Nektar Aruba Beat Composer

NEKTAR ARUBA BEAT COMPOSER – MAKE YOUR OWN BEAT!

Nektar ARUBA is a powerful beat making and performance instrument. This MIDI Pad Controller has 16 hyper-sensitive RGB illuminated pads, an on-board step sequencer, a flexible pad repeat engine and incredible plugin control.

The included Nektarine software turns ARUBA into a complete beat making solution. Start creating right away with the built-in DP-1 drum player and play any of your own or the included drum samples. Want more? Create kits using any combination of VST, VST3, AU plugins and audio samples. ARUBA and Nektarine put a complete powerhouse for inspired beat creation at your fingertips. Get into the zone – Make your own beat!

A PAD INSTRUMENT THAT RESPONDS TO YOUR FINGERS!

Anything that can be done in the Nektarine software, can be done from ARUBA – from pad setup to performance control of plugin parameters. And once a kit is loaded in Nektarine, you’re ready to go.

ARUBA’s 16 RGB-illuminated pads are great for finger drumming and trigger at the lightest touch. Pad sensitivity can be adjusted on a per-pad-basis to ensure a nice even response across all pads. Additionally, a Bias parameter lets you adjust the overall velocity curve response from linear to logarithmic or exponential. Other curve options include a Dynamic response where the velocity value is set at a medium point with the rest of the curve adjusted accordingly. Fixed and step options are also included if you prefer a more rigid response.

Pad pressure is assignable to Aftertouch (channel and poly) , Pitch Bend or MIDI CCs. Pad pressure can be a great dynamic performance element for sustaining sounds such as press a pad to slightly bend pitch on a percussion sound, as you can do on a Djembe.

Each pad is illuminated by an RGB LED, providing a total of 16 distinct colors. 8 mode buttons give one-press-access to key functions, including Mixer, pad setup, Instrument and effect plugin control, browsing and solo/mute. The eight 360 degree analog pots offer smooth control of parameters with a solid and consistent feel.

ARUBA is an instrument that gives you all the control when you need it, complete with updates on the 3.5” TFT color display. Though your computer may always be close at hand, everything can be done from ARUBA – so you can focus on beat creation without any distractions.

PAD REPEAT

ARUBA’s on-board Pad Repeat engine is directly accessible, offering a dedicated on/off button and settings menu. Use Repeat to create rolls or other percussive lines, that would be hard to play by hand. The repeat settings are highly customizable with realtime parameters for groove and speed control – all right under your fingertips on ARUBA’s 8 potentiometers.

Looking for some instant Trap-style hihat lines? The first 6 RGB LED buttons right above the display switch repeat rates in realtime. Create truly dynamic rolls by using pad pressure to control velocity while changing the repeat rates with the LED buttons. Other parameters include Repeat Rate, Gate, Accent Interval, Accent Velocity Offset, Swing, Trigger Mode and Clock Source.

ARUBA HARDWARE OVERVIEW

ARUBA’s hardware is all about realtime access and performance: A host of controls ensures direct access to key features without any menu diving. At the center are 16 large RGB pads – they are velocity and pressure-sensitive and can be fine-tuned to match your personal playing style. ARUBA’s 8 heavy-duty rotary pots are always assigned to control a selected feature’s parameters with their assignments shown on the color TFT display. 4 display buttons give access to additional settings, MIDI assignments or secondary menus. Dedicated buttons make it easy to switch between different modes: Internal MIDI controller, Step Sequencer, Pad Repeat or DAW Control are always just one button-press away.

The hardware Step Sequencer is programmed like a classic drum machine from the 16 small RGB buttons. Each pad can be programmed with its own independent sequence. You can solo, mute or trigger sequences simply by hitting a pad and control other parameters from the pots, which makes the Sequencer an excellent realtime performance tool. The MIDI Out on ARUBA’s back lets you sequence external MIDI gear and can also be used as a MIDI interface from the computer.

Then there’s the transport section for DAW Control: With Nektar DAW Integration everything’s set up for instant control of your DAW’s transport functions from ARUBA. In this mode, the pots let you set locators, select tracks, navigate and even set up a connected footswitch for transport control. Without DAW integration, the transport buttons can be assigned to MIDI functions or to control the sequencer. The 2 footswitches are also MIDI-assignable.

In combination with Nektarine, the Nektarine Buttons come alive and give you access to deep plugin control of your VST, VST3 and AU plugins; Build maps as deep as you like and control the assigned plugins, sends or insert FX from ARUBA – with full parameter feedback on ARUBA’s screen. Nektarine also includes Chord and Scale modes, so you can use the pads to play chromatically or assign chords to each pad.

ARUBA WORKING WITH YOUR DAW

ARUBA works as a pad and MIDI controller with any MIDI software but the included Nektarine software adds another dimension. Load Nektarine in any VST, VST3, AU or AAX compatible plugin host and you’ll experience ARUBA control VST, VST3 and AU plugins, load audio samples and create combination pad setups with drum sounds from any source.

ARUBA also comes with Nektar DAW integration software for many of the most poplar DAWs. Nektar DAW integration adds extra functionality that helps the process of recording beats in your DAW. Scrolling through tracks updates the ARUBA display, showing the track name and hosted instruments. When you select a track hosting Nektarine, the DAW integration knows. If multiple instances of Nektarine are used in a project, ARUBA even knows which of many instances are on the current track. This ensures that pads are always updated correctly along with all other ARUBA settings.

From the DAW page, the Song Position or play head can be moved. Loop length can be set and the loop point moved using the pots. A button combination moves the Song Position/play head to the left loop point, ready for recording.

The dedicated transport buttons enable Click, forward/rewind, loop on/off, stop, play, record, set loop points, goto left loop point, undo and automation read/write. Transport functions are always accessible, regardless of what menu is selected on ARUBA. With DAW integration installed, you are ready to record beats anywhere in the project, without having to reach for the mouse.

Nektar DAW Integration software for ARUBA currently supports: Ableton Live Suite, Bitwig, Cubase, Digital Performer, Garageband, Logic, Nuendo, Reaper, Reason, Studio One and Sonar/Cakewalk.