just the knob is 7-bit. any higher than that would probably be useless anyway because it would jump between values.

Stephanie sez "Just that we would like to have a 16 bits precision filter instead of a 8 bits one"

There's clearly a lot of features squeezed into a synth with a low price tag. My major gripe is the filter frequency knob whose resolution is inadequate in some applications - nothing destroys analog feel like a stepping filter sweep going up with a chirping diddley-diddley-diddley. The effects are also rather low quality. The phaser is unusable and this reverb is not something to write home about. Chorus and delay are quite usable and I kind of like the distortion too (I hear it was improved for OS4). One very positive suprise was the flexible routing the effects section allows. Delay, chorus and reverb can be used in any combination of parallel and serial routings, and you can even "morph" between the standard parallel routing and more eccentric possibilities.

Despite the fact that true multitimbrality in the FX section has obviously compromised the reverb quality, I appreciate the design decision. It minimizes the time I need to start a song: throw some programs into the multi mode and start sequencing, no need to mince around with separate multi mode FX routing stuff. Also, this synth sounds better than one would expect without any effects at all. Apart from the previously mentioned filter stepping (which is a feature of the knob and 7-bit MIDI CC, not the filter itself as envelope and LFO sweeps are smooth) and some dirtiness (maybe alias?) in the oscillators, the sonic quality of Novation ASM is quite pleasant.

It's enjoyable to program with comprehensive modulation possibilities. Somehow, perfectly clean sounds escape me but the way this unit sounds dirty has appeal. It also sounds crisp and digital, especially when you engage distortion, but if you like screaming sounds with edge, it may well be for you.

i have got some big nova trouble. i downloaded the zip file:

"Supernova 3.1 Programs bank C & D for Nova. ( These overwrite factories in banks A & B! ) as .zip file for PC"

from novation website. i loaded my sequenser with "novaprogc&d.mid" wich were the soundbanks. i restarded my nova holding down mute button til it said: "waiting for new os". i hit play in sequenser but the text "waiting for new os" still were there so i shut it down when nothing happened.

i restarted and noticed that i couldn change my performance or program sounds. it stayed on one sound all the time wven if i went thru the sounds. where have all my sounds gone?

and after that i noticed that it didnt recieve midi from my controller synth cs2x.

what has happened!?? was it because i shut it down when it sayed "waiting for new os"??

how can i solve this problem?

it worked fine before i did this.

please help me

regards toomas

Listen to the nova in action at this URL:

mp3.com/daladidoo

Enjoy!

With this and the new double sawtooth function, this thing edges out the Virus as my favorite virtual analog toy (I have both a Nova and a Virus b).

The new standards of comparison will no longer be based on synth power (because both units inherently are minicomputers with VA software under their hoods that can be upgraded indefinitely if the manufacturers feel like it) but based upon ease of use and the Nova wins here.

It does the Virus thing perfectly and costs a fair bitless

Even after over 6 months of Nova use, I still give it a 5 because it's a fantastic upgrade to my Clavia Nord Micro Modular and not a bad alternative to the more expensive Nord Modular keyboard/rack. With regard to the Virus, I give it a 5 for very different reasons. The user interface leaves a lot to be desired, but the sound generation capabilities will make you forget how tricky it is to use.

Which sounds fatter? Gulp. I admit that first bass patch on the Virus is deeper than anything I have heard on the Nova. The Nova has a lot of great polyrhythms in the mid range, though.

It does great 303's, nice basses and pretty good pads but there are some major limitations with this synth ...the sounds are clean and lush but not remotely thick enough for big trancey leads. It just cannot produce those evil hoover sounds or shimmering trance arpeggios. I think this is mostly due to the lack of a Unison mode (this plays several notes at the same time but all slightly detuned to produce really thick sounds).

Another problem is with the knobs: the current value of the knob is not shown until you move it, and of course moving it changes it. You can get around this with the "Compare" button but it is a poor workaround.

But the good news is.....they are about (March 2001) to release OS4 for the Nova and Supernova which apparantly adds Unison, new waveforms, new filters and a knob pickup system, which all sounds like it might just solve ALL the problems with the synth, as well as allowing you to use nearly all the Supernova II sounds too.

If you ever feel like you're bored with it, start up the vocoder. It is the most fluid vocoder I've ever heard.

Gorgeous Girl www.mp3.com/gg

The knobs are bigger than on the MS2000 and feel more sturdy too...The Nova only has 20 knobs but the interface is pretty intuitive...

1. The sync sounds are too polite, no where near as raucous as the AN 1X's. 2. You can't find out the value of some parameters without changing them since the knobs don't necessarily mirror the true values. 3. The amp envelope can't be used inverted i.e. with a negative modulation amount, in fact there is no depth control at all for env 1. 4. Although the LFOs go upto audio frequencies their speed cannot be made to track the keyboard making them useless for melodic FM/AM sounds and only good for creating special effects. 5. Oscillators only have two waveforms available, the special button doesn't provide any more (yet?) 6. The special filter button is still not yet implemented, and since the Nova II is now available, probably never will be.

My advice is to hold out for the Nova/Supernova II which will be much more powerful even if they share some of the irritating traits of their predecessors.

I think you also should get one if you like to make ur own sound, ie twist, turn, and push buttons. The presets are not good but not bad either. Some are useful, some are not. Piont is that you should like to elaborate with the sounds, which the Nova really welcomes you to. Alots of buttons, and alots of twisters, for your delight!!

Right now I am using my nova as a synth ( of course ) AND as a multieffect processor. Let me explain:

2 aux send from my mixer goes to the 2 inputs of the Nova. Then I have set up 2 programs, at part 5 and 6 to work as a delay and a reverb. Simple as a pie!...not really, but once you understand it...

As you can see this baby has some real routing powers. I have tried the vocoder and it kicks as to!

However, the effects in the Nova isn't the greatest one ( especially the reverb, to much metal. The rest of the effects are fine ) I am just using it cause it is better than my cheap ol' Art Proverb.

As I said before, the preset in the Nova are not good, but not bad either. If you sit down with, you can come up with some crazy, whacked, totaly cool sounds, thanx to the Modulation Matrix. In this feature you can route lfo1, lfo2, env2, env3, mod wheel, to a number of osc settings, like pitch, sync, level, soften, and such.

All in all, it can make your track groove. If you "creativness" for it...

A50 Jungle Sine freq at 28 numbs the brain on a big system.

To bad I returned it three times all due to crazy OS problems after a few months of use?

I hope I'm the only one that got the shaft with OS problems, etc. A very good company for all the other product offerings.

YOU CANNOT GO WRONG W/ ANYHTHING NOVA!!!! (personal opinion, Of course.)

I really can't say how good this thing is. It has 6 outs (a luxury), 42 simultaneous effects (no, I didn't believe it at first either), 2 line ins and every parameter change is sent out via midi (even Global parameters). The 2 line ins mean that, if you don't use all six multi-timerbal parts, you can use those left over as extra effect boxes for your drum machine/sampler/etc. How good is that?

Anyway, if you're into electronic music and think you're sound is a bit lacking, you could do much worse that use one of these.

6 out of 5

Howerver, i think there is room for improvement. How about something like an 'analog feel' function (as found on a JV-80)? When you hit 2 octaved notes on a nova, you'll hear something like a flangy effect which occurs due to a lack of instable oscs (a result of digital precision). One can emulate this effect with a subtle setting of the S/H LFO, but it'd be convenient to have something similar which won't cost you a LFO. Another niggle is the ringyness of especially the reverb effects.. They can be useable when used subtly, but any reverb used in large amounts will sound metallic.

Otherwise, as i said before, i think this synth is fantastic! I created some of the biggest strings, sharpest leads, deepest basses and weirdest FX on it, and it stands out in a mix like a sore thumb... even though i'd still like to comapre it to something like a memory-moog (the synth that comes closest as far as audio-specs are concerned, to my opinion). Speaking of which, it would be interesting to see that the 'special waveform' button would include some renditions of waveforms of such classic synths in the future.. As far as the filter is concerned i'm a happy man also, since it will faithfully let you re-create anything from a moog to a OB to a typical roland-sound. This is mainly due to the fact that someone at novation had the stroke of genius to include 'Q-amount', a feature i haven't seen on any other synth yet. It enables you to determine the amount of low-end passed by the filter in correspondence to the adjustments made to the resonance. This allows you to apply full resonance without all your low-end being squeezed out by the filter.

I think i could come up with a lot of other reasons why i love this synth so much (filter overdrive, the arpeggiator, uncompromised effects in multi-timbral mode, etc). Just go out and try it yourself!

In comparison with the AN1x it's generally more flexible and easier to program and to realtime control, but the AN1x has better FX section in terms of quality and it has more possibilities in terms of strange sound effects (i.e. it has better VCO, they go up to inaudible frequencies very smoothly, the Nova breaks to a certain frequency and it reaches it with more digital distortions).

In conclusion, if you are searching an instrument for making music and for processing external sources (like me) choose the Nova, absolutely. For strange effects, I think the AN1x is the better choice yet.

Anyway,this definitely an incredible piece of gear.GET ONE!!!!NOW!!!!

value: for 1049usd, the best in its class

i will say that just 2 days after recieving it, i bought a nord lead II rack, just because the nova is not as 'in yer face' as the nord. this is of course my expirienced opinion.

I now have several devices that utilize "modeling" to some degree (also called physical modeling, especially when it models a horn or drum or guitar with certain physical attributes, etc.), and this technology has really opened up new wonders. In the case of the Nova, what is being modeled is analog synthesis. But, whereas an analog synth is going to have either 12 or 24db filters, the Nova has a choice of three types. And while some synths have 1, 2 or three oscillators, the Nova (having three plus noise) can have either 1, 2 or 3, depending on how it's set up. Nova has six outputs and in six part multi-timbral. Each part can use any of the considerable and good quality effects on-board.

Just from going through the presets, I've heard definite Super Jupiters, Oberheims, Arps, Korgs & Moogs. The real fun will be diving in to create sounds. I always loved the Yamaha CS-80 ("Dream Machine"), and I think that if I know the specifications of a CS-80, the Nova will be able to sound like one. Already, from the presets, it's gotten very close to the general neighborhood.

Another thing, there are a few buttons that are waiting for future updates of the operating system. And if you're on the Internet, all you have to do is download the updates when available, and the Nova will have new features and enhancements... FREE. With the Supernova, when it came out, there were two models. One had 16 note polyphony and the other had 32 not polyphony. But when Novation came out with an upgrade, all the sudden, people who had the 16 note version now had 20, and those with the 32 noted version now had 44! So, it seems conceivable to me, that among other things, when the Nova get updated, possibly it will have more polyphony.

About the polyphony: I weighed all three models carefully. If I were using it live, and perhaps with the idea of coming up with dance music on the fly (they definitely make that possible... just using their considerable arpegiators), I might have gone for a 20 or 44 note Supernova. But as I'm in a multi-track studio situation anyway, and used to overdubbing as a music making method, I can have as many Nova sounds at once as I want in the finished product. Therefore, and considering that I greatly improve it's extremely handy table top or keyboard top design, the Nova was the best bet for me. On top of that, I like having the vocoder!

I am super happy with my choice, but I know that this technology exists elsewhere, too. And the Virus, Roland 8000/8080, and more, all bring analog sounds to their outputs. They all share some features and they all have some of their own. I do know that after spending as much time as I could discovering it for the last couple of days, I feel as if I've been to some great garage sale where some millionaire's selling off his kid's closet full of all the great vintage synths of the late 70s/early 80s! The warmth, the grit, the way the sound moves over time... even when on a straight tone... as if you can hear the electricity swirling through analog circuits and heating up the audio outs with that sound that I now know for sure why I've missed it so much.

As long as you know what analog is and what it isn't, I can't imagine the Nova not ringing your bell. One more thing. It may be a nifty little size, but it has a SOLID feel. The buttons and the knobs feel great, and when you twirl or push any of them while recoring to MIDI, they are remembered. Furthermore, adjust frequency and resonance while your note is happening, and you'll get truly smooth analog changes. I've got an old Prophet 600, which was a hybrid of actual analog & digital, with digital control. When you turn some of the Prophet 600's knobs on the fly, you hear that step ladder effect. I've not heard a single digital "artifact" from the Nova.

LOVE IT!! :o)

BUT, I would never sell my AN1X and definitly not my JX8P. They just work like a perfect relationship together.

What I like most about the Nova is the possibility to emulate lost hereos, like Jupiters and Junos and Oberheims and even the Elka Synthex and it doesn't hang or screw up like they used to do when receiving sys-ex or controllers. The amazing thing is how it blends into the mix, like it's supposed to be there. Aaah, this is a love story, and it ends like an american movie... the hero always wins...

The first VAnalog synth I played with was a JP8k. And it promptly blew me away. After I figured out what I was doing, and bought an AN1x for myself, I realized that the JP8k actually kinda stank.. Since all I had to compare was my AN1x vs. the JP vs. the Nord Lead 2 they had at the local Sam Ash, I was pretty convinced I had a truly ass-kicking VAnalog machine. After spending a couple hours with the Nova, though, it pains me to listen to my AN1x again.

This thing is simply out of this world. It's gritty, phat, thick, tight, dirty, nasty, grungy, harsh, biting, warm, dark, cold, lush, and whatever adjective you can think of. I can't possibly imagine why *anyone* would opt for a POS JP8080 over this jewel...I can't wait to pick one up.

Too bad the scale only goes to 5.

Cons: - Osc section maybe too complex to master for the beginner (not necessarily a con though) - Audio-input requires MIDI-input, i.e. you need to send KEY ON-messages to the NOVA if you want to use it as a multi-fx unit - Listen button that plays a note would be nice (the search function plays a useless and annoying sequence) - Is it me or is there no way to route velocity to the different synth parameters (e.g. cutoff freq)??? - There's a little beep from the unit each time you push a button. Would be nice if you could turn that off ...

All in all a great machine, the greatest virtual on the market IMHO.

I love it. Best thousand dollars (okay, $1095) I ever spent. It makes my Roland JP-8000 feel like a distant childhood memory.