Novation Peak Users Manual
1
Novation
A division of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.
Windsor House
Turnpike Road
Cressex Business Park
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP 12 3FX
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 1494 462246
Fax: +44 1494 459920
e-mail: sales@novationmusic.com
Web: http://www.novationmusic.com
Trade marks
The Novation trade mark is owned by Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. All other
brand ,product and company names and any other registered names or trade marks
mentioned in this manual belong to their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Novation has taken all possible steps to ensure that the information given here is both
corre ct and complete. I n no event can Novatio n accept a ny liability or re sponsibility for
any loss or damage to the owner of the equi pment, any third party, or any equipment
which may result from use of this manu al or the equipment which it describes. The
information provided in this document may be modified at any time without prior warning.
Specifications and appearance may differ from those listed and illustrated.
COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL
NOTICES
Novation is a registered tr ade mark of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited.
Peak and New Oxford Oscillator are trade marks of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited.
2017 © Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All rights reserved.
2
CONTENTS
COPY RIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES ............................................2
INTRODUCTION..............................................................4
Key Features .............................................................4
About T his Manual ........................................................4
What’s in the box .........................................................4
Registering your Novation Peak .............................................4
Power Requirements ......................................................4
HARDWARE OVERVIEW ......................................................5
Top Panel ................................................................5
Controls, section by section..........................................5
Rear Panel ...............................................................8
GETTING STARTED...........................................................9
Menu Navigation.........................................................11
Loading Patches .........................................................11
Saving Patches ..........................................................11
Basic Operation – sound modific ation ......................................12
The OLED display................................................. 12
Parameter adjustment .............................................12
The Filter knob.................................................... 12
Pitch and Mod wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
The Arpeggiator ..................................................12
MIDI control...................................................... 12
The Animate Buttons .............................................. 12
SYNTHESIS TUTORIAL.......................................................13
PEAK: SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM .........................................17
PEAK IN DETAI L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The Oscillator Section ....................................................17
Wave............................................................ 17
Pitch ............................................................ 18
Pitch Modulation.................................................. 18
Shape ........................................................... 18
The Oscillator Menu............................................... 18
The LFO Section.........................................................20
LFO Waveform ...................................................20
LFO Rate ........................................................20
LFO Fade Time ...................................................20
The LFO Menu ................................................... 20
The Mixer Section........................................................22
The Envelopes Section ...................................................22
The Envelopes Menu ..............................................23
The Filter Section ........................................................24
Filter type........................................................ 24
Frequency ....................................................... 24
Resonance....................................................... 24
Filter modulation..................................................24
Filter tracking..................................................... 25
Overdrive ........................................................25
The Modulation Matrix ....................................................26
Glide ...................................................................27
Voices..................................................................27
The Arpeggiator .........................................................29
Arp data transmission .............................................29
The Arp/Clock Menu .............................................. 29
The Effects Section ......................................................31
Distortion ........................................................31
Chorus .......................................................... 31
Delay............................................................ 31
Reverb .......................................................... 31
The FX Menu .....................................................31
The Set tings Menu .......................................................33
APPENDIX ..................................................................36
System Updates using Novation Components................................36
Patch import vi a SysEx....................................................36
Sync values tables .......................................................36
Arp/Clock Sync Rate..............................................36
Delay Sync Rate ..................................................36
LFO Sync Rate ................................................... 36
Init Patch – parameter table ...............................................37
Modul ation Matrix – sources ...............................................38
Modulation Matrix – destinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
MIDI parameters list ......................................................38
3
INTRODUCTION
Tips
Thank you for purchasing this Peak eight voice polyphonic desktop synthesiser, the
best sounding synth Novation has eve r made. Pe ak evolved from an initial concept of a
polyphonic version of the Bass Station II analogue synth, but we decided on a radically
new approach to sound generation, and developed the New Oxford Oscillators. These
Numerically Controlled Oscillators (NCOs) combine the enormous flexibility afforded by
digital control with the organic warmth expected from an analogue synth.
As well as superlative sound quality, Peak gives you a great set of specially-created presets
and some equally exciting effects. Peak can be used in the studio or on stage with the
MIDI controller of your choice, be it a keyboard, DAW or with a pad controller such as
the Novation Launchpad P ro. It has a CV (Control Voltage) Input to let you interface with
Eurorack and other CV-capable synths you may a lready have.
NOTE: Peak is capable of generating audio with a large dynamic range, the extremes of
which c an cause damage to l oudspeakers or other components, and also to your hearing!
Key Features
• FPGA-based Numerically Controlled Oscillators running at 24 MHz generate
waveforms indistinguishable from those produced by analogue oscillators
• Eight-voice polyphony
• Three multi-waveform oscillators per voice
• Waveform shaping on all waveform types
• Analogue signal path – filters, distortions, VCA
• Traditional, dedicated function rotary controls
• LP/BP/ HP filter with variable slope, resonance, overdrive and modulation options
• Two independent LFO sections
• Separate Amp and Mod Envelope sections with ADSR fader controls
• Ring Modulator (inputs: Oscs 1 and 2)
• Versatile arpeggiator with wide range of patterns
• Glide (portamento) with dedicated time control
• Pre-loaded with 256 brand new Patches
• Memory for 256 additional User Patches
• Two Animate buttons for adding spot effects in live performance
• Powerful effects: distortion, delay, chorus and reverb
• Class-compliant USB port (no drivers required), patch dump and MIDI
• OLED display for patch selection and parameter adjustment
• External DC input (for supplied AC PSU)
• External CV input for integration with other analogue equipment
• Headphone output
• Supports any two pedals – sustain or expression
• Kensington Security Slot
• Optional stand available
About This Manual
We’ve tried to make this manual a s helpful as possible for all types of user, and this
inevitably means that more experienced users will want to sk ip over certain parts of it,
while those with a bit less synth experience will want to avoid cer tain parts of it until they’re
confident they’ve mastered the basics. A s with other Novation synthesiser User Guides,
we’ve included a “Synthesis Tutorial” (see page 13) which explains the principles of
sound generation and treatment that are the foundation of all synthesisers. We think this
will be of help and interest to all users.
There a re a few general points that are useful to k now before you continue reading this
manual. We’ve adopted some graphical conventions within the text, which we hope all
types of user will find helpful in navigating through the information to find what they need to
know quickly:
These do what it says on the tin : we include bits of advice, relevant to the
topic being disc ussed that should simplify setting up Peak to do what
you want. It’s not mandator y that you follow them, but generally they
should make life easier.
Extra Info
These are additions to the text that will be of interest to the more
advanced user and can generally be avoided by the less experienced.
They are intended to provide a clarification or explanation of a particular
area of operation.
What’s in the box
Your Peak synthesiser has been carefully packed in the factory and the pack aging was
designed to withstand rough handling. Should the unit appear to have been damaged in
transit, do not discard any of the packing material and notify your music dealer.
If practical, save all the packing materials in case you ever need to ship the unit again.
Please check the list below against the contents of the packaging. If any items are missing
or damaged, contact the Novation dealer or distributor where you purchased the unit.
• Peak synthesiser
• DC power supply unit (PSU)
• USB cable, A-type to B-type, 1.5 m
• Safety information sheet
• “Getting Started” Guide, also providing online access to:
• Loopmasters Sample Content
• Ableton Live Lite
Registering your Novation Peak
It is important to register your Peak online at novationmusic.com/register, using the
information provided in the Getting Started Guide. This will allow you to download the
additional software that you are entitle d to as a Peak owner from your Novation account.
Power Requirements
Peak is shipped w ith an external 12 V DC, 1 A power supply. This is a “universal” type, and
will operate on all mains voltages between 100 V and 240 V.
The centre pin of the coaxial connector is the positive (+ve) side of the supply. Pe ak must
be powered by the supplied AC -to-DC mains adaptor.
Your Peak will be supplied with the a versi on of the PSU appropriate to your territory. In
some countries the PSU comes with detachable adaptors; in this case, use the one that fits
your country’s AC outlets. When powering Peak with the mains PSU, please ensure that
your loc al AC supply is within the range of voltages required by the adaptor – i.e., 100 to
240 VAC - BEFORE you plug it into the mains.
We strongly recommend that you only us e the supplied PSU. Using alternative PSUs will
invalidate your warranty. Power supplies for your Novation product can be purchased from
your music dealer if you have lost yours.
Abbreviations, conventions, etc.
Where top panel controls or rear panel connectors are referred to, we’ve used a number
thus: 1 to cross-refer ence to the top panel diagram , and thus : 1 to cross-reference to
the rear panel diagram. (See page 5 and page 8).
We’ve used B OLD TEXT (or Bold Text) to na me top panel controls or rear panel
connectors; we’ve made a point of using exactly the same names as appear on Peak itself.
We’ve used Dot Matrix text to illustrate text and numbers that appear on the top
panel display.
4
HARDWARE OVERVIEW
Top Pan el
Peak’s control surface is divided logically into functional areas, with signal generation and
treatment broadly following a left-to-right sequence.
PATCH LFO 1
MASTER
ANIMATE
OSCILLATOR 1
OSCILLATOR 2
OSCILLATOR 3
• PATC H – load and save Patches
• OSCILLATOR 1 – Primary sound generator
• OSCILLATOR 2 – Primary sound generator
• OSCILLATOR 3 – Primary sound generator
• LFO 1 – low frequency oscillator, modulates filter and oscillator Shape
• LFO 2 – low frequency oscillator, modulates the pitch of Oscs 1, 2 & 3
• MIXER – sums oscillator waveforms, ring modulator output and noise
• AMP ENVE LOPE – controls how signal amplitude varies with time
• MOD ENVELOPES – controls how other synth parameters vary over time
• GLIDE – enables a glide between successive notes
• ARP – arpeggiator function generates note patterns
• FILTER – modifies frequency content of signal
• EFFECTS – adds distortion, echo, reverb and chorus effects to overall sound
• MENU – 4 x 20 character display for Patch selection and extended parameter
control
• ANIMATE – momentary buttons for instant sound modification
ARPMENU LFO 2
GLIDE
AMP
ENVELOPE
MIXERFILTEREFFECTS
Controls, section by section
PATC H:
3
5
MOD ENVELOPES
CHORUS
DISTORTION
DELAY
REVERB
1
2
4
66
Initialise – pre ss this button to reset all synth param eters to the default values of the
1
Initial Patch – se e “Init Patch – parameter table” on page 37 for a list. This prov ides a
rapid way getting back to a bare “star ting point” for fresh sound creation.
Compare – press (and hold) this button to hear an “unmodified” version of the
2
currently loaded Patch. This allows you to com pare the origina l version with the effects of
any tweaking that you’ve done since loading it.
Audition – press to hear the current synth sound even without a keyboard (or other
3
controller) connected. The note played will always be middle C ( C3) . This corresponds to
MIDI note number 60.
Save – use in conjunction with Patch keys 6 to save modified Patches in me mory.
4
Patch select – use this rotary control to select a Patch, or a different memory loc ation
5
in which to save a modified Patch or new sound.
Patch +/- – these buttons provide an alternative method of scrolling through Patches.
6
5
OSCILLATORS:
MIXER:
7 8 9 10 11 12 14 13
The three Oscillators have identical sets of controls. All have further parameters available
for adjustment via the menu system; these are described in det ail later in the User Guide.
Range – steps through the oscillator’s base pitch ranges. For standard concert pitch
7
(A3 = 440 Hz), set to 8’.
Coarse – adjusts the pitch of the selected oscillator over a range of ±1 octave.
8
Fine – adjusts the oscillator pitch over a range of ±100 cents (±1 semitone) .
9
Wave – steps through th e range of available oscillator waveforms – sine, triangular,
10
sawtooth, pulse and more (the menu offers various additional waveforms for more).
Mod Env 2 D epth – controls the degree by which the oscillator pitch changes a s a
11
result of modulation by Envelope 2. A ll Modulation Depth controls are “centre-zero” and
thus both pitch increases and decreases can be obtained.
LFO 2 Dep th – controls the degree by which the oscillator p itch changes as a result of
12
modulation by LF O 2. Pitch c hanges are bi-polar (up and down ); uni-p olar pitch modulation
is available by the use of the Modulation Matri x.
Source – this button se lects a source for further variati on of the waveform sha pe. The
13
options are: mo dulation by Envelope 1 (Mod Env 1), modulation by LFO 1 ( LFO 1) or
manual control by the Shape Amount control 14.
Shape Amount – controls fur ther modifications of the waveform shape, and is active
14
for all wave shapes. With pulse waves, it adjusts the pulse width; with sine, triangle and
sawtooth waves, it makes subtle changes to the wave shape . When more is selected by
the Wave switch 10, the control selects dif ferent areas of th e wavetable. When S ource
is set to Mod Env 1 or LFO 1, it acts as a Modulation Depth control. N ote that the
13
wave shape may be modulated by more than one source simultaneously, by differing
amounts.
19
20
21
Osc 1 – controls level of Oscillator 1’s waveform.
19
Osc 2 – controls level of Oscillator 2’s waveform
20
Osc 3 – controls level of Oscillator 3’s waveform
21
Ring 1* 2 – controls the Ring Modulator output level: the inputs to the Ring M odulator
22
are Osc 1 and Osc 2.
Noise – controls how much white noise is added.
23
VCA Gain – this effectively controls the mixer output level : it adjusts the signal level
24
between the Amp Envelope and Effects sections. See page 17.
AMP ENVELOPE, MOD ENVELOPES:
All three envelopes have further parameters available for adjustment via the menu syste m;
these are described in detail later in the User Guide.
24
22
23
25
LFO 1 & LFO 2 :
15 16 17 18
The two LFOs have identical sets of controls . Both have further parameters available for
adjustment via the menu system; these are de scribed in detail later in the User Guide. The
outputs of either LFO may be used to modulate numerous other synth pa rameters.
Type – steps through the available wavefor ms: triangle, sawtooth, square, sample and
15
hold. T he associated LEDs give a visual indication of the LFO s peed and waveform.
Fade Time – sets the timing of the LFO’s action: it is possible to “ramp” th e LFO up or
16
down or to delay its ef fect. T he options are set in the LFO me nu.
Range – selects High or Low; the third option is Sync, which synchronises the LFO
17
frequency to the internal a rp clock or to an exte rnal MIDI clock if one is present..
Rate – sets LFO frequency.
18
26
27
Amp Enve lope controls – a set of four 30 mm s liders adjusting the standard ADSR
25
parameters (Attack , Decay, Sustain and Release) of the amplitude envelope.
Mod Envelope controls – an i dentic al set of sliders, adjusting the parameter s of the two
26
modulation envelopes (see 27 below).
Select – Peak generates two ind ependent Mod Envelopes ; this button selects which
27
of these (Mod 1 or Mod 2) the Mod Envelope sli ders 26 control.
GLIDE:
28
29
Time – sets the portamento glide time.
28
On – enables/disables the Glide function.
29
ARP:
The Arpeggiator has fur ther parameters available for adjustment via the menu system ;
these include basic set tings such as BPM, pattern selection and octave range. The se are
descr ibed in detail later in the User Guide.
32
31
30
On – turns the Arpeggiator on and off.
30
Key Latc h – when the A rpeggiator is running, pressing Key Latch simulates the effect
31
of holding the keys down continuously, until the keys are released.
Gate – sets the basic duration of the notes played by the A rpeggiator.
32
6
FI LTE R:
40
39
38
41
42
37
36
REVERB: Type – emulates spaces of three different sizes: 3 is the largest.
49
REVERB: Level – controls the “amount” of reverberation.
50
CHORUS: Rate – adjusts the rate of chorus modulation.
51
CHORUS: Type – lets you select one of three different chorus algorithms.
52
CHORUS: Level – controls the degree of chorus effect.
53
EFFECTS: Bypass – the three time-doma in effects may be sw itched in or out with
54
this button.
MENU:
56
34
33
35
Shape – steps through the three types of filter: low-pass ( LP), band-pass (BP) or
33
high-pass (HP).
Slope – sets the slope of filter to either 12dB or 24dB per octave.
34
Frequency – large rotary knob controlling the filter’s cut-off frequency (LP or H P), or
35
its centre frequency (BP).
Resonance – adds resonance (an increased response at the filter frequency) to the
36
filter characteristic.
Overdrive – adds a degree of pre-filter distortion to the mixer output.
37
Source – selects whether the filter is to be varied by Mod Envelope 1 (Mo d Env 1) or
38
the Amp Envelope (Amp Env).
Env dept h – controls the degree by which the filter frequency is modified by the
39
envelope selected by Source 38.
LFO 1 depth – contro ls the degree by which the filter frequency is modified by LFO 1.
40
Osc 3 Filt er Mod – allows the filter frequency to be modulated directly by Oscillator 3.
41
Key Tracking – controls the degree by which the keyboard position of the note being
42
played varies the filter frequency b etween 0 and 100%
EFFECTS:
Peak’s Effects section comprises three different DSP-based processors producing timedomain effects, plus an analogue distortion generator.
The Delay, Reverb and Chorus effects have fur ther parameter s available for adjustment via
the menu system; these are described in detail later in the User G uide.
58
57
55
20 character x 4 row OLED disp lay. Displays one of the nine menus selected by the
55
buttons 56. Pages within each menu may be selected with the two Page/ Select buttons
below the display. Adjusti ng any of Peak’s rotary controls (except MASTER and PATC H)
invokes a n alternative display showing the value of the parameter being adjusted until
the control is released . The three buttons to the lef t of the display assign the parameter
controls 57 to a particular row of the pag e being displayed.
Nine buttons selecting the menu to be displayed: Patch, Osc , Env, LFO, Arp/Clock,
56
Mod, Voice, FX and Settings.
Param eter adjustment may either be made rapidly by th e rotary control or incremented /
57
decremented one parameter value at a time with the Valu e + / Value - buttons.
Active Voice – eight LEDs, indicating which of the eight voices are currently active.
58
AN IMAT E:
59
51 52
43
46
53
47
4544
54
50
48 49
DISTORTION: Level – controls the amount of analogue distortion applied to the sum
43
of all eight voice s.
DE LAY: T im e – sets the timing of the delayed signal (echo) added to the original.
44
Maximum delay is approx. 1.4 seconds.
DE LAY: S yn c – selecting Sync allows the delay time to be synchronised to the internal
45
clock or an incoming MIDI clock.
DELAY: Feedback – allows the delayed signal to be fed back to the input of th e delay
46
processor, creating multiple echoes.
DE LAY: L ev el – controls the volume of the del ayed signal.
47
REVERB: Time – adjusts reverberation decay time. (The maximum time is longer than
48
you’ll ever be likely to need! )
60
AN IMAT E 1 and 2 – add an “instant” effect to the sound currently being generated.
59
These buttons are great in live per formance: the nature of the extra effect will be
determined by the Patch in use.
Hold – press ing Hold will “lock” th e Animate function in an “On” state. You can either
60
press Hold before pressing ANIM ATE , or vice-versa. Pressing A NIM ATE a second time
relea ses both the Animate and Hold functions.
MASTER:
61
Volume – master volume control for the synth’s audio output; this also controls the
61
headphones output level.
7
Rear Panel
8
1
+12V DC – connect the supplied PSU here.
2
POWER – on /off switch.
3
– standard USB 2.0 or 3.0 por t. Connect to a Type A USB port on a c omputer
using the supplied cable. Note that the USB port only carries MIDI data, not audio.
4
MIDI IN, OUT and THRU – standard 5-pin DIN MIDI sockets for connecting Peak to a
keyboard or other MIDI-equipped hardware.
5
PEDAL 1 and PEDA L 2 – two 3-pole (TRS) ¼” jack sockets for connection of
switch (e.g., sustain) and/or expression pedals. The sockets detect switch pedal polarity
automatically. Expression pedals are also detected automatica lly and can be routed directly
as sources available to the Modulation Matrix. Switch pedal functi ons are configured in the
Settings menu.
6
CV MOD I N – 3.5 mm jack socket for connecting an external Control Voltage source in
the range of +/-5 V. This permits other a nalogue instruments (equipped with a compatible
CV output) to modulate Peak’s sounds.
7
OUTPUTS – two ¼” 3-pole (TRS) jack sockets carrying Peak’s output signal. Use
both L/MONO and RIGHT for full stereo: if RIGHT is unconnected, a mono (L+ R) sum is
available at L/MONO. Outputs are pseudo-balanced.
8
HEADPHONES – 3-pole (TRS) ¼” jack socket for stereo headphone s. Phones
volume i s adjusted by the VOLU ME control 61.
9
Kensington Security Slot – to secure your synth.
7
6
5
4
3
1 2 9
8
G E T TIN G S TAR T E D
Peak may, of course, be used simply as a standalone synthesiser with a mas ter keyboard
connected to its MIDI IN socket. However, there are m any more possibilities , and how you
choose to integrate it into your existing synth /recording setup will be determined by the
other equipment you have and your own imagination!
Below are three examples illustrating how Peak could form part of a synth setup. We’ve
used Novation or Focusrite products throughout (we would, wouldn’t we? ), but of course
you can use whatever equipment you have in your system provided it’s functionally
equivalent, of course. Note: for clarit y, we’ve omit ted audio signal paths from the diagrams.
Example 1
Euroack
Computer
LFO OUT
MIDI IN
Novation Bass
Station II
Here you could use a pad controller such as the Novation Circuit to trigger sounds both
in Peak and another synth such as a Novation Bass Station II. An ex ternal modular LFO
in a Eurorack could be used to modulate one or more parameters in Peak via the CV
connection. A ll MID I data gets recorded in the DAW via USB connections.
Euroack
MIDI THRU
CV IN
Novation
Peak
Example 2
USB
MIDI IN
USBUSB
Computer
MIDI OUT
Novation
Circuit
LFO OUT
MIDI IN
Novation Bass
Station II
In the second example, a Launchpad Pro in stand-al one mode r eplaces the Circuit. This
would permit Peak to be played directly from the Launch pad Pro, t aking advantage of its
polyphonic aftertouch capability.
MIDI THRU
CV IN
Novation
Peak
USBUSB
MIDI IN
MIDI OUT
Novation
LaunchPad Pro
9
Euroack
Example 3
Computer
USB
Novation
Launchkey
LFO OUT
USB
Eurorack
MIDI IN
Novation Bass
Station II
In this example, a Focusrite Clarett audio interface is used to enable “real-world”
instruments to be record ed in the DAW as well as synth sounds . A keyboard controller is
used to tr igger both Peak and a second synth, such as a Bass Station II, with the Clarett
conver ting MIDI data sent from the computer via a Thunderb olt link to c onventional MI DI
data.
The sim plest and quickest way of finding out what Peak can do is to connect the re ar
panel outputs
powered speaker or other means of monitoring the output.
If using Peak with other sound modules, connect MI DI THR U
module’s MIDI IN, and daisy-chain fur ther modules in the usual way. If using Peak with
a master keyboard, connect the master keyboard’s MIDI OUT to MIDI IN on Peak , and
ensure that the master keyboard is set to transmit on MIDI channel 1 (the synth’s default
channel).
7
– in either mono or stereo - to the input of a power ampli fier, audio mixer,
4
to the nex t sound
Audio Out Mono
THUNDERBOLT
Focusrite ClarettFocusrite Clarett
AUDIO I/O
MIDI THRU
CV IN
USBUSB
MIDI IN
MIDI OUT
MIDI OUT
MIDI IN
Novation
Peak
With the amplifi er or mixer off or muted, connect the AC adaptor to Peak
into the AC mains. Turn the synth on : after completing its boot sequence, Peak will load
Patch 000, and the LCD display will confirm thi s:
Utopian Streams 1/1
Patch 000 H
Bank A
Category All
“Utopian Streams” is the name of the factory Patch in Bank A, memory location 000.
Turn on the mixer/amplifie r/powered speakers, a nd turn up the Volume control 61 until you
have a healthy sound level from the speaker when you play.
Using headphones
Instead of a speaker and /or an audio mixer, you may wish to use a pair of headphones.
These may be plugged into the rear panel headphone output socket
are still active when headphones are plugged in. The Volume control 61 also adjusts
headphone level.
8
. The main outputs
1
, and plug it
10
USB
MIDI IN
Master Keyboard
MIDI OUT
Sound Modules
NOTE: Peak’s headphone amplifier is capable of outputting a high signal level; please take
care when setting the volume.
Headphones
Menu Navigation
LFO 2 4/6
SAVE RENAME 1/3
SAVE LOCATION 2/3
Utopian Streams
Although most of the key parameters affecting the nature of the sound Peak generates are
immediately accessible through dedicated, “per-function” rotary controls and switches,
many further parameters and synth settings can be modifie d using the OLED display and
its associated controls.
Peak’s menu system has been designed to be as simple and consistent as possible. T he
eight buttons above the display 56, plus Patch, select one of nine menus. Each menu ha s
multiple pages: use the Page/Select buttons to scroll through the pages in sequence.
On each p age, Row 1 is a “title” row and stays fixed. Rows 2, 3 and 4 each displ ay a
parameter for modification; some pages do not have all data in all rows. Use the three
buttons to the lef t of the dis play to select the row to edit: the active row is indic ated by an
asterisk. The parameter value m ay be adjusted either by the rotary control or the
Value +/- buttons.
Saving Patches
Patches can be saved to any of the 512 memor y locations, but remember that if you save
your set tings to any location in Banks A or B, you will overw rite one of the factory presets.
To save a Patch press the Save button 4. The OLED display changes as shown below:
Character to
be inserted
Initial Patch
Name
I Utopian Streams H
H
-space->
Synth section
Page 4 of 6
Phase Free
MonoTrig Legato H
Slew 0
Parameter to
be adjusted
Loading Patches
Peak ca n store 512 Patches in memory, arranged in four Banks of 128; the Banks are
designated A to D. Banks A and B are pre-loaded with 256 great factory Patches
especially created for Peak, while Banks C and D are for storing your own Patc hes and
come pre-loaded with th e same default “initial” Pa tc h Init Patch. See page 37
for the default synth parameters this Patch contains . This initial Patch will always be the
star ting point for creating new sounds “from scratch”.
A Patch is loaded by simply selecting its number with the rotary patch selector 5 or the
Patch buttons 6. It is immediately active.
The Compare button 2 is a really useful feature a s it lets you h ear the Patch you loaded
in its “factory” state, ignoring any changes or twe aks you’ve been mak ing. Hold the button
down to hear the original Patch: when you release it, you’ll be back to your modified
version. This i s a useful feature to use when you’re about to save a new Patch into a
memor y location that might already contain a Patch you want to retain – you ca n press
Compare during the Save process to check what’s in the intended memory location.
Current
parameter
value
Row 3 is
selected
Cursor
You can now give the Patch you want to save a name. The existing name is displayed
initially; use the Row 2 but ton ( H) to move the cursor to the character position to be
changed and then use the rotary parameter control 57 to select the new letter. Repeat
this process one character at a time. Upper c ase, lower case, numbers, punctuation marks
and space characters are all available in sequence from the rotary control. Use the Row
4 button to insert a space instead of a character. When you have entered the new name,
press Page/Select H to select Page 2, where you de cide which memory location the
modifi ed Patch will be saved in.
Patch 000 H
Bank A
Now you can enter the memory location by Bank and number. Note that the name of the
Patch currently in the memory location you select is displaye d on Row 4, to re mind you
what it is in case it’s something you don’t want to overwrite. Press Page/ Selec t H again to
select Page 3, and you can (if you wish) assign your Patch to one of several pre-determined
categories.
SAVE CATEGORY 3/3
Category None h
You can pres s Initialise 1 at any time to load a copy of the default initial Patch. Doing
so does not overwrite the previous Patch, though you will lose any modifications that you
made to it i f you haven’t saved it in a user Patch location.
If you’re working without a keyboard, you can generate a note (corresponding to middle C)
at any time by pressing Audition 3.
Note that when you ch ange Patc h, you lose the current synth settings. If
the current settings were a modified version of a store d Patch, these
modifi cations will be lost. Thus it is always advisable to save your settings
before loading a new Patch. See Saving Patches.
When you have done this, press Save again, and the display will confirm that the Patch is
saved.
You may save a modified Patch to the same location, if you are happy for
the earlier version to be overwritten. This can easily be achieved by
pressing Save four times in succession.
Peak Factory Patches can be downloaded from the Novation website if
they have been accidentally overwritten. See page 36.
11
Basic Operation – sound modification
01Fine
Once you have loaded a Patch you like the sound of, you can modify the sound in many
different ways using the synth controls. Each area of the control panel is dealt with in
greater depth later in the manual, but a few funda mental points should be noted first.
The OLE D display
The OLED display will show the last menu page selected until a rotary control or slider is
moved on the control panel, when it changes to confirm the control being moved, together
with the instantaneous parameter value and the parameter va lue for the currently loade d
Patch:
current -17
saved val +0
Many rotary controls have a parameter range of 0 to +127. Others are effectively “centreoff”, and have a parameter ra nge of either -64 to + 63 or -128 to +127.
The display reverts to the previous menu page a short time (user-definable) af ter the co ntrol
is rele ased. I f no control is touch ed for 10 minutes, the display tur ns off, but will resume
immediately a control or menu button is selected.
The one exception to this is the Master volume rotary control.
Parameter adjustment
As with traditional analogue synths, most of the primary sound modification controls on
Peak are dedicated, physical rot ary controls or switches, providing instant access to the
most commonly needed sound parameters.
MIDI control
Peak has a very high degree of MIDI implementation, and almost ever y control and synth
parameter is able to trans mit MIDI data to ex ternal equipment, and similar ly, the synth may
be controlled in almost every respect by incoming M IDI data from a DAW, sequencer or
master control keyboard.
The Settings menu has numerous options for enabling various aspects of MIDI control,
which include M IDI Channel setting, Arpeggio MID I Out, Af tertou ch, CC /NR PN transmit/
receive and Program/Bank Change transmit/receive. Please see page 33 for full details.
The factory default is for all MID I transmit/receive options to b e On, and M IDI Channel 1 is
set as the active ch annel.
The Animate Buttons
Each of the two ANIMATE but tons 59 may be programmed to provide an instant
modifi cation to the synth’s sound, which persists for as long as th e button is pressed. This
is a great way of adding sound ef fects “on the fly” in live performance.
The ANIM ATE buttons are programmed using the Modulation Matrix, and appear in the
list of Sources on Page 2 of the Mod menu. Each button may be assigned as a modulating
source for any of the Destinations available in the Mod M atrix. See page 26 for full
details.
Many more parameters are available for adjustment in most of the synth sections via the
menu system; these tend to be parameters that you wouldn’t need imm ediate ac cess to
during a live per formance. Those in the Osc, E nv, LFO, Arp/Clock, Voice and FX menus
all affect the relevant sections of sound generation and treatment directly, while the Mod
menu lets you interconnect different synth sections with the Modulation Matrix.
The Filter knob
Adjusting the frequency of the synth’s filter is probably the most commonly-used method of
sound modification. For this reason, Filter Frequency has a large rotary c ontrol 35 near
the bottom of the pa nel. Experiment with different types of patch to hear how cha nging the
filter frequency alters the characteristic of dif ferent t ypes of sound. Also listen to the effect
of the three different filter Shapes.
Pitch and Mod wheels
Any MIDI keyboard controller used with Pe ak will be fitted with a standard pair of
synthesiser control wheels, Pitch and Mod (Modulation). Pitch is usually spring-loaded
and will return to its centre position. The range of control of Pitch is adjustable ( with the
BendRange parameter - see page 18) in semitone increments up to +/-2 oct aves; the
default setting is +/-1 octave.
The Mod wheel’s precise function varies with the patch loaded; it is used in ge neral to add
expression or various elements to a synthesized sound. A common use is to add vibrato to
a sound.
It is possible to a ssign the Mod wheel to alter various parameters making up the sound
– or a combination of parameters simultaneously. This topic is discussed in more detail
elsewhere in the manual. See “The Modulation Matrix” on page 26.
The Arpeggiator
Peak includes an arpeggiator (the ‘ARP’), which allows arpeggios of va rying complexity
and rhy thm to be played and ma nipulated in real-time. The Arpeggiator is enabled by
pressing the Arp ON button 30.
If a single key is pre ssed, the note will be retriggered by the arpeggiator, at a rate
determined by the ClockRate parameter on Page 1 of the Arp menu. If you play a
chord, the arpeggiator identifies its notes and plays them individually in sequence at the
same rate (this is termed an arpeggio pattern or ‘arp sequence’); thus if you play a C major
triad, the selected notes will be C, E and G.
Adjusting Gate 32, and the Ty p e, Rhythm and Octaves parameters on Page 2 of
the Arp menu w ill alter the rhythm of the pat tern, the way the sequence is played and the
note range in a variety of ways . See “The Arpeggiator” on page 29 for full details.
12
SYNTHESIS TUTORIAL
Time Time
A B
Oscillators Mixer Filter Amplifier
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
This section covers the general principles of electronic sound generation and processing
in more detail, including references to Peak’s facilities where relevant. It is recommended
that this chapter is read carefully if analogue sound synthes is is an unfamilia r subjec t.
Users familia r with this subject can skip this section and move on to the next.
To gain an understanding of how a synthes iser generates sound it is helpful to have an
appreciation of the components that make up a sound, both music al and non-musical.
The only way that a sound may be detected is by a ir vibrating the eardrum i n a regula r,
perio dic manner. The brain interprets these vibrations (very accurately ) into one of a n
infinite number of different types of sound.
Remar kably, any sound may be described in ter ms of just three properti es, and all sounds
always have them. They are:
• Pitch
• Tone
• Volume
What makes one sound different from anothe r is the relative mag nitudes of the three
properties a s initially present in the sound, and how the properties change over the
duration of the sound.
With a musical synthesiser, we deliberatel y set out to have precise control over these three
properties a nd, in particular, how they can be changed during the “li fetime” of the sound.
The properti es are of ten given different names: Volume may be refer red to as Amplitude,
Loudness or Level, Pitch as Frequency and Tone as Timbre.
Pitch
As state d, sound is perceived by air vibrating the eardrum. The pitch of the sound is
determined by how fast the vibratio ns are. For an adult human, the slowest vibration
perceived as sound is about twent y times a second, w hich the brain interprets as a bass
sound ; the fastest is many thousands of times a second, which the brain interprets as a
high treble sound.
Having shown that just three elements may defi ne any sound, these elements now have to
be realised in a musical synthesiser. It is logical that different sections of the synthesiser
‘synthesize’ (or create) each of these different elements.
One section of the synthesiser, the Oscillators, provide raw waveform signals which
define the pitch of the sound along with its raw harmonic content (tone). These signals
are then mixed together in a section called the Mixer, and the resulting mixture is then fed
into a section called the Filter. This makes further alterations to the tone of the sound, by
removing (filtering ) or enhan cing certain of the harmonics. Lastly, the filtered signal is fed
into the Amplifier, which determines the final volume of the sound.
Additional synthesiser sections - LFOs and Envelopes - provide further ways of altering
the pitc h, tone and volume of a sound by interacting with the Oscillators, Filter and
Amplifier, providing changes in the char acter of the sound which can evolve over
time. Because LFOs’ and Envelopes’ only purpose is to c ontrol ( modulate) the other
synthesiser sections, they are commonly known as ‘modulators’.
These various synthesiser sections will now be covered in more detail.
The Oscillators And Mixer
The Osc illator section is really the hear tbeat of the synthesiser. It g enerates an electronic
wave (which creates the vibrations when eventually fed to a loudspeaker). This waveform
is produced at a controllable musical pitch, initially determined by the note played on the
keyboard or contained in a received MIDI note message. The distinctive tone or timbre of
the waveform is actually determined by the waveform’s shape.
Many years ago, pioneers of music al synthesis discovered that just a few distinctive
waveforms contained many of the most useful harmonics for mak ing musi cal sounds. The
names of these waves reflec t their actual shape when viewed on an instrument called an
oscilloscope, and they are: Sine waves, Square waves, Sawtooth waves , Triangle waves
and Noise. Each of Peak’s Oscillator sections can generate all these waveforms, and can
generate non-traditional synth waveforms as well. ( Note that Noise is actually generated
independently and mixed in with the other waveforms in the Mixer s ection .)
If the number of pe aks in the t wo wavefor ms (vibrations) are counted, it will be seen that
there are exactly twice as many peaks in Wave B as in Wave A. (Wave B is actually an
octave higher in pitch than Wave A.) It is the number of vibrations in a given period that
determines the p itch of a sound. This is the reason that pitch is sometimes referred to as
frequency. It is the number of waveform peaks counted during a given period of time which
defines the pitch, or frequency.
Tone
Musical sounds consist of several different, related pitches occurring simultaneously. The
lowest is referred to as the ‘ fundamental’ pitch and corresponds to the perceived note of
the sound. Other pitches making up the sound which ar e related to the fundamental in
simple mathematical ratios are called harmonics. The relative loudness of each harmonic
as compared to the loudness of the fundamental determines the overall tone or ‘timbre’ of
the sound.
Consider two instruments such as a harpsichord and a piano playing the same note on the
keyboard and at equal volume. Despite having the same volume and pitch, the instruments
still sound distinctly different. This is because the different note-ma king mechanisms of
the two instruments generate dif ferent sets of harmonics; the harmonics present in a piano
sound are different to those found in a harpsi chord sound.
Volume
Volume, w hich is of ten referred to as the amplitude or loudness of the sound, is determined
by how large the vibrations are. Very s imply, listening to a piano fro m a metre away would
sound louder than if it were fifty metres away.
A B
Each waveform (except Noise) ha s a specific set of musically-related harmonics which can
be manipulated by further sections of the synthesiser.
The diagrams below show how these waveforms look on an oscilloscope, and illustrate
the relative levels of their harmonics. Remember, it is the relative levels of the various
harmo nics present in a waveform which deter mine the tonal character of the final sound.
Sine Waves
Volume
1
Sine Wave
Harmonic
These possess just one harmoni c. A sine waveform produces the “purest” sound because
it only has this single pitch (frequency).
Triangle Waves
Volume
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
Harmonic
These contain only odd harmonics. The volume of each decre ases as the square of its
position in the harmonic series. For example, the 5th harmonic has a volume 1/25th of the
volume of the fundamental.
Volume
13
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