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Reviews
Trusted musician and artist reviews for Novation Bass Station II Analogue Mono-Synth
Based on 22 Reviews
Great Bass Station
Very cool synthesizer. Indispensable for lovers of retro-wave and electronic music in general. You can use factory sounds to create a tube sound as in 70-80. At the same time, you can create a modern dance sound.
there are no vacuum tubes in tehre, there aren't even ay discreet transistors, its all ICs and CMOS chips
I know there is no vacuum tubes. In slang usage, the phrase “warm tube sound”, abbreviated to “warm tube” or simply “tube”, began to mean “warm, cozy, sincere, nostalgic” outside the original context of evaluating the sound of music. That's all im trying to say.
Such a wonderful analog monosynth!
This is not my first synthesizer at all. I've probably had 10 total. This is my first digitally-controlled analog synth though. I wanted a true analog monosynth with patch memory, a small keyboard and a sub oscillator. It was between this, the Korg Monologue and the DSI Mopho. The Korg doesn't have a sub osc and sounds generic and metallic to me and the DSI is hard to program and much more expensive so I went with the Bass Station. The other main selling point was the sound. It does have a very creamy fat analog sound that reminds me of vintage Rolands. The Bass Station name is a throwback to Novation's original Bass Station from the early 90's but this synth is completely different, and while it excels at bass, it also handles leads wonderfully. The built in sequencer and arpeggiator are really nice too. It also sends midi notes from the arpeggiator which is pretty amazing. Pro tip- always add FX to your analog synths. They come out sounding dry otherwise. I typically add some reverb and chorus or delay and this thing will hang with any other synth with those basic FX added.
Future classic and a must have!
The best Bass Station so far. Don't get fooled by its size or price or name. This is one of the best analog monosynths for the moment and can do so much more than what it name would suggest.
Obviously some shortcuts were made to meet its price tag (plastic casing, only one set of ADSR sliders and a few other minor shortcomings) but fortunately non are audible ;-)
This is a future classic and a must have for every synthesist!
Muy Bueno!
While it's a mono-synth, you're given two oscillators and a sub oscillator that you can de-tune against each other and get some fat sounds. I'll typically have the sub an octave below the main oscillator, and the 2nd oscillator a 5th above the first, and it really kicks out some epic lead or bass lines. 32-step sequencer that you can save four of, and a totally usable arpeggiator? Done. Full-size keys and an all analog signal-path for $400? GTFOutta here, this thing slays. Run it through a delay/reverb and you're in business. Oh, and you can shape some wicked kick drums and snares with it.
Powerful monosynth
This is the first analogue synth I bought and it met all my expectations. It's taught me a ton about signal flow, LFO, OSCs, etc. It's a staple in my studio and I couldn't create the way I do without it.
The best analogue monosynth under $500
This was my first synthesizer, and I wouldn't easy part with it. Its incredible for the newbie to learn on, as well as a great addition to the collection of a seasoned pro. Must-have!
The Underdog Monosynth
This was the first synth I purchased when I got back into making music this year. It is a solid bread-and-butter monosynth that makes an excellent pairing with any polysynth. It is well worth the price of admission, especially if you don't have any other monosynths.
Loads of fun!
I have used this monosynth a lot lately. I purchased it to replace my SH-101 as a live monosynth but it has ended up being additional! Exciting features have been added by Novation via the firmware updates lately, hopefully they continue this (though it’s already a 5-star beast!)
Outstanding entry-level mono
Excellent sound quality, extremely versatile, and a price that's hard to beat. Love everything about it, except that filters evidently cannot be controlled via MIDI. I might be wrong about that, though.
I love my Bass Station. Every time I traipse through it I find some new sound that I can jam on for hours.
You can definitely control the filters via Midi CC. Page 21 of the manual.