Arturia Debuts Uber-Mobile SparkLE Drum Machine & MiniLab MIDI Controller

At NAMM today, Arturia debuted their new SparkLE Creative Drum Machine and the MiniLab Universal MIDI controller.

SparkLE is Arturia’s hybrid beat production center combining hardware hands-on control with software strength and integration.

SparkLE Creative Drum Machine ($299)

Where Arturia’s SPARK Creative Drum Machine combined TAE® (True Analog Emulation) synthesis, sample playback (with multiple layering modes and post-processing), and physical modelling technologies with the intuitive workflow of a hardware drum machine; today, SparkLE Creative Drum Machine takes this concept to the masses in an all-new, ultra-portable package priced at $299.00.

The slimline SparkLE hardware measures 1.6cm in depth and comes with a neoprene slipcase for easy portability.

According to Arturia…SparkLE Creative Drum Machine serves up classic ‘TR-style’ workflow via its brightly backlit step sequencer buttons, while a musical platter of bangin’ beats can quite literally be banged out using its eight velocity- and pressure-sensitive backlit pads. Live performances are a breeze thanks to the advanced Looper and beat-slicing functions, while beats can be transformed on the fly with the touch-sensitive FX pad that features eight filter modes (including the famed Oberheim SEM V filter featured in Arturia’s Oberheim SEM V soft synth namesake) and seven Slicer modes.

Three assignable encoders ease writing automation and realtime sound control. More musical still, TUNE mode permits playing sounds chromatically across those 16 step sequencer buttons or eight pads — try having the kick drum follow the bass root note for truly trouser-flapping lows, play a synth bass/lead sound, or transform percussion sounds into pitched instruments!

Software-wise, SparkLE makes use of the same full-featured Spark Engine software shipping with the original Spark. It includes an awesome library of over 1,500 instruments and 100 kits, providing top-notch, professional sounds covering a variety of dancefloor-friendly genres and stylings, ever-expandable with Arturia add-ons (like the Hip Hop Essentials and DubStep Essentials Expansion Packs).

SparkLE Creative Drum Machine will be available to purchase from the Arturia online store or any dealer for $299 starting in mid-March 2013.

The MiniLab ($129)

Next up, Arturia’s new MiniLab is a compact, feature-rich USB MIDI Controller, featuring 25 velocity-sensitive mini-keys alongside brand-new pitch and modulation touch-strip controls.

16 multifunction encoders ensure everything is at hand to program or perform, and two banks of brightly backlit performance pads can be easily assigned as pads, MIDI CC buttons, or program change switches for even speedier interactions with whatever device MiniLab is connected to (via its recessed USB bus-power port and sustain pedal input).

According to Arturia… At the heart of MiniLab is the benevolently bundled Analog Lab software solution. With over 5,000 legendary classic keyboard and synth sounds carefully chosen from the Mini V, Modular V, CS-80 V, ARP2600 V, Jupiter-8V, Prophet 5, Prophet VS, Oberheim SEM V, and Wurlitzer V range of Analog Classic software instruments, Analog Lab offers speedy and simple editing with the most essential parameters for personalizing presets available onscreen and for tweaking using the MiniLab controls. Notably, those TAE® (True Analog Emulation) synthesis-powered sounds are not sample-based, but are actually running the full synth engine behind the scenes, so offer unparalleled flexibility.

Owners of those individual Analog Classics or the V Collection 3.0 bundle can open an Analog Lab sound, edit it in the original software instrument, then add it to their Analog Lab library. iniLab is also compatible with Apple iPad and iPhone products (using a camera connection kit).

MiniLab will be available to purchase from the Arturia online store or any dealer for $129.00 starting in mid-March 2013.

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