Novation PEAK - Voices

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You need to be careful when setting up matrix assignments like this to
ensure that the combined effect of all the controllers acting
simultaneously still creates the sound that you want.
In addition, the Modulation Menu lets you assign the two ANIMATE buttons as sources
(see page 12).
NOTE: The FX Modulation Matrix Menu
In addition to the sources and destinations available in the main Modulation Matrix, four
additional matrix routing slots specifically dedicated to the FX section are available
in the FX Menu. These allow most Modulation Matrix sources to directly modulate FX
parameters. See page 33 for full details.
Each slot has two inputs, A and B, which allows each destination parameter to be
modulated by two different sources. The three buttons to the left of the OLED display
select Rows 2, 3 or 4 for adjustment, but note that the Row 2 button toggles source
selection between slot inputs A and B. Source A is displayed on the left of Row 2 and
Source B on the right: in the default display shown above, both are set to Direct (no
modulation selected).
Use the Page/Select buttons to select one of the 16 slots. All the slots have the same
selection of sources and destinations and any or all can be used. The same source can
control multiple destinations, and one destination can be controlled by multiple sources.
Modulation Source
Displayed as: :s A and :s B
Initial value: Direct (both A and B sources)
Range of adjustment: see table at page 40 for list of available sources
This lets you select a control source (modulator), which will be routed to the synth element
selected by Destin. Setting both sA and sB to Direct means that when the Depth for
the Slot is set to a non-zero value, a constant amount of modulation will be applied (there is
no modulator to change this over time).
Note that the list of sources allows for Expression pedals. If you connect an Expression
pedal to either the rear panel pedal connectors, or to corresponding connectors on a
controlling keyboard, they can be selected to control any destination you wish in the normal
way. If you wish an Expression pedal to control overall synth volume in a natural way,
choose VcaLevel as the routing destination for sA and AmpEnv for sB.
The CV input is also available as a source for the Mod Matrix. The CV input can be routed
to any of the available mod destinations. The CV input has been designed to respond to
control inputs without aliasing up to just over 1 kHz (which roughly corresponds to two
octaves above middle C).
The Modulation Matrix AftTouch source will accept either channel
aftertouch, which is the most common type of aftertouch, or can be used
with polyphonic aftertouch, as generated by some controllers such as the
Novation LaunchPad Pro. When polyphonic aftertouch is received, the
pressure applied during a note event is interpreted as a modulation event for this one note
only. This provides a level of expressivity in playing that is uncommon with hardware synths.
Modulation Destination
Displayed as: Destin
Initial value: O123Ptch
Range of adjustment: See table at page 39 for full details
This sets the parameter to be controlled by the selected source (or sources) in the
currently selected slot. The range of possibilities includes:
parameters that directly affect the sound:
• three parameters per oscillator (Pitch, Vsync and Shape)
• global pitch (O123Ptch)
• the five mixer inputs from the oscillators, noise source, ring modulator and the
mixer output (see Tip below)
• Filter frequency, resonance and distortion
parameters that can also act as modulating sources (thus permitting recursive
modulation):
• LFO 1 & 2 frequency
• the Attack, Decay and Release phases of all three Envelopes
• Frequency Modulation of oscillators (FM) by filter other oscillators or Noise
The mixer output (VCA level) is an unusual matrix destination! The VCA is the
main output stage for the synth and this is normally under the sole control of
the Amplitude Envelope, but Peak lets you assign the VCA as a destination in
the Mod Matrix. If either Source A or Source B is not set to an Envelope, the
VCA can be controlled independently of any notes being played.
Modulation Depth
Displayed as: Depth
Initial value: 0
Range of adjustment: -64 to +63
The Depth parameter sets “how much” control is being applied to the Destination – i.e.,
the parameter being modulated by the selected source(s). If both Source A and Source B
are active in the slot in question, Depth controls their combined effect.
Depth effectively defines the “amount” by which the controlled
parameter varies when under modulation control. Think of it as the
“range” of control. It also determines the “sense” or polarity of the control
– positive values of Depth will increase the value of the controlled
parameter and negative values will decrease it, for the same control input. Note that
having defined Source and Destination in a patch, no modulation will occur until the
Depth control is set to something other than zero.
Negative values of Depth do not work on certain parameters, unless modulation
is already being applied to that parameter by some other routing, in which case the
negative sense “cancels” the modulation already present. Examples are: i) Oscillator
Vsync – needs to be applied via the Oscillator Menu before it can be reduced by a Mod
Matrix routing; ii) FM of one oscillator by another – another mod slot must already be
applying the FM before it can be cancelled.
With both sources set to Direct, the parameter control becomes a
“manual” modulation control which will always affect whichever
parameter is set as the Destination.
Glide
Peak’s Glide function makes notes played sequentially glide from one to the next, rather
than immediately jumping from one pitch to another. It is enabled with the Glide On
button
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. The synth remembers the last note played per Voice (see below) and the glide
– up or down - will start from that Voice’s last triggered’s pitch even after the key has been
released. The duration of the glide is set by the Time control
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: a value of 90 equates to
approximately 1 second.
Glide is primarily intended for use in a mono Mode, where it is particularly effective. It
can also be used in Poly modes, but its operation can be slightly unpredictable, because
the glide will be from the previous note used by the voice now assigned to the note being
played. This may be particularly evident with chords. Note that PreGlide must be set to
zero in order for Glide to be operative.
See also the PreGlide parameter in the Voices menu (page 28).
Voices
Peak is a multi-voice, polyphonic synthesiser, which basically means you can play chords
on the keyboard, and every note you hold down will sound. As you play, each note is
assigned one or more ‘voices’, and as Peak supports eight voices, you will often run out
of fingers before you run out of voices! But this does depend on how many voices are
assigned to each note – see the Unison parameter in the Voice Menu on page 28).
However, if you are controlling Peak from a MIDI sequencer or DAW, it is possible to run
out: sequencers don’t have the human constraint of a finite number of fingers. Although this
is likely to happen infrequently, users may occasionally observe this phenomenon, which is
termed ‘voice stealing’.
The alternative to polyphonic voicing is mono. With mono voicing, only one note sounds at
a time; pressing a second key while holding the first down will cancel the first and play the
second – and so on. The last note played is always the only one that you hear. All the early
synths were mono, and if you are trying to emulate a 1970s analogue synth, you may wish
to set the voicing to mono as the mode imposes a certain restriction on playing style that
will add to authenticity.