Peak has eight separate voices, which are treated independently throughout the remaining signal chain. The voices are synthesised digitally in a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) using Numerically Controlled Oscillators running at an extremely high clock rate, resulting in waveforms which are indistinguishable from those using traditional analogue synthesis.
Each voice is a mix of the outputs of the three oscillators; when you adjust one of the oscillator level controls ,
or
you are effectively adjusting the level of eight voices simultaneously. The subsequent elements in the signal processing chain are entirely in the analogue domain. Note that distortion can be added in several places – before the filter (Overdrive
), after the filter (Filter Post Drive in the Voices Menu) and after final voice summation (Distortion Level
). The sonic effect can be quite different in each case.
Note that the time-domain effects (FX) – chorus, delay and reverb – are digitally generated within the FPGA as well. The stereo effects send into the FX processing section is taken from post the main VCA, so all distortions added to the signals are processed by the FX. The FX return signal is added back to same point in the signal path.