Getting to know the Novation Ultranova closely is an experience that does not leave indifferent, right from the first approach. As much as you try to resist its charm and keep the best and most shrewd aplomb it's hard not to be bewitched by what is perhaps the most “fashioned” of VA synths around.
With a compact size (a classic three-octave Novation keys), the Ultranova has one of its many advantages in the innovative and stylish design, starting from the backlit buttons and wheels on the magnificent blue background. Compared, for example, with many of its major competitors, such as the MicroKorg or the Alesis Micron, look a little like a swan in a duck pond.
The technological and musical concept of Ultranova is quite linear. Ultranova is a classic Virtual analog with three oscillators, monotimbral and polyphonic a 18 entries. For each oscillator there are one seventy waveforms. The signal is conveyed into two classic filters (Lowpassp, Hipass, Bandpass) and can be assigned to 6 envelopes e 3 lfo. If we add to this 5 effect slots the picture of a complete synth is outlined, albeit in its fairly typical architecture. The extra gear offers the vocoder internal, manageable through the cardioid microphone supplied or by connecting any external microphone connected to the XLR input.
It's not all. The Ultranova also incorporates a well-made USB audio / midi interface. The version we tested allows a latency not exceptional, about seven milliseconds, but proved to be stable in operation and equipped with satisfactory sound conversion in headphones and monitors.
The keyboard and controllers.
Admit it or not the Novation synth key is one of the pleasures of life for a keyboardist. You rarely encounter such a smooth and usable response and ride. Also the sensitivity toaftertouch it's excellent. The same goes for modwheel and pitchbend, which are also backlit and made of non-slip material. One of the sure strengths of ultranova is precisely the fact that it incorporates the Novation background in the controllers sector. In the upper part the Ultranova also allocates a system of 8 + 1 knobs that can be assigned to different control functions along the lines of the home Remote.
The control software: Novation Ultranova Editor
Programming a hardware digital synth has always been a laborious operation, especially when the parameters can be edited on different pages, often recalled thanks to combinations. It has been since the first digitally controlled synths, and in the case of the Ultranova the situation does not change much. It is a question of size. Ultranova adds to the direct programming on the synth a VST plugin which, loaded in your DAW, allows the editing of all the parameters of the synth in a visual way. The same parameters can be saved so it is possible to recall them together with the project. It must be said, the Ultranova editor has a really cool design, it only took a few seconds to get into the mechanism and start editing. Fancy and usable at the same time. A couple of improvements would be a randomizer (why the heck don't all VAs have a randomizer?) Able to generate patches in a random way, as well as a slightly easier access to waveforms, for example replacing arrows for excessive use of menus. Trying out seventy waveforms and having to open a menu as many times can be a very boring operation. The management of modulations, filters and effects is also very easy.
The sound and the presets
The Ultranova has a sound that I would define somewhat "current", the general feeling is that of a natural tendency to the central scoop of the frequencies and therefore a good, not to say excellent predisposition for use in genres such as dance or hip / hop . The low range is well accentuated and clean, the high range a bit “smooth” and in any case very clear. The synth comes with around three hundred presets, belonging to various categories of genres and styles. Honestly, the presets are a bit of a sore point of the Novation VA, as they could easily belong to a synth from the early nineties. Yet water has passed under the bridge since then. Here and there there is some reference to more modern genres like dubstep or hip hop / rnb, but the general feeling is that the programming has been very "cautious" and standard, and most of the patches have a taste of bit dated, and not in a good way. Not bad, it will be said, just plan your own. In this sense, a randomizer would have helped a lot, at least to generate starting scenarios on which to tweak. It seems, however, that Novation is running for cover as some free sound sets to download in sysex format are appearing on the site a little at a time. Putting a pool of smart programmers to work and making refills even for a fee could be a winning move to be implemented as soon as possible.
The effects, the vocoder and the arpeggiator
As mentioned, there are five effects slots. For each slot you can choose from seven groups of effects, the most classic ones. For a future version we would suggest a slightly more "extreme" approach to effects, able to modify the sound in a more radical way. We miss, for example, a bitcrusher, more devastating forms of distortion, ring modulation, reverse delay. Things like that. The vocoder adds a nice diversion. it is easy to use and implement. The only flaw is its inability to completely modify the miked sound, as in the synth / vocal mix the second often appears too identifiable. Also in this case, the use of the arpeggiator is very simple, equipped with 33 different patterns, and can also be activated from the top of the synth with a button.
touch
Sculpting and exploring sound using encoders and buttons is the beauty of synths. The UltraNova represents a step forward in “tactile” sound shaping, allowing you to take more physical and in-depth control of the synth's sound engine. Pressing “Touch” in the “Animate” section activates a special mode in which just touch one of the touch-sensitive encoders to trigger the envelopes or other modulation destinations. Among the possible destinations are the pitch, sync and waveform of the oscillators, cutoff, resonance and distortion of the filter, effect parameters, level of effect sends, just to name a few. (By pressing “Tweak” instead you go back to the traditional rotary control system, which allows you to assign the 8 parameters you use most often to the encoders so that you always have them at hand).
The "Touch" function puts some parameters "at your fingertips" that would otherwise be buried in the complex architecture of the synth. You can assign 8 parameters of your choice to the UltraNova's touch-sensitive encoders, and even “touch” more than one at a time to create creative effects during a live set.
Conclusions
The Ultranova is a synth full of virtues. Its major ones are usability and build quality. The tonal quality is also particularly good, particularly for the balance of the sound. Sometimes having a detailed and clean sound, rich in bass, is a panacea for all synthesized ills. External processing can easily add anger and originality to such a signal. Excellent portability, the quality of the materials, the allocation of inputs and outputs. If we add to this a VA supermodel look, the picture is complete. In later versions we recommend improvements on the vocoder and effects front. And above all, attention to the presets issue.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Producer: Novation
Model: Ultranova
Website: www.novationmusic.com
Distributor: www.midiware.com
Price: 615 + VAT
