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 60 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.
Wavetable Editor
The Wavetable Editor unleashes the power of the wavetable oscillators. It features drawing tools and a Live Edit mode, so you can draw your own oscillator shapes and preview them in real time. Audio import lets you load in your own audio to be used as the oscillator waveform. Included is a curated selection of space-themed audio from the NASA sound library, plus exclusive content from production giants Noisia.
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 60 digital wavetables.
A colossal amount of distortion
Three distortion points for each voice – pre-filter, post-filter and global – in an analogue signal chain.
Control expression
Peak is capable of receiving polyphonic aftertouch, which puts expression right at your fingertips.
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.
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.
Easily switch modulations
Two animate buttons give live performers instant one-touch transformation of patches.
Mind-blowing sounds on-board
Reverb, delay and chorus at your disposal, and there’s also an arpeggiator.
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.
Store unlimited sounds
Keep as many patches as you like on your Mac or PC using the Components software. Learn more about Components here.
Peak Firmware Update v2.0
In Novation’s biggest update for Peak, firmware update v2.0 brings a multitude of features across stereo controls, modulation and unpredictability, and effects, that give you powerful tools to shape your sound.
Create more intricately textured soundscapes with updated stereo controls. Experiment with expansive sound design with modulation and unpredictability. A range of effects improvements bring new tonalities with the addition of Chorus Modes, Flanger, Phlanger, new effects modulation destinations and Lo-Fi delay.
Have a look at the full details of firmware update v2.0 for Peak in the Release Notes.
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 B 2.0 / 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 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
OS Compatibility
OS compatibilty not relevant for this product range/type
