Hello everyone… Been deciding on the only hardware I don’t have (a decent polysynth) and can’t decide between the two after returning my Analog Four (too much Elektron sequencer is not a good thing if underutilized).
A few points:
Space wise, the Novation Peak wins obviously, my desk isn’t huge and it’d be a bit of a hassle to fit the Rev2, but it’s possible. With that said the keyboard is a huge bonus for me on the Rev2 because the only other keyboard I have is on my Sub Phatty, I don’t own or use any MIDI keyboards. Therefore I’d be using the Sub Phatty keyboard to play the Peak for now…
Second, I don’t proficiently play piano. I am a guitar player who has dabbled in piano/synths but I’ve formally been in music for 15+ years. I figured if I got the Rev2 it’d be time to learn how to play piano properly.
Sound-wise: I think the Rev2 wins but I’ve only been able to listen to demos online through my Klipsch speakers, we don’t have music shops within hours of my town that carry devices like the Peak or Rev2. The Peak sounds great in all it does, a bit neutral but that’s what defines it to me, nice and clean with many possibilities. The Rev2 sounds familiar yet crisp, such a clean sound listening to it is like taking your brain out of your head and cleaning it soap and a scrubber.
Any comments? I know this is a very popular debate on the internet, I really wish I could try them both out but it’s not feasible.
I have a Peak and love it, but I also have a decent controller keyboard. I’d probably go with the Rev2 if I didn’t already have a keyboard. A small keyboard for playing a poly synth is pretty limiting (although if you aren’t really a keys player and are mainly going to sequence it anyway, it’s not too big of a deal). I’m sure you’d love either, and it sounds like you’ve kinda already sold yourself a bit more on the Rev2.
A thing to note is that if you do want to learn to play piano, you’ll need to get a proper 88 key hammer-action keybed or a real piano. A synth action keybed, even a good one like on the Rev2, is kinda crappy for playing/learning piano.
Perhaps I should just get the Peak then… I have the power of the Elektron sequencers at my disposal… All 8 MIDI tracks from the DT and 3 from my DN so… I’d be more interested in sound design features than what the Rev2 offers I think.
I sold my Monomachine to buy a polysynth with good habilities, too much sequencers and not enough money. A kind of sacred sacrifice
So after great hesitations I take the Rev2. Really cool sound, a kind of clean synth sound, I mean not too savage. I’m really happy with it cause it cover a sound palet I did’nt have yet. But I understand now, imho, with the little time I spend with it, that he will not deeply surprise me with stranges sonority that I won’t expect.
I choose it but always thought that Peak was surely more in my scape for its vaste capacity of sound design. The Rev was the desire of having what I would call a real classic synth for classic large Pads à l’ancienne.
You now what ?
I wait few years to discover and master my Rev then I buy a Peak when second hands will be in my prices.
It’s harder to dive into the sonic possibilities of the Peak without the sound becoming “random” until you master the classics…
I’m still on the fence. I love the Rev2 and it does sound old school, I’m a big fan of synthwave music but I also love funk and crazy sounds. Maybe look into using all 4 LFOs because it can get very wild… The Rev2 is actually cheaper for me right now even with the keybed than the Peak… at $1,215 brand new… Plus I can use my Digitakt to sequence it at the same time split… Like sequencing two 4-8 voice polysynths at once…
Don’t worry man, the first thing I fall deep inside was the lfos’ and their enormous ridiculous easy way to target.
About playing synth, I have sequencers that are able to well exploited the Rev and made me think i’m jsBach.
You’re right, one thing is cool : two synth in one. It’s the thing that push me in the direction of the Rev2 more than in the Peak one.
The internal sequencer was not important foR me initialy, because of my sequencers. But finaly I find a good thing to make him learn what my Pyramid can do in terms of chords. It’s a plus for jaming.
Yes. I already own a Digitone which creates wild sounds and crazy FM synthesis. I feel as though a Rev2 will sit better in my mix and is more identifiable than a Peak would be currently… Although someday I’d love to own a Peak especially after the 1.2 firmware update…
Edit: Maybe I should just flip a coin at this point to pick between the Peak and Rev2… lol.
I personally would go the Peak. Especially now since the latest firmware update. It also has 4 LFOs, a pretty deep mod matrix plus a much better effects section, a multi-mode filter and wavetables. It covers just about all that the Rev2 can and go places the Rev2 cannot sonically.
Most importantly, it just sounds better to me. No sequencer, but that’s no biggie.
Novation has a good track record as far as firmware updates too, so bitimbrality in the future is a distinct possibility.
Ok thanks for the input. I think I am going to sleep on it tonight after watching a few more videos and jamming a little… lol. No problem about the sequencer, I have two Elektron boxes.
You know what ?
I think you’re pretty right
That’s the doubt that tortures me (; ) since I try to tweak the Rev2.
Maybe few months more with Rev2 will convince me that’s it’s a keeper. If not… I keep it and I will try to get a Peak at its side… he, he
A buddy I jam with a lot had a Peak and Rev 2 at the same time. I’d never tried either. I told him I played around at a local shop and was pretty certain I was going with the Peak. He then told me he sold his Peak because he much preferred the Rev2. He leans more toward warm classic sounds, which explains it a bit. I wound up buying his A4mkii, but wouldn’t be too surprised if I wound up with one of those two this year. Hard to say. Between my OT, A4 and 0Coast, my hands are pretty full for now
A lot of the time, my favorite bands have again and again shown how less is more… I much prefer warm identifiable sounds that are played musical than convoluted patches that have minimal musical taste… with that said I can’t help but imagine the Peak might sit better in the mix with my Sub Phatty and Digitone… or not… I really don’t know. Sub Phatty has that analog girth and warmth and DN has that brassy ability like the Curtis filter… so far all Rev2 demos have sounded amazing but very similar, the Peak sounds quite sterile (I know there are drift settings and such) but only one demo so far has wowed me.
My main genres perhaps are psychedelic rock, funk, IDM… perhaps I can snag the Rev2 and pay for Serum monthly lol… $10/month.
Edit: secondarily, the multitimbrality and 8-voice expansion is nice. If Peak has those advantages maybe I’d choose the Peak right away…
I weighed up these two (Rev2 8 voice desktop vs Peak) and went with the Peak in the end. They’re both great and there’s very little between them in terms of features. If bitimbral is a big plus then it has to be the Rev2. For me it was the Peak’s third oscillator per voice and the wavetables that appealed more. Plus I liked the look of the layout/UI more.
Indeed ! Don’t forget that you can play two layers at once (so 10 LFOs in a way) : that’s pretty powerful !!
On SonicLab there were sound from outer space, I think the Rev2 can go very far. And I love how you can very quickly choose a modulation destination, that’s sick.
Now really Peak vs. Rev2 is a hard choice to make indeed.
But whatever the choice is, I would go for a module and save to get a decent keyboard such as the Novation 61SL mk3. I really love mine and it makes it possible to affect functionalities otherwise hidden in menus right above the keys !
Plus a module + Keystep is easier to bring if you want to play live.
I had a rev 2 8 voice (keys) a few weeks ago. After 5 days I sent it back. Jumping encoders on the patch select buttons. I tried the firmware update, which did not resolve it, despite what some stooges had written about it going away.
That’s true I suppose. As a guitar player I think I’m more interested in sound design which the Peak offers more of, as opposed to raw live sound and playability.
I think I’m about to call it quits and pull the trigger on the Peak.
