Little synth, little money, major functionality
$624.99 MSRP, $499.99 street
www.novationmusic.com
by Craig Anderton
Sometimes product development teams have their market research done for them. Novation’s UltraNova synthesizer was a hit, which implied that a less expensive yet comparable unit would probably attract a wide audience. Meanwhile, Korg’s MicroKorg showed that players could be perfectly content with mini-keys, and in fact, some prefer the smaller alternative. So why not create an UltraNova with mini-keys . . . and how about calling it, oh I dunno . . . MiniNova?
Well, that’s what we have. What’s surprising about the MiniNova (click on the main image to enlarge) compared to the UltraNova isn’t so much what’s left out, but instead, how much is left in. The synth engine is basically the same, the computer-based editing (which also allows using the MiniNova as a plug-in) is equally helpful, and the vocoder actually seems better. The size is smaller, the weight is smaller, the keys are smaller, and of course, the price is smaller—but the MiniNova is more like an UltraNova that went on a diet than a “lite” version.
THE LAYOUT
The MiniNova is indeed mini—only about 22 inches wide, with 37 minikeys (Fig. 1). It weighs under six pounds.
Fig. 1: This shows a US penny and Euro 10 cent coin for a size comparison with the keys (click to enlarge).
We’ll get to the front panel soon enough, but let’s take a look at the rear panel first (Fig. 2). The MiniNova can be powered via USB or an AC adapter if a computer isn’t handy; a global AC adapter (100-240V) is included. In addition to the USB connector you’ll also find 5-pin DIN MIDI in and out (thank you). Audio outs include 1/4" stereo left and right outputs as well as 1/4" stereo headphones out; additional 1/4" jacks accommodate a sustain pedal and an external input for processing via the MiniNova’s various processors.
Fig. 2: The rear panel includes all MIDI and audio connections, except for the front panel’s mic connector; there’s also a Kensington lock slot (click to enlarge).
MiniNova not only has a vocoder, but can also “pitch” spoken or sung vocals. The package includes a gooseneck mic (Fig. 3) that plugs into the front panel XLR mic input (no phantom power, though).
Fig. 3: The package includes a gooseneck stand with mic (click to enlarge).
THE FRONT PANEL
The front panel is very much oriented toward live performance and quick preset section, and basically has four sections. Going from the left to right, the first section offers master volume, arpeggiator (33 patterns), chord latch, and transpose controls (Fig. 4), as well as the XLR mic input.
Fig. 4: The XLR mic connector is located unobtrusively in the upper left corner, away from the performance controls (click to enlarge).
This is also where you’ll find the ultra-spiffy illuminated pitch bend and mod wheels (Fig. 5). Novation seems to be partial toward adding little visual flairs, and the wheels certainly qualify. I wish the pitch wheel was a little stiffer and had a more solid snapback, but I can cope.
Fig. 5: The left-hand performance wheels (click to enlarge).
The buttons in this section are the smallest ones. In general, the buttons are nice, big targets, and the knobs extend about 3/4" above the panel, making them easy to grasp and turn. I appreciate those kinds of details.
The next section to the right handles navigation (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6: The navigation controls include page, menu, save, data knob, and the like (click to enlarge).
This is also where you’ll find the display (Fig. 7), which is relatively large and readable.
Fig. 7: The display shows needed information in a readable manner (click to enlarge).
Moving along, there’s the patch selection rotary control (Fig. 8). This selects among ten types and genres, as well as vocoder and pitch correction patches, and an option for all patches. Another switch sorts by number or alphabetically within a saelected category, and there are cursor buttons to move among individual patches but you can also move through a patch list fast with the data knob.
Fig. 8: The large patch selection button narrows down the patches by genre (click to enlarge).
The largest single section is devoted to the real-time performance controls (Fig. 9). There’s a big filter cutoff knob, and four real-time controls whose function relates to the 6 x 4 matrix of parameters. There are also eight “animate” pads—more on this later, as they’re an important part of what makes the MiniNova fun.
Fig. 9: Real-time performance gets its due toward the right-hand side of the panel (click to enlarge).
As to the controller matrix, you select one of the six rows with a detented slide switch to the right (e.g., filter parameters, filter envelope, amplitude envelope, oscillator, fx tweaks, and specific per-preset tweaks—see Fig. 10).
Fig. 10: The 6 x 4 matrix determines which parameters are controlled by the four knobs (click to enlarge).
THE ENGINE AND SOUNDS
The MiniNova is not multi-timbral, which is probably a good design decision as it delivers up to 18 voices—fine for individual patches, not so fine if you’re trying to run 16 MIDI channels. You can also add up to five effects per patch, which helps “flesh out” the sound considerably (e.g., appearing to increase the number of voices through chorusing or delay). In addition to the 256 factory sounds, there are 128 user preset slots but you can also overwrite the factory patches, so really, you can have a palette of 384 custom patches. Although there’s no way to shuffle these around via a memory stick or similar option, the computer-based software Patch Librarian makes it easy to select and load particular patches from all available sounds. Speaking of sounds, Novation offers free soundpacks for MiniNova owners on their web site; supplying free content is always worth some props.
There are three oscillators, with 14 standard waveforms, 36 wavetables, and 20 “digital” waveforms. Of course all the waveforms are digital, so the digital ones are more about the sound type than the technology. Even better, you have three LFOs, six envelopes, dozens of modulation destinations (including the option to modulate the modulators), and 14 filter architectures (with two filters available simultaneously). The engine responds to external aftertouch, although the keyboard itself generates only velocity.
As to effects, you have distortion, compressor, chorus/phase, delay, reverb, Gator (gated rhythmic effects), and EQ; you can allocate more than one instance of an effect to a patch. The sum total is all pretty heavy-duty, and yes, you can make some pretty immense sounds if that’s what you want.
THE SOFTWARE EDITOR
And speaking of powerful synth engines . . . you can do editing from the front panel, and it’s not exactly onerous; if you want to make some quick tweaks while playing, it’s doable. However, for any kind of serious patch development, you’ll be glad to know that Novation is working on a free editor program that should be available in the near future. The editor will also allow using the MiniNova as a plug-in within your DAW, although of course, because the “plug-in” is hardware you’ll have only one instance at a time.
The Patch Librarian is currently available as a download, but the MiniNova’s included software bundle offers Ableton Live Lite, the Novation Bass Station softsynth, and a sample pack with 1GB of content from Loopmasters.
ANIMATE/ARPEGGIATE MODE BUTTONS
The eight buttons offer two main operational options. When switched to “Animate,” pressing any lit button introduces some kind of effect, which varies depending on the patch—it might drop or raise pitch, add an LFO wobble, change filtering, increase resonance, add a suboctave, etc. These are fun, so just push the buttons and see what happens. Nothing sounds “bad,” so you can pretty much feel free to hit something while you’re playing to add variety.
Switching from “Animate” to “Arpeggiate” (which also changes the backlighting color for the buttons—cool), essentially exposes the arpeggiator to the eight “Animate” buttons. They’re like steps in a step sequencer, so you can switch various arpeggiated steps in and out. While this isn’t necessarily ground-breaking—Casio’s XW-P1 has similar options—bringing this kind of functionality to big, backlit switches encourages experimentation during performances.
Curiously, there’s no tap tempo for the arpeggiator—something I’d expect in a live performance synth. Furthermore, the arpeggiator is triggered when you hit keys; if you come in late on a note, the arpeggiator will come in late as well.
VOCALIZING
The Vocoder (12 bands) is expected, but VocalTune is not. It basically lets you talk into the mic, and pitch the results from the keyboard. However, you can also process the voice with the various effects, which are the same effects used to process synth sounds and the external input. Although Novation calls the external input a line input, I didn’t notice any level or fidelity problems when plugging a guitar with passive pickups directly into the input.
The vocoder seems improved over the UltraNova. My only experience with the UltraNova was at trade shows, and while the vocoder was adequate, the one in the MiniNova seems to be able to offer a little more definition.
CONCLUSIONS
Although I traditionally include audio or video examples with reviews, Novation has lots of material on their site so there’s no real point in re-inventing the wheel. In particular, there are several videos that give a good insight into the most important features. If you want to go deeper than just “hey, that’s cool”-type videos, there are also tutorial videos as well.
Overall, the MiniNova is a lot of synth for the money. It’s definitely oriented more toward cutting-edge sounds and effects (as opposed to trying to sound like, say, a Moog Voyager), but I particularly like that it’s designed to be played—this isn’t just something where you dial up a patch, and plonk keys. Also, the vocal capabilities are an important addition. While they’re not exactly hi-fi, that’s their charm and their utility—you can get some absolutely wild vocal effects.
This is definitely a synth with a fun factor. It’s not just about the sound, but also the little touches, like the use of color, convenient size, and faux wood ends. If you’ve been looking for a modern-sounding, affordable digital synth that delivers more than it promises, that pretty much describes the MiniNova.
Craig Anderton is Editor in Chief of Harmony Central and Executive Editor of Electronic Musician magazine. He has played on, mixed, or produced over 20 major label releases (as well as mastered over a hundred tracks for various musicians), and written over a thousand articles for magazines like Guitar Player, Keyboard, Sound on Sound (UK), and Sound + Recording (Germany). He has also lectured on technology and the arts in 38 states, 10 countries, and three languages.