Peak hardware overview

Initialise – by default, you can press this button to reset all synth parameters to the default values of the Initial Patch – see Init patch – parameter table for a list. This provides a rapid way of getting back to a bare “starting point” for fresh sound creation. The function of Initialise can be changed in the Settings Menu so that all current control panel settings are applied to the Initial Patch when it is loaded.

Compare – press (and hold) this button to hear an “unmodified” version of the currently loaded Patch. This allows you to compare the original 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 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 to save modified Patches in memory.

Patch select – use this rotary control to select a Patch, or a different memory location in which to save a modified Patch or new sound.

Patch +/- – these buttons provide an alternative method of scrolling through Patches.

Range – steps through the oscillator’s base pitch ranges. For standard concert pitch (A3 = 440 Hz), set to 8’.

Coarse – adjusts the pitch of the selected oscillator over a range of ±1 octave.

Fine – adjusts the oscillator pitch over a range of ±100 cents (±1 semitone).

Wave – steps through the range of available oscillator waveforms – sine, triangular, sawtooth, pulse and more (the menu offers an extensive set of additional wavetables for more).

Mod Env 2 Depth – controls the amount by which the oscillator pitch changes as a result of modulation by Envelope 2. All Modulation Depth controls are “centre-zero” and thus positive values will increase the pitch and negative values will decrease the pitch.

LFO 2 Depth – controls the amount by which the oscillator pitch changes as a result of modulation by LFO 2. Pitch changes are bi-polar (up and down); uni-polar pitch modulation is available by the use of the Modulation Matrix.

Source – assigns the Shape Amount control to one of three sources which further alter the waveform shape. The options are: modulation by Envelope 1 (Mod Env 1), modulation by LFO 1 (LFO 1), and Manual, when the Shape Amount control itself modifies the wave shape. The three sources are additive: all may be used simultaneously.

Shape Amount – controls further modifications of the waveform shape, and is active for all wave shapes. With pulse waves, it adjusts the pulse width; with sine, triangle and sawtooth waves it produces wavefolding, which imparts additional harmonics to the basic waveform. When more is selected by the Wave switch and Source is set to Manual, the control navigates continuously through the five waveforms of the wavetable currently selected for the WaveMore parameter in the Oscillator menu.

Type – steps through the available waveforms: triangle, sawtooth, square, sample, and hold. The associated LEDs give a visual indication of the LFO speed and waveform.

Fade Time – sets the timing of the LFO’s action: it is possible to “ramp” the LFO up or down or to delay its effect. The options are set in the LFO menu.

Range – selects High or Low; the third option is Sync, which synchronises the LFO frequency to the internal arp clock or to an external MIDI clock if one is present.

Rate – sets LFO frequency.

Osc 1 – controls level of Oscillator 1’s waveform.

Osc 2 – controls level of Oscillator 2’s waveform.

Osc 3 – controls level of Oscillator 3’s waveform.

Ring 1*2 – controls the Ring Modulator output level: the inputs to the Ring Modulator are Osc 1 and Osc 2.

Noise – controls how much white noise is added.

VCA Gain – this effectively controls the mixer output level: it adjusts the signal level between the Amp Envelope and Effects sections. See Novation Peak: simplified block diagram.

Amp Envelope controls – a set of four 30 mm sliders adjusting the standard ADSR parameters (Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release) of the amplitude envelope.

Mod Envelope controls – an identical set of sliders, adjusting the parameters of the two modulation envelopes (see below).

Select – Peak generates two independent Mod Envelopes; this button selects which of these (Mod 1 or Mod 2) the Mod Envelope sliders control.

Time – sets the portamento glide time.

On – enables/disables the Glide function.

On – turns the Arpeggiator on and off.

Key Latch – when the Arpeggiator is running, pressing Key Latch simulates the effect of holding the keys down continuously, until the keys are released.

Gate – sets the basic duration of the notes played by the Arpeggiator.

Shape – steps through the three types of filter: low-pass (LP), band-pass (BP) or high-pass (HP).

Slope – sets the slope of the filter to either 12dB or 24dB per octave.

Frequency – large rotary knob controlling the filter’s cut-off frequency (LP or HP), or its centre frequency (BP).

Resonance – adds resonance (an increased response at the filter frequency) to the filter characteristic.

Overdrive – adds a degree of pre-filter distortion to the mixer output.

Source – selects whether the filter frequency is to be varied by Mod Envelope 1 (Mod Env 1) and/or the Amp Envelope (Amp Env): note that these two sources may be used simultaneously

Env depth – controls the degree by which the filter frequency is modified by the envelope selected by Source .

LFO 1 depth – controls the degree by which the filter frequency is modified by LFO 1.

Osc 3 Filter Mod – allows the filter frequency to be modulated directly by Oscillator 3.

Key Tracking – controls the degree by which the keyboard position of the note being played varies the filter frequency between 0 and 100%

DISTORTION: Level – controls the amount of analogue distortion applied to the sum of all eight voices.

DELAY: Time – sets the timing of the delayed signal (echo) added to the original. Maximum delay is approx. 1.4 seconds.

DELAY: Sync – selecting Sync allows the delay time to be synchronised to the internal clock or an incoming MIDI clock.

DELAY: Feedback – allows the delayed signal to be fed back to the input of the delay processor, creating multiple echoes.

DELAY: Level – controls the volume of the delayed signal.

REVERB: Time – adjusts reverberation decay time. (The maximum time is longer than you’ll ever be likely to need!)

REVERB: Type – emulates spaces of three different sizes: 3 is the largest.

REVERB: Level – controls the “amount” of reverberation.

CHORUS: Rate – adjusts the rate of chorus modulation.

CHORUS: Type – lets you select one of three different chorus algorithms.

CHORUS: Level – controls the degree of chorus effect.

EFFECTS: Bypass – the three time-domain effects may be switched in or out with this button.

20 character x 4 row OLED display. Displays one of the nine menus selected by the buttons. Pages within each menu may be selected with the two Page/Select buttons below the display. Adjusting any of Peak’s rotary controls (except MASTER and PATCH) invokes an alternative display showing the value of the parameter being adjusted until the control is released. The three buttons to the left of the display assign the parameter controls to a particular row of the page being displayed.

Nine buttons selecting the menu to be displayed: Patch, Osc, Env, LFO, Arp/Clock, Mod, Voice, FX, and Settings.

Parameter adjustment may either be made rapidly by the rotary control or incremented/decremented one parameter value at a time with the Value + / Value - buttons.

Active Voice – eight LEDs, indicating which of the eight voices are currently active.

ANIMATE 1 and 2 – add an “instant” effect to the sound currently being generated. These buttons are great in live performance: the nature of the extra effect will be determined by the Patch in use.

Hold – pressing Hold will “lock” the Animate function in an “On” state. You can either press Hold before pressing ANIMATE, or vice-versa. Pressing ANIMATE a second time releases both the Animate and Hold functions.

Volume – master volume control for the synth’s audio output; this also controls the headphones output level.