Nektar Aruba - Beat Composer Pad Controller

Full Description

Ultra-responsive and customisable pads with note repeat engine

At its core, the Aruba features 16 large RGB pads, each velocity and pressure-sensitive, that can be fine-tuned to match your personal playing style. The pads respond accurately to the lightest touch for consistent and realistic performance every time. Furthermore, using the Aruba’s Bias parameter, you can adjust the overall velocity curve response from linear to logarithmic or exponential. You can also customise the way your pads feel and react using the variety of customisable parameters. You can do everything from adjust the pad's pressure, use it to bend the pitch of a sound or incorporate MIDI CCs.

Not only that, but using the powerful note repeat engine you can instantly generate repeated notes - ideal for creating hi-hat patterns, snare rolls and more. The onboard transport controls allow you to navigate your chosen DAW with ease including dedicated buttons for recording, fast forwarding/rewind, activating the click track and more.

Onboard step sequencer and advanced plugin control

What sets the Aruba apart from conventional pad controllers is the in-depth plugin control it provides, allowing you to control parameters within a plugin using the onboard potentiometers and pads. You can do everything from adjust LFO cutoffs within a synthesizer plugin to controlling effects and more. The onboard step sequencer is perfect for creating loops, drum sequences and even melodies. With 64 steps on offer, you can create rhythmic patterns with each - with each pattern featuring up to four parts in total. Not only is it great for music production, but the real-time performance features also makes it perfect for the stage.

Nektarine instrument plugin with advanced mapping capabilities

With deep integration and advanced control over the included Nektarine instrument plugin to curate your kits from your sample library. Nektarine features a rack-style view which allows you to incorporate a range of modular plugins including four studio-grade FX plugins. You can also use the browser to navigate between sounds and save your favourites or search for a certain sound using the advanced tagging menu. It even features an onboard mixer with four insert FX slots per instrument channel; allowing you to balance your different instruments and create a cohesive sound.

Equipped with over 500 drum sounds in total, Nektarine puts true sonic power at your fingertips - complete with a range of onboard virtual instruments filled with high-end, studio-grade sound content. Included with Nektarine is the DP-1 drum player, allowing you to drag and drop samples directly from Aruba with selectable sample rates. One of the most unique features of the DP-1 is the "1982" button which is perfect for re-creating the classic 'crunchy' sound, normally associated with vintage analog drum machines.

Robust design with crisp TFT display

Navigating between sounds, settings and parameters is made easy thanks to the crisp TFT display. From navigating between settings to mixing your sounds; the colour display provides instant visual feedback. A helpful tool when it comes to step sequencing, the screen displays four step rows with four parts; providing a visual representation of your sequenced' steps along with parameter values such as velocity, swing, play rate and more. It also features dedicated buttons for navigating between the various modes including internal, menu, sequence and DAW buttons. There are also directional buttons for navigation as well as offering real-time editing. You can also use the Aruba with a wide range of external gear, with a connection for footswitches and a MIDI output connector for use with external MIDI gear such as synths, keyboards and other controllers.

Features

• 16 RGB colour illuminated velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads for dynamic performance
• 8 robust potentiometers with 360-degree endless rotation
• TFT color display (320x240 px) with 4 soft buttons for easy navigation
• 16 RGB LED buttons for visual feedback
• 8 Nektarine buttons for direct access to essential functions like Patches, Mixer, Pad Setup, Plugins, and more
• 6 mode buttons for versatile control
• 7 LED-illuminated transport buttons for smooth navigation
• Fully MIDI-programmable pads, switches, and potentiometers
• 16 Presets for storing all internal settings (not required when using Nektarine)
• Durable housing with an aluminum top for long-lasting use
• MIDI Out connector for seamless integration with other devices
• 1/4" TRS footswitch socket compatible with up to 2 footswitches (optional Y-adaptor needed)
• USB connector for easy connectivity
• PSU connector (PSU not included)
• Kensington Lock connector for added security
• Step Sequencer with storage for 16 Collections of 16 Patterns each
• Each Pattern can have up to 4 parts, totaling up to 64 steps
• Dedicated programming interface with 16 RGB buttons and part selection buttons
• Real-time performance features like solo, mute, instant start options, and more
• Trigger sequencer parts in any combination at any time
• Independent settings per part, including play rate, step length, velocity, accent, gate, swing, and more
• Extensive editing features down to the step level
• Internal and external clock operation with Latch automation on/off
• Pad Repeat Engine with 8 adjustable real-time parameters, including note length, accent level, interval, and repeat rate
• Dedicated Repeat rate settings and activation buttons
• Display soft button for instant pressure-to-velocity assignment
• Tap tempo feature for precise timing
• Internal and external clock operation for versatile syncing
• Nektarine software compatibility: AAX, AU, VST, VST3 plugin version, and stand-alone application for OSX & Windows
• Load any VST, VST3, and AU instrument plugins
• DP-1 drum sample player included (supports AIFF and WAV files up to 24 Bit / 192 kHz)
• 16 instrument plugin slots for comprehensive sound design
• Each instrument slot includes choke, volume, pan, mute/solo, and sends 1-4 controls
• 4 effect insert plugin slots per instrument (AU / VST / VST3 FX)
• 4 send effect plugin slots (AU / VST / VST3 FX)
• Pads View for easy kit overview and fast kit creation using the integrated Browser Pane
• Mixer View for efficient kit mixing
• Store instrument and FX plugin patches along with Nektarine Multi-Patches
• Browser Settings remembered per plugin slot
• Handles all pad, plugin, and patch management with complete control from ARUBA
• Control page editor for customizing Nektar plugin maps or creating new ones from scratch
• Full parameter feedback with real-time display updates
• Scale and Chords mode for creative track building
• Multi-Patch with Pad settings saved as 'Default' load as default – all browser settings can be saved with tags for slots tag 'kick', slot 1, etc.
• Drum Sample Library with over 500 sounds and patches, including acoustic, electronic, and drum machine samples

Specifications

• DAW Integration Support:
  • Ableton Live Suite
  • Apple Logic + Garageband
  • Bitwig 8-Track + Studio
  • Cakewalk by Bandlab
  • Cockos Reaper
  • MOTU Digital Performer
  • Presonus Studio One
  • Reason Studios Reason
  • Steinberg Cubase + Nuendo
• System Requirements:
  • USB: USB class compliant (no driver needed)
  • USB Power Requirement: 500 mA
  • 9v DC Power Requirement: 500 – 600 mA, center positive
  • ARUBA: works with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 or higher. Mac OS X 10.5 or higher, Linux (Ubuntu)
  • Nektarine and Nektar DAW Integration: Windows 8,10 or higher. Mac OS X 10.11 or higher
• Connections:
  • MIDI Out connector
  • 1/4″ TRS footswitch socket (for up to 2 footswitches using optional Y-adaptor)
  • USB connector
  • PSU connector (PSU not included)
  • Kensington Lock connector
• Dimensions (LxDxH): 30.1 x 23.1 x 4.5 cm
• Weight: 1.4 kg
• Product Code: NEKTAR-ARUBA