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NovaEditor is designed exclusively for the Novation MiniNova synthesizer. It communicates over USB-MIDI using the MiniNova's standard SysEx protocol. Other synthesizers (UltraNova, MiniBrute, etc.) are not supported.
No. The MiniNova is a USB-MIDI class-compliant device. On macOS and Windows 10+, it appears as a MIDI port as soon as you connect it via USB — no additional driver installation required.
On older versions of Windows, a Novation USB driver may be needed. Check the Novation Downloads page if the device is not detected.
1. Connect the MiniNova to your computer via USB and power it on.
2. Launch NovaEditor.
3. In the Header, select the MiniNova port in both the MIDI In and MIDI Out dropdowns.
4. Click Connect. The status pill turns teal when the connection is active.
If the MiniNova does not appear in the dropdown, try unplugging and reconnecting the USB cable, then click Connect again.
The Read button sends a SysEx request to the MiniNova asking for the current patch. If the spinner doesn't stop:
· Confirm MIDI Out is set to the MiniNova (not just MIDI In).
· Check that no other application (DAW, MIDI monitor) has exclusive access to the MiniNova port.
· Try clicking Connect again to reinitialise the MIDI connection.
· Press a key on the MiniNova to verify it is sending MIDI back to the computer.
The free demo gives you full access to the entire UI and all editing controls. You can edit every parameter and hear changes on the MiniNova in real time.
However, patch operations — Read, Write, and Save — are limited to 5 total. Bank Backup and Restore are not available in Demo mode. After activating a license, the counter resets and all operations are unlimited.
After purchasing, you'll receive a serial number by email. To activate:
1. Open NovaEditor and press ⌘T (macOS) or Ctrl+T (Windows/Linux), or click the Activate button in the footer.
2. Enter your purchase email address and serial number.
3. Click Activate.
Activation requires an internet connection for the initial validation. After that, NovaEditor works offline indefinitely using the local license file.
Yes. Your license is tied to your email address and serial number, not to a single machine. To move to a new computer, open the Activation window on the old machine and click Deactivate first, then activate on the new machine.
Your serial number is always in the purchase confirmation email. Search your inbox for "NovaEditor" or check your account on the store where you purchased. If you still can't find it, contact us with your purchase email and we'll resend it.
No. NovaEditor is a one-time purchase. You pay once and own it forever, including all future updates for version 1.x.
NovaEditor uses the standard .syx (MIDI SysEx) format, which is universally compatible with the MiniNova and most MIDI management tools. A single-patch .syx file contains one patch; a bank .syx file contains up to 128 patches.
Yes, as long as they are in MiniNova SysEx format (.syx). Patches created for the UltraNova, Bass Station II, or other Novation synths use different SysEx formats and are not directly compatible.
Go to the Library panel, make sure the MiniNova is connected, and click Backup Device. NovaEditor will read all 128 patches from the device into the active bank — this takes about 20–30 seconds. You can then export that bank as a .syx file for archiving.
Note: Backup requires a full license (not available in Demo mode).
NovaEditor offers three independent banks (A, B, C), each with 128 slots. You can use banks to separate patch categories — e.g. Bank A for leads, Bank B for pads, Bank C for basses. Within a bank, patches are identified by their slot number and 16-character name as stored on the device.
Yes. NovaEditor is a standalone app and can run alongside any DAW. You will need to make sure the DAW and NovaEditor are not both trying to use the same MIDI port exclusively. In most cases, setting the DAW to "multi-client" MIDI mode resolves any conflicts. Refer to your DAW documentation for details.
Parameter edits made via NovaEditor go directly to the MiniNova's edit buffer — they sound immediately but are not automatically saved to a patch slot. To make them permanent, click Write in NovaEditor (or use the Store function on the MiniNova itself).
NovaEditor is currently a standalone desktop application only. Plugin support is not planned for the current version.
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