Vintage Synth Explorer

Novation • SuperNova

An excellent polyphonic super synth based on the classic Bass Station. Let's start with 16 voices of polyphony (20 with the new OS), add three VCO's using sound modeling to re-create those classic analog sounds with digital clarity and reliability. Amazingly this synth has seven effects per voice! That adds up to 56 effects all programmable and simultaneously available on all voices at all times!!! A macho filter section with hi, low, band pass filtering at 12, 18, 24 dB/oct ranges, resonant and self oscillating, with overdrive and key tracking. There are two extremely flexible LFO sections, two ring modulators, eight audio outputs, complete MIDI parameter control and it is cased in a cool blue 3-space rack unit.

Overall its sounds are awesome! It cleanly and nicely emulates and even transcends many classic synths like the Minimoog, Jupiter 8, Juno 106, and 2600! A 61-note professional keyboard version, seen below, doubles the polyphony to 32 voices and the memory to 1,024 patches.

There is an upgraded model, the SuperNova II which greatly increases the polyphony, sonic possibilities and offers many more new knobs and functions.

It also comes in a keyboard version which combines elegance, beauty, hands on control and a great 61 note velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard.

Added features include new FM synthesis, ring-mod algorithms, two analog inputs and a 42-band vocoder effect. These are available in 24-, 36- or 48-voice models. The SuperNova is already in use by Orbital, ATB, The Faint, Jean-Michel Jarre and A Guy Called Gerald.

VISITOR COMMENTS (17)

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D9

Posted 10 days ago

A+. I've been playing with a Supernova rack (original) for about three months now and amazed at how much of a pleasure it is to use. And boy does it make some nice sounds. I've tried other VAs before but for some reason every sound that comes out of this one is sweet and thick. Compared to my analogs, it doesn't even bother me that this is a VA. Those guys did a real good job. And I love the modulation matrix. It took me a second to figure it out at first, but after it clicked in my head, I was like, wow, cool. Really good presets too (as examples of what it can do).

Mithras Sol Invictus

Posted 17 days ago

I bought a mint-condition SuperNova key synthesizer off of Craigslist for $1000 and it is by far my favorite synthesizer...
I even like it better than the Nord Lead (was my favorite) which sounds somewhat brittle compared to the phat sounds of the SuperNova. A truly awesome synth!!

Rob the Russian

Posted 43 days ago

Just picked up the rack version today from Noise Bug in Pomona, CA. This thing is a beast!!! I'm running this babe through a Vintech 1272 (the color combo just spoke to me). Pure PHAT.

Operon

Posted 147 days ago

I bought a supernova 2 from a mate about a year ago and have to say I'm a little underwhelmed, but that's mainly as it I was after a specific kind of sound and it didn't deliver. I would say the supernova 2 is one of the most flexible and powerful VA synths out there in terms of routing and oscillator manipulation (the oscillator modulation matrix is truly mind-blowing) and has tons of useful features and parameters. However, the oscillators sound weak and digital compared to other VA synths and have since swapped it for a Nord Lead 2x which even though is not as flexible as the supernova, has a rawer analog sound

FATSYNTH

Posted 172 days ago

The comments about the Supernova and Basstation being overpowered by the new yamaha's and NEW juno's is crap. IF you want true analog 303 nothing beats a Basstation not even a TB 303 and if you want digital crap, buy a new juno or yamaha, the only synths that sound and function analog that are virtual are the Supernova and the Nord Lead 1. You can tweak knobs and dial up a sound from scratch on a nord or basstation in minutes, try that on a screen the size of a calculator on a yamaha or a new juno, talk about aggrivation, you will ditch it in no time.

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