Novation Nova

Back in 1999, this desktop module packed the punch of its bigger Supernova sibling into a compact, hands-on powerhouse, delivering analog-style tones through clever digital modeling that still holds up today.

At its core is Novation's Analogue Sound Modelling engine with three independent oscillators per voice—each boasting virtual sync, formant shaping, and soften controls—plus a noise generator and dual ring modulators, all mixed for thick, evolving timbres across 12-voice polyphony. Multimode filters offer resonant low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and combos, driven by two LFOs (syncable to MIDI or arpeggiator), three ADSR envelopes, and a deep mod matrix with over 130 routings. Hands-on editing shines with 20 knobs and 90 switches for oscillators, filters (cutoff, resonance, overdrive), mixer, and effects—up to seven per part like distortion, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb, comb filtering, EQ, panning, tremolo, and a 40-band vocoder fed by dual audio inputs. Store 256 programs and 128 performances, layer up to six arpeggiators with 384 patterns (mono/poly/user), and output via three stereo pairs plus headphones, all fully MIDI-controllable in a sturdy metal chassis about the size of a large book.

Players loved its rhythmic arpeggiation tricks and fat, clean sounds for leads, pads, and experimental vocoding, earning fans among pros like Orbital for studio and live use—though some noted the digital edge lacks true analog warmth, it's a vintage gem for modular rigs or collectors chasing late-90s virtual analog magic.