KVR Audio

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:31 am

Just had a look/listen at this video:

The shaping controls for the Triangle and Saw as mentioend in teh video sound like Osc Sync so this might be comparable to the "VSync" available in all 3 Oscs of Ultranova.
Anyway as mentioned later in the video the Peak synth als includes a dedicated VSync feature.
In Ultranova the VSync seem to use another "virtual" oscilator for doing Sync, not one of teh main Oscs.

The filter like mentioend above seems to be comparable to that in Bass Station 2.

Overall Peak seems to be a very interesting combination of features found in Ultranova and Bass Station 2 plus something new, not to forget the nice knobby interface of course.

What i like about Novation synths is that they have their own approach to sound and features that does not really try to emulate vintage synths and/or synths of other developers.
Not everyone seems to like the "Novation sound" but i mostly like it.

db3 · Post by **db3** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:37 am

NB) Roland use FPGAs for their ACB stuff.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:49 am

Links for Novation Peak at the UK and German websites:
- UK: https://uk.novationmusic.com/synths/peak#
- Germany: https://novationmusic.de/synths/peak#

More details explained at the global website (a link is found at the llinks mentioned above):
https://global.novationmusic.com/peak-explained
This page only seems to be available in english at teh global website at the moment.

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:34 am

That reverb on the Peak sounds absolutely brilliant. I wouldn't mind having that in plugin or separate hardware box form.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:07 am

bmanic wrote:That reverb on the Peak sounds absolutely brilliant. I wouldn't mind having that in plugin or separate hardware box form.

The Reverb, Delay and Chorus seem to be digital. Not sure how far the effects are similar to that in UltraNova which sound quite nice too for me.

Elektronisch · Post by **Elektronisch** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:50 am

Ok, so this is quite interesting synthesizer. Actually think this is the best looking hardware synthesizer from user interaction standpoint. I love the interface, its so hands-on, like using an easy to use vst. Sound is also great from the videos, cant complain there. I dont know why but it gives me a bit of resamblance to Virus ti = clean and punchy sound wich i think is great characteristic.

But here is the biggest con for me: price.

Its crazy to think at the cost, 1429 eu for a monotimbral synthesizer. For 100-200 more you can get Virus Ti wich gives clear and punchy sound with 16 part multitimbral mode (ofcourse if you going to use fx and unison you will have much less voices). If you go 100 more you can get Prophet Rev 2 an analog instrument with a keyboard. If you will want to spend 300 eu less you can get analog Deep Mind 12 (or wait for deep mind 6 wich will sell for over 800 eu) and use that money for some small vacation.

Now going off from hardware departament, lately there have been few new instruments released that sound just amazing and on par with hardware and one in particular i even think sounds a bit similar: Synthmaster One. It costs 18 times less and sounds amazing, on par with hardware synthesizers.

Anyways, the interface is incredible and sound is amazing, but to put such price when the competition is big, im not sure if its a good idea. I personaly wouldnt shell out so much, id say 600-800 is the right area, id buy this thing just for hands on use and interaction.

So these are my perosnal thoughts.

shroom81 · Post by **shroom81** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 10:58 am

They pretty much still using the same screen as was on my first synth the Supernova which I bought 18 years ago

Still like it though, blue is always good.

Elektronisch: I'm pretty sure they said 690 for the DeepMind 6 and 890 for the rack version of the 12.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:02 am

Supernova didn't have an OLED screen.

Numanoid · Post by **Numanoid** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:06 am

So what kind of light source did the display on the Supernova use?

https://archive.org/stream/synthmanual- ... 1/mode/2up

shroom81 · Post by **shroom81** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:09 am

It's the same color and it's one color

Don't think it matter's if it's OLED or not

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:21 am

The big differcne is that with "normal" LCD screens you need a backlight and with OLED each of the pixels creates light by itself so OLED displays do not need a backlight.

OLED dispaly usually could be also seen prperly from each angle while with a normal LCD display normally you have to look at it mostly from the top.

I have a Native I)nstruments Komplete Kontrol S61 MIDI controller that has 9 OLED displays and i could indeed read the displays from any angle.
With my Novation UltraNova this is not possible.

bungle · Post by **bungle** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 3:36 pm

Ridiculously overpriced and wont sell in the UK very well thats for sure, and yes £1250 in this economy is ridiculous.
Anybody comparing to a similarly priced Prophet and expecting this to hold its second hand value, really ? Its Novation.

Ingonator · Post by **Ingonator** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:12 pm

Novation Peak has an analog multimode filter with 6 modes (LPF, BPF and HPF with 12dB and 24db slopes for each one like in the Bass Station 2 "Classic" filter) and that for each of the 8 voices. That alone makes it difficult to sell it cheap.
Besides that it is a hybrid synth that in the Osc section offers a lot more than a typical analog polysynth.

On the other hand also when compared to the prices of Ultranova and Bass Station 2 which together i got both new for less than 1000 € the new Peak synth is indeed a bit expensive.

rod_zero · Post by **rod_zero** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:18 pm

DSI synths doesn't hold that well their value either, remember the first generation prophet and poly evolver problems? and what about their lack of development for the tempest? and their industrial design is quite cheap also (compared to instruments in that price range).

Nords are also more expensive. The Stage line is the most overpriced stuff in the keyboard world: subpar key action for a 3,500 instrument.

This one has analog filters, 3 osc, 8 voices and great interface. The dm12 is cheaper? cool, it only has 1 1/2 osc enjoy the limited sound palette if that is what floats your boat and less controls (enjoy all the menu diving). Same goes for the prophet 08 which filter is quite lacking, not bad but for the price it leaves me cold.

For me the main contender is the System 8 which has more controls and Kb, but it is all digital and the engine much more limited.

The virus doesn't even has enough knobs for the price and neither analog filters. I hated programming that thing.

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Thu Apr 20, 2017 4:22 pm

Looks good but I can get a MatrixBrute for £300 more (and hoping they will bring out a version of that sans keyboard for less anyway at some point)

Peak by Novation