New synth from Novation - UltraNova

[Timo]

Seems Novation are back in the game:

http://www.novationmusic.com/media/product_images/141.jpg

http://www.novationmusic.com/ultranova/

Specs:
• Up to 18 note polyphony (dynamic voicing)
• Mono-Timbral
• Touch-sense controls

Per patch:
• 3x oscillators
• 1x noise generator
• 2x ring modulators

Waveforms include:
• Square, sine, tri, sawtooth, pulse, 9x saw:pulse combinations.
• 20x digital waveforms
• 36x wavetables

Filters: 2x filters per patch. Types:
• low pass no resonance 6dB per octave
• low pass 12dB
• low pass 18dB
• low pass 24dB
• band pass 6:6
• band pass 6:12
• band pass 12:6
• band pass 6:18
• band pass 18:6
• band pass 12:12
• high pass no resonance 6dB per octave
• high pass 12dB
• high pass 18dB
• high pass 24dB

Sources:
20 modulation slots per patch
• 6x envelope generators
• 3x LFOs.
• Aftertouch
• Velocity
• Key scaling/track
• Mod wheel
• Expression pedal

Total of 66 Destinations including:
• Oscillator pitch, pulse width, wavetable index, level and sync
• Filter cutoff, resonance, envelope settings
• Effects parameters and send levels
• Recursive modulation (modulating modulation sources themselves)

5 Effects slots per patch:
• Distortion – up to 2 instances
• Compressor – up to 2 instances
• Chorus/Phase – up to 4 instances
• Delay – up to 2 instances
• Reverb – up to 2 instances
• Gator
• EQ
•12 band vocoder
• Arpeggiator – 33 patterns
• Chord function – lock up to 10 notes
• Patch storage up to 512 on hardware (ships with 300 factory patches)

Software:
Plugin sound editor and patch librarian

http://www.novationmusic.com/media/image_registry/2047518922_mod.jpg

http://www.novationmusic.com/media/image_registry/180412786_osc.jpg

http://www.novationmusic.com/media/image_registry/766868624_filter.jpg

http://www.novationmusic.com/media/image_registry/776156765_animate.jpg

Hardware:
• 144 character LCD
• 8x detented touch sensitive encoders
• 1x large smooth encoder (with back-lit filter lock buttons)
• 1x large patch select/speed dial encoder
• 2x volume & monitor mix dials
• 39 LED lit/indicated buttons
• Pitch wheel (LED lit)
• Modulation wheel (LED lit)
• 37 note keyboard with velocity and aftertouch
• XLR dynamic mic input
• 2x ¼” jack inputs
• 2x ¼” jack outputs
• 2x ¼” jack aux outputs
• 1x ¼” jack headphone output
• SPDIF digital output on RCA connector
• Expression pedal on ¼” jack input
• Sustain pedal on ¼” jack input
• MIDI in/out/thru
• 12 volt power input
• USB port (UltraNova can be powered via USB)
• Kensington Lock port

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[nutrinoland]

its quite nice...but $700 is a bit much...i'r rather spend a bit more and buy a snow or a nord rack....or maybe even a blofeld....or an analog tetra....
400 would be ok for this......
and the Plastic body....mmmm.....no...
color is nice...
wish it had phantom power for a condenser mic ...
the touch knobs feature sounds interesting..

sounds pretty nice though..
and the plugin interface is cool..
huge mod matrix too
Compressor..thats nice...
wonder if the Eq is fully parametric...

[ErikDeluxe]

I must firstly say, that I love several of Novations products. I've got the 25SL MK usb keyboard and Basstation and also tried other gear. In this case it seem like a beautiful synth. And the color is very nice 2...

However, I must say, that their promo videos for this synth are really crappy. At least the first one, with the guys just banging the drums and synth. Not a lot variety of sounds, nor cool nice sounds coming thrue, there must be several other patches that are better then these ones.

Anyway, Novation still rocks for me, but the producers (or perhaps the buyers) of these videos.... shape up!;)

[mitchiemasha]

Ok, Abt time someone started to give virus's VC a run for it's money. This synth looks sexy as hell, especialy the plug in. Stumbled upon it after reading abt the newer K station, THE X STATION.

This Synth has 1 main floor. 1 Part.

It looks more like a performance synth to me. Another big toy. Be great for all those fidget, wonk, wobble, glitch what ever you want to call it producers.

And, who recorded that voice???

[PaPi]

Not too impressed. Looks more like just another DJ gizmo. The Supernova was a great VA synth and I loved that it had more knobs than a Virus TI.

[synthfiend]

Not too impressed. Looks more like just another DJ gizmo. The Supernova was a great VA synth and I loved that it had more knobs than a Virus TI.

...yeah, comparing the new Novation to the Virus TI is like comparing a PC with a Mac....:-)))

[HUROLURA]

And the Novation KS series were more knobby and multitimbral ...
One could find some second hand for similar price.

This one is more to be compared to Akai Miniak, Alesis Ion or Korg MicroKorg/R3.

[mitchiemasha]

Jst been burried deep in my ks rack, Not touched it in ages. Forgot how good it was. Can't believe how cheep they go for on ebay too. Sells for a lil more than the bass station and I'd much prefer the KS (I've got a bass station too). The KS is only four parts but realisticly so is the TI.

[infraction]

No FM :-x (that I can see anyway), the 9x saw/squares per osc do look interesting looks like they are trying to copy the TI hypersaw even got a "virtual sync" function per osc.

The look of it seems more like a midi controller rather than a synthesizer though. Wouldn't mind if they did a desktop version though, something I wished they did with the xio/x station.

[austin_tacious]

This thing is nasty. While there are some multifunction layers and stuff the inductive rubber is so sick. It basically lets you use the knob as a pot and a switch. It is certainly aimed at the dubstep massive and some of the development team is well wired at 140 which is all fine by me. The vocoder is great. It does aggressive better than my XS25, but still does the smooth thing that they've always done. I guess my niggles would be that it's not multitimbral.

It's also an interface and a pretty slick controller and I seem to remember it having automap built in. I like it. I still wouldn't use it if it was in the rack though because my Darkstar kills >:)

[TokyoMind]

Thanks Timo.
and Also Thanks nutrinoland to Post This Little Tip, Helpful and I‘m Also Agree This Point: 400 would be ok for this...... Haa....
http://www.infekted.org/virus/redbar/elements/logo.jpg

[namnibor]

And the Novation KS series were more knobby and multitimbral ...
One could find some second hand for similar price.

This one is more to be compared to Akai Miniak, Alesis Ion or Korg MicroKorg/R3.

I still own the orig. Supernova and Ion, which are still very versatile and deeply programable synths. I will agree that although the Micron has the Ion's same engine as does the Miniak; however, the user interface of those two really suck, whereas the Ion's knobby surface allows access to the very capable synth engine that I still discover new sonic territory with. Whomever designed the Micron/Miniak's interface MUST still be in a straight-jacket in a perpetual giggle! Know someone whom purchased this Novation Ultranova and he put it up for sale same day telling me that it's yet another DJ toy and only way to really access it as a proper synth is via software. just ONE oscillator from Novation's Supernova blows this thin sounding pretty toy away! Admitedly, I may really love the Alesis Ion, will freely agree that the keys attached are total crap! Novation has a gem of a midi controller in the Sl MK II 61 that I do own, however, rather than nightmare of Automap, I just assign controllers and create my own templates.
Wouldn't it be really nice if these companies would actually innovate instead of producing dozens and dozens of yet new midi controllers? My rant is over, I just had to defend my growling Ion being tossed into same mix as it's insane derivitives!

[feedingear]

Automap does my fucking head in.

[namnibor]

Automap does my fucking head in.

There's just something about letting additional software come in and "wrap itself" around everything then expect your DAW to to operate as it should that is rather "Borg-like" and it would actually worry me in what artifacts are left when and if a person wanted to remove it?! The concept seems cool but then again Smartphones are certainly not making people more "smart" are they? Then again, if electricity suddenly no longer worked due to the sun or earth's electromagnetic changes, we would all be using our gear for firewood while guarding our piano's and acoustic guitars from looters for use as firewood...the irony of things keeps me somewhat sane! Automap's cousin is Hypercontrol by M-Audio, which was just "divested" from AVID and whole line has gone under umbrella company where Alesis went to die amongst DJ supplies....wonder how those Hypercontrol updates will work out for those folks?