Novation SUMMIT User Manual
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Novation SUMMIT User Manual

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  • Page 2: Copyright And Legal Notices

    Disclaimer Novation has taken all possible steps to ensure that the information given here is both correct and complete. In no event can Novation accept any liability or responsibility for any loss or damage to the owner of the equipment, any third party, or any equipment which may result from use of this manual or the equipment which it describes.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    SUMMIT: SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM........

  • Page 4: Introduction

    (See page 5 and page 9). Summit has a high quality, 61-note keyboard with Pitch and Mod wheels. You can use it in We’ve used BOLD TEXT (or Bold Text) to name top panel controls or rear panel the studio or on stage, either stand-alone or with the MIDI controller of your choice, be it a connectors;...

  • Page 5: Hardware Overview

    HARDWARE OVERVIEW Top Panel Summit’s control surface is divided logically into functional areas, with signal generation and treatment broadly following a left-to-right sequence. MENU VOICE OSCILLATORS AMP ENVELOPE MIXER FILTER LFO 1 & 2 EFFECTS MASTER ACTIVE VOICES MULTI PART &...
  • Page 6 Envelope 2. All Modulation Depth controls are “centre-zero” and Page I and Page H buttons below the display. Adjusting any of Summit’s rotary controls thus positive values will increase the pitch and negative values will decrease the pitch.
  • Page 7 44 Amp Envelope controls – a set of four 45 mm sliders adjusting the standard ADSR parameters (Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release) of the amplitude envelope. Summit has further FM (Frequency Modulation) options, which may be configured through 45 Mod Envelope controls – an identical set of sliders, adjusting the parameters of the two the menu system: these are described in detail later in the User Guide.
  • Page 8 51 Arp On – turns the Arpeggiator on and off. 52 Key Latch – if Key Latch is selected while holding keys down, Summit will play the held notes continuously until it is deselected. This can be used to automatically maintain an arp sequence, but Key Latch can be used independently of the Arpeggiator to hold played notes for any length of time.

  • Page 9: Rear Panel

    L/MONO. Outputs are pseudo-balanced. 8 AUX OUTPUTS – Summit is equipped with a second stereo output; Parts A and B can be independently assigned to either output, which is a powerful feature when using Multi Patches. It is also possible to assign the (wet) outputs of the FX section for either Part A and B to the main or auxiliary outputs. The mono/stereo options of the AUX OUTPUTS are identical to those of the MAIN OUTPUTS.

  • Page 10: Getting Started

    Summit and another synth such as a Novation Bass Station II via MIDI, and in a Eurorack via CV+GATE. An external modular LFO in the Eurorack could modulate one or more parameters in Summit via its CV IN connection. Both audio outputs of Summit, plus those of Bass Station II and the Eurorack are all sent to the external mixer. You could also use Summit’s FX section in a send-and-return loop from the mixer to add delay or reverb, etc.
  • Page 11 In this example, the computer is the primary item. All the audio is summed in a Focusrite Clarett audio interface and sent to the computer’s DAW. The Clarett also enables other live instruments to be recorded in the DAW at the same time. As in Example 1, one of Summit’s two FX sections can be used to treat an external signal in a loop from a Line In and a Line Out of the Clarett.

  • Page 12: Menu Navigation

    With the amplifier or mixer off or muted, connect the AC mains to Summit 1 . Turn the synth on 2 : after completing its boot sequence, Summit will load Single Patch 000*, and When a Multi Patch is selected (or created), the MULTIPART CONTROL and the LCD display will confirm this: MULTIMODE buttons become available, and their colour reflects Summit’s operational...

  • Page 13: Comparing Patches

    Press Page H to display Page 2: Quick Initialisation You can press Initialise 2 at any time to load a copy of Summit’s default initial Patch. FlintTinder The Patch loaded will be Init Patch. If you are in Multi Patch mode, Init Patch will be loaded for either Part A or Part B, depending which Part was the last to be selected.

  • Page 14: Basic Operation - Sound Modification

    Shape to dual. Keyboard controls Summit’s keyboard is fitted with a standard pair of synthesiser control wheels, Pitch and Mod (Modulation). Pitch is spring-loaded and will return to its centre position. The range of control of pitch is independently adjustable for each oscillator (with the BendRange parameter - see page 26) in semitone increments up to +/-2 octaves;...

  • Page 15: The Arpeggiator

    Arp menu. See page 33 for full details. MIDI control Summit has a very high degree of MIDI implementation, and almost every control and synth parameter is able to transmit MIDI data to external equipment, and similarly, the synth may be controlled in almost every respect by incoming MIDI data from a DAW, sequencer or master control keyboard.

  • Page 16: Synthesis Tutorial

    This section covers the general principles of electronic sound generation and processing in ‘synthesize’ (or create) each of these different elements. more detail, including references to Summit’s facilities where relevant. It is recommended that this chapter is read carefully if analogue sound synthesis is an unfamiliar subject.
  • Page 17 The number of “significant” sidebands is proportional to the amplitude of the modulating half. Summit lets you adjust the duty cycle of the basic square waveform (via the Shape signal and inversely proportional to the frequency difference between the carrier and the controls) to produce a waveform which is more ‘rectangular’...
  • Page 18 To extend the range of sounds that may be produced, typical analogue synthesisers have cut-off point are reduced in volume. more than one Oscillator (Summit has three for Part A and three for Part B). By using Cut-off multiple Oscillators to create a sound, it is possible to achieve very interesting harmonic Frequency mixes.
  • Page 19 Amplifier, which controls the note’s amplitude – i.e., the volume VOLUME of the sound - when the note is played. In Summit, each envelope generator has five main parameters, which determine the shape of the envelope; these are referred to as the...
  • Page 20 This is another envelope phase which is not generally found on other Summary synthesisers, but is available in Summit. The addition of a Delay Time leads us to rename A synthesiser can be broken down into five main sound generating or sound modifying...

  • Page 21: Summit: Simplified Block Diagram

    Summit also has a pair of audio inputs (see at page 9): these allow you to connect external audio sources – e.g., from other synth modules - and then use Summit’s extensive processing capabilities to treat their sounds. The two ¼” jack sockets are intended for the left and right signals of a stereo pair, but you can connect a mono source to the LEFT input only if you wish.

  • Page 22: Summit In Detail

    C, E and G will be played twice as well as the A and the B, i.e., a total of eight As you play, each note is assigned one or more ‘voices’, and as Summit supports eight voices. If playing a melody in the other hand, one voice from the first chord will voices per Part, you will often run out of fingers before you run out of voices! But this does be stolen, which may be the lowest A.
  • Page 23 “voice stealing” is implemented and the first note played will be cancelled. With Unison set to 8, Summit’s currently selected Part becomes a multi-voice monophonic Pre-Glide synth.
  • Page 24 “first” filter will be a high-pass type and the second a band-pass type. As explained in the Filter Section description (see page 27), Summit offers two separate filters, each of which may be configured as low-pass, band-pass or high-pass by the Filter In all dual filter options, the resultant frequency response from the combination will have section’s Shape control 58 .

  • Page 25: The Oscillator Section

    LFO waveform will cause the oscillator pitch to lower and then rise sharply before lowering again, but if Depth has a negative value, the pitch variation will be the Each Voice is generated by three oscillators within the FPGA, giving a Summit a total opposite.
  • Page 26 See list on page 45 for a list of wavetables Summit has a dedicated very low frequency oscillator which can be used to apply a very Summit includes an extensive set of wavetables, allowing the generation of a much broader slight meandering detune to the three Oscillators.

  • Page 27: The Mixer Section

    In Single mode, the filter affects all voices: in Multi mode, you can apply different filtering characteristics to each of the two Parts. Summit’s filters are of analogue design, and have an extensive set of configuration, modulation and control options.

  • Page 28: Resonance

    The filter section of each of Summit’s two internal synths is devised around analogue filters Frequency with a slope of 12 dB/octave: each voice played includes two such filters. The Slope The large rotary Frequency control 60 sets the cut-off frequency of the filter when Shape button 59 sets the degree of rejection applied to out-of-band frequencies;...

  • Page 29: Filter Tracking

    The pitch of the note played can be made to alter the cut-off frequency of the filter. This is always routed to the VCA in the output stage (see page 21). Summit also relationship is governed by the setting of the Key Tracking control 67 . At the maximum...

  • Page 30: The Envelopes Menu

    +40. The LFO Section Summit has four Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs), denoted LFO 1 to LFO 4. LFO 1 and The sonic effect of the corresponding Velocity parameter for the two Modulation Envelopes LFO 2 are per-voice; that is, their modulating effect is applied independently to each of the will depend on what the Envelopes are used for: for example, if they are used to modulate voices.

  • Page 31: Lfo 1 & 2 Waveform

    The LFO Menu Section with LFO 1 Depth control 65 . LFO1 and LFO 2 are ‘per voice’. This is a very powerful feature of Summit (and other LFO 2: Novation synthesisers). For example, when an LFO is assigned to create vibrato, and a •...
  • Page 32 LFO Slew set Off, there is no such synchronisation, and playing a second note while one is already Displayed as: pressed will result in an unsynchronised sound as the modulations will be out of time. Slew Initial value: When LFOs are in use for pitch modulation (their most common application), having Range of adjustment: 0 to 127 Common set to Off will give more natural results.

  • Page 33: The Arpeggiator

    (though this will be further amended by the Rhythm control and the SyncRate menu BPM. If Summit is being synchronised to an external MIDI clock (see page 34), it will setting). Gate length is a percentage of the step length so the time during which the gate automatically detect the incoming tempo and disable the internal clock.
  • Page 34 Range of adjustment: 1 to 6 Summit uses a master MIDI clock in order to set the tempo of the arpeggiator and to This parameter duplicates the physical Octave control 54 . provide a time base for synchronisation to an overall tempo. This clock may be derived internally or provided by an external device able to transmit MIDI clock.

  • Page 35: The Effects Section

    Higher values correspond to a longer delay. If Time is varied while a note is being played, pitch shifting will result. It is often desirable to synchronise echoes to tempo: on Summit this can be done by selecting Sync 70 . The Time control then invokes Page 4 of the FX menu, and varies the DelaySync parameter, which is displayed on the OLED while the control is adjusted.
  • Page 36 Delay pages: Overview analogue and digital analogue analogue DELAY voice sum DelaySync 4th T outputs voices digital LP Damp effects HP Damp FX Routing Displayed as: Routing DELAY Initial value: Parallel L/R Ratio Range of adjustment: Parallel, D->R->C, D->C->R, R->D->C, R->C->D, SlewRate C->D->R, C->R->D Width...
  • Page 37 Delay Slew Rate Size Displayed as: Displayed as: SlewRate RevSize Initial value: Initial value: Range of adjustment: 0 to 127 Range of adjustment: 0 to 127 The value of SlewRate affects the nature of the sound while the Delay Time is being The RevSize parameter alters the reverberation character: larger values introduce varied.

  • Page 38: The Modulation Matrix

    The power of a versatile synthesiser lies in its ability to interconnect the various controllers, sound generators and processing blocks such that one block is controlling – or “modulating” - another, in as many ways as possible. Summit provides considerable flexibility of control routing, and there is a dedicated menu for this, the Mod Menu. As with every other aspect of Summit, the Modulation Matrix routings for each of the two synths generating Parts A and B may be configured independently by selecting A or B in MULTIPART CONTROL when using a Multi Patch.

  • Page 39: The Fx Modulation Matrix

    The CV input has been designed to respond to various internal Summit sources to modulate FX parameters. It has four “slots” each with control inputs without aliasing up to just over 1 kHz (which roughly corresponds to two two inputs, so you can simultaneously modulate up to four different FX parameters from up octaves above middle C).

  • Page 40: The Settings Menu

    The setting of Pickup allows the current physical position of Summit’s rotary controls to as set by its own control or menu option. be taken into account. When Pickup is Off, adjusting any of Summit’s rotary controls will produce parameter change and a potentially immediately audible effect (a small difference between the parameter value corresponding to the control’s physical position and the value...
  • Page 41 Range of adjustment: 0 to 127 No data is transmitted or received on the Single MIDI channels when Summit is in Multi Patch mode. How Summit handles MIDI data in and out in Multi Patch mode is further This parameter modifies the synth’s response to the velocity curve set on the keyboard. The modified by the MULTI MODE in use.
  • Page 42 Bank/Patch on Summit to either Disabled or Receive. These audio inputs can be routed to two areas of Summit: they may be added to the main signal processing chain either before or after the Filter section; this routing is enabled with the AudioInput function on Page 3 of the Voice menu (see page 24).
  • Page 43 PhonesOut Main Summit lets you route the “wet” outputs of the two FX processors (for Parts A and B) – the processed signal - independently of the “dry”, or unprocessed signal. The default setting is for the output of both processors to be routed to the Main Output, but you can route either or both of them to the Aux Output instead if you wish.
  • Page 44 Range of adjustment: 0 to 255, repeating Using Tuning Tables does not restrict you only to standard note intervals. Summit supports “microtuning”, whereby any key can be made to generate an “in-between” note, to a resolution of 1/256th of a semitone (0.4 cents). With Retune Frac set to 0, the note being defined (Kbd Note) will adopt the pitch value set by Retune Note.

  • Page 45: Appendix

    1 cycle per 16 bars 1536 48 beats 48 beats 1 cycle per 12 bars 1152 Novation Components will also advise you if your Summit’s Operating System is out of date 42 beats 2 cycles per 21 bars 1008 42 beats and will update it for you if necessary.

  • Page 46: Midi Operation In Single And Multi Patch Modes

    MIDI operation in Single and Multi Patch modes Modulation Matrix – destinations continued Ring Modulator output level (RM inputs are Osc 1 and Osc 2) Ring Lev MIDI CHANNEL Overall synth output level VcaLevel GLOBAL PART A PART B Pre-filter Overdrive Filt Drv Single Patches Post-filter Distortion...

  • Page 47: Midi Parameters List

    MIDI parameters list Control Default Parameter Range NRPN Number. Value Oscillator 2 0-127 Control Default NRPN 0:26 0 (0) Parameter Range Saw Density (0 to +127) NRPN Number. Value Oscillator 2 0-127 Patch Category NRPN 0-14 NRPN 0:27 0 (64) Saw Density Detune (0 to +127) Patch Genre...
  • Page 48 Control Default Control Default Parameter Range Parameter Range NRPN NRPN Number. Value Number. Value 0-127 Envelopes Delay Width NRPN 0:92 0 (64) (0 to +127) 0-127 Amp Envelope Attack Delay Sync NRPN 0:93 0-1 (0 to +1) 0 (0) (0 to +127) 0-127 (0 to Delay Sync Time NRPN...

  • Page 49: Sound Designers

    NRPN 64 (0) (-64 to +63) Novation Summit. If you want to know more about them, you’ll find links to their work below. Mod Matrix 5 The selected palette of sound attempts to display how flexible and beautiful or aggressive...

  • Page 50: List Of Factory Patches With Designer Credits

    List of factory Patches with designer credits Patch No. Single Patches – Bank A Single Patches – Bank B Patch Name Created by Patch Name Created by Dystopian Gforce Software Dune Sunrise PAD Sandunes Buzzy Brass Enrico Cosimi Force Field Patricia Wolf Aetherphone Patricia Wolf...
  • Page 51 Secret Room Patricia Wolf Gluey Stab Sandunes Silver Bamboo Patricia Wolf Griffyndor Sandunes Snake Charmer Patricia Wolf Mars Arp Sandunes Spiritual Path Patricia Wolf Phat n Low Sandunes Talking Ghosts Patricia Wolf Round Sub Sandunes Techno Utopia Patricia Wolf Rubber Leady Sandunes Patricia Wolf Sandunes...
  • Page 52 SingleTrig Bass Enrico Cosimi Dalston Dream Tim Mantle/Psalm37 Triangle Motion Enrico Cosimi Digi Bass Basics Tim Mantle/Psalm37 Belmont Whip GIL Groundislava Elysian Tim Mantle/Psalm37 Blue Dulcimer Groundislava Expansion Card Tim Mantle/Psalm37 Crush Bass GIL Groundislava Hard Bowed Tim Mantle/Psalm37 Faerie Ring GIL Groundislava Intimate Rotary Tim Mantle/Psalm37...
  • Page 53 Patch No. Single Patches – Bank C Single Patches – Bank D Patch Name Created by Patch Name Created by Ponderosa Legowelt Init Patch Evening Light Legowelt Init Patch Star Simulator Legowelt Init Patch Telcom Splendor Legowelt Init Patch Legowelt Raw Deal Init Patch Sesqua Valley...
  • Page 54 Alpensynposium Legowelt Init Patch Jimi Patch Legowelt Init Patch Bodega Bay Legowelt Init Patch Season 3 Bass Legowelt Init Patch Duneman Legowelt Init Patch Parapoly Saw 700 Legowelt Init Patch Legowelt Analog Jazz EP Init Patch Starlooper Legowelt Init Patch PennyWaffle Sa8 Legowelt Init Patch...
  • Page 55 Winter Shore Legowelt Init Patch QuicksilverPudi Legowelt Init Patch Norycove Harpsi Legowelt Init Patch LAQidayS Legowelt Init Patch Lifespan 75 Legowelt Init Patch Niteowl Legowelt Init Patch Legowelt Millenia Init Patch TV Detective Legowelt Init Patch Mesc Uni Drums Legowelt Init Patch P.O.
  • Page 56 Patch No. Multi Patches – Bank A Multi Patches – Bank B Patch Name Created by Patch Name Created by FM Singularity Gforce Software Dream Stance Alex Jann Buzzy Brass Enrico Cosimi Eighties Brass Enrico Cosimi Bored of Canada Gforce Software Portal Patricia Wolf Alluvial...
  • Page 57 Regeneration Recombinant Mlab Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Inhalt Remember Fusion Start The Rave Revised Hope Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Sunrise Summit Inhalt Slick & Trick Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Thorny Inhalt Small Town USA Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Unicorn Dreams...
  • Page 58 Uno Linear Split Inhalt Stock-Ex Montage Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Violated Inhalt Such a Charmer! Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Voice of Summit Inhalt That’s the Jazz! Tim Mantle / Psalm37 Vurtual Rain Inhalt The Good Stuff Tim Mantle / Psalm37...
  • Page 59 Patch No. Multi Patches – Bank C Multi Patches – Bank D Patch Name Created by Patch Name Created by Alchemy Patricia Wolf Init Multi Anthromorphize Patricia Wolf Init Multi Anticipation Patricia Wolf Init Multi Aquatic Paridise Patricia Wolf Init Multi Patricia Wolf Aurora Borealis Init Multi...
  • Page 60 Water Dragon Patricia Wolf Init Multi Wild Horses Patricia Wolf Init Multi Windswept Patricia Wolf Init Multi Winged Migration Patricia Wolf Init Multi Call and Action DN Danny Nugent Init Multi Aggro Poly Enrico Cosimi Init Multi Enrico Cosimi Altered Arpeggio Init Multi Altered State Enrico Cosimi...
  • Page 61 Jerome Meunier Init Multi Nara Jerome Meunier Init Multi Kona Jerome Meunier Init Multi Hold Jerome Meunier Init Multi Alba Jerome Meunier Init Multi Lima Jerome Meunier Init Multi Jerome Meunier Petit Chat Init Multi Jerome Meunier Init Multi Jima Jerome Meunier Init Multi Miya...

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