Novation MiniNova Instructions Manual

Also see for MiniNova: Owner's manual

7Rows 1 and 2 – Tweak and (FX) Tweak controlsWith either Rows 1 or 2 selected, the knobs will have a different effect depending onthe patch loaded. This is because the actual assignment of the controls forms part of thePatch. You will find that all the factory Patches have some Tweak Controls pre-assigned,but you can change their function or add others if you wish.The best way of understanding the Tweak controls is to load a patch and play with them. Tryloading the Patch “Synchromatic 1 PS”, which can be found in the Arp/Movement TYPE*.Select the TWEAK row with the Perform Row Selector switch [13]. As you play, adjusteach of the four TWEAK controls in turn to hear their effect. You will find that you canintroduce further variations to the sound. Now select the (FX) TWEAK row; you’ll find thatthe TWEAK controls now do something different and the sound can be modified in otherways – in this case, by altering the audio effects processing applied to the sound.The important point to grasp here is that the effect of each TWEAK control on the soundis specific to the patch. With different patches loaded, the TWEAK controls will alterdifferent sonic characteristics.NOTE: RC4 is preset to control the level of FX level when Row 2 ((FX) TWEAK) isselected. However, this can be changed in the TWEAK submenu of the EDIT menu.* You will be able to find this – or any Patch you know by name – more quickly by setting SORT to A-Zand scrolling through the listed Patches alphabetically.Rows 3 to 6 – Fixed Tweak controlsThe function of the four rotary controls is predetermined when any of Rows 3 to 6 isselected. The table below lists the functions, and tells you where to look in the User Guideto find out more information on the parameter controlled in each case.P Full details of the parameters each of the Tweak controls in Rows 3 to 6 areavailable at the page number indicated in the table below.Row Group RC1 RC2 RC3 RC4Parameter More Info? Parameter More Info? Parameter More Info? Parameter More Info?3 Filter Resonance F1Res page 17 Tracking F1Track page 17 Type F1Type page 17 Drive F1Damnt page 174 Filter Envelope Attack FltAtt page 22 Decay FltDec page 22 Sustain FltSus page 22 Amount F1Env2 page 175 Amplitude Envelope Attack AmpAtt page 20 Decay AmpDec page 20 Sustain AmpSus page 20 Release AmpRel page 216 Oscillator Osc1 Virtual Sync O1VSync page 14 Osc 1 Density O1Dense page 15 Osc 2 Virtual Sync O2VSync page 14 Osc 2 Density O2Dense page 15The Filter knobAdjusting the frequency of the synth’s primary filter (Filter 1) is probably the mostcommonly-used method of sound modification. For this reason, Filter 1 Frequency hasits own dedicated control in the form of a large rotary control [14] next to the parametercontrols. Experiment with different types of patch to hear how changing the filter frequencyalters the characteristic of different types of sound.Using the Pads as performance controlsThe eight Pads below the parameter controls have a number of functions on the MiniNova. Inthis section, we are concerned only with their use as performance controls. To enable the Padsfor performance use, set the ANIMATE/ARPEGGIATE switch [16] to ANIMATE.Like the TWEAK controls, the precise effect that each Pad will have on the characteristicof the sound is Patch-dependent. Again, the best way of understanding what they cando is to load a Patch and play with them. Load the Patch “Cry4Moon DF” - which can befound in the Keyboard/Lead TYPE* - and lightly touch each of the pads in turn while playingnormally. You’ll find that when you touch a pad, something distinctive happens to thesound. Try loading different types of Patch to see what effect the Pads have in each. Notethat not all Patches have all eight Pads assigned.Later in the manual, you will discover how to reassign the Pads to make specific parameterchanges to any given patch, and that these assignments remain with the patch for yourfuture use.* You will be able to find this – or any Patch you know by name – more quickly by setting SORT to A-Zand scrolling through the listed Patches alphabetically.The ArpeggiatorThe MiniNova has a powerful Arpeggiator feature which allows arpeggios of varyingcomplexity and rhythm to be played and manipulated in real-time. If a single key is pressed,the note will be retriggered by the Arpeggiator. If you play a chord, the Arpeggiatoridentifies its notes and plays them individually in sequence (this is termed an arpeggiopattern or ‘arp sequence’); thus if you play a C major triad, the selected notes will be C, Eand G.The MiniNova Arpeggiator is enabled by pressing the ARP ON button [19]; its backlightwill confirm and the eight Pads will turn red. Holding a note down will repeat the note inthe sequence, and you will see the Pads’ illumination changing to purple as the patternprogresses. Initially all enabled beats in the sequence are sounded, but if you press a Pad,the beat corresponding to that Pad’s position will now be omitted from the sequence,generating a rhythmic pattern. The ‘deselected’ Pads will not illuminate. A ‘deselected’ Padmay be re-enabled by tapping it a second time.Arpeggiator operation in the MiniNova is controlled by the three ARP buttons [19], [20] &[21]: ON, LATCH and TEMPO. The ON button enables or disables the Arpeggiator.The LATCH button plays the currently selected arp sequence repeatedly without the keysbeing held. LATCH can also be pressed before the Arpeggiator is enabled. When theArpeggiator is enabled, the MiniNova will immediately play the arp sequence defined by thelast set of notes played, and will do so indefinitely. The tempo of the arp sequence is set bythe TEMPO control; you can make the sequence play faster or slower by altering this. Seepage 13 for further details.The VocoderYour MiniNova comes with a Vocoder section, which allows you to create some really greatsounds by combining synth sounds with either a voice or another instrument such as a guitar.To use the Vocoder, first connect a microphone (one is supplied with your MiniNova) to theMIC socket [22] on the top panel. Alternatively, you can plug a guitar or other instrumentinto the EXT IN socket {8} on the rear panel (this will disconnect the mic socket). Next,you need to set the audio gain of the mic or instrument. To do this, press MENU [8], selectAudio In using the DATA wheel [6], then press OK [9]. This will open the menu system,and Audio In is the first menu displayed. The first menu item in the Audio Menu is InputGain (InptGain); adjust the input gain with the DATA wheel [6] while noting the signallevel as displayed at the top of the LCD screen as a horizontal bargraph meter. Ensure thatthe loudest audio level does not cause the OVER segment to illuminate.Set the TYPE/GENRE control [4] to VOCODER/VOCALTUNE, and select a patch fromthe available subset. Now hold one or more keys down and sing into the microphone (orplay the instrument connected at EXT IN). You will hear the sound of the synth, modified bythe external audio input. As with any other patch, you can alter various parameters with theFILTER and four rotary encoders in the PERFORM section, or use the Animate functionsas described above.As with all the other performance controls, we recommend that there is no substitute forexperimentation to get an understanding of how the various controls interact.Pitch and Mod wheelsThe MiniNova is fitted with a standard pair of synthesizer control wheels adjacent to thekeyboard, PITCH and MOD (Modulation). The PITCH control is spring-loaded and alwaysreturns to the centre position.Moving PITCH will always raise or lower the pitch of the note(s) being played. The range ofoperation can be set via the menu system, from a semitone to an octave, in semitone steps.The MOD wheel’s precise function varies with the Patch loaded; it is used in generalto add expression or various elements to a synthesised sound. A common use is to addvibrato to a sound; another is to control the speed of a “virtual” rotary speaker.It is possible to assign the MOD wheel to control any parameter constituting the sound– or a combination of parameters simultaneously. This topic is discussed in more detailelsewhere in the manual. See “What is Legato?” on page 21.Note that two of the factory Vocoder Patches, “Aaah 1” (B073) and “Aaah 2” (B074),do not make use of the built-in microphone. Although these use the MiniNova’sVocoder functions, they use fixed formants which are stored with the Patches.