The best way to see what iSpark is about, and whether it’s for you, is to watch the copious tutorial videos Arturia recently published. And frankly, it’s what I wish for from Native Instruments, too – because it might also answer the marketing problem of the iMaschine app cannibalizing sales of the more lucrative desktop hardware/software combo. Take that same controller and plug it into your computer, and the workflow continues. Add the SparkLE controller, and you get physical pads. The app looks like the SparkLE controller. What ultimately makes this most interesting really is that Arturia has coupled their hardware and app so closely. But the SparkLE has more controls and functionality, so it could be worth the extra space. The advantage of the Element is that it fits alongside your iPad more easily. So, when Arturia says “iSpark is the first iPad drum machine to benefit from a totally dedicated controller,” I guess… that depends on what “totally dedicated” and “benefit” mean. Thank KORG and KAOSS Pads on some level, too.)Īkai even works with an MPC Element controller, a slim pad grid designed to fit the form factor of the iPad. (Whether that’s ripping off Akai or not is up to you, though many developers have used this fairly natural feature of touch screens. Even the X/Y automation is something that’s in iMPC Pro.
But iMaschine doesn’t do Ableton Link yet, and you can’t use NI’s drum machine hardware with the app.Īkai’s iMPC Pro is closer – enough so that I had to compare the feature specs for each just to remember if iSpark is doing anything iMPC Pro isn’t.
Native Instruments’ iMaschine was the first mobile version of a big desktop drum machine, and it also allows you to import samples and kits created on mobile. ISpark isn’t exactly first in this territory. You can also exchange kits between the desktop and mobile versions, making this an effective satellite for the laptop version if you want to finish things there (in the studio, for instance). You can connect to other apps (Audiobus, IAA – hello, Elastic Drums and whatnot). You can drop in your own audio samples (AIFF/WAV). It also ticks a lot of other “serious” user boxes. It also comes with Ableton Link, for easy syncing and jamming with other apps, other iPads/iPhones, and Ableton Live (in any combination). And it even works with the dedicated SparkLE controller – meaning you now can go pad controller + iPad as you could controller + computer.
It really looks a whole lot like the company’s drum machine on desktop, only remade for iPad. Arturias Spark was critically acclaimed by Mo Volans earlier in 2013, so how doe the slimmed down, more portable Spark LE perform Find out in our detailed. But the question for many is, can it replace a computer?Īrturia’s iSpark isn’t shy about what it accomplishes. Even switching from ASIO to WASAPI did nothing.We know an iPad can augment a music setup. I went into preferences and tried ticking/unticking several options, but nothing helped. Now, however, using Spark is pretty much a no-go due to the lag.
So it's clearly something to do with Reaper. Spark 2 also works just fine in both Cakewalk and Ableton. The standalone Spark 2 app works just fine. So Reaper has been updated a few times since my last working period. Like I said, it's been a couple few months since I've really done any work. I don't recall the last time I ran Reaper with a project that uses Spark. Playback is still smooth, but the interface becomes virtually unusable.
I discovered that any project that uses Spark 2 drum software (which I use all the time, it's my go-to drums) has become extremely laggy. Haven't been feeling creative for a couple months, but today decided to open a few WIP projects.