscseseseseseceseseseseoscscseseseseseseseseoeosocosesesesesesesesesesesese 102 8 1 USING THE CONTROLLER WITH THE SPARK ENGDNE 102 8 2 USING THE CONTROLLER WITH HOST APPLICATIONS OR MIDI DEVICES i innnesnsnonesesesosesresesesesesesrsseo 104 20 S
43. HORUS DETUNE 2 Delay time 3 Output level ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 72 Leslie parameters LESLIE HIGH LOW Oo G SLOW DEPTH SHAPE SHAPE STOP SPEED 1 Leslie rotation speed 2 High horn depth 3 High horn width 4 High horn shape 5 Low speaker width 6 Low speaker shape 7 rate 8 Output level The Leslie speaker is an amplifier loudspeaker combination that is used to create a modulation effect based on the Doppler effect Both the treble horn and the woofer speaker have rotating parts giving that particular tone Vocal filter parameters VOCAL FILTER 1 LFO on off 2 LFO rate 3 Resonance 4 Formant placement The Vocal filter is a formant filter that recreates the sound of vowels Vocal filter parameters ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 73 EQUALIZER The 10 band graphic equalizer allows you to shape the frequency content of your sound by choosing the individual gains of each frequency band 6 4 4 The Library Click on Library to display the Library panel The library is divided into 2 main windows he library window and the current project window 6 4 4 1 The Library Window oe PA a OS g e OG On n ef 4 O BD Funk Drums 8D A stusio BR mixer BH Fre Pee CDN 6 D OO 1 Display Factory project only Click to select i 2 Display User project only Click to select 3 Import a pro
44. PARK MIDE CONEROEL CENTER ee 105 sA SPARKIVE MINV CONTROL CEN TER vibe i ee ee ee i ee i 113 9 SPARK LEGAL INFORMATION sincciccccccccccesccckiccccccccccccecscccnccscaccacccscccesccsccscccddcddcesccsceccscescesocseccescedssses 119 9 1 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGRPBEMENT Ea A e aaa ee a Eaei 119 92 FCC INFORMA TION USA EEN 121 KE CANADA EEN 12 oA PUR OP EE 122 10 INOW ES EE 123 ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 8 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1 WELCOME TO SPARK BEAT THE FUTURE Combining the power of analog synthesis physical modeling and samples through the intuitive workflow of a hardware drum machine Spark is a highly creative beat production center Spark will save you time when looking for the right drum kit and will get you hooked by its amazing ease of use and sonicpossibilities Spark embeds vintage analog drum machines sample based beatboxes and acoustic drum sets Then Spark lets you break through their sonic boundaries thanks to a highly tweakable controller With in depth control over your sounds an advanced loop mode and an XY touchpad with 8 real time effects Spark will allow you to create unique beat experiments and constantly feed your creativity with innovative ideas Spark s sonic power is nothing but huge embedding three distinctive drum engines analog synthesis sampling and physical modeling Thanks to the automations available on all parameters every kit is very tunable and customizable bringin
45. REX file formats To export a project click on the Export button in the current project window A menu lets you choose between e Exporting as a SPARK project spk e Exporting selected pattern as a MIDI file mid e Exporting selected pattern as an AUDIO file wav e Set the drag export mode preference to MIDI e Set the drag export mode preference to audio It is also possible to export a bank or pattern as a MIDI or WAV file option to be set clicking on the export button or in the Preferences Panel by simply dragging and ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 76 dropping To do this click on the bank or pattern you wish to export Hold your click and drag the element to the place of your choice on your computer desktop or host sequencer for example If you dragged a Pattern a single MIDI or WAV file will appear If you dragged a bank 16 separate MIDI files or one WAV file corresponding to the 16 patterns of the Bank will be created In case of a pattern Audio export you need to hold your click until rendering is completed otherwise your render will be cancelled Alternatively you can right click on the pattern and select_render option An icon will be added at the end of pattern name to show that the pattern has been rendered In case of a bank Audio export you need to right click on the bank and select Render Audio option The drag option is disabled for a bank as the rendering takes a long time You can perso
46. Return 2 and finally the Master track Let s take a close look at the Mixer 6 4 3 1 The Instrument tracks ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 60 8 H Assign an output for instrument 1 available when Spark is inserted into a host sequencer with Multi output Mode See section 7 2 Plug in mode for more details Set Aux1 amount for instrument Channel 1 Set Aux1 amount for instrument Channel 1 Set Pan for instrument Channel 1 Open FX1 window for instrument Channel 1 Open FX2 window for instrument Channel 1 Set Solo Mute for instrument Channel 1 Change volume for instrument Channel 1 Instrument name To select a track click on the bottom of the track on the instrument s name 6 4 3 2 The Return 1 and 2 tracks 1 Open AUX FX window 2 Set volume for AUX return ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 61 6 4 3 3 The Master track 1 Open Master insert 1 FX window 2 Open Master insert 2 FX window 3 Set Master volume 6 4 3 4 The Effects When you click on one of the Aux FX buttons a scroll up window will appear this is the AUX FX window To select an effect click on SELECT EFFECT Choose one from the list for example Compressor The compressor window appears You can now set the parameters for the Compressor FX FX parameters T 2 E 3 EFFECTS E a COMPRESSOR e ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 62 1 Bypass all effects 2 C
47. TURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 115 Note The SparkLE controller has three hardware elements which have multiple controls two clickable knobs the jog wheel and the move knob the Touchpad When one of these controls is clicked the Selected Control Parameters window will display multiple tabs so that you can choose which parameter you want to edit The tabs are identical and contain the same options as the standard window Selected Control Parameters TouchPad Mode Continuous Channel 1 CC number 59 Undefined e Min LSB O Max MSB 127 touch y axis I x axi ch ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 116 8 4 1 2 Global Control Parameters The MIDI control center s Global parameters allow you to customize certain aspects of the hardware controller These parameters have an effect on all of the specified controls Global Control Parameters Knob Acceleration Pad Curve 1 Knob Acceleration defines the speed at which a parameter will change depending how fast the knob is turned on the controller There are three options Slow Medium Fast 2 Pad Curve defines the rate of growth of the velocity aftertouch values There are four options Linear Logarithmic Exponential Full all velocity aftertouch values will be set to maximum ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 117 8 4 2 The Menu SparkLE MIDI C YUI y Cent
48. VE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 43 6 3 4 1 FX Live pad The FX Live pad is an amazing performance tool that will apply real time effects to your song or patterns It features three main effect buttons Filter Slicer and Roller with an amazing variety of options When your cursor enters the FX Live pad area it becomes a cross click and hold the cursor and drag it around while a pattern is playing and you ll begin to get an idea of what this zone can do for your music By right clicking any of the Global effect buttons you can choose between Latch or Touch performance for that effect Latch will hold the effect at its current value when you release the cursor Touch will cut off the effect when the cursor is released e the effect is only active when you are clicking on the Pad You can also enable Latch mode from the hardware controller by pressing and holding the Select button and then pressing the Filter Slicer or Roller button In Latch mode you can combine the Filter and Slicer effects To slice the filtered sound set the filter effect to Latch mode Now you can touch the pad and change your filter to the desired setting Next enable the Slicer button The Filter will remain at its last value while you play the Slicer on the FX Live pad Note that the Roller effect is not active when Slicer is set to Latch mode 6 3 5 Live effects Global 6 3 5 1 The Filter Button 08 8 O8 H MMPI 7 The Filter button offers pr
49. a 9 4 EUROPE C d This product complies with the requirements of European Directive89 336 EEC This product may not work correctly by the influence of electro static discharge if it happens simply restart the product ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 122 10 NOTES ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 123
50. a and boost or cut Send 1 and or Send 2 until you get the desired results The Y axis controls Send 1 and the X axis controls Send 2 ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 47 6 3 6 3 The Pan Level button The Instrument effect Pan Level button allows you to control the stereo position and volume of a single Instrument inside a kit So if you want to sweep the closed hi hat from the left side of the mix to the right for example press Select Instrument pad 3 and then press the Pan Level button Then use the FX Live pad to place the hi hat where you want it to be in the stereo field The X axis controls the instrument level and the Y axis controls the stereo position 6 3 7 The Jog Dial and Mode buttons 7 a Jog Dial right click to switch modes 7 b Project select button K Kit select button 7 d Instrument select button 7 e Song select button 6 3 7 1 Loading Projects Kits Instruments or Samples Click the Jog Wheel to open the browser window Alternatively you can use the Project Kit and Instrument buttons to access the according browser directly Use the jog dial and the select button to browse kits projects instruments or samples Scrolling the Jog Wheel will let you navigate the result list Clicking on the Jog Wheel will load the highlighted element Scrolling the jog wheel while the Select button is pushed will navigate the list of filters Clicking on the jog wheel will activate
51. and tweak a knob This will create automation of the parameter controlled by this knob only for the selected step You can tweak multiple knobs once you release the step button the values of the parameters you edited will be applied as automation to that step 6 2 7 3 Select Button The Select button allows you to easily select an instrument Just click or press Select and then on the instrument pad of your choice to specifically select the corresponding instrument ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 39 This function was designed to select an instrument quickly when using the Spark controller The Select button is also used to access many other secondary functions of buttons and knobs 6 2 7 4 1 8 9 16 Button The main panel interface shows 8 instrument pads while a kit contains 16 instruments To navigate to the next set of 8 instruments click on this button 6 2 7 5 Mute button This button allows you to bypass the audio sound of a specific instrument Click on the Mute button and then choose the instrument you wish to mute You will no longer hear that instrument when playing your pattern When in mute mode you can select multiple instruments to mute them together Use Select Mute to clear all mutes 6 2 7 6 Solo button The Solo button mutes the other instruments besides the one s selected Click on the Solo button and then choose the instrument you wish to solo You will only hear that instrument when
52. ar Spark playing notes previously recorded from Spark and now sent by Live Note For Cubase users use Menu gt Devices gt VST Instrument to load Spark LE in order to be able to select Spark as a Midi source Creating a VST instrument track will not display Spark as a Midi source 7 6 2 Recording MIDI out to an audio units host AU For more precise timing we recommended not using both of the Send Midi Preference options at the same time First record Midi from the pads by setting the Send Midi from Pads option to Yes and setting Send Midi from Sequencer to No and then record Midi from the sequencer by setting Send Midi from Pads to No and Send Midi from Sequencer to Yes Launch Audio MIDI Setup to configure the IAC Driver that will be used for sending Midi data to the AU host Double click on the IAC Driver Icon in the MIDI Studio view Check the Device is online box Rename the first port to Spark1 Midi OUT This is case sensitive so be sure to type it exactly like that or it won t work Sparkl Midi OUT Add and Remove Ports Launch Logic and create a software instrument track Add the Spark LE plug in by navigating to I O gt AU Instruments gt Arturia gt Spark Activate the Host and Tempo buttons in the Spark LE plug in s Tool bar window Open Window gt Environment Select Click amp Ports in the upper left menu Click amp Ports
53. ating in Standalone mode you have access to additional parameters for setting up your audio and MIDI connections To access these 7 1 1 Launch the application To launch the Spark application e Windows Start menu gt Programs gt Arturia gt Spark and choose Spark OS X Finder gt Applications gt Arturia gt Spark and double click on the Spark application icon 7 1 2 Configuration of Audio amp MIDI settings 7 1 2 1 Windows To access the Audio amp MIDI preferences navigate to the Spark menu gt Setup gt Audio amp MIDI Settings Here you are able to configure the global preferences of Spark These settings are saved automatically Audio amp MIDI Settings Built in Output Show advanced settings IAC Driver IAC Bus 3 CLOCK FOLLOWS STOP CONTINUE ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 88 7 1 2 2 Mac OS X To access the Audio amp MIDI preferences navigate to the Spark menu gt Preferences The Audio amp MIDI settings window will appear Here you are able to configure the global preferences of SPARK These settings are saved automatically Windows AUDIO DEVICE TYPE Mac OS X OUTPUT Windows DEVICE Test Sample Rate Audio Buffer size MIDI Output MIDI Clock sample offset Active MIDI inputs K S Spark HE ET About Spark ke Preferences ap I Update Spark Controller E Services b 5 Hide Spark H PS Hide Others HH F lov f TAF Quit Spark 0 E a
54. ay will show the amount of change being applied to the pitch in terms of semitones 6 3 9 1 Altering the Instrument Parameter assignments It is possible to assign completely different parameters to the Instrument Parameter knobs It may be helpful at first to click on the question mark icon on the left side so you can see where the drop down lists are for each knob To change the assignment for the first knob for example click on the word Pitch A drop down list will appear Make a selection from the list by clicking on one of the parameters The list will disappear and the name of the new parameter will be visible under the knob ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 50 Instrument Para meters Pitch wv Pitch Attack Decay Freg Shift Shift Rate Shift Range Cutoff Resonance Aus Aux2 Panning P Volume 6 3 10 The Sequencer zone The Sequencer zone is divided into several zones 6 3 10 1The Step Pad Function Select buttons 9 a d When they are selected these four buttons change what the Sequencer Step pads do e Bank The first four Sequencer Step pads will be labeled A D and the others will have no labels This allows you to select between four different banks of 16 patterns e Patt All 16 Sequencer Step pads will be numbered and each will select one of 16 patterns e Seq Each Sequencer Step pad will represent the presence or absence of a musical event in the selected instru
55. ci mons Sneaker Pimp Source Code Syndrummer Tech Moir Techno Blast Terminal Jack The Hive Trance Energy Ultimate Tech House Uppercut Voltage Gasp YMR 10 Zulu Beatz Clicking on an element will display related information in the right column included fileds are Author Genre Bank BPM for Projects and Kits For instruments you will have access to the containing project the musical genre bank the drum type and the sound engine Analog Physical modeling Sampling ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 86 If you want to load an instrument you can select the pad on which you want to load it You can also activate the Auto Preview feature which will let you hear the instruments automatically as you browse through the results list Double click on a result or click the Open button to load the project the kit or the instrument on the specified pad For disk browsing if you select an appropriate file wav or aiff you will obtain information such as file type duration sample rate bit depth You will also be able to select the instrument and the layer on which you want to load this sample The in patch preview feature which lets you hear the sample the way it will sound in the current instrument patch is also available Even for sample based instruments the synthesis patch that contains it may affect the sound drastically and your sample could sound totally different Use th
56. click on the Record button to choose between quantized or unquantized recording function Record quantized Record unquantized In Quantize mode the recorded notes will be set exactly to the nearest step position When quantize mode is disabled the recorded notes will keep the exact position they were played on Spark uses the Shift parameter see section 6 5 5 to remember the exact triggering time relative to a step position 6 2 2 4 The Tap Button TAP The Tap button allows you to define the tempo of your pattern by simply tapping this pad at the desired tempo It is a beat minute counter so you have to tap the beats ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 30 6 2 2 5 The Tempo knob Tempo The Tempo knob allows you to set the tempo for your pattern when SPARK is not externally synced to a host The internal Tempo range is 1OBPM to 300BPM To temporarily push or pull tempo like a DJ might hold the SELECT button and turn Tempo knob to temporarily increase or decrease the tempo as you would push or pull a turntable in order to synchronize Spark to an external audio source 6 2 2 6 The Accent Button The accent button allows you to set accents onto steps Setting accents is very similar to writing a forte on a music score The accented steps will be played with more strength that the unaccented ones This allows for a very natural feel when listening to a pattern Click on the accent button to set th
57. copy Bank A fo B Temporarily increase or Copy Pattern press A decrease the Tempo then ft press D fhen 2 fo DJ Mode copy palilem Al fo BZ Tempo Show Mixer Panel Change instrument Parameter Kinob assigne ment Coram Save current project F Redo Undo Select 10 Switch between Quantize Tune Mode Full Velocity and Unquantize Rec Mode 16 8 1 6 Using Spark hardware to control the Spark Engine Show Library Panel To use your Spark controller to control the Spark Engine first launch the Spark application and then press the Connect button on its toolbar if needed Connect Button If you were in MIDI Controller mode press the Filter Slicer Roller buttons to return the controller to Spark mode ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 103 8 2 USING THE CONTROLLER WITH HOST APPLICATIONS OR MIDI DEVICES 8 2 1 Device ports Spark Creative only The Spark controller is displayed within a host application as consisting of two sets of MIDI ports The first set of MIDI ports will present these labels to your computer On Windows Vista and 7 MIDIIN2 Spark Controller On Windows XP Spark Controller 2 On Mac Spark Private IN and Spark Private OUT Note These MIDI ports SHOULD NEVER BE USED by any application they are used for internal communication between SPARK and the Controller Telling the host software to use these ports would impair the efficiency o
58. d USB hub If you prefer to power your Spark Creative controller with a separate power supply plug it in here Be sure to use one with the right specifications though 9 volts DC 800 mA and center positive 4 2 5 Power on off switch Use this to toggle the Spark Creative controller on or off ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 21 5 THE SPARKLE CONTROLLER AN OVERVIEW 5 1 THE FRONT PANEL The SparkLE controller looks the same as its Center panel in the Spark Engine with two exceptions There is no Song button and there is no Shuffle knob These functions are accessed from within the Spark application on your computer In this overview we will focus on the features specific to the hardware controller Ovant On 0H E Transport zone Pad controls Select Instrument Shortcut Toggle Instrument page 1 8 9 16 Mute and Solo buttons 3 Tempo knob 4 FX Live pad and FX Selection buttons 5 Master Volume control knob 6 Jog Dial and Project Kit Instrument mode buttons Ti Instrument parameter knobs 8 Sequencer zone 9 Instrument pads ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 22 5 1 1 The Transport zone Record play pause or stop a pattern or song with these buttons 5 1 2 The Pad controls The buttons in this zone can select an Instrument execute a Shortcut switch between two pages of Instruments in the kit and Mute and or Solo instruments on
59. d depth refer to the LFO Delay is the delay time and feedback is the amount of delayed signal added back to the dry signal Both of these parameters emphasize the effect when increased Spread refers to the width of the sound in the stereo field ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 64 Delay parameters 6 EFFECTS DELAY Delay output Link Unlink Apply Disable same values for right and left Set time for left and or right channel Set Feedback for left right channel Set ping pong mode on off Can be turned on only if Link is off Set Damping value Set tempo sync on off A delay repeats a sound giving it more space and depth Linking channels applies the left channel s delay time and feedback to the right channel For separate parameters on both channels Link should be deactivated Ping Pong alternates the delayed signal between the left and right channel for an increased stereo effect and dampening reduces high frequencies by adding a Lowpass filter to the feedback chain Distortion parameters DISTORTION 1 Change Distortion type 2 Change Drive amount 3 Change Output gain ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 65 A distortion saturates and distorts a sound by increasing the volume of a signal then clipping the excess This effect can add strength high end and volume to a sound Parametric EQ parameters D Change Low gain DN Change Low frequency DN Change Mi
60. d its innovative streak with the introduction of the SparkLE hardware controller and version 1 6 of the SPARK Creative software This powerful combination offers all of the acclaimed features of SPARK Creative software while maintaining an intuitive workflow all its own We are certain the SPARK Creative Drum Machine will take its place at the heart of your creative endeavors ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 10 2 INSTALLATION 2 1 WINDOWS INSTALLATION 7 XP VISTA e Place the installation DVD in your computer s DVD ROM drive e Use Windows Explorer to browse the content of the DVD ROM e Double click the installer file named SPARK Setup exe e Click Next e To continue you need to first accept the license agreement After you have read the license agreement check the corresponding checkbox and click Next e To perform a complete installation leave the Complete option checked and click Next To deselect components or to install the SPARK application and sound library to an alternative location select Custom Then click Next In the next dialog choose the destination folders for the installation To use the default path just click Next If you wish to select a custom path for a SPARK component click Change browse to the folder where you want to install the application or sound library Then click Next If you select VST and or VST 64 bits you will have to select your VST and or VST 64 bits folder e Th
61. ddle frequency OR Change Middle gain ER Change Middle band frequency width e Change High frequency DN Change High gain Parametric EQ allows one to boost or reduce the volume of frequency bands FREQ selects the frequency and GAIN allows one to remove or add volume to that band Width MID only determines the width of the middle band around the specified FREQ Phaser parameters p Change Tempo sync on off 2 Change Rate on stage 1 O stage 2 ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 66 3 Change Feedback on stage 1 and or stage 2 4 Change Depth on stage 1 and or stage 2 5 Change Shape on stage 1 and or stage 2 6 Set Dual mode on off A phaser is similar to a chorus effect in that it uses small delay times to affect a signal the result is a sweeping comb filter sound Plate Reverb parameters Change Reverb size 1 2 Change Pre delay size 3 Change Stereo value 4 Change Reverb filter damping 5 Change Low cut frequency filter 6 Change High cut frequency filter A reverb emulates the reflections of a sound in a different space room hall etc Reverb adds depth and richness to a sound by placing it in a separate physical space The size knob changes the size of the space Predelay adds a small amount of delay to the sound to imitate early reflections Stereo refers to the width of the ste
62. e aG Action Open ctri O Save ctrl 5 About SparkLE MIDI Control Center The MCC s menu contains three items Open allows you to open and load a previously saved MIDI mapping Save allows you to save a MIDI mapping on your computer About SparkLE MIDI Control Center The MCC s Action Menu contains three items Store the MCC sends all changes made to the SparkLE controller in real time allowing you to test your current MIDI layout The Store command will commit these changes to the hardware s memory allowing you to safely disconnect the controller without losing your new MIDI mapping Reset the Reset command will clear the SparkLe controller of all changes made resetting it to the last stored MIDI mapping Connect If the MCC software is launched with the controller plugged in at start up a connection will automatically be established between the two If the Hardware is connected after the launch of the software the connection must be established by clicking this item ES SparkLE MIDI Control Cer File Siae Store Reset Connect ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 118 9 SPARK LEGAL INFORMATION 9 1 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT In consideration of payment of the Licensee fee which is a portion of the price you paid Arturia as Licensor grants to you hereinafter termed Licensee a nonexclusive right to use this copy of the Spark Creative Drum Software h
63. e open the menu VST Instruments and choose Spark in the rack EN Ch VST Instruments d No VST Instrument Analog Factory Steinberg ARP2600 V2 Brass 2 CS 80V2 CS 80V2 10 voices Jupiter 8V2 mini V Modular V 2 Prophet V2 SYNC d LG LL 0 ue 7 3 3 Connection to an instrument track In order for SPARK to play information coming from an Instrument track you have to choose an Instrument track and select Spark as the output of this track See the picture below for more detail on how this is accomplished CONO Add Instrument Track Instrument Track Configuration No VST Instrument fiir oe Ly No VST Instrument Browse Pre Steinberg li ARP2600 V2 Brass 2 CS 80V2 C5 80V2 10 voices Jupiter 8V2 mini W Modular V 2 Prophet V2 Rm mmm See peel ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 92 The events played on a MIDI keyboard are recorded by your host sequencer and you can now use the MIDI editing possibilities of the sequencer to control any parameter in SPARK 7 3 4 Multi Output Mode Create an instrument using the VST Instrument Menu then click on Spark then select the output you want to enable by clicking on the button just on the left of the instrument name in this menu Activate All Outputs d 1 Stereo 7 4 AUDIO UNIT MAC OS X ONLY 7 4 1 Installation 1 Stereo 3 Stereo 5 Stereo 7 Stereo 9 Stereo 11 Stereo 13
64. e Setup Program will lead you through the installation procedure Follow the onscreen instructions e After the installation has been performed successfully click Finish KS Next in order to install the SPARK Controller hardware driver you need to connect the SPARK Controller to your computer On Windows Vista the driver setup will finish automatically On Windows XP installation is a two step process described below The following screen should appear e Installation starts with Composite Device install Found New Hardware Wizard Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard Windows will search for current and updated software by looking on your computer on the hardware installation CD or on the Windows Update Web site with your permission Read our privacy policy Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software Yes this time only Yes now and every time connect a device No not this time Click Next to continue e Choose Yes this time only and click Next ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 11 Found New Hardware Wizard This wizard helps you install software for USB Composite Device IF your hardware came with an installation CD QE or floppy disk insert it now What do you want the wizard to do Install the software automatically Recommended Install from a list or specific location Advanced Click Next to continue e Click Next
65. e Touch Pad MIDI Message Number O to 127 Choose Touch Pad MIDI Message X or Y Minimum Value O to 127 should be lt maximum value Choose Touch Pad MIDI Message X or Y Maximum Value O to 127 should be gt minimum value ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 110 8 3 2 The Menu 2 File Action Action Open Disconnect to Spark Controller Save S Save As Send to Spark Controller Update Spark Controller Calibrate Pads Restore Factory Calib O0S000 1 a File gt Open Open and Load a Template 1 b File gt Save Save A Template on the Computer 1 c File gt Save As Save As A Template on the Computer 2 a Action gt Connect to Spark Controller Disconnect Or Connect to Spark Controller 2 b Action gt Send To Spark Controller Send Template to Spark Controller 2 c Action gt Update Spark Controller Update Spark Controller Firmware 2 d Action gt Calibrate Pads Calibrate the velocity sensitivity of the Pads 2 e Action gt Restore Factory Calib Restore Factory Calibration of the Pads 8 3 2 1 Midi Templates Midi Templates Each control Pad Knob or Button sends a Midi message to the USB output Default MIDI mapping is used for controlling the Spark Engine You can customize this mapping editing Midi messages sent from any of the controls New mappings can be saved as Template Files using the File gt Save command In order for a template to be active
66. e sequencer steps to Edit accent mode Now the sequencer s steps in the main panel show the accents set on each step not to be confused with the note ons in the normal Step mode Set an accent by clicking on the step the step will light up Remove the accent by clicking on a highlighted step To exit accent mode click on the accent button again Accent ON sets velocity to 127 Accent OFF sets velocity to 64 Click on the erase button to set Erase mode 6 2 2 7 The Erase Button You can erase Instrument tracks Banks Patterns and Automations For example to erase pattern 1 in Bank A make sure Bank A is selected then click on Erase and then on 1 in the Pattern section To erase Instrument 1 track make sure Instrument 1 is the current instrument then click on Erase and then on pad 1 To erase a selection in a track set Rec on click on Erase then press the pad at the time you want to start to delete the selection and release it when you want to stop erasing To delete an automation you created click on Erase then turn the knob of the parameter whose automation you want to delete ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 31 6 2 2 8 The Loop zone Click on the button ON to set Loop mode on The Divide knob allows you set the loop size Moving the knob one notch will halve the loop size The settings are 1 2 1 8 and 1 4 of the pattern size all the way down to the minimum loop size one step The Mo
67. ed with an amplifier headphones or speakers may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is uncomfortable If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears you should consult an audiologist NOTICE Service charges incurred due to a lack of knowledge relating to how a function or feature works when the unit is operating as designed are not covered by the manufacturer s warranty and are therefore the owner s responsibility Please study this manual carefully and consult your dealer before requesting service ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 6 PRECAUTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING Read and understand all the instructions Always follow the instructions on the instrument Before cleaning the instrument always remove the electrical plug from the outlet as well as the USB cable When cleaning use a soft and dry cloth Do not use gasoline alcohol acetone turpentine or any other organic solutions do not use a liquid cleaner spray or cloth that s too wet Do not use the instrument near water or moisture such as a bathtub sink Swimming pool or similar place Do not place the instrument in an unstable position where it might accidentally fall over Do not place heavy objects on the instrument Do not block openings or vents of the instrument these locations are used fo
68. effects To slice the filtered sound set the filter effect to Latch mode Now you can touch the pad and change your filter to the desired setting Next enable the Slicer button You will have the Filter set to your last setting and can play the slicer on the FX Live pad Note that the Roller effect is not active when Slicer is set to Latch mode 6 2 6 The Filter Slicer Roller Buttons 6 2 6 1 The Filter Button The Filter button offers a Low pass a Band pass and a High pass filter Oberheim Low High Band and Multi mode filters with cutoff and resonance To select your filter click on the FILTER button repeatedly Your choice will be displayed on the center display window Alternatively you can use the direct access keeping the Filter button pressed to show the current filter and moving your cursor or finger on the sub effect you want to select The Cutoff and resonance can be modulated with the mouse on the software version or your finger on the FX Live pad The resonance is modulated vertically from the bottom of the pad to the top of the pad Cutoff is modulated horizontally from the right side of the pad to the left side of the pad Play a pattern of your choice and click or touch anywhere on the right edge of the FX pad while maintaining your click or touch draw a straight horizontal line towards the left side of the FX pad You will hear the cutoff modulating The amount of modulation applied can be seen on the ce
69. el features the Studio the Mixer and the Library To access the Bottom panel from the Main panel go to the toolbar and click on Bottom Right click on the picture to change the background A pop up menu will let you choose between No background Classic drums Electronic drums Physical drums Electro box ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 595 6 4 2 The Studio E EE INSTRUMENTS 1 4 INSTRUMENTS 5 8 The studio panel displays all your instruments as well as their parameters From here you can load instruments into slots apply filters and effects etc The picture above shows the 1 8 instrument view Let s look at the Bass drum window INSTRUMENTS 1 4 De 1 Load a new instrument To load a new instrument click on the down arrow This will open the Instrument browser 2 Instrument icon Clicking on this icon will trigger the instrument s sound You may drag the icon to another instrument icon to make a swap operation or hold Ctrl and drag it to another instrument icon to make a copy SS Set Pan Click and maintain click to set panning A small window appears next to the knob to let you know the amount and direction of pan applied Right click to edit or disable pan motion ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 56 4 Set volume Click and maintain click to set volume A small window appears next to the knob to let you know the amount and direction of vol
70. ep resolution is a sixteenth note by default You can change the resolution in the pattern panel see section 6 5 2 6 2 2 2 The Shuffle Knob ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 29 This knob sets the amount of shuffle applied to a pattern Shuffle is a rhythmic shifting of a Pattern in which the first note in a series of two plays for a longer time than the one that follows When the Shuffle knob is turned all the way up the first note in a series will play twice as long as the one that follows Right click on the shuffle knob to set the swing range 1 4 1 16 1 32 of a note This will define the value of the note on which the swing will be applied The right click window also shows the Velocity emphasis option which increases the dynamic range between the shuffled notes and the fixed notes Shuffle is a function better heard than described Try it 6 2 2 3 The Transport Zone These buttons from left to right are e Record e Stop e Play Pause To record click on the Record button and then on the Play Pause button The Record button will turn to red to indicate recording mode is on To stop recording click on the Stop button To disable recording mode click on the Record button again While a pattern plays clicking on the Play Pause button will pause the playing Click again on Play Pause to resume playing Click on Stop to reset current position to the beginning of the pattern Right
71. er 1234567612344569 Submit Cancel 3 2 AUTHORIZATION gt Please refer to Quick Start Guide for your special version of the Spark product for information regarding registration and authorization Finally there is a screen to copy the activation code The very same information is sent to you by email as a backup Copy the activation code and paste it in the Authorization window that appears when you launch Spark Spark Authorization SPARK Thank you for using Arturia s Spark Creative Drum Machine This software has not been authorized yet on this computer and will run in Demo mode until the full authorization to be completed To fully operate this software please enter the Authorization Code provided in your online user account If any doubt please refer to the adequate chapter in your Spark User s Manual Activation Code When Spark is running in Demo mode all saving and export capabilities have been disabled For details about purchasing this software please visit our website If your activation code has been entered correctly the software will launch From that point forward Spark will launch without showing you the Authorization window ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 18 4 THE SPARK CREATIVE CONTROLLER AN OVERVIEW 4 1 THE FRONT PANEL The Spark Creative controller looks the same as its Center panel in the Spark Engine In this overview we will focus on the featu
72. er Splicer and Roller effects and cycle through their many variations One effect can be locked in mid modulation by the Select button while a second effect is performed 4 1 6 Instrument Control zone Play the pads and tweak the parameters of one or more instruments at the same time either while recording a track or while playing back a pattern or song Select between two banks of instruments and mute or solo them using the buttons in this zone ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 20 4 2 REAR PANEL OVERVIEW a D 1 USB connector pa MIDI IN port S MIDI OUT port Power supply 9Vdc 800 mA center positive 5 Power on off switch 4 2 1 USB connector This connects to your computer s USB 2 0 port for the exchange of data and for electrical power In addition to allowing you to control the Spark Engine this port can also take MIDI data from the outside world and feed it to your computer and vice versa 4 2 2 MIDI In port Use this port to send MIDI data from an external device into your computer 4 2 3 MIDI Out port This port not only sends MIDI data from your computer to external devices it allows you to use the Spark Creative controller to control those external devices via MIDI 4 2 4 Power supply optional Connect the Spark controller to a powered USB 2 0 port That will supply enough power to run the controller Note You should not use the controller with a non powere
73. ereinafter the SOFTWARE All intellectual property rights in the software belong to Arturia SA hereinafter Arturia Arturia permits you only to copy download install and use the software in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement The product contains product activation for protection against unlawful copying The OEM software can be used only following registration Internet access is required for the activation process The terms and conditions for use of the software by you the end user appear below By installing the software on your computer you agree to these terms and conditions Please read the following text carefully in its entirety If you do not approve these terms and conditions you must not install this software In this event give the product back to where you have purchased it including all written material the complete undamaged packing as well as the enclosed hardware immediately but at the latest within 30 days in return for a refund of the purchase price 1 Software Ownership Arturia shall retain full and complete title to the SOFTWARE recorded on the enclosed disks and all subsequent copies of the SOFTWARE regardless of the media or form on or in which the original disks or copies may exist The License is not a sale of the original SOFTWARE 2 Grant of License Arturia grants you a non exclusive license for the use of the software according to the terms and conditions of this
74. eter knobs right click edit motion disable motion 3 Instrument Select Shortcut Select button Hold select then press an instrument pad or sequencer step pad 4 Instrument page button Instruments 1 8 and 9 16 Si Mute button Click Mute then select one or more instruments R Solo button Click Solo then select one or more instruments FX Aux 1 and 2 Pan and volume Knobs right click edit motion disable motion 8 Click within a zone to select instrument track ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 26 9 FX display window 10 Filter button right click Latch or Touch operation 11 Slicer button right click Latch or Touch operation 12 Roller button right click Latch or Touch operation 14 Jog Dial 15 Bank select buttons A B C D 16 Pattern select Buttons 1 to 16 17 Pre 1 7 instrument browsing selector 18 Pre 1 7 kit browsing selector 19 Song select button ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 27 20 Record button right click to select quantized unquantized recording 21 Stop button 22 Play Pause button 23 Tap button Tap tempo 24 Tempo knob Change tempo 25 Display previous next 16 pattern steps E Set accent mode button On patterns or steps Erase Cancel Erase button Use to erase Instruments tracks or patterns 28 Divide loop size knob E Loop On Off button Move loop locator knob right click Shift by
75. f the controller The second set of MIDI ports will present these labels to your computer On Windows Vista 7 and XP Spark Controller On Mac Spark Public IN and Spark Public OUT These are the public ports that are available for your applications to use All messages sent to these ports will also be sent to the Spark Creative controller s physical MIDI Out port All messages sent to the Spark Creative controller s physical MIDI In port by an external device will be transmitted to the host software internally by the public port When using Spark Creative as a MIDI controller the data flow from the controller will be sent on the USB public port to the host as well as to the MIDI OUT port adding itself to any other existing MIDI information 8 2 2 Use as MIDI Controller Spark Creative only To use your SPARK Controller as MIDI controller press Filter Slicer Roller then open public MIDI port or connect a MIDI cable to MIDI Out 8 2 3 Use as USB MIDI interface Spark Creative only To use your SPARK Controller as USB MIDI interface open the public MIDI port in your host program and connect the MIDI cable s to your Spark Creative controller ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 104 8 3 SPARK MIDI CONTROL CENTER z With the SPARK MIDI Control Center you can customize the functions of the Pads Knobs and Buttons according to your needs When connected you can use the Hardware control
76. from steps 1 16 to steps 17 32 This is called Sequencer Follow mode To toggle this feature on or off simply press the lt lt and gt gt buttons at the same time 8 1 4 Roller Fx When using the Roller effect in the Spark software the Roll effect can be applied only to one instrument at a time for the obvious reason that you are using your mouse to play the instrument When using the hardware controller you are free to apply the Roll effect to any number of instruments simultaneously You can also start a roll on one instrument and press another instrument pad while maintaining your initial roll Enjoy The Roll velocity is triggered on the software version by clicking on a pad holding it and moving the cursor up and down on the pad However the instrument pads on the hardware controller are pressure sensitive so you can change the velocity output of the Roll effect in real time ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 102 8 1 5 Controller Shortcuts SPARK 1 5 SHORTCUTS BOARD PANELS foal ma Center Maln Panel SEQUENCER INSTRUMENTS Select Display Tempo on screen Eric Show Pattern Panel Pao Select Instrument Select Set Metronome on off NEE Show Song Panel i bs See rent DC Select ge a Increase Pattern Length Show Preferences Panel by one mesure Clears the current Soles recall Decrease Pattern Length Show Studio Panel by one mesure Enter Copy Mode Copy Bank press A Men S fo
77. g a fun and complementary approach to sample browsing while making it more interactive and user friendly than similar products Incorporating a 16 step sequencer and 8 velocity sensitive touch pads into a sturdy beat station Spark is your weapon of choice to bring the best groove into your tracks whether you are working in the studio or performing on stage 1 2 HISTORY Early in 2001 Arturia began working on advanced algorithms for the digital emulation of analog circuit audio characteristics They are known as TAE standing for True Analog Emulation In non technical terms this is an unprecedented way of creating the very unique sound one finds in a synthesizer such as the Bob Moog s ones Nearly a year after they began work on the algorithms Arturia was ready for feedback At the 2002 NAMM Show in California Arturia shared an early version of what would later be the Modular V with the renowned maker of the original synthesizer Doctor Bob Moog In seeking insight from sound production experts such as Dr Moog as well as avid synthesizer users Arturia was able to ensure the quality of the instruments they made so well in fact that Dr Moog himself endorsed the Modular V The launch of this sound powerhouse was an instant success winning awards from several top magazines and leading to the development of other synth recreations Shortly thereafter Arturia started receiving many requests from musicians producers and bands Many of t
78. geBand Instruments k mini Modular VM 2 AU Generators Prophet V2 AU Instruments Multi Output 16xStereo 20 WEE i Analog Factory ARP2600 V2 rTrFrFFrFFYrTFTYTrYTrifrTrefrefrefrefrefrefTrfrtT YF Then go to the mixer view and click on the button at the bottom of the instrument track to add Aux tracks You can choose the output number of each Spark instrument in the Mixer view see section 6 4 3 7 4 3 Use in Digital Performer 7 4 3 1 Stereo Mode To add an instrument choose the menu Project gt Add Track gt Instrument Track gt Arturia gt Spark stereo ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 95 Digital Performer File Edit Region Audio Studio Setup Window Help Ka e 1 gt Add Track wl a lt gt ad Mm gt ue MIDI Track CHEM ss Mono Audio Track TEA ks e e rem Se Stereo Audio Track tx sol e ell L Je he aaa gt alaia ann Modify Conductor Track gt Instrument Track gt Insert Settings RH EE Track Folders _ P Add Instruments UO Apple DLSMusicDevice stereo Fee Sen e E Track Groups KMA Add Unassigned Instrument OS Arturia CS 80V2 stereo LK Modify Track Groups gt uae a MOTU BassLine stereo e fy Seq lge ux Trac 5 MOTU Model12 stereo i i i mt LOOP LOGK mec MON LeveL mue J H H S GER d Manter Fader me e MOTU Modulo stereo P H T 3 z S op i E gt Trac
79. h will choose the driver to install Choose this option to select the device driver from a list Windows does not guarantee that the driver you choose will be the best match for your hardware e Choose Don t search I will choose the driver to install Click Next ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL Hardware Update Wizard Select the device driver you want to install for this hardware a Select the manufacturer and model of your hardware device and then click Next IF you have a disk that contains the driver you want to install click Have Disk Show compatible hardware Model E This driver i digitally signed Tell me why driver signing is importark e Click Have Disk e Click Browse and locate Spark_XP inf on the Spark install DVD YourDVDdrive Driver Spark XP inf Hardware Update Wizard Select the device driver you want to install for this hardware Pig Bae Sy H Select the manufacturer and model of your hardware device and then click Next IF you 7 have a disk that contains the driver you want to install click Have Disk Show compatible hardware J Model E This driver i digitally signed Tell me why driver signing iz important e Choose Spark Controller and click Next ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 14 Hardware Installation A The software vou are installing for this hardware Spark Controller has n
80. hem explained how they were planning to replace their original hardware synthesizers with virtual instruments Artists around the globe were beginning to see the advantages of a software alternative to hardware based synthesizers The CS 80V emulated the legendary Yamaha CS 80 considered by many as the ultimate polyphonic synthesizer and was launched at the AES 2003 in New York Imagine some of your favorite music from diverse artists such as Keith Emerson or Stevie Wonder and you ll get an idea of the capabilities of CS 80V ARP 2600V was launched at the Winter NAMM Show 2005 in Anaheim This is a faithful reproduction of the ARP 2600 and is great for just about any sound one might wish to ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 9 create everything from drum n bass stabs to Star Wars R2 D2 sounds have been made with the ARP At the Winter NAMM Show 2006 ARTURIA announced the release of its seventh product the Prophet V This powerful hybrid gives you two instruments in one it combines the warmth of the legendary Prophet 5 programmable analog synth with the unique Vector Synthesis textures of the digital Prophet VS The next year at the summer 2007 NAMM Show Arturia launched the Jupiter 8V In terms of sonic possibilities it complemented its Arturian siblings by bringing something different to the table The Jupiter 8V was capable of creating very versatile sounds You could easily make fat or crystal
81. ime signature But you can adjust it if you want to work with your own bar calculation 6 Click to display Step 1 to 16 in the current pattern 6 5 4 The Sequencer Lrrturia The Pattern panel shows 8 instrument tracks out of the 16 available To see the next 8 tracks use the scroll bar The picture above shows the pattern panel with a time signature of 4 4 hence 1 bar of 4 quarter notes each quarter note subdivided into 4 1 16 note steps which adds up to 16 1 16 note steps 1 Click to display the Pattern panel 2 Click to display the Song panel 3 Click to display the preferences panel 4 Set Step on off on one track in the current pattern ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 79 5 Select a track in the current pattern Hover above the track until it lights up then click 6 Set Solo on off on one sequencer track in the current pattern The solo button in the center panel will flash to indicate that a solo has been set from another panel studio mixer or sequencer 7 Set Mute on off on one sequencer track in the current pattern The Mute button in the center panel will flash to indicate that a mute has been set from another panel studio mixer or sequencer 8 Click to open or close the Automation editor for one track in the current pattern
82. in the current pattern 5 Disable Enable a single automation in the current pattern 6 Click to trigger drop down menu of parameters on to which automations may De applied The Global automation tool can be used to increase decrease all automation points simultaneously You can choose to apply this effect to the 16 current steps or to the entire pattern length via the Preferences option Global automation tool applies to The Smart automation tool combines all the other tools into one via a list of keyboard shortcuts Click to draw automation Right click to erase Shift click to draw a line Alt click to draw a global automation ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 81 Cmd click mac or Ctri click win to draw values at smaller resolution sub values 6 5 6 The Song Panel CW Pe ee O A Oe ee ee ee ee ee ee 2 veel a Oe aG aG Ga O oe ee ee oe oe a ee GG Cee a aa Ga Ga aG ee ee oe ee ee a ER o ER ER ER OH CH ER OR CH H Zetuge The song panel allows you to chain all your patterns together to create a Song As we have seen before a song is an editable ordered sequence of several patterns that defines the structure of your song SPARK allows songs made of 64 patterns maximum The Song panel will allow you to organize your patterns in sequences to make your song
83. ing out of the use of or inability to use this product including without limitation damages for loss of business profits business interruption loss of business information and the like even if Arturia was previously advised of the possibility of such damages Some states do not allow limitations on the length of an implied warranty or the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or exclusions may not apply to you This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state 9 2 FCC INFORMATION USA Important notice DO NOT MODIFY THE UNIT This product when installed as indicated in the instructions contained in this manual meets FCC requirement Modifications not expressly approved by Arturia may void your authority granted by the FCC to use the product IMPORTANT When connecting this product to accessories and or another product use only high quality shielded cables Cable s supplied with this product MUST be used Follow all installation instructions Failure to follow instructions could void your FFC authorization to use this product in the USA NOTE This product has been tested and found to comply with the limit for a Class B Digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are designed to provide a reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential environment This equipment generate use and
84. ion buttons 5 Master Volume control knob 6 Display Jog Dial and Project Kit Instrument mode buttons Song mode button Instrument parameter knobs right click edit motion disable motion 9 Sequencer zone 10 Instrument pads right click to edit the instrument ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 41 6 3 1 The Transport zone Record button right click to select quantized unquantized recording 1 b Stop button LC Play Pause button Record Stop Play amp Pause the functions seem obvious But this is a Transport with a twist Right click the Record button and you can select whether you want the next pass to be recorded with quantization or without 6 3 2 The Pad Controls zone Pad Controls Instrument Select click Select then choose an instrument pad Mute button click Mute then select one or more instruments Solo button click Solo then select one or more instruments Select 1 8 9 16 Mute Solo Used to select instruments for editing and to access secondary functions on many buttons Called the Instrument page button this toggles the pads between two sets of eight Instruments each Click this button and then one or more Instrument pads to mute them Click Mute again to unmute those pads Use Select Mute to clear all mutes Click the Solo button and then select one or more pads to silence the other tracks so you can focus on the ones y
85. ion or Bit crushing sound effect Reduce the audio anywhere from 7 down to 2 bits 6 2 6 3 The Roller button The roller could be described as a Drum roll tool ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 36 Choose the note value for the Roller effect Then click and maintain your click on the Snare drum pad The snare drum will play a basic drum roll The roll speed depends on the selected note value You can play of course any instrument pad using this effect The beginning of the roll is quantized by default A swing dotted or triplet effect can be added by simply clicking on the upper note values for Swing on or on the bottom values for Swing off When swing is off one beat is played per note value When Swing dotted effect is on a dotted beat is added after the first beat When Triplet is on three notes are played per note value Roller Swing Mode preference let you choose between dotted notes or triplet notes The ROLLER can be LATCHED on by pressing and holding SELECT ROLLER button Now any pad you play will have the roll effect played This is a great way to enter notes into a pattern On the Roller other functions are available to control the selected instrument main parameters e Pressing Roller button once will set the pad to control the Roller e Pressing Roller once again will set the pad to control Cutoff and resonance on the selected instrument e Pressing Roller once again will set the
86. ionally a chapter will be split into two sections one describing the Spark Creative Drum Machine controller and a second describing the SparkLE controller with all other sections describing the Spark software they both were designed to control hereafter referred to as the Spark Engine This manual also covers special versions of the Spark family which are software only products Please note that some features described in this manual are not available for these Special Versions and are tagged with this icon P EITI UET EIMI Package Contents In this package you will find e A DVD ROM containing Spark Creative drum machine installer for Mac OS X and Windows 7 Vista XP e A registration card with the Serial Number and Unlock Code Spark Creative or a sticker inside the Quick Start guide with that information SparkLE e The User s Manual for Spark Creative Drum Machine software and the Spark Controller e Spark Creative controller or SparkLE controller depending on the model e USB cable Be sure to store your registration information carefully It contains the serial number and unlock code that are required to register and authorize the Spark Engine so these codes are valuable It s important to register because this identifies you as the legitimate owner and ensures that you ll receive the latest news and updates for your software and hardware See chapter 3 Registration amp Authorization for more informatio
87. ious versions of this software and c the recipient accepts the terms and conditions of this Agreement as well as other regulations pursuant to which you acquired a valid software license A return of the product due to a failure to accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement e g the product activation shall not be possible following the assignment of rights 7 Upgrades and Updates You must have a valid license for the previous or more inferior version of the software in order to be allowed to use an upgrade or update for the software Upon transferring this previous or more inferior version of the software to third parties the right to use the upgrade or update of the software shall expire The acquisition of an upgrade or update does not in itself confer any right to use the software The right of support for the previous or inferior version of the software expires upon the installation of an upgrade or update 8 Limited Warranty Arturia warrants that the disks on which the software is furnished is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of thirty 30 days from the date of purchase Your receipt shall be evidence of the date of purchase Any implied warranties on the software are limited to thirty 30 days from the date of purchase Some states do not allow limitations on duration of an implied warranty so the above ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 120 limitation
88. is function to check if it sounds how you want it to 6 6 2 Filtering the result list The left column of the browser displays filters Applying the filters will affect the results list displaying only the corresponding presets The filters are activated and deactivated by simply clicking on them There are different categories of filters depending on the browser The Project and Kit browsers have two categories Banks and Musical genres The Instrument browser has three Sound engine analog physical sample drum type bass drum snare drum closed hi hat and banks Inside each category selecting multiple filter elements will display the results that are in any of the elements For instance in the Instrument browser if you select the Analog and Physical model filters the result list will show instruments that are either based on the TAE analog emulation engine or on the physical modeling engine Selecting filter elements from different categories will restrict the result list For example if you select the Analog engine filter and Snare Drum drum type filter the result will show all the snare drums that use the analog engine ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 87 7 MODES OF OPERATION 7 1 STANDALONE MODE Spark can be used as an independent application on your computer even if you don t own any sequencer software This is known as Standalone mode When Spark is oper
89. ject to the Library ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 74 4 Make a new project 5 Delete a project from the Library Only user projects can be deleted 6 Display Kit Instruments information for one project in Library Double click on kit to Load it 7 Load a Bank A B C or D from the Library to the corresponding one in the Current project 8 Load a Pattern 1 to 16 from the Library to the corresponding pattern in the Current project 9 Load a kit from the Library to the current project 10 Load an instrument from the Library to the corresponding selected instrument in the Current project 11 Enter Edit current project mode 12 Select a project in the coverflow 6 4 4 2 The Current Project window 1 Import a MIDI file or a REX file in current pattern 2 Export current project as spk file SPARK or export current pattern as MIDI or AUDIO file Set Export mode to MIDI or Audio 3 Save current project 4 Save current project to new project 5 Exit current project edit mode takes you back to the Coverflow dynamic Project menu ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 75 6 Change image for current project 7 Change the style of the current project 8 Change author name 9 Bank list of the current project 10 Pattern list of the current project 11 Loaded instruments of the current project 6 4 4 3 Creating a new project To create a new project click on the
90. ks OT I l l l MOTU nanosampler stereo Sequence Editor oS MOTU PolySynth stereo MOTU Proton stereo b Mixing Board OM Analog Laboratory stereo Effects OF Sn ARP2600 V2 stereo L Markers aK Jupiter 8V2 stereo Lyrics AX OSL mini V stereo E DEE Modular V 2 stereo D Graphic Editor OG Prophet V2 stereo amp Drum Editor 2D 8 QuickScribe Editor tQ 3 i Soundbites OB i Clippings b 1 Consoles r Movie OV E E Once you have added this instrument it s possible to assign a MIDI track to it In the connection menu of the MIDI track select the instrument and the MIDI channel that you want to use Make sure you activate the track before starting to play or record 7 4 3 2 Multi Output Mode To use the separate outputs create the number of new Audio tracks you want and then choose the correct OUT of the Spark plugin SPARK AUDIO SAMPLE 7 1s M egen Fe Oo None L si sunog Lei aunooo el 120 000 gt m menimoog V 1 b Seq 1 Sequence End Spark 1 D Spark 2 3 Soark 2 Le Sparkele2 v gt WVE LOOP LOOC ROC MON EU LEVEL PLAY INFT 2 ig 7 IAC Driver Spark 1 3 H gt F d Uncon igured Ports Spark 1 4 D el EK A Spark 1 5 New Device Group Soark 1 6 mme Spark 1 7 Spark 1 8 Spark 1 9 Spark 1 10 KEE Spark 1 12 Spark 1 1 Spark 1 14 Spark 1 1 Spark 1 1 ben 7 4 3 3 Assign Midi Track Once you have added this instrument it s possible to assign a MIDI track to it
91. ler itself instead of the Controller software interface to select the buttons switches or knobs you want to work on SPARK MIDI Control Center needs Spark Controller to be in Midi Controller mode to be able to connect to it Press Filter Slicer Roller to use Spark as Midi Controller If Spark Controller is set to Midi Controller mode before opening SPARK MIDI Control Center Spark Midi Controller Software will connect to it automatically at launch If Spark Midi Controller Software is started before setting Spark Controller to Midi Controller Mode you might need to explicitly connect to Spark controller using Connect to Spark Controller command in the Action Menu 8 3 1 The Interface TO C2 E The SPARK MIDI Control Center interface is exactly the same as that of the Spark Creative controller or the Spark Engine s Center panel All the buttons pads and knobs can be reprogrammed to suit your needs ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 105 8 3 1 1 Edit Instrument Pad window When clicking on a pad a window appears with several tabs and drop down let you change the parameters assigned to pads menus to Trig 1 Name Message Type dessage Number 7 6 J Select 1 3 Mute 1 MIDI Channel 4 Solo 1 2 Press 1 Mode e Max Min Action ip Sig 1 Edit Midi Message sent when pad is triggered 2 Edit Midi Message
92. lose FX window 3 Bypass FX1 FX2 for one instrument channel Aux Master insert 4 Change Remove FX Inst Channel Aux or Master insert 5 Load a factory FX preset 6 Set Dry Wet mix Inst Channel Aux or Master insert Compressor parameters 6 A compressor evens out differences in gain by reducing dynamics difference in volume between quiet sounds and loud sounds This effect is often used to fatten a sound by making every individual element of the sound closer to the same volume Every time a sound goes over a certain volume Threshold it is reduced by a specified amount Ratio Attack and Release determine how quickly the reduction is added and how Change Input gain Change Threshold Change Attack Change Ratio Change Release Change Makeup quickly it disappears Makeup boosts the compressed signal s level ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL Bit Crusher parameters BIT CRUSHER G 1 Change Bit depth 2 Change Downsample A bit crusher reduces the bit depth and sample rate of the audio signal The result is a very digital sounding distortion Chorus parameters 1 Change Shape 2 Set Tempo sync on off 3 Change Rate 4 Change Depth 5 Change Feedback 6 Change Spread _7 Change Delay Chorus is a classic effect that uses small delay times that are modulated by an LFO to double a sound making it seem fatter and thicker Shape rate an
93. ment track as well as the current position of the sequencer within the pattern see section 6 3 10 3 e Tune The Sequencer Step pads will be labeled with numbers from 8 to 7 with each number representing the amount of tuning change that will be applied to the selected instrument after pressing its pad The 0 pad will return the instrument to its default pitch 6 3 10 2The Copy Erase buttons 9 e f These two buttons have very different functions e Copy Allows you to copy a pattern from one location to another inside the same bank or to a different bank to the same pattern number location First click Copy and select the source bank and pattern and then select the destination pattern or bank and Spark will do the work Press the Copy button again to cancel the operation e Erase When pressed the display will prompt you to select a pad a pattern ora bank of patterns to erase ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 51 o To erase a bank press Erase and then select one of the banks A D o To erase a pattern make sure you re inside the proper bank before you press the Erase button Then press Erase and select the pattern o When a pad is selected its entire sequencer track will be erased inside the current pattern o For spot erase while a pattern is playing press the Record button then the Erase button and then press the instrument pad at the proper time 6 3 10 3The Pattern Length buttons
94. n about the authorization process ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 5 Special Message Section The Spark controller uses USB or an external power adapter Do not connect this product with any other power supply or adapter than the one described in this manual specifically recommended by Arturia See section 4 2 4 for more details WARNING Do not place this product in a place or position where someone could walk on trip over or roll anything over power or connecting cords The use of an extension cord is not recommended If you must use one make sure the cord has the ability to handle maximum current needed by this product Please consult a local electrician for more information on your power requirements This product should be used only with the components supplied or recommended by Arturia And when using this product with any approved components please observe all Safety markings and instructions that accompany the accessory products SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing However Arturia reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifications without notice or obligation to update existing units IMPORTANT Always follow the basic precautions listed below to avoid the possibility of serious injury or even death from electrical shock damages fire or other risks The product used either alone or combin
95. n the Disk browser to load a new sample re VO LO N OD U1 D OF of keck L A Set reverse mode on sample amp N Unload a sample Layer display window Drag and drop audio file here to change the layer s sample Choose the layering mode from Velocity Stack Random or Circular e e 14 Layer tool 15 Gain knob for sample 16 Change Center panel knob assignment ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 58 17 Change value for parameter 1 out of 6 total of edited instrument E Play edited instrument Link button links layers together so that gain reverse start and end points are the same on all layers To edit these parameters individually on each layer Link should be off 6 4 2 2 Studio Buttons d Display Instruments 1 to 8 2 Display Instruments 9 to 16 3 Display all instruments Hide Instrument view Click on the 1 8 button to display the first eight Instruments If you want to see all of your instruments displayed at once click on All ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 59 6 4 3 The Mixer Click on Mixer to display the Mixer panel E ees This panel is your 16 channel mixer panel This is where all your instruments will be mixed together Here the modified signals will be summed to produce the combined output signals Each track is numbered from 1 to 16 at the top of the window To the right of the mixer window are Returnl
96. nalize the cover image of your project Click on Change image next to the current cover image Choose a picture in your own picture library and click on Open to replace it 6 4 4 7 Saving a project To save your project click on the Save as button A drop down menu will appear Chose Save as in the current project window Give a name to your project and choose a style from the drop down menu Click OK Your project is now saved If you make changes to a project you already saved just click on the button Save 6 4 4 8 Changing kit name To change the name of your kit double click on the kit name in the upper left part of the current project window and rename it Don t forget to save your project 6 5 THE TOP PANEL 6 5 1 Overview The top panel features the Pattern panel and the Song panel as well as SPARK preferences menu When you click on the TOP button in the toolbar the pattern window opens by default At the bottom of the panel you will find the Pattern Panel button the Song panel button as well as the Preferences button 6 5 2 The Pattern Panel ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 77 The Pattern panel features SPARK s sequencer It is both a composing tool as well as a powerful editing tool 6 5 3 The Toolbar 6 Change upper part Change lower part Change step resolution Change number of bars Change number of steps Click to display patterns 1 to 16 The
97. ngs will be quantized Auto start song When on clicking on the Song button in the center panel will open the song panel and start playing the song automatically Click Output Selects output for metronome click Roller Swing Mode Lets you choose between swing notes or triplet notes when using Roller first raw note values Next Bank Pattern switch mode When set to immediately clicking a different bank will directly play the same pattern number in the new bank Otherwise one must first select the new bank then specify the pattern of this new bank even if it s the same pattern number as the currently played pattern Automation Loop free When on the loop will be applied only on notes in the pattern not on automations z Choose your skin switch Spark backgrounds from default to vintage 6 5 8 2 File preferences Save a copy of Audio samples in Library When importing wav aiff files to Spark the source file will be copied in the library You have the choice between e Always always copy files in the library e Ask ask the user e Never never copy files in the library Library path Changes the path to SPARK s library 6 5 8 3 MIDI Import Export preferences Pattern Drag amp Drop export mode in library When dragging a pattern in the library panel the pattern will be exported as MIDI file or bounced to wav file Wave export size When saving a pattern as a wav file you can choose between exporting the pattern in it
98. nter display panel Now place the cursor close to the bottom right corner of the FX pad and trace a line straight up to the top edge of the pad You are modulating the resonance Of course both Cutoff and Resonance can be modulated simultaneously by moving your finger or the mouse in any direction and at any speed you wish 6 2 6 2 The Slicer button The Slicer will repeat the value of the note selected while applying an effect You can choose between the following effects ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 35 Repeat mix Click to choose the value of the note to be repeated with the Repeat mix effect The effect will be applied for the amount of time your mouse click is maintained Release your click to cancel and resume normal playing Repeat mix will continue playing the pattern while the effect is applied Repeat The Repeat effect is the same as Repeat mix except the pattern is not played while applying the effect Tape The Tape effect simulates the effect of slowing down a tape player Reverse The Reverse effect simulates the effect of playing a tape recording backwards Strobe The Strobe effect will play and shut off the sound alternatively at the rate of the selected note value Pan The Pan effect will move the sound from the left speaker to the right speaker at the rate of the selected note value Bit Crush The Bit Crush effect allows you to reduce the audio bit rate creating a Bit Reduct
99. o another slot If your mouse pointer is on the first half of a bar this will insert the dragged pattern at the location If your mouse pointer is in the last half of a bar it will be pasted and will replace bars at your location 6 5 7 3 How to set song playing position Double click on a slot to set the song playing position 6 5 7 4 How to select several slots To select several song slots just click on a slot and drag your cursor over the neighbouring slots 6 5 8 Preferences Button SEQUENCER Auto Roll Velocity Swing Mode Next Bank Pattern switch mode Automation loop free INTERFACE Choose your Controller GUI Choose your skin EE rturia The preferences are divided into Sequencer Interface File Jog Dial MIDI Import Export ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 83 e Controller 6 5 8 1 Sequencer and interface preferences Tune mode Choose Step sequencer pads or Instrument Pads to trigger notes on the current instrument when Tune mode is active Switch pattern instantaneously If set to Yes a new pattern will play instantaneously when it is selected If set to No it will be played when the current pattern is finished playing Follow current step When set to Yes and when on Sequencer panel the step pads on the center panel will automatically display the step part that contains the current played step Quantize record When set to Yes all pads playing as well as any recordi
100. ock signal when the preference is on 7 1 3 Updating the Spark Controller To access the Update Spark Controller menu item navigate to SPARK menu gt Update Spark Controller When you update the Spark Engine your controller firmware may need to be updated as well Spark will alert you to this when you start the application with the controller connected Be sure to update your controller when you see this message so you can take advantage of the latest features 7 2 PLUG IN MODE For specific use in VST Audio Unit and RTAS please refer to sections 7 3 7 4 and 7 5 In order for the Spark controller to work correctly with Spark used in plug in mode it is necessary to turn off some MIDI connections in your sequencer software Go to your sequencer s MIDI settings and turn off Spark Private In and Spark Private Out Without this configuration Spark controller will not connect to Spark on Windows Spark controller will not behave correctly on OS X You can use Spark as plugin in stereo or Multi Output Mode The host will show one stereo output from Spark when used in Stereo Mode When used in Multi output mode the host will show 16 stereo channels available You can modify the track output routing in Spark in the mixer panel Default routing sends all tracks to the master stereo output the first output You can assign a track output to another stereo output of the 16 available outputs see section 6 4 3 1 7 2 1 Toolbar Extra
101. on Spark controller you need to send your template to Spark controller with Action gt Send to Spark Controller command Only one template can be active on Spark controller at a time ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 111 8 3 2 2 Pad Calibration You can calibrate the hit intensity at which the maximum velocity will be reached on the Pads of your Spark controller Use Action gt Calibrate Pads command to start the calibration process You will be asked to hit each pad 3 times NY P ie ooe You can restore the Factory calibration using Action gt Restore Factory Calib command ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 112 8 4 SPARKLE MIDI CONTROL CENTER SparkLE s MIDI Control Center MMC is dedicated software which allows customization of the MIDI function of each pad knob or button according to your needs The hardware must be in MIDI mode for SparkLE s MIDI Control Center Software to be able to connect to it SparkLE can be put in MIDI mode by pressing the Global Filter Slicer Roller buttons simultaneously If the hardware is set to MIDI mode before SparkLE MIDI Control Center is opened the software will connect to the controller automatically at launch However if Midi Control Center is launched before the hardware is set to MIDI mode you may have to establish the connection between the two by using the Connect to SparkLE command in the Action Menu If the SparkLE hardware is
102. oprietary Low pass Band pass and High pass filters plus Oberheim style Low High Band pass and Multi mode filters each with cutoff and resonance To select a filter type click on the Filter button repeatedly You ll see the display cycle through the options just stop clicking when you reach the one you want You can also access the one you want directly by keeping the Filter button pressed and moving your cursor or finger to the filter type you want to select The cutoff frequency and resonance can be modulated with the mouse in the Spark Engine or with your finger on the FX Live pad of the hardware controller The resonance is modulated vertically up and down or along the Y axis and the cutoff frequency is modulated horizontally from right to left or along the X axis Play a pattern and click or touch anywhere on the right edge of the FX pad while maintaining your click or touch draw a straight horizontal line towards the left side of the FX pad You will hear the cutoff frequency sweeping downward The amount of modulation applied can be seen on the center display panel Now place the cursor somewhere on the right half of the FX pad and trace a line straight up to the top edge of the pad You are modulating the resonance Of course both cutoff and resonance can be modulated simultaneously by moving your finger or the mouse in any direction and at any speed you wish ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 44 6
103. ot passed Windows Logo testing to venty its compatibility with Windows SH Tell me why this testing te important Continuing your installation of this software may impair or destabilize the corect operation of your system either immediately or in the future Microsoft strongly recommends that you stop this installation now and contact the hardware vendor for software that has passed Windows Logo testing Continue Anyway e Click Continue Anyway Your Spark Controller should now be ready to use 2 2 MAC OSX INSTALLATION 10 5 and higher e Place the installation DVD ROM in your computer s DVD ROM drive Its icon will appear in the Mac OS X Finder e z Connect the SPARK Controller using the USB cable If you want to connect the Controller to a USB hub instead make sure the hub has its own power supply SPARK s Controller will not work on a passive bus powered USB hub e Double click the SPARK DVD icon to display the content of the DVD e Double click the installer file named SPARK e Click Continue to proceed e To continue you need to first accept the license agreement After you have read the license agreement press Continue and click Agree e Select the hard disk onto which you would like to install SPARK e Click Continue e Select the elements you want to install We recommend installing all elements but if you know you don t need a certain element like one of the plug in formats uncheck the checkbox
104. ou want to hear Click Solo again to return the pads to their previous state Use Select Solo to clear the solo status ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 42 6 3 3 The Tempo Shuffle zone Ee Tempo Shuttle Tempo control knob Shuffle amount knob right click Swing range Velocity emphasis For slower tempos turn this knob to the left for faster tempos turn the knob to the right Sets the amount of shuffle applied to a pattern Shuffle is a rhythmic effect in which the duration of the first note in a series of two notes is lengthened and the duration of the second note is shortened This is also known as setting the swing amount For a higher shuffle amount turn this knob to the right for less shuffle turn the knob to the left Right click on the Shuffle knob to define the timing value on which the shuffle will be applied 1 8 1 16 or 1 32 note The right click menu also shows the Velocity emphasis option which increases the dynamic range between the shuffled notes and fixed notes 6 3 4 The FX Live pad and Effect buttons 4 f 4 g FX Live pad X Y axis control surface Global Filter button right click Latch or Touch operation Global Slicer button right click Latch or Touch operation Global Roller button right click Latch or Touch operation Instrument Filter button Instrument Aux Send 1 2 button Instrument Pan Level button ARTURIA SPARK CREATI
105. pad to control Ausl and Aux2 on the selected instrument e Pressing Roller once again will set the pad to control Volume and Pan on the selected instrument e Pressing Roller button once again will set the pad to control the Roller again 6 2 7 The Instrument control zone UELL O O 000a d TT x 4 d Pitch e e f f Placement E d 8 P A d Decay Bass Drum Snare Drum Closed Hi Hat Open Hi Hat Hi Tom Med Tom Low Tom The instrument control zone is made up of Closed Hi Hat ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 37 6 2 7 1 The Instrument pads There are 16 Instrument pads but only 8 of them are shown on SPARK s interface To navigate to the next set of 8 click on the 1 8 9 16 button An instrument is assigned to each pad The far left pad is by default the Bass Drum next to it is the Snare drum and so on but you can of course personalize this arrangement To edit an instrument right click on the pad and then Click on edit This will take you to the STUDIO bottom panel where you will be able to edit a full array of instrument parameters See section 6 4 2 The Studio Tune mode Alternatively you can use Pads for the pitch of the current instrument when setting Tune mode to on Hold Select button and press step sequencer 13 to enter Tune mode 16 Tune F Velo BREE You can now use the pads as a keyboard to play notes on the current instrument You can play 16 semi tones using the 1
106. pening of the Plug in Access to the SPARK plug in is like all other plug ins simply create a stereo Instrument track ProToolsLE File Edit View Pr Region Event AudioSuite Options Setup Window Help G Edit Analog Laboratory HERR STEE Wes Length Nanny es es ese COMMENTS INSTRUMENT Create 1 new Stereo E Instrument Track E in Ticks E E In order for SPARK to play the information coming from the Instrument track you have to associate it to an Insert channel via the appropriate menu More information on plug in connections can be found in the Pro Tools User s Manual 7 5 3 Saving the project When the session is saved the status of SPARK is saved as it is even if its programming does not correspond to the preset For example you are working on a project in which you have modified the parameters without saving them in the plug in itself the next time you open the session SPARK will load the project plus the modifications The Librarian Menu of Pro Tools can be used with SPARK as with any other plug in Nevertheless it is highly recommended to use the internal SPARK menu with the presets saved this way they are usable no matter which mode is used standalone or other sequencer and they can be exported and exchanged more easily They will stay compatible with the future versions of SPARK 7 5 4 Automations under Pro Tools The automation in SPARK works as with all RTAS HTDM plug ins ARTURIA
107. plet is on three notes are played per note value Roller Swing Mode preference let you choose between dotted notes or triplet notes The Roller effect can be Latched to On by right clicking on the Roller button Now any pad you play will have the roll effect applied This is a great way to enter notes into a pattern Note The only way to trigger the Roller effect when the SparkLE controller is not connected is to use the Latch feature 6 3 6 Live effects Instrument 6 3 6 1 The Filter button The Filter type for the kit is determined by the setting for the Global Filter button but SparkLE allows you to apply this effect to one instrument at a time rather than the entire kit if you like To do this select an instrument such as the snare press Select Instrument pad 2 then press the Instrument Filter button pictured Now the Live FX pad will alter the filter frequency and resonance for the snare only As you can see in the picture above the X axis controls the filter s cutoff frequency and the Y axis controls the resonance 6 3 6 2 The Send 1 2 button Similar to the process described above you can single out one instrument for the live alteration of its Aux 1 and Aux 2 effect sends If you want Tom 1 to have a sudden burst of reverb and or delay use the Select button to choose Instrument pad 5 and then press the Send 1 2 button pictured Then sweep your finger or cursor around inside the FX Live pad are
108. r air circulation to prevent the instrument from overheating Do not place the instrument near a heat vent or any place with poor air circulation Only use the recommended specified AC adaptor 9 Vdc 800 mA Make sure the line voltage in your location matches the input voltage specified on the AC power adaptor Do not open and insert anything into the instrument that may cause a fire or electrical shock Do not spill any kind of liquid onto the instrument Always take the instrument to a qualified service center You will invalidate your warranty if you open and remove the cover and improper assembly may cause electrical shock or other malfunctions Do not use the instrument with thunder and lightning present otherwise it may cause long distance electrical shock Do not expose the instrument to hot sunlight Do not use the instrument if there is a gas leak nearby Arturia is not responsible for any damage or data loss caused by improper operation of the instrument HANDLING CD ROMS Avoid touching or scratching the shiny underside encoded surface of the disc A damaged or dirty CD ROM disc may not read properly Keep your CD ROMs clean using a commercially available CD cleaner ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 7 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION eege 9 LE WERC COME TO SPARI ET 9 P TOR EE 9 SST Ka TION EE 11 ZA WINDOWS INSTALEATION V XP VISTA eege 11 22 MACOSX INSTALLATION T0 AND HIG
109. reo field of the reverb Dampening sets how much the reverb should be filtered using the Lo and Hi Cut filter settings ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 67 Reverb parameters 5 2 a Change gain 2 Change High frequency damping a Change Brightness 4 Change Diffusion EN Change Decay time e Change Pre delay Feedback DN Change Pre delay Time A reverb emulates the reflections of a sound in a different space room hall etc The material section HF Dampening and brightness sets the timber for the reverb dark or bright sounding The shape section Diffusion and Decay time sets the size and duration of the reverb The pre delay section Feedback and Delay adds a small delay to the reverb to emulate early reflections Destroyer parameters DESTROYER A CLIPPING BIT REDU CER O GC TONE GAIN HARMONIC DIST RESAMPLER 1 Clipping 2 Harmonic Distortion 3 Bit Reducer ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 68 4 Resampler 5 Tone 6 Gain A Destroyer is a digitizer effect which produces a distortion by the reduction of the resolution or bandwidth of digital audio data The resulting bit reduction may produce a warmer sound impression or a harsh one depending on the amount of bit reducer and resampler Harmonic distortion adds overtones that are whole number multiples of a sound wave s frequencies Flanger parameters 0 FLANGER DELAY TIME DEPTH RATE FE
110. res specific to the hardware controller CECE 0O emm EA do Display H Sequencer zone ER Song Pattern zone 4 Jog Dial 5 FX Live pad 6 Instrument control zone g Z This chapter is about the Spark Creative hardware controller so most of the information will not apply to the software only products But there are some potential areas for confusion so remember to look for this icon ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 19 4 1 1 The display Fittingly placed at the center of the Spark Creative controller the display is the central source for all information about what the controller is doing 4 1 2 The Sequencer zone Used for viewing assembling and editing patterns and songs the Sequencer zone also gives you the ability to alter loops in real time 4 1 3 The Song Pattern zone All of Spark Creative s 64 patterns can be accessed quickly from this zone They are arranged in four banks of 16 patterns each A D and 1 16 The buttons also light up to tell you which pattern is currently playing 4 1 4 The Jog Dial The Jog Dial allows you to select and load Instruments Kits and Projects Used with the Select button you can apply search filters while selecting Instruments 4 1 5 The FX Live pad Real time control of a ton of performance effects such as filter and resonance volume and panning aux sends bit reduction stutter effects etc Three buttons in this zone toggle the Filt
111. responding knob 7 7 8 Assign a MIDI CC to master Volume knob Same as previous on corresponding knob 7 7 9 Assign a MIDI CC to cutoff res Pan Aux1 Aux2 Volume knobs Same as previous on corresponding knob 7 7 10Assign a MIDI CC to instrument parameters knobs Same as previous on corresponding knob 7 7 11 Assign a MIDI CC to tempo knob Same as previous on corresponding knob 7 7 12 Assign a MIDI CC to stop and play functions using Cmd Click Same as previous on play and stop buttons ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 101 8 THE SPARK CONTROLLERS EZ 8 1 USING THE CONTROLLER WITH THE SPARK ENGINE 8 1 1 Switching from Kit Project mode to Instrument mode Spark Creative only When you want to toggle the Spark Creative controller between Instrument mode and Kit mode Project mode or vice versa press and hold the Jog Dial for one second Remember There is a Preference setting for Spark Creative which determines whether this action will switch from Instrument mode into Kit mode or Project mode see the Top panel Preferences section for more information 8 1 2 Set Move Knob Mode Right click the Move knob and turn it to switch from Shift by one step mode to Shift by one loop size mode 8 1 3 Set Sequencer Follow Mode On Off Spark Creative When you have a pattern containing 32 steps the Sequencer Step pads have the option to follow the position of the pattern when it crosses over
112. rker gray and that note has been removed from the pattern 6 3 10 6 Copying or Swapping Patterns You can also use the Sequencer Step pads to copy or swap patterns in the currently selected bank To copy a pattern to another location click on a pattern number and then drag it on top of another pattern and drop it A confirmation window will appear Remember this will replace the destination pattern with the source pattern so if you re sure it s okay to lose the second pattern click OK TO swap two patterns click on a pattern number while holding Option Alt in Mac OSX or Ctrl in Windows and then drag it on top of another pattern and drop it A confirmation window will appear Click Ok The exact same procedure applies to copying or swapping entire banks of patterns To export a pattern as a MIDI file to your system or to your DAW drag the pattern outside the Spark window and drop it on a system folder or one of the DAW windows 6 3 11 The Pads a ee Le There are sixteen Instrument pads but only eight of them are accessible at a time on the SparkLE interface To switch to the next set of eight click on the 1 8 9 16 button An instrument is assigned to each pad The far left pad is by default the Bass Drum next to it is the Snare drum and so on but you can set the pads up in any order you like To edit an instrument right click on the pad and then click Edit This will take you to the Studio inside the Bottom
113. rowser Project Kit Instrument or Disk Hold the Select button and click on the Jog Wheel for 1 second to close the browser window without loading anything To browse the list you can choose to switch to infinite or non infinite mode in the preferences Default mode is infinite Mode In non infinite Mode the Jog Dial will stop scrolling at the end of the instrument kit or project list when scrolling forward and at the beginning of the list when scrolling backward 6 2 5 The FX Live pad Slicer Roller The FX Live pad is an amazing performance tool especially if you plan on playing live Its touch sensitive screen will apply live effects in real time to your song or patterns allowing you to shape your sound with great precision When your cursor enters the FX pad zone it turns from an arrow to a cross The FX Pad features 3 main effect buttons called Filter Slicer and Roller By right clicking on any of them you can choose between Latch or Touch options Latch will hold the effect at its current value when you release the cursor Touch will cut off the effect when the cursor is released i e the effect is only active when you are clicking on the Pad ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 34 You can also enable Latch mode from the hardware by pressing and holding the Select button and then pressing the Filter Slicer or Roller button In Latch mode you can combine the Filter and Slicer
114. s initial size or doubling the size of the pattern Doubling the size will avoid losing an effect playing beyond the end of the pattern i e a reverb ora delay Choose Drum map model for MIDI pattern import When importing a MIDI pattern you have the choice to import it as a SPARK General MIDI or ADDICTIVE Drum map Choose MIDI map model for Pads You can choose an existing mapping for the pads being controlled by an external MIDI controller Spark Option is the mapping used by Spark controller General Midi is a standard MIDI mapping and you can define your own ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 84 mapping using Custom Option and assigning MIDI notes on pads using Cmd Click on OSX or Ctrl on Windows on pads This mapping is used for the MIDI bank and pattern export A default CC assignment for the instrument automations is set By default the 6 instrument parameters Pan and Volume are assigned You can then customize those assignments depending on the automations you ve used Automations are then exported in the MIDI file Enable default Pad velocity preference is used to trigger pads with a constant velocity defined with the Default Pad Velocity preference Hit intensity is ignored when this preference is set to Yes Use the Send Midi preferences to select which kind of MIDI data has to be sent from Spark to your host or from Spark to the selected Output Midi port Choose Send Midi From
115. t of the mix ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 23 5 2 SIDE PANEL OVERVIEW i USB Mini B connector 2 Kensington lock slot 5 2 1 USB connector Use the supplied USB cable to connect the SparkLE controller to your computer s USB 2 0 port SparkLE is bus powered so no additional power supply is needed 5 2 2 Kensington lock slot SparkLE is highly portable so this slot will allow an added degree of security ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 24 6 USING SPARK The Controller Interface 6 1 THE TOOLBAR E ean 922 299 1 Load button 2 Save button 3 Project browser opener 4 Metronome volume knob a Metronome on off switch 6 Tempo indicator Double click to enter a tempo manually 7 Open the TOP panel in the main window or center it 8 Open the CENTER panel in the main window or center it 9 Open the BOTTOM panel in the main window or center it 10 Connect hardware switch KA CPU meter 12 Main volume meter 13 Clipping indicator 14 Soft clip on off switch ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 25 6 2 THE CENTER PANEL SPARK CREATIVE Q SEQUENCER RRRRIRRRRISRRRIRRRRL O SPARK Creativ is Machine e 200000 f WM y i STT f f i H Mich Ey Gigigigigieieief Snare Drum Closed Hi Hat Open Hi Hat p Play instruments with pads right click edit the instrument Instrument param
116. the loop size as defined by the Divide knob Shift by one step Jf Shift by one loop size 6 3 10 5The Sequencer Step pads 9 k The 16 Sequencer Step pads can be numbered from 1 16 17 32 33 48 or 49 64 depending on the length of the pattern and the timing value assigned to each step These pads offer a lot of information about the selected pattern When a pattern is playing you will know the real time playing position at a glance because it is indicated by a pad that is brighter than the others When a pad has a constant blue light it means the sequencer will trigger the selected instrument at this position in the pattern If a pad is not lit it means no note will be played by that instrument at that point You can decide to add a note on event or remove one by toggling the state of these pads A simple example is the bass drum track on pattern A1 which is pictured below The bright blue lights on pads 1 and 9 indicate bass drum events on beats 1 and 3 of the first bar The gray light on pad 4 is lighter than the others which indicates the current real time playing position ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 52 ARBAR AR D DD D Be D You can edit this track by pressing a pad to add a bass drum event to the pattern While the pattern plays click on pads 7 and 15 They will become lit and you will hear new bass drum events during the first bar of the pattern Now click on pad 9 the blue light turns to da
117. the fly 5 1 3 The Tempo knob Use this knob to adjust the tempo of your pattern or song 5 1 4 The FX Live pad Real time control of performance effects on an X Y axis Three buttons toggle Global effects Filter Splicer Roller and three more control effects for the selected Instrument The Select button can lock one effect s position while a second effect is performed 5 1 5 The Master Volume knob This knob controls the overall output level 5 1 6 The Jog Dial and Mode buttons The Jog Dial allows you to select and load Instruments Kits and Projects Used with the Select button you can apply search filters while selecting Instruments The Project Kit and Instrument mode buttons allow quick access to each of those selection modes 5 1 7 The Instrument parameter knobs Select three parameters per instrument to tweak during recording or playback 5 1 8 The Sequencer zone Used for selecting and editing patterns and assembling and editing songs the Sequencer zone also gives you the ability to alter loops in real time You can also make quick chromatic tuning adjustments to the selected Instrument 5 1 9 The Instrument pads The pads allow you to play multiple instruments at the same time from one set of eight instruments and the 1 8 9 16 page button can toggle between the other set of eight instruments in the current kit Use the Mute and Solo buttons to silence one or more Instrument tracks or bring others to the forefron
118. time signature is a notational convention used in musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat Time signatures consist of two numerals one stacked above the other the lower numeral indicates the note value that represents one beat the beat unit The upper numeral indicates how many such beats there are in a bar For instance 4 4 means four quarter note quarter note beats 3 8 means three eighth note quaver beats etc ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 78 1 Click to change the upper part of the time signature of the current pattern This defines the number of notes units in one bar Setting the signature to 4 4 means that there are 4 quarter notes in a bar if signature is 3 4 waltz it means there are 3 quarter notes in a bar 2 Click to change the lower part of the time signature of the current pattern This defines the note value unit 1 whole 2 half note 4 quarter note 8 eighth note J Click to change the Step resolution The step resolution is the value of one step 1 16 sixteenth note 1 8 eighth note 1 4 a quarter note etc A pattern has from 1 to a maximum of 64 steps 4 Click to change the number of bars in the current pattern 5 Click to change the total number of steps in the current pattern The number of steps is automatically calculated by Spark using the step resolution the number of bars in the pattern and the t
119. to gate the low frequency effect and stop unwanted background rumbling ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 70 Limiter parameters LIMITER THRESHOLD WEE ATTACK RELEASE GAIN D Threshold rz Knee a Attack 4 Release E Gain A Limiter is a compressor with a high ratio and a fast attack time A limiter reduces the level of an audio signal if its amplitude exceeds a certain threshold Attack and Release determine how quickly the reduction is added and how quickly it disappears Hard or Soft Knee controls whether the bend in the response curve is a sharp angle or has a rounded edge A soft knee reduces the audible change from uncompressed to compressed Analog Chorus parameters ANALOG CHORUS STERER CHORUS WIDTH AMOUNT DELAY aye 2 Stereo width EN Stereo rate 4 Chorus amount e Hate 6 play ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 71 For a description of the Analog Chorus see Chorus The Analog chorus has a different sound which might suit better in some circumstances Analog Delay parameters ANALOG DELAY DELAY FEEDBACK i FP AMOUNT TIME i DEPTH a Delay time 2 Feedback tome o Feedback amount ON LFO depth EN LFO rate The Analog Delay is a different algorithm from the delay effect plugin The sound might suit better in some circumstances Pitch Shift Chorus parameters PITCH SHIFT C
120. ume applied Right click to edit or disable volume motion 5 Mute an instrument The Mute button on the center panel will flash to indicate that a Mute has been set from another panel studio mixer or sequencer 6 Set solo on an instrument The solo button on the center panel will flash to indicate that a solo has been set from another panel studio mixer or sequencer 7 Edit mode button Click on the Edit mode button to enter the instrument edit Mode 6 4 2 1 Instrument Edit Window 1 Change instrument type You may also drag and drop an audio file here and also directly onto an instrument pad When dragging and dropping onto pads if the current instrument is sample based it will replace the previous sample with the new one If the current instrument is not sample based a menu will appear asking if you d like to change the instrument type 2 Rename instrument ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 57 Turn Mute on M Turn solo on S Set choke group A Choke Group lets you specify instruments that will cut each other off when triggered In the edit instrument view select the choke group for each instrument The choke group combo is near the solo button You can set up 8 choke groups Set pan Set volume Change filter type on instrument Cutoff filter knob Resonance filter knob Sample layer display for each layer Numbered 1 to 6 For Sample type instruments only Ope
121. ve knob allows you to move the beginning of the loop in one of two ways Using Shift by one step mode will shift the loop start to any given step of the pattern stepwise Alternatively you can move the loop in increments of the loop size defined with the divide knob by using shift by one loop size mode Right click on the Move knob to choose the Move Loop mode Shift by one step or Shift by one loop size J Shift by one step Shift by one loop size 6 2 3 The Song Pattern zone The Song Pattern zone is where you can trigger the Song mode select and play your patterns load Instruments or load a kit into your project 6 2 3 1 Song Mode A Song is made up of a maximum of 64 patterns chained together Click on the Song button to enter the Song mode The Song button will flash continuously to let you know that you are now in Song mode Click on the Play button in the transport zone Listen Your patterns are now chained together and played one after another from pattern to pattern and Bank to Bank The Step pads numbered from 1 to 16 at the top of the Center Panel light up as each pattern is being played They show you which pattern is currently being played ARTURIA SPARK CREATIVE DRUM MACHINE USER S MANUAL 32 To edit your Song refer to section 6 5 6 The Song Panel 6 2 3 2 Editing Songs from the Center panel As we have just seen a Song is made up of several patterns chained together The order

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