To me the biggest draw of Peak over the ultranova is the UI, with over 50 controls the peak is a joy to tweak. The ultra isn't that bad but when the section has over 8 parameters I hated going to the second page. And the screen could be better, at some angles it is very hard to see.
It is a shame, I like novation synths, they are a lot of bang for the buck but they can't make the synth I really want: the ultranova lacks knobs and the Peak lacks keyboard. I would really have gotten peak, but since I need a KB I will have to get a System8 even if it's engine is more limited and lacks AT, but it has 76 controls and sequencer.
Novation Peak- not impressed
-
- KVRAF
- 3897 posts since 28 Jan, 2011 from MEXICO
dedication to flying
-
- KVRist
- 40 posts since 7 Apr, 2016
While I love the idea, spec:s, and layout of the Peak when it works as it should, there are bugs in my Peak that are so serious that it is not very useful for sound design.
Quite often when using the menus, the parameters change in an unpredictable and uncontrollable way. It is not that the parameters change without me touching the synth, but when I change one parameter, other parameters change *in addition to the parameter that I intended to change myself*.
E.g. when turning the dial to the right of the display (labeled 57 in the manual) to change the value in one row of the mod matrix, the value on another row unintendedly changes simultaneously!
And, most unfortunate, when I try to save a self made patch, just tapping the save button four times to quickly save the patch at current slot, a couple of parameters can change drastically during this process, effectively making me loose the patch that I spent a lot of time creating...
This is my first hardware synth ever. My reason for buying it was not to get a unique sounding piece of equipment, but rather to get something that inspires me to design my own sound - lots of dials and sliders that give direct tweakability of almost all paramaters, something that encourages experimentation and gives a fast workflow. Unfortunately, this problem makes patch creation even slower than fiddling with software synths on my computer, since I now spend a lot of time on workarounds when the parameters won't stay at the values I want them to.
Is this a known problem or am I the only one that have reported anything like this? This problem turns the synth to an expensive patch player, rather than a tool that I can use to create my own sounds... I have visited Novations www-page, but it is not obvious where to navigate to submit bug reports. I have tried to e-mail them a couple of days ago, but have not yet received any reply.
(There are other bugs too, e.g. with the arpeggiator, and the pickup function, but this post is long enough already...)
Quite often when using the menus, the parameters change in an unpredictable and uncontrollable way. It is not that the parameters change without me touching the synth, but when I change one parameter, other parameters change *in addition to the parameter that I intended to change myself*.
E.g. when turning the dial to the right of the display (labeled 57 in the manual) to change the value in one row of the mod matrix, the value on another row unintendedly changes simultaneously!
And, most unfortunate, when I try to save a self made patch, just tapping the save button four times to quickly save the patch at current slot, a couple of parameters can change drastically during this process, effectively making me loose the patch that I spent a lot of time creating...
This is my first hardware synth ever. My reason for buying it was not to get a unique sounding piece of equipment, but rather to get something that inspires me to design my own sound - lots of dials and sliders that give direct tweakability of almost all paramaters, something that encourages experimentation and gives a fast workflow. Unfortunately, this problem makes patch creation even slower than fiddling with software synths on my computer, since I now spend a lot of time on workarounds when the parameters won't stay at the values I want them to.
Is this a known problem or am I the only one that have reported anything like this? This problem turns the synth to an expensive patch player, rather than a tool that I can use to create my own sounds... I have visited Novations www-page, but it is not obvious where to navigate to submit bug reports. I have tried to e-mail them a couple of days ago, but have not yet received any reply.
(There are other bugs too, e.g. with the arpeggiator, and the pickup function, but this post is long enough already...)
-
- KVRist
- 40 posts since 7 Apr, 2016
I think I have finally solved the problem!
I have mainly used Ableton Live to control Peak up till now. My MIDI connection to Peak consists of two MIDI cables, from and to my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. (I play Peak with my Nektar Panorama P4 connected to my computer.)
I discovered yesterday that if unplug the MIDI out cable from Peak it seems as if my problem disappears. Trying to program Peak when connected to Propellerheads Reason instead of Live, it seems as if the MIDI out cable does not cause any problems.
Moreover, using the mod wheel of my MIDI controller to control Peak also works badly in Live (if I sweep slowly with the mod wheel, the signal sent to Peak gets stepped, i.e. no smooth change), but it works without problems in Reason.
Maybe I get some kind of weird MIDI loop in Live? Too bad. I'd rather use Live for the music I am currently making. But non the less happy that my Peak is fine! (If anyone knows the reason for Live behaving this way, I'd be grateful...)
I have mainly used Ableton Live to control Peak up till now. My MIDI connection to Peak consists of two MIDI cables, from and to my Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. (I play Peak with my Nektar Panorama P4 connected to my computer.)
I discovered yesterday that if unplug the MIDI out cable from Peak it seems as if my problem disappears. Trying to program Peak when connected to Propellerheads Reason instead of Live, it seems as if the MIDI out cable does not cause any problems.
Moreover, using the mod wheel of my MIDI controller to control Peak also works badly in Live (if I sweep slowly with the mod wheel, the signal sent to Peak gets stepped, i.e. no smooth change), but it works without problems in Reason.
Maybe I get some kind of weird MIDI loop in Live? Too bad. I'd rather use Live for the music I am currently making. But non the less happy that my Peak is fine! (If anyone knows the reason for Live behaving this way, I'd be grateful...)
-
- KVRist
- 336 posts since 23 Apr, 2011 from Seattle WA
I had similar odd midi parameter changes when using a Novation Nova within Live.
Check out my cloud! https://soundcloud.com/schmidi_0
-
- KVRian
- 527 posts since 22 Sep, 2016
How do folks feel about this synth now? I'm in the middle of a toss up between the Peak, a DSI-Rev2 desktop, and a Modor nf-1m. The 1m is by far the cheapest (and is all digital...don't know if I should even compare) but, it's also the weirdest of the 3, and I'm looking for something a bit different. The Rev2 certainly seems tempting (by its specs) but, I haven't seen anyone do anything particularly impressive with one on YouTube with one. I kind of felt the same way about the Peak but, one thing about the Peak and Rev2 videos is that all the guys seem to just jam the presets and barely tweak them. I just saw THIS video from a guy who actually does some programming from scratch, and I have to say I am impressed. He makes it look so easy.
https://youtu.be/ZTlJbTOkuHg
https://youtu.be/ZTlJbTOkuHg
-
- KVRian
- 938 posts since 21 Aug, 2017 from Brasil
Listen to thisW23 wrote:How do folks feel about this synth now? I'm in the middle of a toss up between the Peak, a DSI-Rev2 desktop
https://youtu.be/IK9_kUWUUzc?t=8m1s
and this
https://youtu.be/lNZ83epRGQE
For me the Novation PEAK sounds a *lot* better...
BTW, Novation can improve and add new tricks to the PEAK´s FPGAs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-pro ... gate_array
-
- KVRian
- 527 posts since 22 Sep, 2016
I have to agree with you. To be honest, I haven't seen anything yet that really impresses me regarding the Rev 2, as much as I want to really like it (the modulation heavy patches don't grab me much, and the Rev 2 always sounds "dark"). Now, the Pro 2....that's a different story. Even though it's only 4 voice Paraphonic, it may very well be the only thing that gives the Peak a run for its money (at 700 dollars more than the peak but, with a keyboard). I keep hearing stories about the Peak having issues for some people which makes me question what kind of quality control is going on at Novation. The FGPA sounds like a real game changer thoughPictus wrote:Listen to thisW23 wrote:How do folks feel about this synth now? I'm in the middle of a toss up between the Peak, a DSI-Rev2 desktop
https://youtu.be/IK9_kUWUUzc?t=8m1s
and this
https://youtu.be/lNZ83epRGQE
For me the Novation PEAK sounds a *lot* better...
BTW, Novation can improve and add new tricks to the PEAK´s FPGAs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-pro ... gate_array
-
- KVRian
- 938 posts since 21 Aug, 2017 from Brasil
The Rev 2 does not satisfy...
The Pro 2 is a different beast in many ways, but with $700 you can
get stuff like a K-Board Pro 4 or a Behringer Model D and a Touché.
If it is to consider the DSI Pro 2, the MatrixBrute sounds more interesting...
https://youtu.be/rldIeYL34WI
The Pro 2 is a different beast in many ways, but with $700 you can
get stuff like a K-Board Pro 4 or a Behringer Model D and a Touché.
If it is to consider the DSI Pro 2, the MatrixBrute sounds more interesting...
https://youtu.be/rldIeYL34WI
-
- KVRAF
- 2822 posts since 14 Feb, 2001 from What do you care? :)
I'm kind of glad that the Peak didn't turn out to be the show stopper that if seemed it might be. Going to keep with my NovaII and Ultranova (and Blofeld) for now. I kind of wish that they would update the Ultranova to make it multi-timbral (of at teast bi-timbral) but am not going to hold my breath.
Agreed that for an additional $700 the Matrixbrute DOES sound more interesting. Personally, I think I would either wait for a used Peak to come along (if I really wanted to go that route), or save up for the Arturia.
Agreed that for an additional $700 the Matrixbrute DOES sound more interesting. Personally, I think I would either wait for a used Peak to come along (if I really wanted to go that route), or save up for the Arturia.
Available on iTunes, Amazon, etc.
-
- KVRAF
- 7540 posts since 7 Aug, 2003 from San Francisco Bay Area
I was just reading over this thread and had forgotten that I posted after canceling my Peak preorder. Well, I eventually found a really good price on an unblemished b-stock unit and bought it. I have to say, I absolutely love this synth! It isn’t perfect, and I could list a small handful of areas for improvement, but overall I’m really happy with it. I don’t know what the problem was, but almost all of the demo videos I saw were really underwhelming. It was only Sonic State and then Mylarmelodies videos which swayed me.
Incomplete list of my gear: 1/8" audio input jack.
-
- KVRAF
- 2822 posts since 14 Feb, 2001 from What do you care? :)
That's what I may do eventually. Look for a b-stock or just wait and see if a used one comes along. In the meantime, I have plently of other gear priorities, including some possible new libraries, etc. Right now a new synth is not a necessity for me. Looking to actually creating a lot more in 2018 and making better usage of the things I already have. 
-
- KVRian
- 1339 posts since 25 Sep, 2011 from New York
Reality is a Condition due to Lack of Weed!
-
- KVRAF
- 5678 posts since 25 Dec, 2004
thinking of selling my Tempest to buy one
sketches... http://soundcloud.com/onesnzeros
some artists i support... https://bandcamp.com/spectraselecta
some artists i support... https://bandcamp.com/spectraselecta
-
- KVRer
- 26 posts since 15 Feb, 2014 from Göttingen, DE
The peak is still a synth which is widely misunderstand - so my personal impression after more then a half year of intensive tweaking with. If you just put in typical, classical subtractive synth patches as "usual" in a sub synth the Peak sounds "ok" until "good" - but this is not the intention of the new architecture behind.
peoples with deeper experience i.e. in U-He Bazille may understand some of the concepts behind a bit better. The Peak could sound very, very (!) punchy, soft, deep and/or hard, i you know how to do that. Some deeper knowledge about audio signal mechanism is helpful.
To get it sounding "fat" or "strong analog" you have to know what you understand as "analog" or "fat in that scenario - and have to "do" this old the Peak. There are a lot of nice features for that - partly under the first hood - to get a patch tweaked into analog doom (not only the different pre and post filter drive, distortion, saturation, spread etc. parameters...).
And there are many peoples not understanding the clever modulating knob assignments (i taked some weeks to understand how "much more" - i.e. modulation targets and parameters - there is behind (with just a simple knob switch).
i have some free patches to try on my page, if someone like to try...
The Peak allows a complete analog path from the oscillator our to line out - the FX is "switchable" / mixable freely in/out for people don't want to have any DA/AD in the output path (and so no FX).
best regards,
niels.
peoples with deeper experience i.e. in U-He Bazille may understand some of the concepts behind a bit better. The Peak could sound very, very (!) punchy, soft, deep and/or hard, i you know how to do that. Some deeper knowledge about audio signal mechanism is helpful.
To get it sounding "fat" or "strong analog" you have to know what you understand as "analog" or "fat in that scenario - and have to "do" this old the Peak. There are a lot of nice features for that - partly under the first hood - to get a patch tweaked into analog doom (not only the different pre and post filter drive, distortion, saturation, spread etc. parameters...).
And there are many peoples not understanding the clever modulating knob assignments (i taked some weeks to understand how "much more" - i.e. modulation targets and parameters - there is behind (with just a simple knob switch).
i have some free patches to try on my page, if someone like to try...
The Peak allows a complete analog path from the oscillator our to line out - the FX is "switchable" / mixable freely in/out for people don't want to have any DA/AD in the output path (and so no FX).
best regards,
niels.
---
((d^b))
dettenbach audio
http://dettenbach.com
B+B patches for Novation Peak:
http://dettenbach.com/sounds/synthesize ... ation_peak
((d^b))
dettenbach audio
http://dettenbach.com
B+B patches for Novation Peak:
http://dettenbach.com/sounds/synthesize ... ation_peak
-
- KVRian
- 652 posts since 2 Mar, 2015 from UK
I wonder if I can use the CV out on my Odyssey into the CV in of the Peak. There's some very nice videos demoing it and some bad ones. it satisfies my lust for a polyphonic analog as well as something like a hardware version of Zebra HZ yes I know Zebra does far more but the Peak get's closer than the others.
