Novation UltraNova!!!!

[rob_lee]

I'd have put the money into the new UltraNova had it been multi-timbral but iv'e did a complete U turn just because it isn't.

Same.

It would have been a No Brainer IMO had the UltraNova even been 4 part multi

Im sure if the Novation guys are reading here they'll realise a *BIG BOLLOCK* has been dropped with the number of sales lost because of this missing feature.
£499.99 for monotimbral... maybe ok for the big hitters and people who wipe their arses on £50 notes however for the people at the lower end of the stick then the price isn't justified.

Rob

[Kriminal]

I'd have put the money into the new UltraNova had it been multi-timbral but iv'e did a complete U turn just because it isn't.

Same.

It would have been a No Brainer IMO had the UltraNova even been 4 part multi

Im sure if the Novation guys are reading here they'll realise a *BIG BOLLOCK* has been dropped with the number of sales lost because of this missing feature.
£499.99 for monotimbral... maybe ok for the big hitters and people who wipe their arses on £50 notes however for the people at the lower end of the stick then the price isn't justified.

Rob

you'll be getting two then eh Rob

(btw, when you've finished wiping your arse, can i have the notes..cheers)

[Biopharmer]

in my eyes, if a digital synth is in your studio it should pull it's own weight. A monotimbral analog synth is excusable because analog circuitry is expensive. However, a digital synth that already sports (what is it? 18?) DSP voices should be given the basic feature of letting you use some of those voices independently. I've already sent a letter of complaint to Novation (maybe that was going a bit too far). I'm sure they've received a lot of negative feedback about this already (i hope so, and I hope they've read it and are ingesting it).

Besides realtime control (which isn't one of my main concerns) hardware synthesizers have the obligation to be able to do more than softsynths. And any softsynth can be multitimbral. Even if the stupid thing had only 8 voices and could be 8 part monophonic multi-timbral I'd want it. I love monosynths.

I'd even pay for a multitimbrality upgrade, didn't novation do that in the past? Not likely these days. I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong.

[JimmiG]

Another reason I'm thinking we won't see a multi timbral version/module is because they're calling this one a Nova. In Novation terms "Nova" only gets put on their flagship products. If this is their new flagship then they're going to have a pretty weak navy.

Yeah, and it's still the best synth Novation have put out in many years. The X-Station/Xio were far more limited as far as oscillators, filter types and modulation. It's just such a shame that it can't match their synths from 10 years ago. Just think how far software instruments have evolved since 1998 (original SuperNova)

[Ingonator]

in my eyes, if a digital synth is in your studio it should pull it's own weight. A monotimbral analog synth is excusable because analog circuitry is expensive. However, a digital synth that already sports (what is it? 18?) DSP voices should be given the basic feature of letting you use some of those voices independently. I've already sent a letter of complaint to Novation (maybe that was going a bit too far). I'm sure they've received a lot of negative feedback about this already (i hope so, and I hope they've read it and are ingesting it).

Besides realtime control (which isn't one of my main concerns) hardware synthesizers have the obligation to be able to do more than softsynths. And any softsynth can be multitimbral. Even if the stupid thing had only 8 voices and could be 8 part monophonic multi-timbral I'd want it. I love monosynths.

I'd even pay for a multitimbrality upgrade, didn't novation do that in the past? Not likely these days. I could be wrong, I hope I'm wrong.

I had a look at the specs again. "Only" 300 memory locations are also a bit few for todays standards. The 14 filters look much but they contain the "standard" LP, HP and BP filters with different slopes. No Band reject/Notch filter or other special modes like Comb or Formant. Also no special LP models like the PPG filter of the Blofeld or the Moog filter of the Virus.

[Biopharmer]

yeah I always wondered about that PPG lowpass in the blofeld. I always use it, but I've wondered what makes it different? Does it just sound more vintage or what?

[blakecasimir]

Don't I bloody know it :p

I know somebody selling a KS rack if you want a real Novation synth

Oh jesus...

The Novation Ultranova: for geeks that want to impress dumb teens by prancing around on stage "hey I can make my cheesy synth lead do THIS if I press THIS!"... basically it's for people that want to BE Owl City.

I still have a KS4. It has a distortion that is somewhat shit, and inflexible modulation routings, but it's SO easy to make patches on, and can make some delicious leads. The key action is bloody fantastic, I *heart* aftertouch. It's also built like a tank. And layering a few parts together rarely fails to sound excellent.

So yeah, once upon a time, Novation were a beacon for British synth design. Oh bollocks that was 10 years ago... This Ultranova looks like a toy. Not enough octaves, controls, polyphony - let alone multitimbrality. I think the devs at Novation have forgotten the meaning of this word, because not a SINGLE hardware synth from them post-KS series has been multi-part.

Why all the hatred? Why does this make me de-lurk from the depths of Ableton? (A rarity, I'd rather compose than rant) Because this is truly depressing - new hardware synths are still an expensive item today, whereas a decent guitar would set you back little more than £200. I almost WISH Behringer (yeah them) would come out with that Juno copy they hinted about...

*goes back in his composing box with his GOOD Novation synth, cough cough*

[JimmiG]

yeah I always wondered about that PPG lowpass in the blofeld. I always use it, but I've wondered what makes it different? Does it just sound more vintage or what?

It's modeled to accurately emulate the SSM2044 chip of the PPG Wave, where as the standard LP24 is a more generic low pass filter emulation. I guess the algorithm is a bit more demanding, because polyphony goes down slightly when you use it. Also, you can't modulate it at audio rate using an oscillator - increasing "FM Amount" has no effect. They certainly sound quite different - which one you want to use depends on the sound you're after.

Novation filter emulations are also very good and sound pleasant and not too harsh, although I've read they "beefed up" the filter on the Xio compared to earlier synths. This may or may not be a good thing, I like the mellow sound of the Nova and X-Station (I've used both). I already have enough synths that try to sound ultra distorted and "phat".

[Jim Y]

Well, if this UltraNova user interface provides something extra in performance or the architecture allows complex evolving sounds, I don't see it finding much love.

I don't know why it would want a USB audio function, but if you have USB anyway for the editor connection, I suppose it might as well have it all. At least it still sports real midi sockets.

Oh joy... it has an effin' Vocoder and provides the means to use it

If someone offered me a straight swap of an UltraNova for my K-station, I don't think I'd accept.

Jim

[Kriminal]

I had a look at the specs again. "Only" 300 memory locations are also a bit few for todays standards.

not really, the average is still 128...but it has a software editor, so you can save banks galore on your PC

[WOK]

3 octaves and 8 knobs are not enough for me.
I will keep my Novation KS5.
For 600 Euro one may get a Supernova on ebay

[TiUser]

Oh dear, another noise maker the world can't live without... LOL

[Ingonator]

I had a look at the specs again. "Only" 300 memory locations are also a bit few for todays standards.

not really, the average is still 128...but it has a software editor, so you can save banks galore on your PC

I don't want to first transfer cetain soundbanks to the hardware when i need them.

My Blofeld has 1024 memory locations and it's full only with my own patches and my other favorite patches. I organized them with Emagic Sounddiver and the Blofeld adaption.

The Blofeld has an extra of 128 memory location only for multi setups...

Damn, even on my Wavestation EX i have 150 RAM locations and 50 ROM patches using an additional RAM card.

[Kriminal]

My Blofeld has 1024 memory locations and it's full only with my own patches and my other favorite patches.

1024 patches...how many of those do you actually use? how many of those sound exactly the same?

i bet you could easily shave that number down to 128 presets that are unique and/or are useable


ive heared thousand of sounds for synths like the DX7, the Nord series, even the Virus, most are crap, most are basic copies of each other, and all could easily be condensed into a small bank of decent usable sounds

quantity doesnt equall quality.

[kingtubby]

this promotional vid:
could be straight out of 'Nathan Barley':