Novation Peak 8-voice polysynth

[echorec]

• 8 voices (monotimbral)
  17 digital wavetables
  512 banks
  multi-mode analog filter
  Pre- and post-filter distortion available per voice, plus a master distortion effect
  chorus, delay, reverb (120+ seconds of decay trails)
  arpeggiator
  16-slot modulation matrix and 16 direct assignments
  single CV modulation input
  MIDI i/o thru

Best patches so far--

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X_i1touLfY[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMmhScKBTJc[/youtube]


Modular sounds / experimental sounds--

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjUqaJrRFJI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Qf_9w_hvc4[/youtube]

Do you like talking?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDf2TbhFE9M[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5f86IYxTY0[/youtube]

[Ev_O)))]

Ooooh damn

[echorec]

full-size pic here: https://www.amazona.de/wp-content/uploa ... macher.jpg

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNVmEcXlDyI[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ssf-g4qx-w[/youtube]

[spacelordmother]

Awwwwwwwww shit.

[Strange Tales]

Originally saw 599 euros and thought "hm, great price." 1300 euros seems way too high though.

Also the fuck is a "New Oxford Oscillator"? Google ain't bringin up beans.

[spacelordmother]

Originally saw 599 euros and thought "hm, great price." 1300 euros seems way too high though.

Yup.

[echorec]

Originally saw 599 euros and thought "hm, great price." 1300 euros seems way too high though.

Yeah, it was a cruel swing of of emotions for sure. I saw 599 in an article, then the actual pre-order page showed 699 (roughly $799 US) and was still very much onboard. Then I saw 1300 Euros and thought, "What the fuck for? It's cool and fairly powerful, but it's not analog, not part of a small run, and features no keyboard."

I'm just not particularly enthusiastic about this above $1,099. I'll have to hear some really impressive demos to consider something like the Peak over the REV2. The REV2 has its own modulation capabilities, along with a much simpler interface and a dedicated analog sound architecture. One of the biggest selling points for me on the REV2 is the ability to layer an arpeggiator or a second sequence over a foundation sequence. Unless someone offers split options and a more radical sound engine, it's going to be tough to unseat the REV2 as my next synth purchase.

Also the fuck is a "New Oxford Oscillator"? Google ain't bringin up beans.

I think it's a pun concerning the OSCar's designer, Chris Huggett, now being a consultant at Novation. The OSCar was produced by the Oxford Synthesiser Company, and in some ways the Peak seems to be an update on some of the OSCar's design principles.

[actual]

Fuck you Novation. Fuck you so much.

[jrfox92]

It's funny, based on the time it's popping up, it almost feels like a response to Behringer's latest foray into poly-synths.

[actual]

Just another response to DSI's dominance on the pro-level market.

[echorec]

Looks good.

Sounds good.

£1249/1300€ ($1400?) not so good.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPHruoRNEMU[/youtube]

[echorec]

$1299 US confirmed. I imagine these will be $950-1050 used, so that's not too bad.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PeakMod

patch samples--

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMmhScKBTJc[/youtube]

overview walk-through--

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5f86IYxTY0[/youtube]

[actual]

Dunno...judging from the demos it has that typical sterile digital synth sound, so it's a no-go from me. Seems boring.

[echorec]

Dunno...judging from the demos it has that typical sterile digital synth sound, so it's a no-go from me. Seems boring.

There are a lot of interesting synths that sound stale right out of the gate, if you're willing to trust YouTube promos. The specs really hint at the available potential though.

Cross-modulate oscillators – The three New Oxford Oscillators for each voice can become a linear FM source using either the analog-sounding NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators) or digital wavetables. They are also able to cross-modulate in a recursive loop.

Huge modulation system – 16-slot modulation matrix and 16 direct assignments controlled from the front panel, cleverly arranged for intuitive patch design and sound editing. Three ADSR envelopes and two LFOs for each voice.

I don't like the REV2's clips on YouTube either, but if you hear what the DSI artists are doing with it on Instagram, as they program the presets, it sounds much more aggressive, fuller, and more unique.

None of the Peak videos, thus far, have really shown the pads or any experimental sounds, but with the modulation routing capabilities, there's a lot to explore. The Peak will be able to do EP sounds, string fades, soundscapes, metallic wobbles, and a lot more.

[actual]

I know, but if the core of the synth, the sound generators, don't sound good to me, then I don't care how much you're able to modulate and process them. It's prolly able to do some cool shit with the wavetables and such, but I'll still pass. It might be too early to say, but it lacks that natural grit, and you don't get that by adding for instance overdrive.