Novation Summit 61-key 16-Voice Synthesizer

Built on the innovative foundations of Novation’s critically acclaimed Peak, the Novation SummitSynthesizer is a three-oscillator-per-voice, 16-voice keyboard synth aimed at the professional or semi-professional musician seeking an inspiring, empowering instrument for use both live and in the studio. In fact, Summit effectively puts the power of two Peaks at your fingertips, enabling two completely independent patches to be split or layered across the keyboard, or switched between on the fly. It also expands on Peak’s layout, with many ‘hidden’ controls and functions made accessible on the front panel – FM routing, LFOs 3 and 4, all arpeggiator parameters and more – plus the addition of pitch and mod wheels. Summit also features numerous new filter options, and an audio input for processing external sources with its reverb, chorus and delay effects.

PEAK FIRMWARE UPDATE V2.0

In Novation’s biggest update for Summit, firmware update 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.

Create more intricately textured soundscapes with updated stereo controls. Experiment with expansive sound design with modulation and unpredictability. A range of effects improvements bring new tonalities with the addition of Chorus Modes, Flanger, Phlanger, new effects modulation destinations and Lo-Fi delay.

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.

Summit and Peak firmware v2.0 is the last addition to the legacy of Chris Huggett’s innovative synth design work with Novation. Having shaped the sound of Novation’s iconic synths – including Bass Station, Supernova, Bass Station II, Peak and Summit, Chris has left an indelible imprint on Novation’s heritage, and we will always be grateful for his influence and inspiration.

THE BEST SOUNDING SYNTHESISER NOVATION HAS EVER MADE

Summit doubles the power of Peak’s digital New Oxford Oscillators up to 16 voices and two parts, and adds a wealth of new features and a premium-quality five-octave keyboard. A synth much greater than the sum of its parts, it gives the serious producer or performer everything they need to design and play stunning basses, leads, arps, pads, effects and beyond.

TOTALLY TACTILE SOUND DESIGN

Summit takes Peak’s architecture and workflow to new heights, with a swathe of extra front panel controls for hands-on wrangling of FM, effects, LFOs and more; dual filters with six LP/HP/BP combinations; audio input for processing external sources with the onboard effects; and auxiliary audio outputs.

ANALOG WHERE IT MATTERS

The true stereo analogue signal path comprises dual analogue multimode filters, analogue VCAs and three stages of analogue distortion – pre- and post-filter, and post-VCA. With roots in the legendary OSCar, via Bass Station II, Summit’s analog credentials are truly impressive.

FEATURES:

• The 16-voice, multitimbral engine combines two simultaneous patches. Split or stack them for keyboard-divided or layered sounds, or switch the entire synth between two separate and independently controlled setups, perhaps using one as an effects processor for an external input source
• The New Oxford Oscillators output to true analogue filters, with origins in the classic OSCar synth, and three stages of analogue distortion give you ample saturation options
• Hook up external instruments for processing with Summit’s onboard effects, while using it as a synth at the same time
• Five-octave, semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keyboard with aftertouch – the same premium-quality keybed as introduced with our SL MkIII controller keyboardSummit’s dual filter is switchable between six paired combinations of low-pass, high-pass and band-pass modes at 12dB/octave, or any single mode at 24dB/octave, for a broad range of sonic possibilities
• Onboard reverb, chorus and delay effects are hosted on the FPGA. They’re also controlled directly from the front panel, and available as modulation targets in the dedicated FX Mod MatrixDigital New Oxford Oscillators are capable of subtractive, FM and wavetable synthesis. Waveforms are generated directly on the FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) chip, using 24MHz bitstream processing; and adjustable drift and divergence emulate the inherent and often desirable instability of analogue circuits
• Packed with modulation sources for deep sound design – LFOs, envelopes, Animate buttons and more. Extended controls see FM parameters, envelope loop switches and LFOs 3/4 moved from Peak’s menu system to the front panel, for easy programming and tweaking