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Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:13 pm
by echorec
actualidiot wrote:It might be too early to say, but it lacks that natural grit, and you don't get that by adding for instance overdrive.
What synths do you currently use that successfully implement this character, without relying on a drive pot?

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:14 pm
by actual
I recently sold my Minilogue for the same reason. While it was able to do a lot of sounds that I did like, the overall feel was too clean/metallic. It also seems like a lot of manufacturers are adding dedicated distortion sections to, some extent, compensate for this.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:15 pm
by actual
echorec wrote:
actualidiot wrote:It might be too early to say, but it lacks that natural grit, and you don't get that by adding for instance overdrive.
What synths do you currently use that successfully implement this character, without relying on a drive pot?
Minibrute is all for the time being, but I have a Sub Phatty or Pro One in the scope.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:29 pm
by echorec
actualidiot wrote:I recently sold my Minilogue for the same reason. While it was able to do a lot of sounds that I did like, the overall feel was too clean/metallic. It also seems like a lot of manufacturers are adding dedicated distortion sections to, some extent, compensate for this.
Outside of bass/groove boxes, I don't think a lot of synths are designed to be dirty, per say. I have a Sub 37 & a Prophet~6, and they both benefit from drive pots for enhancing grit. Without them, the sounds aren't wimpy or thin, but modestly punching up the drive certainly adds grit, without drowning out the original sound. An ideal external device would work the same way---enhancing the character of the sound, without overwhelming or burying the original qualities.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:40 pm
by jrfox92
actualidiot wrote:
echorec wrote:
actualidiot wrote:It might be too early to say, but it lacks that natural grit, and you don't get that by adding for instance overdrive.
What synths do you currently use that successfully implement this character, without relying on a drive pot?
Minibrute is all for the time being, but I have a Sub Phatty or Pro One in the scope.
Based on that, I think a lot of what you're associating with "natural grit" is the driving of a resonant filter. :idk:

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:40 pm
by actual
I wasn't saying that they're necessarily designed to do this, just that I prefer my synths 'raw' and 'gritty' at the core, cause that's just what I like.
It's all a matter of taste. Most of the new-school ultra-stable synths just don't appeal to me.

Emphasis on to me ;)

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 2:42 pm
by actual
jrfox92 wrote:
actualidiot wrote:
echorec wrote:
actualidiot wrote:It might be too early to say, but it lacks that natural grit, and you don't get that by adding for instance overdrive.
What synths do you currently use that successfully implement this character, without relying on a drive pot?
Minibrute is all for the time being, but I have a Sub Phatty or Pro One in the scope.
Based on that, I think a lot of what you're associating with "natural grit" is the driving of a resonant filter. :idk:
Yeah..no. The raw unfiltered oscillators of all those synths are plenty gritty. Overdriving the VCA and VCF doesn't hurt though.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:28 pm
by 01010111
I get what you're saying. I have the same problem with the minilogue, but I love that voltage control and the drifting oscillators you get with it.

I'm hoping the Abyss from Dreadbox gives me that gritty polyphonic sound I'm looking for.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 3:39 pm
by D Rock
I think this looks great. The Bass Station 2 is a staple in my electronic rig and I could see this fitting in. However for that price I don't think it will be on my radar until they start popping up used. Novation is releasing a new circuit also, going to have the Bass station 2 oscs and filter with a sequencer, however at 499 I think I will be passing on that as well, though I do see it being the new king of acid.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:02 pm
by Ev_O)))
Yeah nah I was more amped about this when it was 699 or whatevs. $1300 does NOT translate well into AUD, especially with the 8 voice REV2 being like $2100 AUD. Gonna wait to hear if they do a desktop REV2 at all before I make any decisions about polysynths.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 10:15 pm
by echorec
Ev_O))) wrote:Yeah nah I was more amped about this when it was 699 or whatevs. $1300 does NOT translate well into AUD, especially with the 8 voice REV2 being like $2100 AUD. Gonna wait to hear if they do a desktop REV2 at all before I make any decisions about polysynths.
Sorry, Ev_O))). Based on the early press feedback, hands-on reviewers have really enjoyed it, with the price being the biggest deterrent. :(

I would say a REV2 desktop is likely a NAMM show away. It seems like DSI waited about a year to do desktop versions of the P~6 and OB-6.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:11 pm
by Ev_O)))
echorec wrote:
Ev_O))) wrote:Yeah nah I was more amped about this when it was 699 or whatevs. $1300 does NOT translate well into AUD, especially with the 8 voice REV2 being like $2100 AUD. Gonna wait to hear if they do a desktop REV2 at all before I make any decisions about polysynths.
Sorry, Ev_O))). Based on the early press feedback, hands-on reviewers have really enjoyed it, with the price being the biggest deterrent. :(

I would say a REV2 desktop is likely a NAMM show away. It seems like DSI waited about a year to do desktop versions of the P~6 and OB-6.
And what a deterrent it is.... I'll still endeavour to try it out though, luv me some wavetables. I've been taking Serum and running it through the filters of my Analog 4 lately and it's pretty sweet, but I'd love to have an actual hybrid Wavetable synth one day.

I can totally play the waiting game for instruments, I legit just can't fit a keyboard that big in my set up. Hell 2 octaves is a squeeze. I'll try a REV2 out when they arrive over here and see if the wait for a desktop is worthwhile (Probably).

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 5:20 pm
by MrNovember
Oh man, I was super excited with this until I got to the price :(
I really can't see myself spending that much for this

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2017 8:17 pm
by echorec
I've updated the OP with the best videos currently available, in order to save latecomers some time in getting acquainted with this.

Now that I've had 24 hours to get over the shock of the price, the biggest con for me is that it's monotimbral. I could still see myself picking one up at the end of the year on a holiday sale, but the REV2's 8/16 voice options, with the ability to split or stack sounds, still has it in front for me. Even though the Peak has the most epic reverb ever packaged into a synth, that's not quite enough to overcome thirteen-hundred bills and no split/stack voicings.

Re: Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 9:06 pm
by echorec
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQTdgbwzDoI[/youtube]