Description

Peak sounds warm and rich with filthy, biting overdrive. Its an eight-voice desktop polyphonic synthesiser with three New Oxford Oscillators for each voice. The synth has a resonant multi-mode analogue filter for each voice, and three distortion points in an analogue signal chain.
Analogue where it matters digital where it counts
Peak’s design consultant was none other than Chris Huggett, the man behind Bass Station, Supernova, OSCar and many more legendary synths. Peak has its origin in the Bass Station II analogue monosynth, and Peak’s oscillators sound completely analogue by being high-quality NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators), but gain the flexibility of the digital domain with 17 digital wavetables.
Build and refine new sounds from scratch
Broaden out your electronic music, draw in new influences and take artistic risks. The modulation system puts the most frequently used assignments right at your fingertips in the main controls. More elaborate movements and secondary ‘via’ assignments are made just a few menu button presses away.
Connect to just about anything
You can plug Peak into your Mac or PC via USB and start playing. It also has MIDI I/O on five-pin DIN ports, so you can connect your other MIDI gear. Oh, and did we mention it connects to modular systems via a CV modulation input?
KEY FEATURES

• Two ways to create waveforms – Analogue-sounding NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators) and 17 digital wavetables.
• A colossal amount of distortion – Three distortion points for each voice pre-filter, post-filter and global in an analogue signal chain.
• Control expression – Peak is capable of receiving polyphonic aftertouch, which puts expression right at your fingertips.
• Cross-modulate oscillators – The three New Oxford Oscillators for each voice can become a linear FM source using either the analogue-sounding NCOs (Numerically-Controlled Oscillators) or digital wavetables. They are also able to cross-modulate in a recursive loop.
• Huge modulation system – 16-slot modulation matrix and 16 direct assignments controlled from the front panel, cleverly arranged for intuitive patch design and sound editing. Three ADSR envelopes and two LFOs for each voice.
• Easily switch modulations – Two animate buttons give live performers instant one-touch transformation of patches.
• Mind-blowing sounds on-board – Reverb, delay and chorus at your disposal, and there’s also an arpeggiator.
• Connect to hardware and software – Connect and sync to your music software and MIDI-compatible hardware. CV modulation input used to slot together modular systems.
• Store unlimited sounds – Keep as many patches as you like on your Mac or PC using the Components software.

NEW – Firmware v2.0 Features
Novation has just launched its biggest update yet for Summit and Peak. Firmware v2.0 brings in essential improvements and a multitude of features across stereo controls, modulation, unpredictability, and effects, that give you powerful tools to shape your sound.
Stereo
New spread modes, panning per voice, and panning in the mod matrix give additional control and allows for sound design in the stereo field. Now you can create bigger, wider, and more intricately textured soundscapes.
Modulation and unpredictability
Create deeper and more experimental sounds with new mod destinations, noise as a mod source, and additional LFO 3 and 4 parameters. Animate Envelopes and Arpeggiator Chance open more creative performance possibilities.
Effects
New effects, including Chorus Modes, Flanger, and Phlanger add new tonalities. Additional effects modulation destinations open up more experimental sound design. A new Lo-Fi delay mode enables a more vintage style sound.
Bug Fixes
The firmware update v2.0 includes a number of bug fixes. The full details can be found in the release notes.
IN THE BOX
– 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
SPECIFICATIONS
Product Hardware Specifications
42 Control knobs
8 35mm Sliders
1 Volume knob
2 Data encoders
Rubberised knob caps with spun metal discs
30 Function buttons (not lit)
16 Function buttons (lit)
2 Animate buttons plus hold button
90 Indicator LEDs
OLED display
Kensington Security Slot
Power switch
Power supply connector
USB socket for system / MIDI comms only (no bus-power)
MIDI In / Out / Thru
2 1/4″ jack socket for continuous or switched pedals
3.5mm jack socket for CV in
1/4″ jack sockets for left and right outputs
1/4″ jack socket for headphone output
Metal chassis with American walnut wooden end cheeks
Metal magnetic inset end pieces
Synth Engine
8 voice polyphonic (voice modes available unison etc.)
Mono-Timbral
5 Voice Modes – Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, Poly2
Per voice:
3 oscillators
1 noise generator
1 ring modulator
2 LFOs
1 Amp envelope and 2 mod envelopes
1 Filter
Waveforms include:
Sine, tri, sawtooth, square / pulse plus 17 wavetables of 5 waveforms per row
Filter
1x State variable OTA filter per voice
12/24dB slope
Low-pass / band-pass / high-pass
Pre-filter overdrive
Post-filter distortion
Modulation
16 modulation slots per patch
Each slot has 2 sources to 1 destination
Mod sources (17)
Direct (depth)
Modulation wheel
Aftertouch (polyphonic and channel AT)
Expression pedal 1
Expression pedal 2
Keyboard velocity
LFO1 positive
LFO1 bi-polar
LFO2 positive
LFO2 bi-polar
Amp envelope
Mod envelope 1
Mod envelope 2
Animate 1
Animate 2
CV mod input bi-polar
Mod destinations (37)
Oscillator 1-3 frequency, v-sync level, shape amount and level
Noise source level
Ring modulator output level
Overal synth output level
Filter drive, distortion, cut-off frequency and resonance
LFO 1 and 2 frequency
Amp env / mod env 1 / mod env 2 attack, decay and release
FM Osc 1 -> osc 2, osc 2 -> osc 3, osc 3 -> osc 1 and noise -> osc 1
Osc 3 -> filter cutoff frequency
Noise -> filter cutoff frequency
Effects
Analogue distortion
Chorus – 3 types
Delay with 16 types of delay sync, LP and HP damping, slew and stereo
Reverb – 3 types
Misc
Arpeggiator w/ key latch 33 patterns
Patch storage – up to 512 on hardware (ships with 256 factory patches)
Glide
All knobs (excl. volume), sliders and most buttons transmit and receive MIDI cc commands for external control and mapping
Software Compatibility
Ableton Live Lite 9 is included
Peak is a USB-MIDI class compliant device
Power Requirements
Maximum power consumption 12V DC 1A
Product Dimensions
233mm (9.17″) width x 464mm (18.27″) depth x 70.5mm (2.78″) height