Novation Peak Polyphonic Desktop Synthesizer

The Novation Peak Polyphonic Desktop Synthesizer is one of the most sophisticated hardware synthesizers to emerge from Britain in the modern era — an eight-voice instrument that fuses the harmonic richness of analogue circuitry with the boundless palette of digital oscillator technology. Designed with the legendary synthesis engineer Chris Huggett, whose earlier work includes the original Novation Bass Station, the OSCar, and the Supernova, the Peak represents a true meeting point between analogue warmth and digital precision. Three New Oxford Oscillators per voice — implemented on FPGA hardware — deliver a wide array of waveforms including sine, triangle, sawtooth, and square/pulse, alongside 60 digital wavetables that can be sculpted with onboard drawing tools and a Live Edit mode for real-time manipulation.

Analogue Filter, Three Distortion Points, and Deep Modulation

What makes the Novation Peak Polyphonic Desktop Synthesizer truly distinctive is the depth and character of its signal processing chain. Each voice passes through a state-variable OTA analogue filter capable of 12 or 24dB slopes in low-pass, band-pass, or high-pass configurations — the same style of filter architecture responsible for the classic sound of countless British synthesizers. In addition, each voice features three separate distortion points: pre-filter overdrive, post-filter distortion, and a global distortion stage, delivering an enormous range of tonal texture from subtle warmth through to aggressive, saturated leads. A noise generator and ring modulator per voice further expand the sound design possibilities, while two LFOs and three envelopes (one amplitude, two modulators) per voice give expressive, evolving control over timbre and dynamics.

The 16-slot modulation matrix provides surgical routing flexibility, and five voice modes — Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, and Poly2 — allow everything from monophonic bass lines to richly stacked chords. The arpeggiator offers 33 patterns, and a comprehensive effects section includes three chorus types, 16 delay types, three reverbs, flanging, phlanging, and a lo-fi delay. Polyphonic aftertouch, CV modulation input, and full MIDI In/Out/Thru via 5-pin DIN ensure seamless integration with any studio or modular rig. The Peak ships with 256 factory patches across 512 total slots, in a sturdy metal chassis with American walnut end cheeks. Whether you’re crafting complex pads, evolving wavetable textures, or aggressive leads, the Novation Peak is available at Marshall Music South Africa as the definitive desktop polyphonic synthesizer for serious sound designers.

Tech Specs

• Polyphony: 8 voices
• Oscillators: 3 New Oxford Oscillators (FPGA NCOs) per voice
• Waveforms: Sine, triangle, sawtooth, square/pulse + 60 digital wavetables
• Additional per-voice sources: 1 noise generator, 1 ring modulator (osc 1 × osc 2)
• LFOs: 2 per voice
• Envelopes: 3 per voice (1 amp, 2 mod)
• Filter: State-variable OTA analogue, 12/24dB, LP/BP/HP per voice
• Distortion: 3 points per voice (pre-filter overdrive, post-filter, global)
• Modulation matrix: 16 slots
• Voice modes: Mono, MonoLG, Mono2, Poly, Poly2 (5 modes)
• Arpeggiator: 33 patterns
• Effects: Chorus ×3, Delay ×16 types, Reverb ×3, Flanger, Phlanger, Lo-Fi Delay
• Animate buttons: 2
• Polyphonic aftertouch: Yes
• Patch memory: 512 slots (256 factory)
• Wavetable editor: Yes, with drawing tools and Live Edit mode
• CV input: 3.5mm jack
• MIDI: In/Out/Thru via 5-pin DIN
• USB: USB-B (MIDI only, not bus powered)
• Audio outputs: ¼” L/R, ¼” headphone
• Pedal inputs: 2 × ¼”
• Chassis: Metal with American walnut end cheeks
• Dimensions: 464 × 233 × 70.5 mm
• Power: 12V DC 1A external (included)

Novation

Founded in Oxford, England in 1992, Novation has spent more than three decades at the forefront of electronic music instrument design. The company built its reputation on accessible, performance-focused hardware — from the original Bass Station, one of the first truly affordable analogue synthesizers, to the BassStation II that brought those circuits into the modern era, through to the pioneering Launchpad, a grid controller that became synonymous with clip-based performance in Ableton Live. Today, Novation’s catalogue spans analogue and digital synthesizers, keyboard controllers, and grid controllers, all united by a philosophy of making music creation immediate, expressive, and creatively inspiring. Under the Focusrite Group umbrella, Novation continues to innovate, combining thoughtful hardware design with deep DAW integration and an industry-leading software bundle that ensures every product delivers value from the moment it is unboxed. Marshall Music South Africa stocks the full Novation range.

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Why Buy From Marshall Music

At Marshall Music, we’re all passionate and highly experienced musicians that love what we do. Family run and family owned for over 35 years, we stock a huge variety of the very best brands in the world of musical instruments, music technology, professional audio and accessories. At Marshall Music, you’ll get the right advice – exactly what you need to make the best possible purchasing decision. We’ll do all we can to make sure you get the right thing at the right price as efficiently as possible – leaving you with a smile on your face!