The MiniNova is equipped with a set of controls specifically designed for use in live performance. These allow you to modify the sound of the loaded patch in a variety of interesting and sometimes startling ways!
These controls are found in the PERFORM, PADS and ARP areas of the control panel (see items 12 - 21 on Top view – controls).
While playing live, it is often desirable to manually adjust some aspect or other of the sound – i.e., “tweak” a particular parameter. Although the MiniNova’s design allows you to access all the parameters defining a particular sound, it is useful if the most important parameters you need while playing live are readily available, on a convenient set of controls. These are the four rotary controls to the right of the control panel, see item 12 on Top view – controls.
Use these four knobs in conjunction with the Perform Row Selector switch [13]. An LED will illuminate to show you which of the six banks of available parameters the knobs are assigned to. Note that Rows 3 to 6 always control the same parameters, regardless of the patch you have loaded – though the actual effect of the control will quite likely sound different! Rows 1 and 2 place the four knobs into “Tweak” mode, where the parameters they control vary with the patch (see below).
Don’t worry too much at this stage what words like “Resonance” and “Sustain” mean – all these (and many other) terms are explained in much greater detail further on in the manual. Just try to become familiar with the actual sonic effect you hear when you adjust each of the parameters in turn, for different categories of patch.
Note
The four knobs used for “tweaking” will almost never be in the correct position relative to the value of the parameters they control, which are stored as part of the currently-loaded Patch. For example, in the Patch A000 (“BassIsWet DC”), the value of the Filter Envelope Decay Time parameter is 27. If the Tweak control for this (RC2 in Row 4) is set to – say – 2 o’clock, the knob position implies a completely different value. The LCD includes two arrows which tell you which way to turn the knob to get the knob position to “match” the stored parameter value. As long as Pot Pickup is set On (in the Global Menu), the knob will have no effect until both arrows are off. If Pot Pickup is Off, turning the knob will immediately alter the parameter, which may produce an audible “jump”.
See Top menu: global for more information on Pot Pickup.
With either Rows 1 or 2 selected, the knobs will have a different effect depending on the patch loaded. This is because the actual assignment of the controls forms part of the Patch. You will find all the factory Patches have some Tweak Controls pre-assigned, but you can change their function or add others if you wish.
The best way of understanding the Tweak controls is to load a patch and play with them. Try loading the Patch “Synchromatic 1 PS”, which can be found in the Arp/Movement TYPE*. Select the TWEAK row with the Perform Row Selector switch [13]. As you play, adjust each of the four TWEAK controls in turn to hear their effect. You will find you can introduce further variations to the sound. Now select the (FX) TWEAK row; you’ll find the TWEAK controls now do something different, and the sound can be modified in other ways – in this case, by altering the audio effects processing applied to the sound.
The important point to grasp here is the effect of each TWEAK control on the sound is specific to the patch. With different patches loaded, the TWEAK controls will alter different sonic characteristics.
Note
RC4 is preset to control the level of FX level when Row 2 ((FX) TWEAK) is selected. However, this can be changed in the TWEAK submenu of the EDIT menu.
* You will be able to find this – or any Patch you know by name – more quickly by setting SORT to A-Z and scrolling through the listed Patches alphabetically.
The function of the four rotary controls is predetermined when any of Rows 3 to 6 is selected. The table below lists the functions, and tells you where to look in the User Guide to find out more information on the parameter controlled in each case.
Tip
Full details of the parameters each of the Tweak controls in Rows 3 to 6 are available at the page number indicated in the table below.
|
Row |
Group |
RC1 |
RC2 |
RC3 |
RC4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Parameter |
Parameter |
Parameter |
Parameter |
||
|
3 |
Filter |
Resonance |
Tracking |
Type |
Drive |
|
4 |
Filter Envelope |
Attack |
Decay |
Sustain |
Amount |
|
5 |
Amplitude Envelope |
Attack |
Decay |
Sustain |
Release |
|
6 |
Oscillator |
Osc1 Virtual Sync |
Osc 1 Density |
Osc 2 Virtual Sync |
Osc 2 Density |
Adjusting the frequency of the synth’s primary filter (Filter 1) is probably the most commonly-used method of sound modification. For this reason, Filter 1 Frequency has its own dedicated control in the form of a large rotary control [14] next to the parameter controls. Experiment with different types of patch to hear how changing the filter frequency alters the characteristic of different types of sound.
The eight Pads below the parameter controls have a number of functions on the MiniNova. In this section, we are concerned only with their use as performance controls. To enable the Pads for performance use, set the ANIMATE/ARPEGGIATE switch [16] to ANIMATE.
Like the Tweak controls, the precise effect each Pad will have on the characteristic of the sound is Patch-dependent. Again, the best way of understanding what they can do is to load a Patch and play with them. Load the Patch “Cry4Moon DF” - which can be found in the Keyboard/Lead TYPE* - and lightly touch each of the pads in turn while playing normally. You’ll find when you touch a pad, something distinctive happens to the sound. Try loading different types of Patch to see what effect the Pads have in each. Note that not all Patches have all eight Pads assigned.
Later in the manual, you will discover how to reassign Pads to make specific parameter changes to any given patch. These assignments remain with the patch for future use.
* You will be able to find this – or any Patch you know by name – more quickly by setting SORT to A-Z and scrolling through the listed Patches alphabetically.
The MiniNova has a powerful Arpeggiator feature which allows arpeggios of varying complexity and rhythm to be played and manipulated in real-time. If a single key is pressed, the note will be retriggered by the Arpeggiator. If you play a chord, the Arpeggiator plays them individually in sequence (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.
The MiniNova Arpeggiator is enabled by pressing the ARP ON button [19]; its backlight will confirm, and the eight Pads will turn red. Holding a note down will repeat the note in the sequence, and you will see the Pads’ illumination changing to purple as the pattern progresses. Initially all enabled beats in the sequence are sounded, but if you press a Pad, the beat corresponding to that Pad’s position will now be omitted from the sequence, generating a rhythmic pattern. The ‘deselected’ Pads will not illuminate. A ‘deselected’ Pad may be re-enabled by tapping it a second time.
Arpeggiator operation in the MiniNova is controlled by the three ARP buttons [19], [20] & [21]: ON, LATCH and TEMPO. The ON button enables or disables the Arpeggiator.
The LATCH button plays the currently selected arp sequence repeatedly without the keys being held. LATCH can also be pressed before the Arpeggiator is enabled. When the Arpeggiator is enabled, the MiniNova will immediately play the arp sequence defined by the last set of notes played, and will do so indefinitely. The tempo of the arp sequence is set by the TEMPO control; you can make the sequence play faster or slower by altering this. See Top menu: arp for further details.
Your MiniNova comes with a Vocoder section, which allows you to create sounds by combining synth sounds with either a voice or another instrument, such as a guitar.
To use the Vocoder, first connect a microphone (one is supplied with your MiniNova) to the MIC socket [22] on the top panel. Alternatively, you can plug a guitar or other instrument into the EXT IN socket {8} on the rear panel (this will disconnect the mic socket). Next, you need to set the audio gain of the mic or instrument. To do this, press MENU [8], select Audio In using the data wheel [6], then press OK [9]. This will open the menu system, and Audio In is the first menu displayed. The first menu item in the Audio Menu is Input Gain (InptGain); adjust the input gain with the DATA wheel [6] while noting the signal level as displayed at the top of the LCD screen as a horizontal bar graph meter. Ensure the loudest audio level does not cause the OVER segment to illuminate.
Set the TYPE/GENRE control [4] to VOCODER/VOCALTUNE, and select a patch from the available subset. Now hold one or more keys down and sing into the microphone (or play the instrument connected at EXT IN). You will hear the sound of the synth, modified by the external audio input. As with any other patch, you can alter various parameters with the FILTER and four rotary encoders in the PERFORM section, or use the Animate functions as described above.
As with all the other performance controls, we recommend there is no substitute for experimentation to get an understanding of how the various controls interact.
The MiniNova is fitted with a standard pair of synthesiser control wheels adjacent to the keyboard, PITCH and MOD (Modulation). The PITCH control is spring-loaded and always returns to the centre position.
Moving PITCH will always raise or lower the pitch of the note(s) being played. The range of operation can be set via the menu system, from a semitone to an octave, in semitone steps.
The MOD wheel’s precise function varies with the Patch loaded; it is used in general to add expression or various elements to a synthesised sound. A common use is to add vibrato to a sound; another is to control the speed of a “virtual” rotary speaker.
It is possible to assign the MOD wheel to control any parameter constituting the sound – or a combination of parameters simultaneously. This topic is discussed in more detail elsewhere in the manual. See Edit menu - Submenu 8: ModMatrx.
These two back-lit buttons [24] transpose the keyboard up or down one octave each time they are pressed, to a maximum of four octaves. The colour displayed by the buttons indicates the number of octaves shifted: when both LEDs are off (the default state), the lowest note on the keyboard is one octave below Middle C.
|
SHIFT |
COLOUR |
|---|---|
|
(no buttons pressed) |
LEDs off |
|
± 1 octave |
Red |
|
± 2 octaves |
Magenta |
|
± 3 octaves |
Purple |
|
± 4 octaves |
Blue |
Normal keyboard pitch may be restored any time by pressing both Octave buttons together.
We’ve worked hard to create a useful and great-sounding set of factory Patches, and we are sure many of them will meet your needs without modification. However, the scope for altering – or creating completely new - sounds in the MiniNova is almost limitless, and when you have done so, you will probably want to save the sounds for future use.
It is possible to store or write your own patches directly into the MiniNova without using the MiniNova Editor and Librarian software applications. Once any of the parameters of a Patch have been changed, the SAVE flag will illuminate in the LCD, to remind you that you are no longer working with an unmodified Patch. To save the modified Patch:
Note
The Memory Protect function is active by default, so you are likely to see the words Memory Protect! flash on-screen. It will not be possible to save a modified version of the current patch, without turning this option off. See Top menu: global.
The screen will prompt you for a new name for the modified version (Name?) and the current name will appear as a suggestion, with the first character flashing. Use the DATA control [6] or the PATCH IH buttons [11] to select a different alphanumeric character.
-
Use the PAGE ◀ and ► buttons [7] to move to the next character, and continue in this manner until the new name has been entered.
-
Press SAVE again. You will now be prompted to choose the location where the new Patch is to be saved. The location of the original Patch will be offered as the default; if you choose this, the original patch data will be overwritten. Use the DATA control [6], or PATCH ◀ and ► buttons [11] to select a different location. Note that Bank C (128 locations) has been left empty for you to save your own patches; this avoids overwriting any of the original versions.
-
Press SAVE again, and you will now be prompted to choose the TYPE Category to allow MiniNova’s sorting system to retrieve it. Use the DATA control to select the most appropriate one, and press SAVE again.
-
You will finally be prompted to choose the GENRE for filing purposes. Use the DATA control to select the most appropriate, and press SAVE again.
-
The screen will now confirm the new Patch with the message Patch Saved. Note that whichever location is chosen for the new Patch, any Patch data already saved to that location will be lost.
Note
A faster method of managing patches (writing, loading, renaming, reordering etc.) is using the downloadable MiniNova Librarian:
Firmware update files will be available from time to time at support.novationmusic.com. The update procedure requires the MiniNova to be connected via USB to a computer which has first had the necessary USB drivers installed. Full instructions on performing the update will be supplied with the download.