Novation - Peak 8 Voice Polysynth

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https://global.novationmusic.com/synths/peak/user-guides-downloads
https://global.novationmusic.com/peak-explained










Tech Spec
Technical Specifications
Product Hardware Specifications

42 Control knobs
8 35mm Sliders
1 Volume knob
2 Data encoders
Rubberised knob caps with spun metal discs
30 Function buttons (not lit)
16 Function buttons (lit)
2 Animate buttons plus hold button
90 Indicator LEDs
OLED display
Kensington Security Slot
Power switch
Power supply connector
USB socket for system / MIDI comms only (no bus-power)
MIDI In / Out / Thru
2 1/4" jack socket for continuous or switched pedals
3.5mm jack socket for CV in
1/4" jack sockets for left and right outputs
1/4" jack socket for headphone output
Metal chassis with American walnut wooden end cheeks
Metal magnetic inset end pieces
Synth Engine

8 note polyphony (dependent on voices used per note)
Mono-Timbral
5 Voice Modes - Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, Poly2
Per voice

3 oscillators
1 noise generator
1 ring modulator
2 LFOs
1 Amp envelope and 2 mod envelopes
1 Filter
Waveforms include:

Sine, tri, sawtooth, square / pulse plus 17 wavetables of 5 waveforms per row
Filter

1x State variable OTA filter per voice
12/24dB slope
Low-pass / band-pass / high-pass
Pre-filter overdrive
Post-filter distortion
Modulation

16 modulation slots per patch
Each slot has 2 sources to 1 destination
Mod sources (17)

Direct (depth)
Modulation wheel
Aftertouch (polyphonic and channel AT)
Expression pedal 1
Expression pedal 2
Keyboard velocity
LFO1 positive
LFO1 bi-polar
LFO2 positive
LFO2 bi-polar
Amp envelope
Mod envelope 1
Mod envelope 2
Animate 1
Animate 2
CV mod input bi-polar
Mod destinations (37)

Oscillator 1-3 frequency, v-sync level, shape amount and level
Noise source level
Ring modulator output level
Overal synth output level
Filter drive, distortion, cut-off frequency and resonance
LFO 1 and 2 frequency
Amp env / mod env 1 / mod env 2 attack, decay and release
FM Osc 1 -> osc 2, osc 2 -> osc 3, osc 3 -> osc 1 and noise -> osc 1
Osc 3 -> filter cutoff frequency
Noise -> filter cutoff frequency
Effects

Analogue distortion
Chorus - 3 types
Delay with 16 types of delay sync, LP and HP damping, slew and stereo
Reverb - 3 types
Misc

Arpeggiator w/ key latch – 33 patterns
Patch storage - up to 512 on hardware (ships with 256 factory patches)
Glide
All knobs (excl. volume), sliders and most buttons transmit and receive MIDI cc commands for external control and mapping
Software Compatibility

Ableton Live Lite 9 is included
Peak is a USB-MIDI class compliant device
Power Requirements

Maximum power consumption 12V DC 1A
Product Dimensions

233mm (9.17") width x 464mm (18.27") depth x 70.5mm (2.78") height


The Oscillators

Originally designed by Chris Huggett (OSC OSCar), the oscillators are generated by an FPGA that Novation claims to generate mathematically pure waveforms. Novation calls this the Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO). The integrated DAC on the FPGA oversamples at above 24 MHz which ensures aliasing is not an issue. The result is a digital oscillator that is indistinguishable from an analog one (setting aside drift and other inconsistencies). You get three of these oscillators with four standard waveforms and 17 different wavetables.

Aside from the level for the main three oscillators, you also get a ring mod and noise generator level control on the mixer section.
Having a digital oscillator section on an analog synth is not new. Dave Smith has done this for a long time with his polysynths which has always resulted in a stable & versatile oscillator section which features like cross mod & ring mod.
Peak's digital oscillator is indistinguishable from an analog one (setting aside drift and other inconsistencies).
The Filter

The Multimode (Low Pass/Band Pass/High Pass) filter is a resonant analog one with LFO & Envelope modulation, key tracking and the irreplaceable Overdrive. Very rare to see synth filters without overdrive these days. You also get Filter FM via the 3rd oscillator. The tonality of this filter is not too different from the Bass Station and has a very smooth filter frequency control without any of that zipper effect.


Modulators

Nothing too fancy here. Two LFOs, one Amp & two Mod envelopes. The FPGA generates these modulators at the oversampling rate so the result is very snappy envelopes and LFOs that go up to audio rate, specifically 1.6 kHz. Most of the standard modulation has direct controls on the synth but there's also a Mod Matrix menu option to make specific modulation assignments.
I've never been extremely impressed with onboard digital effects on synths, but the ones on Peak blew me away.
Effects Section

I've never been extremely impressed with onboard digital effects on synths, but the ones on Peak blew me away. The FPGA again takes the load of working the effects section, not before oversampling the analog signal at 90 kHz and higher. You get an Overdrive, Chorus, Delay & a Reverb. You can have them run in parallel or in any series combinations.

There are some controls for the effects on the surface but in the effects menu you can dive deeper and tweak addition settings.
Global Options

There's a pretty nifty arpeggiator with a variety of arpeggiation mode controls, gate length control and swing as well as rhythmic variation options. My only gripe is that the arpeggiation is always locked to tempo. I like setting up really fast free running arpeggiations which are quite difficult when the only fastest option is a 32nd triplet.
There's a global glide option which works in poly as well as mono modes.
In the Oscillator menu section you have Virtual Hard Sync, which syncs the selected oscillator to a hidden oscillator. You also have access to FM cross modulation options but in my tests the FM index was just not high enough to get a typical bright FM tone.

From an educator standpoint my favorite feature on this synth is the fact that the display shows you the current parameter value of whatever you are controlling as well as the set value of that control in the current preset. This makes it great for tweaking and reverse engineering presets.
Novation have definitely created a winner here with Peak.
Conclusion

I've just scratched the surface with this synth. It's a real powerhouse in a compact form factor with the ability to create classic analog tones as well as modern digital ones. The desktop form factor is welcome in this age of keyboard synths dominating the market. The MIDI implementation is very comprehensive so integrating it with a DAW setup or a good MIDI controller will produce excellent results. Novation have definitely created a winner here with Peak.

Pros: Very clean oscillators, characterful filter and fantastic effects section
Cons: FM Index not very high. Effects parameters cannot be modulated internally. Price could be a tad lower.
Price: $1299 USD / £1249 GBP
Web: https://global.novationmusic.com/synths/peak

QuoteRishabh Rajan is an award winning music producer & educator currently based in New York.


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http://cdm.link/2017/04/heres-video-tour-novations-drool-worthy-peak-polysynth/
Here's a video tour of Novation's drool-worthy Peak polysynth

There's a lot that can be said about the Peak, but here are the two obvious advantages.

First, those digital oscillators are quite clever. It maybe tripped up marketing and some press initially, but the point here is that these should really be indistinguishable from analog equivalents – while with the flexibility (and cost, and power draw) of digital oscillators.

Second, while there is a display, it seems there's almost no menu diving involved. Each section of the instrument is readily accessible, including the effects. Modulation uses the display, but in a perfectly logical way. And all that power is still kept neat and tidy. I'm keen to play it, because it could be a really ideal desktop poly.

More soon. I'll be talking in some detail to the Novation team.



Novation have launched a brand new desktop synthesizer today called Peak. The new design combines digital oscillators using the company's newly-developed Oxford Oscillator technology, with a multi-mode analogue filter, and a plethora of modulation options.

Designed by Chris Huggett, the man behind the Wasp, OSCar,  Bass Station (I and II) and the Novation Nova synths, the Peak certainly has a promising provenance.

Thanks to the use of digital oscillators, we get all the regular analogue-style waveforms as well as a selection of wavetables and the ability to get into FM territory through the modulation matrix.

Throw in onboard bread-and-butter effects: Chorus, Delay, Reverb and Distortion, as well as two 'Animate' controls for swift engagement of performance parameters, and this looks like a strong contender, especially considering its price. We're not talking pocket money, but £1249 for an eight-voice polysynth really isn't bad.

Read our full review in the upcoming May 2017 issue, out April 20. You can a get Peak for yourself when they start shipping, mid-May.

https://www.novationmusic.com/



https://ask.audio/articles/novation-releases-peak-synth-first-look-video-indepth-review