Novation Nova User Manual

For Operating System Version 4.1

Introducing

NOVA Owners Manual

Front Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Rear Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Setting Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Playing the Factory demo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Basic Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Advanced Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

About Analogue Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

About Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Novationish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

About Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

About Performances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Selecting Programs & Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Editing & Writing Arpeggiator Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Editing & Writing Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Editing & Writing Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Master Volume Section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Mode Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Display section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Arpeggiator Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Oscillator Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Filter Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

LFOs Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Envelopes Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Effects Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Part Edit section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

Multitimbral Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Using the Inputs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Using Expression Pedals & Footswitches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Compatibility with other Novation Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Loading Additional Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Upgrading the Operating System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Specification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

MIDI Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

MIDI Controller Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

MIDI NRPN Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

MIDI Bank Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130

MIDI Clock Sync. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Programs Bank A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Programs Bank B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Performances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Monophonic Preset Patterns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Polyphonic Preset Patterns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Menu Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

FRONT PANEL

1 - Mode Section

This section contains the Performance, Program, Finder / Demo, Compare, Global, & Write buttons.

2 - Display & Data Entry Section

This section contains the Display, two Page buttons, two Fast Data Knobs, Bank Up, Bank Down, Prog Up & Prog Down buttons.

3 - Master Volume Section

This section contains the Master Volume Knob.

4 - Oscillator Section

This section contains all the controls associated with the Oscillators.
These include the Tune & Portamento Knobs & the Solo, Osc 1, Osc 2, Osc 3, 1*2, 1*3, Noise, Special, Saw, Square, Octave,
Semitone, Fine & Menu buttons.

5 - Arpeggiator Section

This section contains the Speed Knob & the On/Off, Latch On/Off, Arp Mute & Menu buttons.

6 - Oscillator Modulation Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with modulation of the Oscillators.
These include the Level & Mod Depth Knobs & the Pitch, Width, Sync, Soften, Mix, LFO 1, LFO 2, Env 2, Env 3 & Wheel buttons.

7 - Part Edit Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with the Parts of a Performance.
These include the Level Knob & all the 6 Part buttons & the associated Tune, Velocity, Output, MIDI, Polyphony, Range, Mute &
Solo buttons.

8 - Filter Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with the Filter.
These include the Frequency, Resonance & Overdrive Knobs & the Special, Menu, 12db, 18db, 24db, Low, High & Band buttons.

9 - Filter Modulation Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with modulation of the Filter.
These include the Mod Depth Knob & the Frequency, Resonance, LFO 1, LFO 2, Env 2, Env 3 & Wheel buttons.

10 - LFO Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with the two LFOs.
These include the Speed & the Delay Knobs & the Menu, LFO 1, LFO 2, Square, Saw, Tri & S/H buttons.

11 - Envelopes Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with the three Envelopes.
These include the Attack, Decay, Sustain & release Knobs & the Menu, Trigger, Env1, Env 2 & Env 3 buttons.

12 - Effects Section

This section contains all the knobs & buttons associated with the effects.
these include the Distortion, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger/Phaser, Delay & Pan buttons & there associated Menu buttons plus the
Special button.

2

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 12

10

1234 56

polyphonic
synthesiser

Oscillators

menu

solo

copy

portamento

master
volume

prog global writeperf comparefinder

demo

destination destination source

osc 2osc 1 osc 3

noise

waveform

specialsawsquare

tune

semitoneoctave fine

Arpeggiator Part Edit Effects

menu on/off

latch mute

pitch

width

sync

speed

mix1*3 2*3

page

modulation

level

Filters

source

menu

lfo 1

lfo 2

env 2

env 3

overdrive

123456

18dB 24dB12dB

bandlow highspecial

resonancefrequency

in/outvelocitytune rangepolyphonymidi

power inoff / onmaster out aux out input sensitivity input 1 input 2 (pedal)midi thrumidi outmidi inheadphones

modulation

modulation

destination source

frequency

lfo 1

resonance

lfo 2

env 2

env 3

mod depth

wheelsoftentune mod depth wheel

solo

level

mute

fast data

LFOs

menu lfo 1 lfo 2

Envelopes

triggermenu env 2 env 3env 1

menu

copy

bank

prog

trisaw s/hsquare speed

(amp)

reverb

delay

/EQ

pan..

dist

config

sustain releasedecayattack

chorus..

vocoder

delay

effect

1 - Master 1 ( Left ) & 2 ( Right ) Audio Outputs.

These 1/4 inch Jack sockets deliver a Stereo Line Level output signal for connection to a mixing desk or amplifier. The level of
these outputs is controlled by the Master Volume Knob on the front panel.

2 - Aux. Out 3 ( Left ) & 4 ( Right ) Audio Outputs.

These 1/4 inch Jack sockets deliver a Stereo Line Level output signal for connection to a mixing desk or amplifier. These outputs
can be used in addition with the Master Audio Outputs for more flexibility in live & studio applications.

3 - Headphones ( Output 5 & 6 ) Audio Outputs.

This 3.5mm Jack socket delivers a Stereo Headphone output & via a breakout cable ( not supplied ) provides Line Level output
signal for connection to a mixing desk or amplifier. These outputs can be used in addition with the Master Audio & the Aux 1
Outputs for even more flexibility in live & studio applications.

4 - MIDI IN

This connector is used to receive MIDI Data from an external device.

5 - MIDI OUT

This connector is used to transmit MIDI Data to an external device.

6 - MIDI THRU

This connector re-transmits MIDI Data received by the MIDI IN socket to an external device.

7 - Power On/Off Switch

This switch turns the Nova On & Off.

8 - Power Supply Socket

This socket is for the supplied power supply. CAUTION: Only use the supplied Novation Power Supply Model No KA60A.

9 - Input Sensitivity Switch

This switch selects the sensitivity of the 2 Audio Inputs. In the single dot position the sensitivity is greatest & is suitable for micro­phones. In the 2 dot position the sensitivity is suitable for your average guitar. In the 3 dot position the sensitivity is suitable for con­sumer audio electronics ( - 10dB ). In the 4 dot position the sensitivity is suitable for professional level signals ( + 4dB ).

10 - Audio Inputs I & 2

These 1/4 inch jack sockets allow external signals to be processed by the Nova’s synth engine and/or effects. Input 2 can also
double as an Expression pedal/Footswitch input.

REAR PANEL

3

1239 456810 7

input sensitivity

power in on / off aux outinput 1input 2 (pedal) midi thru midi out midi in headphones

master out

123456

SETTING UP

Connect the Master left & Right Audio Outputs ( & the Aux. & Headphones Audio Outputs if required ) of the Nova to a suitable
amplifier or mixing desks stereo inputs & set the Master Volume control on the Nova to a reasonably high output level ( 9 - 10 ).
This will maintain a good signal to noise ratio. Make sure the input volume on your amplifier or mixing desk is initially set to zero.
Make sure that the Nova’s mains switch is in the “OFF” position. Connect the MIDI out of your Master Keyboard or Sequencer to
the MIDI IN on the Nova. Connect the output of the Power Supply unit to the Power In socket on the Nova. Connect the supplied
mains lead to the Mains Socket on the Nova’s Power Supply. Connect the other end to the mains supply & switch the supply on.
The display should now illuminate showing the performance or program that was selected the last time Global data was written into
memory. Refer to page 36 for details on this function. Now switch on your amplifier & adjust the volume accordingly whilst the
Sequencer is playing or you are playing the Master Keyboard.

The Master Keyboard or Sequencer will be playing the currently selected Performance or Program. To listen to all the Factory
sounds, make sure you are in the Performance or Program Mode by pressing the Performance or Program Button & use the Bank
& Prog buttons to the right of the display to call up different sounds.
For details on how to select the different Performances & a Programs & what they are refer to pages 21 for details on Programs &
page 22 for details on Performances.
If no sound is heard, check that you are transmitting on MIDI Channel 1 as the Nova is set-up to receive on MIDI Channel 1 at the
factory.

4

The Demo mode is activated by either pressing the ‘Global’ button & while this is active ( lit ) pressing the ‘Finder/Demo’ button.

When demo mode is activated the display shows :

There are two different demo’s in the Nova. The current one playing is indicated on the top line of the display.
To change the demo to a different one simply select a new demo by turning the higher Fast data knob to the right of the display.

Once a demo has finished, the next demo in sequence will automatically start.

Once the last demo has finished playing, the sequence of demos loop & the first demo starts again.

A demo can be stopped at any time by pressing the ‘Finder/Demo’ button again while the demo is playing.
A playing demo may also be stopped & Demo Mode exited by simply selecting any normal mode button or selecting any Menu button.

Nova demo Demo (1)
Demo running

PLAYING THE FACTORY DEMO

5

prog global writeperf comparefinder

demo

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

BASIC SETUP

Above is a diagram of the basic way to set-up the Nova. Normally the set-up would be as follows: If the Master Keyboard is a
“Workstation” i.e. it has a synthesiser built in, turn “Local Off” or the equivalent in its MIDI set-up ( Refer to the Manufacturers
Owners Manual on how to do this). Turn the Computer Software / Sequencer’s “Soft Thru” ( or sometimes called “Echo Back” ) to
the “ON” or “Enabled” position. Now when selecting a “Track” in the computer Software / Sequencer that is assigned to the same
channel as the Nova is set to receive on ( If this is a Performance you can set the receive channels individually for each “Part”
refer to page 103 for details, If this is a Program, Programs are played on the “Global MIDI Channel”. Refer to page 36 for details ).
Playing the keyboard should play the Nova through the Headphones / Monitors. Similarly, “Tracks” in the Computer Software /
Sequencer that are assigned to MIDI Channel(s) of the “Workstation” should make it produce sound. If not please refer to the
Keyboard & Computer Software / Sequencer manufacturers owners manuals for details on how to do this.

This set-up does not allow the recording of knob movements on the Computer Software / Sequencer. This is because the MIDI out­put of the Nova is not connected to the MIDI input of the Sequencer / Computer. To record knob movements in real-time refer to
the advanced set-up on page 7.

6

input sensitivity

Nova Power Supply

To Mains Supply

Sustain Pedal MIDI OUT MIDI IN

Master Keyboard / Workstation

power in on / off aux outinput 1input 2 (pedal) midi thru midi out midi in headphones

MIDI OUT

Computer / Sequencer

master out

123456

Audio Inputs

Amplifer / Mixer and Monitors

NOTE:

NOTE:

This is the advanced way to set up the Nova. This set-up allows real-time recording of knob movements onto Computer Software /
Sequencer as both the MIDI output of Nova & the MIDI output of the keyboard are merged with an external ( not supplied ) MIDI
Merge box.

If the Master Keyboard is a “Workstation” i.e. it has a synthesiser built in, set it to “Local Off” or the equivalent in its MIDI set-up
( Refer to the Manufacturers Owners Manual on how to do this ). Turn the Computer Software / Sequencer’s “Soft Thru” ( or some­times called “Echo Back” ) to the “ON” or “Enabled” position. Now when selecting a “Track” in the computer Software / Sequencer
that is assigned to the same channel as the Nova is set to receive on ( If this is a Performance you can set the receive channels
individually for each “Part” refer to page 103 for details, If this is a Program, Programs are played on the “Global MIDI Channel”.
Refer to page 36 for details ). Playing the keyboard should play the Nova through the Headphones / Monitors. Similarly “Tracks” in
the Computer Software / Sequencer that are assigned to MIDI Channel(s) of the “Workstation” should make it produce sound. If not
please refer to the Keyboard & Computer Software / Sequencer manufacturers owners manuals for details on how to do this.

As can be seen there are 3 stereo pairs of Output connected to the mixer ( The Headphones socket has been designed so that it
can double as an extra 2 outputs ). This allows individual sounds to be processed externally by the mixer & other outboard equip­ment. To direct “Parts” of a “Performance” to these separate outputs refer to page 98 for details. Additionally the Nova automatical­ly redirects the effects outputs for the selected part to go to the same outputs as the part, so even if separate outputs are assigned
the associated effects follow automatically.

Additionally it can be seen a Microphone is connected to input 2. This allows external acoustic signals such as your voice to be
processed by the Nova. This includes passing the signal through the Nova’s effects section, through the Nova’s Filters & Effects,
as a Carrier or Modulator for the Nova’s Vocoder section or any combination of all of the above. Input 1 is connected to the Aux
send of the Mixing desk, allowing the Nova’s effects to be used during performance & mixdown for any signals running through the
desk.

Input 2 can function as an expression pedal input. When used in this way the pedal can be assigned to do virtually anything you
like. To do this simply connect an Expression pedal to Input 2 & set the Pedal Mode parameter on page 9 of the Global mode to
Breath T ( Tip) or Breath R ( Ring ) depending on the type of Expression pedal you have. Refer to page 40 for details on common
types of pedals. After this has been done, set the Breath control parameter on page 4 of the Global mode to whatever MIDI con­troller is required. A good starting point is the MW ( Mod Wheel ) setting as this allows the expression pedal to control all the
Programs with M-Wh at the end of their names in exactly the same way as the Mod wheel itself would. This setting by default also
allows control over a large amount of parameters at once via the “Wheel” parameter in all the Nova’s Mod Matrixes & Effect
menus.

The Nova can have virtually any parameter controlled via MIDI. The movement of any knob, the pressing of any button or change
to any parameter can be recorded with this setup. These recordings can then be easily edited on a sequencer. Details on all the
controllers & NRPN’’s Nova uses can be found on page 119 to page 128.

To Mains Supply

ADVANCED SETUP

7

Nova Power Supply

Mixing Console

master out

123456

Audio Inputs

Amplifer / Mixer and Monitors

input sensitivity

Sustain Pedal MIDI OUT

Master Keyboard / Workstation

power in on / off aux outinput 1input 2 (pedal) midi thru midi out midi in headphones

MIDI Merge Box

IN 1

IN 2

OUT

MIDI IN MIDI OUT

Computer / Sequencer

Effect Send Output

Effect Processor

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

OSCILLATORS -

pitch

To understand synthesis it is necessary to have some understanding about sound itself. Sound is a vibration or oscillation. These
vibrations create changes in air pressure which is picked up by your ears & is perceived as sound. When dealing with musical
sounds the vibrations or oscillations occur at regular intervals & are perceived as the “Pitch” or “Frequency” of a sound. The sim­plest musical sound is a sine wave because it contains only one “Pitch” & is perceived as a very “Pure” tone similar to a whistle.
Most musical sounds consist of several different “Pitches” or “Frequencies”. The lowest is referred to as the “Fundamental” & deter­mines the perceived “Pitch” of the note. The other frequencies present are called “Harmonics” & in musical sounds usually occur in
multiples of the fundamental frequency. i.e. if the fundamental note is 440Hz then a musical harmonic series would be 2nd harmon­ic = 880Hz, 3rd harmonic = 1320Hz, 4th harmonic = 1760Hz, 5th harmonic = 2200hz etc. The number & loudness of these
“Harmonics” determines the “Timbre” of a sound. This gives a sound character & is why a violin sounds different from a guitar & a
piano sounds different again. In an Analogue synthesiser you have the choice of several different waveforms. Each waveform has
different amounts of harmonics & so the “Timbre” of each one is quite different. Below are descriptions of some of the waveforms &
indications on what they can be best used for.

Sawtooth waves have all the harmonics of the fundamental frequency. As you can see every harmonic has half the amplitude of
the previous one. This sound is pleasing to the ear & is useful for basses, leads, & synthesising stringed instruments.

Square waves have only the odd harmonics present. These are at the same amplitudes as the odd harmonics in a saw wave.
Square waves have a hollow / metallic sound to them & so are useful in creating unusual synthesiser sounds & oboe like sounds.

White noise has no fundamental & all harmonics are at the same level. This wave can be used by itself to synthesise explosions or
wind & when used in conjunction with other waveforms can be used to create the illusion of “Breath” in an instrument.

PWM ( PULSE WIDTH MODULATION )

The choice of waveform is important as it determines the basic “Timbre” of the sound you are making. There are additional meth­ods of synthesis that allow more harmonics to be generated. The First of these is Pulse Width Modulation. PWM for short.
Essentially the duty cycle of the normally symmetrical square wave is varied. This means the wave form goes from a Square wave
to a Pulse wave like so:

This has a very pleasant “thickening” chorus like effect & is often used in Pad type & String section type sounds.

8

Level

Saw Waveform

1234567

Harmonics

Level

Square Waveform

1234567

Harmonics

Level

Noise Waveform

1234567

Harmonics

Variable Width

Square Waveform

Pulse Waveform

Additionally there is a synthesis method called Oscillator sync. This takes two oscillators & uses one ( the Master ) to reset the
other ( The Slave ) each time it starts a new cycle. The effect is most noticeable when the two oscillators are out of tune as shown
below.

This Sync Effect creates very piercing & metallic sounds & are used a lot as lead sounds. It is worth noting that the Nova does not
require 2 oscillators to create this effect. The Sync “Effect” is created by the Analogue Sound Modelling process without the need
for a Sync Oscillator, there is merely a “Sync” parameter that creates the classic Sync Effect. This means that each of the 3 oscilla­tors in one Nova “voice” can be independently Sync’ed as if there were 3 Master & 3 Slave oscillators.

Analogue Sound Modelling technology also enables the creation of some new “Sync” related parameters that are not found on
analogue synthesisers. These are “Key Sync”, “Sync Skew” & “Formant Width”

Normally in an analogue synthesiser even though the Master & Slave oscillators are detuned relative to each other, they both track
keyboard pitch equally. i.e. if you play notes one octave apart, both the Master & the Slave oscillator will be transposed one octave.
“Key Sync” allows the slave oscillator to have its pitch tracking adjusted independently. This means that the “Sync Effect” will
change as you play different notes up & down the keyboard.

Sync Skew manipulates the frequency of the “virtual” slave oscillator within one cycle of the master oscillator. As can be seen the effect is
the Sync Effect seems to have a higher frequency at the end of each cycle with positive modulation & at the start of the cycle with negative
modulation. This parameter makes the sync waveform sound even harsher. This is particularly good for aggressive lead sounds.

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

9

Osc1( Master )

Osc2 ( Slave )

Sync Waveform

Osc1( Master )

Osc2 ( Slave )

Sync Waveform

Normal Saw Sync Waveform

Positive Skew on a Saw Sync Wave

Negative Skew on a Saw Sync Wave

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

Skew also effects the standard Square & Saw waveforms. The effect is to “squash” the waveform at the end of its cycle with posi­tive modulation & squashing the waveform at the beginning of the cycle. On a square wave moderate amounts of this effect pro­duce similar effects to Pulse width modulation except width modulation over 100% can be achieved allowing may cycles to be
“squashed” into one original one. This can also be described as Frequency Modulation within the cycle & so mimics classic “Cross
Modulation” with a Saw wave. This can produce effects similar to Sync but when this parameter is used in conjunction with
Formant Width the results can be very different. Below are examples of Skew on standard Square & Saw waveforms. Note how
the wave is squashed at one end & more than one cycle has been squashed into the original cycle.

Formant width is a parameter that controls the level of the cycles of the “virtual” slave oscillator. This can be used to simulate reso­nance within the oscillator itself by using the “Soften” parameter to smooth out the sharp edges of this wave form. As can be seen
the effect is to reduce the level of every successive slave cycle. Additionally this parameter has an effect on the normal Saw &
Square waveforms. The effect is to boost the treble content of these waves.

Both Skew & Formant Width can be used in conjunction to create yet even more waveforms. Below are examples.

Analogue Sound Modelling technology allows even more control over the waveform. Once you have selected your basic oscillator
waveforms you can further modify then using a “Softening” process. This “Softening” rounds off all the “Sharp” edges of the wave­form, thereby reducing it’s harmonic content. Below is an example of the “Soften” parameter on a Square wave.

The Soften parameter is completely variable & as can be seen can reduce a square wave to only one harmonic producing a Sine
wave. The Soften process can also be applied to the noise generator providing control over the harmonic content of the noise.
Below is an example of the “Soften” parameter on Pink Noise.

y

10

Negative Skew on a Square Wave

Positive Skew on a Square Wave

Negative Skew on a Saw Wave

Postive Skew on a Saw Wave

Sync Waveform

Sync Formant Width Waveform

Formant Width on a Square Wave

Formant Width on a Saw Wave

Negative Skew & Formant Width on a Saw Wave

Negative Skew & Formant Width on a Saw Wave

Square Waveform

Softened Square Waveform

Finally there is Ring modulation. This uses two oscillators but instead of adding them together as would happen in a mixer, they
are multiplied together. This is very similar to FM & produces the kind of effect shown below:

The Ring Mod effect creates metallic & bell like sounds & is used generally for lead sounds but if used subtly can produce Electric
Pianos etc & if used radically can produce unusual sound effects.

All these methods further enhance the basic Oscillator waveforms to include many more or a useful mix of harmonics. Once the
waveforms have been selected you can then “fine tune” the harmonic content of the mixture of different waveforms by passing
them through a “Filter” to remove unwanted harmonics. The filter in an Analogue synthesiser is a very powerful “Tone Control”. Like
the tone control on a stereo, the filter can alter how things sound but it cannot change the style of music being played on the
record, & so the filter in a synthesiser can alter the “tone” of a sound but is restricted by the basic “Timbre” of the waveforms. For
this reason, several waveforms are available at once & you can “Mix” them together to provide more harmonically rich waveforms.
Below is a diagram showing the signal path in the Nova & all the waveforms at various locations.

As can be seen different waveforms are being produced by different oscillators using different techniques. The Oscillators, Ring
Modulators & the Noise Generator are all being Mixed together & feed to the filter. The signal is then in turn fed to the Amplifier.
Oscillator 1 is using a Square wave modulated by Skew & then Softened. To create a sine-like wave except it has an extra bump in
it this produces a Whistle like sound. Oscillator 2 is using a Saw wave modulated by Skew & Sync producing a Harsh sound &
Oscillator 3 is using a Square wave modulated by Skew & Formant width to produce a bright PWM like waveform. The 1*3 Ring
modulator & the 2*3 Ring modulator are producing complex waveforms & these along with all the Oscillators & the Noise generator
are fed to the Mixer.

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

11

Level

Noise Waveform

1234567

Harmonics

Level

Softened Noise Waveform

1234567

Harmonics

Osc1

X

Osc2

=

Ring Modulated Waveform
Osc1 x Osc2

Signal Path Diagram

Osc 1

Osc 2

Osc 3

Noise
Gen

Osc 1 output
( Sq wave Softened with
+ve Skew )

Osc 2 output
( Saw wave Synced with
+ve Skew )

Osc 3 output
( Sq wave Synced with
+ve Skew & Formant width )

Pink noise output

Osc 1*3
Ring Mod

Osc 2*3
Ring Mod

Ring Mod output

Ring Mod output

MIXER

Osc 1 level

Osc 1*3 level

Osc 2 level

Osc 2*3 level

Osc 3 level

Noise level

Mixer output Filter output Amp output

Filter Amp

Env 2

LFO 1

Env 3

LFO 2

Env 1

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

FILTER -

tone

There are several different types of filter. These are Low Pass Filter, High Pass Filter & Band Pass Filter. The Low Pass Filter
allows harmonics below a set frequency to pass through the filter. Hence the name Low Pass Filter. The High Pass Filter allows
harmonics above a set frequency to pass through the filter. Hence the name High Pass Filter. The Band Pass Filter allows harmon­ics at a set frequency to pass through the filter, the harmonics above & below the set frequency do not pass through the filter.
Hence the name Band Pass Filter. Below are the frequency response curves of the three types of filters.

Additionally the slope of the curve at which the filter rejects unwanted harmonics can be altered. The effect is similar to a “Q” con­trol on a parametric EQ. In the 12dB position the Cutoff Frequency slope is less steep so the higher frequencies are not attenuated
as much as they are in the 24 or 18dB positions. This makes the resulting filtering in the 12dB position more subtle than the 24 or
18dB positions which you should select if you want the Cutoff Frequency to be more obvious. The slope is measured in dB per
Octave & below are the response curves of a Low Pass Filter with 24, 18 & 12 dB per Octave slopes.

All these filters have a Resonance parameter. This has the effect of emphasising harmonics at the cutoff frequency of the filter.
This is very useful for creating large tonal differences to a basic waveform. The effect is shown below as both frequency response
curves when resonance is applied in a the Filter.

12

Cutoff

Volume

Frequency

Frequency

Low Pass Filter Responce Curve

Volume

High Pass Filter Responce Curve

Cutoff

Frequency

Frequency

Cutoff

Volume

Frequency

Frequency

Band Pass Filter Responce Curve

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Frequency

24dB/oct LPF Responce Curve

18dB/oct LPF Responce Curve

Frequency

Frequency

12dB/oct LPF Responce Curve

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

No Resonance Mid Resonance High Resonance

Volume

Frequency

Cutoff

Frequency

Frequency

Volume

Low Pass Filter with Resonance Responce Curves

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

No Resonance Mid Resonance High Resonance

Volume

Frequency

High Pass Filter with Resonance Responce Curves

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Frequency

Cutoff

Frequency

Volume

Volume

Cutoff

Frequency

Cutoff

Frequency

Cutoff

Frequency

Frequency

Frequency

No Resonance

Frequency

Band Pass Filter with Resonance Responce Curves

Mid Resonance

Frequency

Frequency

AMPLIFIER -

volume

The last major process that makes up a sound is it’s “Volume”. The “Volume” of sounds vary as time goes by & so an Organ has
very different volume characteristics than that of a Piano or String section. See the following diagrams for details.

The “Organ” can be seen to go to full volume instantly when a key is pressed & then stay there until the key is released at which
point the volume drops instantly to zero.

The “Piano” can be seen to go to full volume instantly when a key is pressed & then gradually fall back down to zero over several
seconds.

The “String section” can be seen to go to full volume gradually over several seconds when a key is pressed & then stay there until
the key is released when gradually over a couple of seconds the volume drops to zero.

These curves are called “Envelopes” & in an Analogue synthesiser “Envelope Generators” are used to recreate them. Envelope
Generators have 4 parameters which are used to adjust the shape of the envelope, see the diagram below

Attack time is used to adjust the time it takes when the key is pressed for the envelope to go from zero to full value
( Fade in ).

Decay time is used to adjust the time it takes for the envelope to go from full value to the value set by the Sustain level
( Piano like decay of volume ).

Sustain level is used to set the level that the envelope remains at while the key is held down.

Release time is used to adjust the time it takes when the key is released for the level to go from the sustain value to zero

( Fade out ).

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

13

Volume

Key "On"

Time

"Organ" Type Volume Responce Curve

Key "Off"

Volume

Key "On"

Time

"Piano" Type Volume Responce Curve

Key "Off"

Volume

Key "On"

Time

"String Section" Type Volume Responce Curve

Key "Off"

Volume

Key "On"

Attack Time

ADSR Type Volume Responce Curve

Decay Time

Key "Off"

Sustain level

Release Time

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

An

Analogue Synthesiser can be broken down into three main elements.

1 - The Oscillator is the part of a synthesiser that generates “Waveforms” at a certain “Pitch”.

2 - The type of “Waveform” selected in the Oscillator & the settings of the “Filter” determine the “Tone” of the sound.

3 - The sound is then passed through an “Amplifier” which is controlled by an “Envelope Generator”. These alter the “Volume” of a
sound over time.

All of these three main elements can be controlled by various methods for example:

The “Pitch” of a note can be played on a keyboard or a synthesiser & additionally it can be manipulated in real time using the
“Pitch Bend Wheel” to create “Slides” & “Bends” in pitch. LFOs ( Low Frequency Oscillators ) can be used to “Wobble” the pitch of
a note at a specific rate creating a “Vibrato” effect. An Envelope Generator can also be used to “Slide” the pitch automatically.

The Filter can be manipulated by LFOs to vary the “Tone” of a sound at a specific rate creating a “Wah Wah” type of effect. An
Envelope Generator can also be used on the Filter so that the “Tone” of a sound changes over time. A feature called “Keyboard
Tracking” can also be used on the Filter so that the “Tone” of a sound changes depending on the note being played.

The Amplifier can be manipulated by Envelope Generators so that changes in the “Volume” of a sound over time can make the
sound short & percussive, or more like a piano or even like an organ. Additionally the “Velocity” at which you hit the keys can also
be used to manipulate volume making a sound more “expressive”.

The elements that manipulate these three main synthesis elements are called “Modulation Sources”.

The Nova features 3 Envelope generators & 2 LFOs ( Low Frequency Oscillators ) as Modulation “Sources”. In addition to this
Velocity ( The dynamics of your keyboard playing. i.e. ppp to fff ), Aftertouch ( Pressure on the keyboard while note(s) are held ) &
the Modulation Wheel are included in a as additional “Sources” of modulation signals in a “Modulation Matrix”. This allows almost
any “Source” to modulate a given parameter. It is even possible to have combinations of different “Sources” modulating one param­eter. In the Nova this has been neatly arranged on the front panel so that accessing all the possible combinations of modulation is
quick & easy. Below is the Modulation Matrix for the Oscillator section.

14

Oscillator Modulation Matrix

Simply by pressing the desired “Source” ( the row of buttons on the left ) & the desired “Destination” ( the row of buttons on the
right ) & adjusting the “Level” or “Mod Depth” knobs allows the creation of complex modulation setups easily. On older modular
Analogue Synthesisers this was done with “Patch” leads that physically connected the “Sources” & “Destinations” together.

This allows some very powerful performance features to be implemented. i.e. It is possible to sweep the “Sync” effect, “Soften”
effect, Pulse Width Modulation & alter the Mix of all three oscillators independently plus open the Filter Cutoff Frequency, Reduce
the Filter Resonance, add lots more Distortion & Delay & reduce the Chorus & Reverb, all by simply moving the Mod Wheel for­ward! With the Modulation Matrix relationships like this are quick to set up & will transform a “static” sound into one with real
“hands on” control & flexibility.

This is where most synthesisers end, however the Nova features a very powerful Effect section. It could be said that effects are as
much “part” of a sound as the raw sound itself, some of the larger old Analogue systems had built in spring reverb, & with the
development of DSP technology digital effects have become available in modern synthesisers. However when in a “Multimbral”
application all the sounds generally are passed through one set of effects.

In the Nova a block of 7 effects is part of the “Program” & can be considered to be part of the synthesis engine. These include
Distortion, EQ, Reverb, Chorus/Flanger/Phaser, Delay, Panning & Comb Filter effects. These can simulate “Real World” effects like
Echo & Room Reverberation etc. Or they can be used to do really weird things to your sound! For details on what each effect does
& how best to use them refer to the About Effects section part of this manual on page 16 for details.

The best thing to do is just get in there & tweak those knobs, after all that’s why we put them there! Experiment & you’ll soon be
creating your own sounds. Don’t worry about erasing the factory sounds in the memory. If you want, the factory sounds can be
recalled. To do this refer to page 40 for details.

soften mod depth wheel

level

sync

pitch

width

mix lfo 1

env 3

env 2

lfo 2

ABOUT ANALOGUE SYNTHESIS

15

ABOUT EFFECTS

The Nova’s effect section is arguably one of the most powerful in a synthesiser of this type today. With all this power it is possible
to obtain a level of production that was previously unattainable.

Effects can be “Effects” or they can be “Acoustic Simulations”. Both are useful in the production of modern music, in fact they are
almost essential. Clever use of effects can enhance a track beyond compare. However, slapping loads of effect on everything can
do the reverse.
In the Nova there are 7 effects units per Program. They are: Distortion, EQ ( Equalisation ), Comb Filter, Reverb,
Chorus/Flanger/Phaser ( This is one effect that can be a Chorus or a Flanger or a Phaser ), Delay & Panner/Tremolo. Lets look at
all of these effects one by one.

Dist o rt i on . ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects
Section )

This is usually an effect reserved for Guitar players. As the name suggests, this has the effect of distorting the incoming signal as
can be seen in the diagram below.

This effect not only gives the sound a hard edge & a dirty kind of quality, it also has several other characteristics that are worthy of
note. Firstly, low level harmonics within the waveform are exaggerated. “Resonant” waveforms & indeed any resonance or addition­al harmonics will jump out if this effect is used. Secondly, as can be seen, the maximum level that comes out of the distortion effect
is relatively constant so there is a definite compression effect as well. This can be useful for mixing, as the level of the sound is the
same. The Distortion parameter as its name implies introduces Distortion.

EQ. ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects Section )

This effect is not normally found on most synthesisers, but is found on mixing desks & is very useful for fine tweaking the individual
sounds to make them “fit” together in a mix. Very often a sound may be too “muffled” sounding or a bass too “twangy” sounding.
This is where EQ comes in. Muffled sounds have insufficient treble, so adjusting the Treble EQ will either boost or reduce the tre­ble. Similarly, the Bass EQ will either boost or reduce the bass. In the Nova there is a Treble EQ control & a Bass EQ control.

Comb Filter. ( This is found in the “dist/EQ/config” Menu of the Effects
Section )

This effect is a filter that generates many peaks in the frequency response of the signal. This can be seen in the frequency
response curve below.

16

Saw Waveform

Distorted Saw Waveform

Boost

Level

Comb Filter Frequency Responce at a low "Freqency" setting

As can be seen there are many peaks & they look like a “comb” hence the name Comb Filter. There are two parameters associat­ed with this effect. Comb frequency controls the “frequencies” at which the peaks occur & Comb boost controls how high the peaks
are. The effect is to alter the timbre of the sound. Although similar to EQ, this effect can produce effects not possible using a stan­dard EQ. The resulting sound tends to be quite “Metallic” sounding especially when large “Boosts” are applied.

Reverb.

This is an “Acoustic Simulation of a room. Why does singing sound good in the toilet? Reverb that’s why. The Reverb Effect is a
computer model of the acoustics of a room. The type of room is up to you, anywhere from the toilet to the local Concert hall is pos­sible. Below is a simplified diagram of the reflections of sound in a room. Note there are many reflections from all directions.

When the Reverb button is pressed, the knob in the effect section controls how much Reverb there is. Anticlockwise there is little
effect. This can be thought of as being very close to the sound source within the hall. Fully clockwise there is lots & this can be
thought of as being at the other end of the hall from the sound source. Basically one way of looking at this parameter is “where you
are & where the sound source is in the hall”.

Different types of rooms & halls have different acoustics. For this reason Nova features several different Reverb types. These
range from very, very small rooms like the “Dry Chamber” setting to the very large hall like the “Large type 2” setting. Additionally
“special” types have been included. These are “Gated” types & are an artificial type of reverberation that sustains for a period &
then typically dies away suddenly rather than smoothly decaying away as reverb does naturally. These types can be used as a
special effect, especially on drums.

Most rooms have dominant large reflective surfaces ( Larger walls typically ) & these create dominant echoes in the reverberated
signal. Early ref ( reflection ) level simulates these reflections. Large amounts of Early ref level will produce strong signal at the
beginning of the reverb.

Decay Time is the time it takes for the Reverb to die away after the sound has stopped. This can be thought of a “what the hall is
made of”. Very acoustically reflective rooms tend to have long decay times & very non reflective rooms have short ones.

HF damp is short for High Frequency Damping. This controls the “tone” of the decaying Reverb. This can be thought of as the
amount of carpet & drapes in the hall. Carpet & drapes tend to absorb high frequencies as a sound “bounces” around the hall , giv­ing you your Reverb effect. With each bounce the sound looses a little treble. No HF Damping is a little unusual in the “real” world
but can be used to emphasise sibilant or trebly sounds. Normally a little HF Damping is applied to give the Reverb a natural kind of
sound.

ABOUT EFFECTS

17

Boost

Level

Comb Filter Frequency Responce at a high "Freqency" setting

ABOUT EFFECTS

Chorus/Flanger/Phaser.

This is one effect that can be a Quad Chorus or a Chorus / Flanger or a Phaser.

Chorus - an overview.

This is an effect originally designed to simulate the effect when many people sing together as opposed to one person or the sound
of a 12 string guitar as opposed to a 6 string guitar. Chorus is an effect that is produced by detuning the signal slightly & mixing it
back together with the original signal. The characteristic Chorus swirling effect is produced by an LFO that controls the amount of
detuning the chorus performs.

Quad Chorus.

This is a effectively 4 Choruses running at once from one LFO but in different phases. This creates a particularly “thick” Chorus
effect suitable for String Ensemble & other “Lush” sounds.

Chorus/Flanger.

Normal Chorus & Flanger effects are quite similar. Using this effect as a Chorus provides a Stereo effect with a smooth swirling
sensation that fattens up sounds & provides a stereo image. This type of Chorus differs from the Quad Chorus in the sense that
although not as “thick” sounding, this Chorus retains the “definition” of the effected sound making it more suitable for basses,
organs & percussive sounds. The Flanger effect is similar to a chorus but tends to use more detuning & feedback to produce an
effect with a pronounced swirling sensation that emphasises the harmonics in the sound as it sweeps through them.

Phaser.

This effect is almost the reverse of a Flanger. A small amount of phase shift is applied to the signal via an LFO. When this is added
back together with the original signal a pronounced swirling effect is produced that cancels out harmonics in a sound as it sweeps
through them.

Speed. This parameter controls how fast the LFO for this effect is going. Generally a fairly slow speed is used. Higher speeds tend
to induce a vibrato like quality to the sound.

Mod Depth controls the amount of detuning or phase shift that the effect’s LFO produces. Again large amounts of modulation from
this parameter will produce a more noticeable effect. Generally moderate amounts are used but you will find that bass sounds ben­efit with more Mod Depth than normal. Feedback controls how much of the treated signal is fed back into the input. Subtle effects
like chorus benefit from low levels of feedback. Flangers & Phasers on the other hand sound better with more feedback. Feedback
emphasises the harmonics in a Flanger & emphasises the cancellation of harmonics in a Phaser.

The Type parameter determines if this effect is going to be a Chorus or a Flanger or a Phaser. Select the one you want.

The effects LFO should not be confused with the front panel Program LFOs.

Delay.

This effect is normally a single acoustic reflection of a sound. This is commonly called Echo. This effect can be heard naturally any­where where there is a large flat surface, like a concrete wall. A “Stereo” version can be considered to be two concrete walls & this
is the type that the Nova uses. The distance from the walls determines the delay time & as can be seen in the example below the
distance between the left wall & left ear of the listener is different to the distance between the right wall & the right ear of the listen­er. This creates a Stereo “staggering” effect of the echoes & is normally referred to as “Multi Tap Delay” or “Tap Delay”.

18

NOTE:

NOTE:

Delay Time. This parameter controls the amount of time it takes for the delayed signal to be heard after the original signal. In the
example given above this is the same effect as the distance you are from the wall. A large distance produces a long delay & a
short distance produces a short delay. In the Nova, the Delay time is the time of the Longest delay. The shorter delay will be a per­centage of this value ( See “Ratio” below ).

Feedback. This parameter controls how much of the delayed signal is fed back into the delay’s input. No feedback produces a
“Slapback Echo” effect, that is just one delayed signal with no repeats. Small amounts of feedback produce “repeated” signals giv­ing the “Echo” effect. This can be thought of as standing in-between two parallel concrete walls. The sound bounces back & forth
between them. In this case the Decay Time represents the distance between the walls.

HF Damping. HF Damping is short for High Frequency Damping. This controls the “tone” of the decaying Echo. This can be
thought of as the amount of drapes on the walls. Drapes tend to absorb high frequencies, so as a sound “bounces” from wall to
wall giving you your Echo effect, with each bounce the sound looses a little treble. No HF Damping is a little unusual in the “real”
world but can be used to emphasise sibilant or trebly sounds. This characteristic was found in older “Tape” based echo units.
Higher values of this parameter simulates the effect of worn out tape or heads in a tape echo. Normally a little HF Damping is
applied to give the Echo a natural kind of sound.

Ratio. The Ratio parameter automatically adjusts the “Ratio” of the longest Delay time & the shorter Delay time into timings that are
useful for Musical use. This parameter does not effect the Delay Time parameter but does alter the shorter Delay time so that it
works well with the Delay Time setting.

Width is the Stereo spread between the long & shorter Delay times. When set to 0 width both delays appear in the middle of the
stereo field (Mono). At a width of 127 the long delay will appear on one output & the shorter delay on the other producing a dramat­ic stereo effect.

Pan.

This effect controls where the sound “sits” in the stereo field. In the Nova this performs exactly the same function as Pan does on a
Mixing console. It can be used to statically position a sound anywhere from Left to Right in the stereo field. This ( as everything
else on Nova ) can be controlled via MIDI controllers.

Pan Type determines if the Pan is set to Pan automatically. If set to “Autopan” the sound will swing from side to side of the stereo
field at a rate determined by the Speed parameter. If set to “Tremolo” the sound goes up & down in volume at a rate determined by
the Speed parameter.

Speed determines the speed of the Autopan & Tremolo effects.

Depth determines how much the Autopan & Tremolo effects control the Volume of the sound, small amounts produces subtle
movements & full amount produces change from no sound to full volume.

Vocoder.

The Vocoder effect allows your Nova to speak. What it actually does is it transfers the spectrum of any incoming signal from either
Audio Input onto any internal or external sound. A typical use is to use a Microphone signal as the “Modulator” ( that is the sound
the spectrum will be copied from ) & place the same characteristics onto an internal sound. ( this sound is called the “Carrier” )

When the Vocoder button is pressed, the knob in the effect section becomes an elegant Balance control between the Un-vocoded
“Carrier” when fully anticlockwise, the Vocoded “Carrier” in the mid position & the “Modulator” in the fully clockwise position. This
allows a variety of mixes to be achieved.

A special High Pass Filter is included in the vocoder to transfer harmonics that are rarely found in normal keyboard type sounds
from the “Modulator” to the “Carrier”. The level of the output of this filter is controlled with the “Sibilance level” parameter & when
this is turned up, the Sibilant ( Trebly ) elements of the “Modulator” are added to the “Carrier” signal.

Sibilance can be further modified using the “Sibilance type” parameter. This either filters the sibilant elements from the “Modulator
when set to H ( High ) Pass or artificially uses Noise to do this job if set to Noise. When this is set to Noise, the Sibilance can not
only be Trebly but also Bassey. This can be very effective when using things like Drum Loops as the “Modulator”.

ABOUT EFFECTS

19

NOVATIONISH

A Translation of terms used throughout this manual.

In this manual there are several terms used that may lead to confusion if not fully understood. Below is an explanation of all the
Novationish used in this manual

Performance

This is the most complex type of sound Nova can create. It is made up of 6 different sounds called Parts. These Parts can be lay­ered or set up as splits to form the Performance. Performances are accessed by pressing the Performance button. Other
Manufacturers sometimes call these Multis, Multisetups or Combinations.

Part

This is one of the 6 sounds or Parts of a Performance. The sound assigned to a Part is called a Program.
Other Manufacturers sometimes call these Timbres.

Program

This is the simplest type of sound Nova can create. These are accessed by pressing the Program button.
Other Manufacturers sometimes call these Patches or Partials.

Voice

This is a measurement of polyphony. One voice is the equivalent of one note being played. One voice in the Nova uses three
Oscillators, two Ring Modulators & a Noise generator as sound sources. All these sound sources can be used simultaneously in
one Voice.

Oscillator

This is the basic waveform generator in the Nova. As described above there are three Oscillators per Voice.

Sync Effect

This is a parameter of one oscillator that simulates the “Sync Effect” generated by 2 Analogue oscillators in an “Oscillator Sync”
configuration. For more details refer page 8 - About Analogue Synthesis.

Soften Effect

This is a parameter that controls the harmonic content of any waveform. Full Soften Effect on a waveform produces a near sine
wave.
For more details refer page 8 - About Analogue Synthesis.

Analogue Sound Modelling™

This is the Synthesis System the Nova uses to create sound. Created by Novation, this new method of synthesis was first used in
the Award winning Novation Drum Station.

When this symbol appears in the manual this indicates an important feature, or a destructive function such as Writing data to mem­ory etc.

20

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NOTE:

There are two types of “Sounds” you can select in the Nova. They are Programs & Performances.
When the Program Button is selected a single Program is recalled from memory. A Program is the most basic type of sound in the
Nova. This sound is made up of the 3 oscillators, the 2 ring modulators & the noise generator. These are Mixed together & are fed
through the Filter, Amplifier & effects processors. The sound produced by a Program in Program Mode comes out of outputs 1 & 2.
A Program uses the “Global MIDI Channel” to receive MIDI Data. A Program covers the entire range of notes on a keyboard & has
the standard velocity curve. In other synthesisers a “Program” is sometimes referred to as a “Patch” or “Partial”. This is fairly stan­dard amongst synthesisers except the Nova differs in 2 areas.

Firstly the Effects Section is memorised with the Program. Although this may seem standard in comparison to other equipment, the
real difference happens when a Performance is selected. Because the Nova can run 42 Effects at once, all 6 “Parts” of a
Performance have their own Effects Section. This allows all the “Parts” of a Performance to sound exactly the same in
Performance mode as they do in Program mode. This is unique to the Nova & Supernova series & is literally like having the equiv­alent of 6 separate synthesisers with 6 sets of effects sections allowing a very high level of production to be achieved with just one box.

Secondly the Arpeggiator Sections parameters are also memorised with a Program. Similarly because the Nova can run 6
Arpeggiators at once, all 6 “Parts” of a Performance have their own Arpeggiation.

Below is a simplified block diagram of a “Program” in the Nova.

As can be seen in a Program incoming MIDI messages get processed by the Arpeggiator ( If it is “On” ) & control the Oscillators.
The signals produced are mixed together in the Mixer section & the resulting signal is passed on to the Filter. The signal then is
passed to the Amplifier which then sends the signal into the effects section. This signal path is reflected on the front panel of the
Nova allowing easy understanding of the synthesis process. All the essential controls of this process are on the front panel & in
Program mode adjusting the controls will directly effect the sound produced. For a deeper understanding of the creation of sounds
refer to the section “About Analogue Synthesis” on page 8 for details.

Arpeggiator Oscillators

and Ring

Modulators

Mixer Filter Amplifier

Dist EQ

Pan

Reverb

Chorus

DelayEffect Section

( Shown in Normal

Configuration, D + R + C )

LFO 2

Envelope 2

Envelope 1LFO 1

Envelope 3

MIDI

Program

Comb

ABOUT PROGRAMS

21

ABOUT PERFORMANCES

A Performance is a more complex arrangement where several Programs can be used at once. This allows the creation of much
more complex sounds that are either layered together to create a “Fatter” sound or a Split of 2 or more sounds on the keyboard. In
fact a Performance consists of up to 6 “Parts”. Each one of the parts can have its own Program & as explained before this means
each “Part” has its own Effects Section & Arpeggiator. This means it is possible to layer up to 6 Programs or create a 6 way split of
different sounds across the keyboard or any combination of the two. Below are some examples.

As can be seen in the Performance Layer example there are 2 Pad Programs layered together over the entire range of the key­board. Playing any one note will play both the sounds on that note. As can be seen in the Velocity Crossfade example playing the
keyboard softly will mean Pad 1 is heard, playing the keyboard hard & Pad 2 will be heard, playing the keyboard with medium feel
will produce a mixture of Pad 1 & Pad 2.

As can be seen in the Performance Split example, play the higher end of the keyboard & Pad 1will be heard. Play the low end &
Pad 2 will be heard. Additionally to this it can be seen that different Arpeggiators are assigned to the Lower & Upper parts of the
keyboard. Both of these can be played at the same time.
As can be seen the Performance Multiple example is much more complex, a Performance can have 6 “Parts”, in this case all 6
have been used. The lower half of the keyboard is a 3 way layer of Programs. There is a Pad, a Bass & an Arpeggiated 303
sound. These all sound at the same time when a note is pressed within their range. A little further up the keyboard a Brass sound
has been assigned. Further up the keyboard still 2 Arpeggiated sounds are assigned. They are arranged in a Velocity crossfade so
that playing the keyboard in this range softly produces a Spike sound with an Arpeggiation & playing it heavily produces a Bell
sound with a different Arpeggiation. To set the split points use the “Range” Parameter to specify over which “Range” of notes the
selected “Part” will sound. To set the velocity crossfades use the “Velocity Curve” Parameter to specify how the selected “Part” will
respond to velocity.

Performance mode is also the mode in which you can use the Nova “Multitimbrally”. This allows the Nova to play up to 6 different
sounds simultaneously on 6 different MIDI Channels. Each “Part” of a Performance can have a separate MIDI channel setting. This
is how you use the Nova Multitimbrally.

Bell

Arpeggiator

Brass

Ring FX

Arpeggiator

Spike

Master Keyboard / Workstation

Keyboard Range

Velocity = 127

Velocity = 1

PERFORMANCE SPLIT EXAMPLE

Pad 1

Pad 2

Arpeggiator

Arpeggiator

Master Keyboard / Workstation

Keyboard Range

Velocity = 127

Velocity = 1

PERFORMANCE MULTIPLE EXAMPLE

303

Arpeggiator

Pad

Bass

Master Keyboard / Workstation

Keyboard Range

Velocity = 127

Velocity = 1

Pad

Pad 1

Pad 2

PERFORMANCE LAYER EXAMPLE

Master Keyboard / Workstation

Keyboard Range

Velocity = 127

Velocity = 1

PERFORMANCE VELOCITY CROSSFADE EXAMPLE

Pad 1

Pad 2

22

Above is an example of 6 different sounds assigned to 6 different MIDI Channels. Set the individual “Parts” to the required MIDI
channels & make sure the “Part” Ranges are set to cover the full range of the keyboard & Velocities are set to the normal setting
otherwise unexpected results may occur. Also it can be seen that combinations of Multitimbral & Split/Layered Performances can
be made, for example a performance could be set up so that parts 1 to 4 were assigned to MIDI Channels 1 to 4 & part 5 & 6
assigned to MIDI channel 5 with key ranges set for parts 5 & 6 so that a split is created.

When a Program change message is received on the Global MIDI channel it will change the selected Program or Performance. If a
Program change is received on a Part MIDI Channel that is not the Global one it will change the assigned Program for that Part.
When it does so the effects settings stored in the Program will be loaded into the Parts Effects section if the Effects used parame­ter in the Output menu is set to “Program” . If this parameter is set to “Part” the Program will change but the effects setting for that
part will not be altered. Additionally the Arpeggiator Parameters from the Program will be loaded into the Part’s Arpeggiator.

There is only one Arpeggiator Speed control in a Performance. Adjusting the speed of any Parts Arpeggiator will control all 6
Arpeggiators.

Below is a simplified block diagram of a “Performance” in the Nova.

As can be seen a Performance is literally a duplication of 6 Programs, including the Effects Sections & the Arpeggiators.

Arpeggiator Oscillators

and Ring

Modulators

Mixer Filter Amplifier

Dist EQ

Pan

Reverb

Chorus

Delay

LFO 2

Envelope 2

Envelope 1LFO 1

Envelope 3

MIDI

Tune

Velocity

Output

Range

Polyphony

Performance

Comb

Effect Section

( Shown in Normal

Configuration, D + R + C )

ABOUT PERFORMANCES

23

Velocity = 127

Velocity = 1

M Ch1

Master Keyboard / Workstation

Keyboard Range
MULTI TIMBRAL PERFORMANCE EXAMPLE

Part 6

M Ch6

Part 5

M Ch5

Part 4

M Ch4

Part 3

M Ch3

Part 2

M Ch2

Part 1

Part 1

M Ch1

NOTE:

NOTE:

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SELECTING PROGRAMS & PERFORMANCES

There are a lot of sounds in Nova & they are arranged into “Banks” of 128 sounds. There is 1 Bank of 128 Performances & 2
Banks of 128 Programs. So in total there are 128 Performances & 256 Programs in 2 Banks ( A & B ). Pressing the Program but­ton will activate the Program Mode & the display will show:

As can be seen it is a Program because the Program button is lit & the bottom line of the display is indicating “Prog” followed by
the Bank & number of the sound. The top line is displaying the name of the sound.

Pressing the Bank Up button & the display changes to:

This indicates that the B Bank has been selected. If the number you wish is different to the one currently selected, press either of
the prog buttons until the desired number is found or turn the lower fast data knob. If you press the prog up button once from the
position indicated above the display shows.

And the sound has changed.

Pressing the Bank down button will bring Nova back to the A Bank.

Selecting Performances is done in exactly the same way.

When sounds are selected the appropriate MIDI Bank & Program change messages are sent as changes are made on the front
panel & can be recorded on Computer Software / Sequencer. Selecting sounds via MIDI is very simple, just send the appropriate
MIDI Bank number & Program change commands to Nova from the Master keyboard or Computer Software / Sequencer. To
change Programs & Performances these messages should be sent on the Global MIDI Channel. If however you have a
Multitimbral Performance individual Parts can be changed with suitable Bank number & Program change messages on the individ­ual MIDI Channels assigned to the “Parts” of the Performance.

There is a chart on page 130 outlining all the different Bank numbers for selecting the different modes via MIDI.

SuperBassSt’n 19

Prog BOO1

Filtered H2O

Prog BOOO

Sintillator M-Wh

Prog AOOO

24

Editing & writing Arpeggio patterns is a bit like “Step” sequencing. It is not immediate & requires understanding of all the parame­ters necessary to create a Arpeggio pattern that performs how you want.

To fully understand this guide it is necessary to have a good understanding of all the standard Arpeggiator’s parameters.

The first thing to do is select a Program you want to use with an Arpeggiation. Use the Program, Bank & Keypad to make your
selection.
Next, turn on the Arpeggiator if not already on with the Arp On/Off button. Now assign a “User” pattern to the arpeggiator with the
“Pattern Bank” Parameter in page 2 of the Arpeggiator Menu button pages. You now have to decide what type of Pattern you wish
to create.

There are two basic types of Arpeggio patterns available. These are Monophonic, i.e. a chord is played on the master keyboard &
single notes are played from that chord sequentially at a speed determined by the “Speed” knob & Polyphonic, i.e. a chord is
played on the master keyboard & all the notes are played simultaneously, but may be transposed, at a speed determined by the
“Speed” knob. To make a Monophonic pattern select a “User” pattern in page 2 of the Arpeggiator Menu button pages. Select a
pattern between 000 & 063 ( these are Monophonic ) & make a note of the pattern number you have selected. For reasons that
become clear below we suggest that for the purposes of learning initially set the “Sync” parameter to a low value. i.e. 8th’s & the
“Fill In” parameter to “Off”. Both of these parameters are on page 5 of the Arpeggiator Menu button pages. Go to the Global Mode
by pressing the Global Button. Go to page 7 & switch the Memory Protect parameter to Off. Go to page 15 & select the same pat­tern you assigned to the Arpeggiator in the Program. You are now ready to start creating a Pattern. The procedures for editing
Monophonic & Polyphonic patterns are slightly different.

Monophonic Patterns

A Monophonic pattern can be 1 step long, although there would not be much point in this except for recreating effects like LFO trig­gered basslines, to 64 steps long. Bear in mind that this can be also thought of as the “Resolution” of the pattern as the pattern can
be “Synchronised” at differing time signatures. i.e. a 16 Step pattern synchronised at 16th's would be the same time duration as a
32 step pattern synchronised at 32nds. Decide on the number of steps you want to use & set the “Pattern Steps” parameter to suit.
We suggest that for the purposes of learning initially set this to a low value. i.e. 8, this will mean that The Arpeggiator is synchro­nised to 8ths & the Number of steps you have assigned to the Pattern is 8. So this is a 1 bar pattern.

In a Monophonic pattern you decide which “Order” the individual “notes” within the “chord” you play are played. Imagine you are
playing the notes shown below:

As can be seen there are 4 notes being played C, E, G & A# creating a C 7 Chord. The Nova scans the keyboard & “labels” each
of the played notes with a note number, starting with the lowest (if the “Fill in” parameter is set to “Off-Up” or “On-Up”). In this case
C = 1, E = 2, G = 3 & A# = 4. If a D was played instead of the E the numbering would be as follows C = 1, D = 2, G = 3 & A# = 4.
If a D was played instead of the C the numbering would be as follows D = 1, E = 2, G = 3 & A# = 4. It is important to understand
this relationship to understand the next step.

As you remember there are 8 steps in the assigned pattern. You can edit each step individually by selecting the step you wish to
edit with the “Step” parameter on Page 9 & altering the “Note” number assigned to that step on page 10 with the “Note” parameter
( Note that a “Gate type” of “Norm” or “Glide” must be assigned to the currently selected step on page 9 for the “Note” parameter
on page 10 to become available ). For example to create a simple Up/Down pattern program the following:

Step 1 = Note 1, Step 2 = Note 2, Step 3 = Note 3, Step 4 = Note 4, Step 5 = Note 4, Step 6 = Note 3, Step 7 = Note 2, Step 8 =
Note 1.
As can be seen the sequence of notes played is 1,2,3,4,4,3,2,1 etc. etc.

If more or less notes are played than you have programmed, the pattern will not play as expected. In the above example if 6 notes
were played the 5th & 6th notes played would not sound. In the above example if 2 notes were played the following would occur:

Step 1 = Note 1, Step 2 = Note 2, Step 3 = Note 2, Step 4 = Note 2, Step 5 = Note 2, Step 6 = Note 2, Step 7 = Note 2, Step 8 =
Note 1.

EDITING & WRITING ARPEGGIATOR PATTERNS

25

C

(1)E(2)G(3)A#(4)

NOTE:

NOTE:

EDITING & WRITING ARPEGGIATOR PATTERNS

As can be seen the sequence of notes played is 1,2,2,2,2,2,2,1 etc. etc. This is why the “Fill In” parameter is there. It should be
currently in the “Off” position. In this position you can program your patterns more efficiently but for the best results when played, it
should be set to”On”. In this position the missing notes are inserted by the Arpeggiator so that larger or less numbers of notes than
are programmed into the pattern are used.

In Monophonic patterns there is a limit of 12 note values that can be programmed into a pattern.

Of course much more interesting sequences are possible. i.e.

Step 1 = Note 4, Step 2 = Note 1, Step 3 = Note 3, Step 4 = Note 2, Step 5 = Note 3, Step 6 = Note 2, Step 7 = Note 1, Step 8 =
Note 4.

This produces the sequence of notes 4, 1, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1, 4 etc. etc. A kind of inside-out Up/Down sequence of notes. When you con­sider that there are 64 steps available it can be seen that there are many things possible. There are 2 other parameters associated
with programming Monophonic patterns. On page 18 of Global you can assign velocity values for each of the steps & the Gate
type can be assigned for each step of the pattern. When the “Gate” parameter is set to “Normal” the setting of the “Gate type”
parameter in page 6 of the Arpeggiator Menu applies. When the “Gate” parameter is set to “Tie” the note is “Tied” to the note in the
previous step. This allows syncopated rhythms to be created & can be used to great effect if the pattern is set to have many steps.
When the “Gate” parameter is set to “Rest” no note is played on the selected step & finally when the “Gate” parameter is set to
“Glide” the Portamento is engaged when the selected step switches to the next step & then the Portamento is switched off. This is
great for creating those TB303 type patterns with slides.

Glide will only work when the polyphony of the Program / Part is set to Mono.

Patterns do not have to be entered in step time. Patterns can be entered in via a MIDI keyboard Note & Velocity settings for each
step can be easily entered & using a sustain pedal also allows gate characteristics to be entered. Refer to the “Arp pattern editing”
Parameter on page 44 for details.

The Constant pitch parameter does not apply to Monophonic patterns & in this mode will do nothing if set to On or Off.

Polyphonic patterns

To make a Polyphonic pattern select a “User” pattern on page 2 of the Arpeggiator Menu button pages Select a pattern between
064 & 127 ( these are Polyphonic ) & make a note of the pattern number you have selected. Polyphonic patterns differ in the sense
that all the notes played sound at once. Initially this can be thought of as a kind of “Gater”. Instead of assigning which “Note” out of
the ones you are playing will be played at each step in the pattern, in a Polyphonic pattern all the notes may be transposed at each
step by a definable amount. Here is an example, the notes being played are shown below:

As can be seen this is a C7 chord. Below is an example Polyphonic Pattern, again of 8 steps in length:

Step 1 = Note 0, Step 2 = Note 2, Step 3 = Note -2, Step 4 = Note 0, Step 5 = Note 0, Step 6 = Note 12, Step 7 = Note -12, Step 8 =
Note 0.
This results in a chord sequence of C7, D7, A#7, C7,C7, C7 ( one octave up ), C7 ( one octave below ), C7. etc. etc.

In Polyphonic patterns there is a limit of -36 to +36 semitones range that can be programmed into a pattern.

As can be seen, negative as well as positive values can be entered into the “Note” parameter in polyphonic patterns. Again when
you consider that there are 64 steps available in a pattern there are many things possible. Like the Monophonic patterns there are
2 other parameters associated with programming Polyphonic patterns. They perform the same functions in Polyphonic patterns or
Monophonic patterns. On page 18 of Global you can assign velocity values for each of the steps & the gate time can be assigned
for each step of the pattern. When the “Gate” parameter is set to “Normal” the setting of the “Gate Time” parameter in page 6 of
the Arpeggiator Menu applies. When the “Gate” parameter is set to “Tie” the note is “Tied” to the note in the previous step. This
allows syncopated rhythms to be created & can be used to great effect if the pattern is set to have many steps. When the “Gate”

26

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE:

C

(1)E(2)G(3)A#(4)

NOTE:

NOTE:

parameter is set to “Rest” no note is played on the selected step & finally when the “Gate” parameter is set to “Glide” the
Portamento is engaged when the selected step switches to the next step & then the Portamento is switched off. This is great for
creating those TB303 type patterns with slides.

The “Fill In” parameter does not apply for Polyphonic patterns & does nothing if switched “On” or “Off”.
Glide will only work when the polyphony of the Program / Part is set to Mono.

Several Monophonic & Polyphonic patterns can be used at once in a Performance. One doing a Bass type Pattern, One doing a
TB303 thing, One doing a “Classic” Up[/Down thing etc. etc. It is even possible to have the Arpeggiators in the different programs
synchronised to different time signatures. When doing this turning the “Speed” knob will alter the speed of all the arpeggiators, in
other words it is not possible to have arpeggiators running on different clock speeds, if you wish the arpeggiators to run at differing
speeds set the “Sync” parameter in the Arpeggiators to differing values.

EDITING & WRITING ARPEGGIATOR PATTERNS

27

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NOTE:

EDITING & WRITING PROGRAMS

Editing Programs is easy on the Nova as virtually all the controls needed to create a sound are on the front panel.
First make sure that the Nova is in the Program mode. The Program button should be lit. Now it is just a case of adjusting the
knobs & buttons in the Oscillator, Filter, LFOs, Envelopes, Arpeggiator & Effects Sections until the desired sound is created. Notice
that the display changes to display the name of the rotary control you are currently editing. The display will remain displaying this
parameter after you stopped adjusting the rotary control ( unless currently in a “Menu” ). The display shows the first rotary to be
adjusted, of course many rotary controls can be adjusted at once but the display only shows the last.

Writing Programs into Memory

Writing Programs is a destructive operation. It is strongly advised to make back-ups of your data occasionally to a Computer,
Sequencer or Data filing device. Factory sounds can be recalled from ROM see page 40 for details

Once a sound has been created it may be stored in any of the two banks of 128 Programs. To do so press the Write button. The
display shows:

As can be seen, the top line of the display shows the current Program location & the Programs destination. The bottom line dis­plays the Programs name, in this case Sintillator M-Wh.

While in this mode it is possible to change the destination of the new sound using the bank & the prog buttons or the upper fast
data knob. For example, pressing the Bank Up button in the above example, the display will show:

As can be seen Bank B has now been selected. It is possible to alter the location within the destination bank with the prog buttons
or higher fast data knob.For example pressing the prog up button twice & the display shows:

As can be seen the destination of the sound to be written is now B Bank number 002.

While in this mode the Compare button has a different function to its normal operation. The Compare button in this mode toggles
between the currently edited sound & the destination Program. The “Program” button will flash & the Compare button will be lit
when this function is active.

Write Prog AOOO to BOO2?
Width Bass M-Wh

Write Prog AOOO to BOOO?
Filtered H2O

Write Prog AOOO to AOOO?
Sintillator M-Wh

28

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NOTE:

NOTE:

NOTE: