The annual Superbooth convention kicks off bright and early in Berlin tomorrow, and news about the products we can expect to see unveiled this weekend is already starting to filter in.
Most recently, Novation announced the brand-new Summit, which will debut on the show floor tomorrow. The 16-voice digital/analog, bi-timbral polysynth is a richly featured monster. It includes three oscillators per voice, arpeggiator, and a 61-key keyboard, along with LFOs, multimode filters, and many other features.
The Summit is something of an extended version of the Peak, Novation's desktop synth, with plenty additions. It represents a kind of theme that synth companies have recently put into play, taking a popular mid-tier synth in its lineup and greatly expanding on the concept, with other recent examples being Moog's Matriarch to its Grandmother and Korg's Prologue to its Minilogue.
The Summit's digital sound engines are capable of emulating analog sounds, as well as FM and wavetable synthesis (there are 60 wavetables loaded). Everything is then run through an analog multi-mode filter section. Users can take advantage of modulation features and change effects parameters via the 16-slot matrix, which is complete with four LFOs and envelopes. The keyboard is equipped with aftertouch, an arpeggiator, and chords with over 30 patterns, and each key can be split and layered.
Pricing is currently set at €2,200, according to a leaked image from a German magazine, though no official price has been announced.