What would it take for Arturia to start developing Spark again?

[machinesworking]

   I was super excited to see that Arturia bothered to get M1 Rosetta compatibility for Spark 2. A glimmer of hope.

I've been lamenting this for years now, despite all of it's shortcomings, for drum programming with a controller inside a DAW, nothing beats Spark. I've tried the MPC Live, Maschine, Geist, all of them really. I keep coming back.

 What would it take to get Arturia to be interested in developing Spark again? I think they're pretty close to being the perfect solution to using a software drum machine in a DAW, and IMO that's a huge selling point, Maschine, MPC etc. are horribly clunky when used in any DAW, and even as is, five years since a big update, Spark is still easier to deal with than it's nearest competition.

 Hardware has serious limitations when it comes to libraries of samples for samplers and drum machines, software has been better, but a good controller like SparkLE and software is a solid solution. Anyway I just hate that I fear an update to the OS might kill it some day.

[019297]

i am with you, spark can be amazing. Much better than Geist, I tried that one!

[ArpHowl]

Spark 2 is indeed still my favorite Drumcomputer, so to say, for someone that works completely ITB.
compatiblity issues are less on a Windows system, and Spark 2 is still impressive.

i use Spark 2 in combination with the 'old' CDM controller.

a bigger UI, some improvements, et voila; you have it!

i have Maschine (the ecosystem MK3+Jam), Punch 2, both are also great. i also use Noise Engineering for drums. Battery 4 (of course...).

but indeed, in the end i always come back to Spark 2!

the modelling! the kits, the great controller! (hope if there are plans to develop it, it won't break the compatibility with the CDM.... of course).

also for making your own drumkits. i have different approaches for making drums or drumrythms, in the latter case, i don't use a drumcomputer, because, i must control it in other ways.

i can only repaet; for drum programming with a controller inside a DAW, noting beats spark. Maschine is a good second, but still...

Spark 2 is amazing1 give it some attention, Arturia, you can do it!

[Mouette]

I was asking about a good drum machine in a Facebook group and when I mentioned I own Arturia software and hardware they mentioned Spark 2. I look around but only see a price for the Spark software but no price for the hardware. I am assuming the SparkLE hardware has been discontinued?

[artao]

I'm pretty sure yes.
The software is no longer being developed either.
The CDM controller is much better with which to use the software, tho also a good deal larger. You're best looking for it on eBay. I got a great deal on my CDM there numerous years ago.

[PaulH]

Spark is still my go-to drum VST.
Even if Arturia have stopped developing Spark, they still need to have a drum machine as part of their V Collection.

[MajorFubar]

Much to my dismay Spark has been abandoned since V Collection 5 was launched.
Personally I don't understand it; V Collection was once sold as a virtual studio in a box, everything you need, including the Spark drum machine. Then from V Collection 5 onwards, Spark became omitted, then abandoned with no updates since 2018.
I can only think Arturia thought it overlapped too much with their hardware drum-machines.
But for those of us who produce in-the-box, it's been pretty sad to see it abandoned and watch it rust.
I'm thankful they have at least produced an ARM conversion.

[artao]

It was like pulling teeth just to get that final update patch, which definitely helped a few things.
Seeing how the SparkLE hardware is still available for sale new, it SHOULD have a notice that it is no longer under active development.

[noou]

well, they've just ported Spark to Apple M1, so it's not totally dead

[wpostma]

It is also a shame that the Spark 2 software has no midi learn capability and can't be told to connect to other things.

It is a shame that the BeatStep Pro is even less capable of working with the Spark software than the non-pro original Beatstep was, which was kind of a super cheap and fun way to use Spark 2.

It is a shame that Spark 2 is ignored, relegated to a never updated product,  yet still priced at $149 for just the software, when if you paid for that and then found that it can't be midi-learned to work with your own chosen controllers, it would infuriate you.

Thankfully I just tried the demo and realized what a sad rotten bit of trash this software is in 2022.   Perhaps if you can get the hardware that it goes with, it's still useful.

But as a software application, it's sad that Arturia has let things go to rust and ruin.

[GlennH]

well, they've just ported Spark to Apple M1, so it's not totally dead

It looks like they just made it work in Rosetta, not M1 native.
I've been looking around for drum synths, and Spark 2 is my favorite, but... 
Next best thing seems to be Punch 2. Any other contenders? Not a fan of purely sample based solutions.

[artao]

Yeah. It's pretty shady that they're still selling this, particularly since they don't make it clear that it is no longer developed or maintained.
And yeah. It's WAY better with the hardware. I'm fortunate enough to have the full CDM controller. Very smooth workflow .. mostly.