Novation Peak Polyphonic Desktop Synthesizer

Eight-voice polyphonic synthesiser

Peak sounds warm and rich with filthy, biting overdrive. It’s an eight-voice desktop polyphonic synthesiser with three New Oxford Oscillators for each voice. The synth has a resonant multi-mode analogue filter for each voice, and three distortion points in an analogue signal chain.

Analogue where it matters – digital where it counts

Peak’s design consultant was none other than Chris Huggett, the man behind Bass Station, Supernova, OSCar and many more legendary synths. Peak has its origin in the Bass Station II analogue monosynth, and Peak’s oscillators sound completely analogue by being high-quality NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators), but gain the flexibility of the digital domain with 17 digital wavetables.

Build and refine new sounds from scratch

Broaden out your electronic music, draw in new influences and take artistic risks. The modulation system puts the most frequently used assignments right at your fingertips in the main controls. More elaborate movements and secondary ‘via’ assignments are made just a few menu button presses away.

Connect to just about anything

You can plug Peak into your Mac or PC via USB and start playing. It also has MIDI I/O on five-pin DIN ports, so you can connect your other MIDI gear. Oh, and did we mention it connects to modular systems via a CV modulation input?

Where does Peak fit in your set-up?

Key Features

Two ways to create waveforms

Analogue-sounding NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators) and 17 digital wavetables.

Cross-modulate oscillators

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

Mind-blowing sounds on-board

Reverb, delay and chorus at your disposal, and there’s also an arpeggiator.

A colossal amount of distortion

Three distortion points for each voice – pre-filter, post-filter and global – in an analogue signal chain.

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.

Connect to hardware and software

Connect and sync to your music software and MIDI-compatible hardware. CV modulation input used to slot together modular systems.

Control expression

Peak is capable of receiving polyphonic aftertouch, which puts expression right at your fingertips.

Easily switch modulations

Two animate buttons give live performers instant one-touch transformation of patches.

Store unlimited sounds

Keep as many patches as you like on your Mac or PC using the Components software. Learn more about Components 

Tech Spec

Product Hardware Specifications

• 42 Control knobs

• 8 35mm Sliders

• 1 Volume knob

• 2 Data encoders

• Rubberised knob caps with spun metal discs

• 30 Function buttons (not lit)

• 16 Function buttons (lit)

• 2 Animate buttons plus hold button

• 90 Indicator LEDs

• OLED display

• Kensington Security Slot

• Power switch

• Power supply connector

• USB socket for system / MIDI comms only (no bus-power)

• MIDI In / Out / Thru

• 2 1/4" jack socket for continuous or switched pedals

• 3.5mm jack socket for CV in

• 1/4" jack sockets for left and right outputs

• 1/4" jack socket for headphone output

• Metal chassis with American walnut wooden end cheeks

• Metal magnetic inset end pieces

Synth Engine

• 8 voice polyphonic (voice modes available unison etc.)

• Mono-Timbral

• 5 Voice Modes - Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, Poly2

Per voice

• 3 oscillators

• 1 noise generator

• 1 ring modulator

• 2 LFOs

• 1 Amp envelope and 2 mod envelopes

• 1 Filter

Waveforms include:

• Sine, tri, sawtooth, square / pulse plus 17 wavetables of 5 waveforms per row

Filter

• 1x State variable OTA filter per voice

• 12/24dB slope

• Low-pass / band-pass / high-pass

• Pre-filter overdrive

• Post-filter distortion

Modulation

• 16 modulation slots per patch

• Each slot has 2 sources to 1 destination

Mod sources (17)

• Direct (depth)

• Modulation wheel

• Aftertouch (polyphonic and channel AT)

• Expression pedal 1

• Expression pedal 2

• Keyboard velocity

• LFO1 positive

• LFO1 bi-polar

• LFO2 positive

• LFO2 bi-polar

• Amp envelope

• Mod envelope 1

• Mod envelope 2

• Animate 1

• Animate 2

• CV mod input bi-polar

Mod destinations (37)

• Oscillator 1-3 frequency, v-sync level, shape amount and level

• Noise source level

• Ring modulator output level

• Overal synth output level

• Filter drive, distortion, cut-off frequency and resonance

• LFO 1 and 2 frequency

• Amp env / mod env 1 / mod env 2 attack, decay and release

• FM Osc 1 -> osc 2, osc 2 -> osc 3, osc 3 -> osc 1 and noise -> osc 1

• Osc 3 -> filter cutoff frequency

• Noise -> filter cutoff frequency

Effects

• Analogue distortion

• Chorus - 3 types

• Delay with 16 types of delay sync, LP and HP damping, slew and stereo

• Reverb - 3 types

Misc

• Arpeggiator w/ key latch – 33 patterns

• Patch storage - up to 512 on hardware (ships with 256 factory patches)

• Glide

• All knobs (excl. volume), sliders and most buttons transmit and receive MIDI cc commands for external control and mapping

Software Compatibility

• Ableton Live Lite 9 is included

• Peak is a USB-MIDI class compliant device

Power Requirements

• Maximum power consumption 12V DC 1A

Product Dimensions

• 233mm (9.17") width x 464mm (18.27") depth x 70.5mm (2.78") height