Novation Bass Station II Monophonic Analog Synthesizer

Novation Bass Station II is an analog monosynth based on the classic original Bass Station but re-worked for the 21st century. It has two filters, three oscillators, patch save and a fully analog effects section. Add a step sequencer, arpeggiator, full-sized keys and a powerful modulation section and you have the makings of a synth that is built for bass but capable of so much more.

What is it?
Bass Station II is an analog monosynth with a talent for bass but a sound-engine that is versatile enough to kick out sharp leads and crisp arpeggios. It brings the best elements of Novation's original Bass Station into a brand new design with re-worked modulation, effects, filters and more — like the Bass Station, but much much bigger.

The signal path is pure analog, including the effects section. The hardware has been laid out in modules with dedicated pots, switches, sliders and buttons for all major parameters. Critically, you can store and recall patches on Bass Station II. It comes with 64 killer factory presets, space for 64 of your own sounds on the hardware, and you can store more on your computer.

The key mechanism consists of 25 full-sized keys that are velocity sensitive with assignable aftertouch. It has been developed as a synth action keyboard where each key is individually sprung, so it is light to the touch and highly responsive to the synth engine. Bass Station II is a fully class-compliant MIDI device with MIDI I/O on 5-pin DIN ports for connecting to other MIDI outboard gear. It can also interface with your computer over USB.

Oscillators
Bass Station II is built on three analog oscillators and a noise generator. There are two fully independent oscillators plus a sub-oscillator, which is the critical component in creating rich, analog bass sounds. Oscillators 1 and 2 are switchable among sine, sawtooth, square and variable pulse width, and oscillator 3, the sub-oscillator, can be set to one or two octaves below oscillator 1. It can be square, sine or narrow pulse width, delivering the characteristically 'fat' bass tone.

Filters
You can select between two discrete filters — Acid or Classic — each with a built-in overdrive for pushing filter tones from dry to warm to nasty. The Classic Bass Station filter can be switched among low pass, high pass and band pass at 12dB or 24dB slopes. The Acid filter is based on a diode ladder filter design that delivers a characteristically 303-esque sound that is designed to squelch/

Effects
Bass Station II has two effects, not including the filter overdrive. Analog distortion drives circuit components to add new frequencies to the sound. Bass Station II's distortion function can add gentle warmth, filthy granularity or anything in between. The second effect is 'Osc Filter Mod' which creates a distinctive FM-type sound by using oscillator 2 to modulate the filter frequency. This is very good for crunchy, sound-mulching effects that substantially fatten up bass and lead patches.

Modulation
There are two envelope generators and two low frequency oscillators (LFOs). The first envelope is an ADSR amp envelope and the second is a mod envelope that can be used to modulate filter frequency, oscillator pitch and oscillator pulse width. LFO 1 is dedicated to pitch modulation whereas LFO 2 is used to modulate oscillator pulse width and filter frequency. Although it looks like there are four LFO waveforms, the LFO slew function can be used freely to sculpt LFOs into smoother waveshapes.

Arpeggiator and step sequencer
Bass Station II's arpeggiator and step sequencer are killer performance and production tools. The arpeggiator can be directed to run through 32 different rhythmic patterns in different directions with a switchable octave range. The fun really starts when you engage the step sequencer. Up to four sequences can be played in — with legato and rests — and assigned to any one of the 32 rhythmic patterns. As well as getting ideas down quickly and programming performance sequences, this is a brilliant way to preview patches while you're editing them.

AFX mode
AFX Mode is the realization of electronic music legend Richard D. James aka Aphex Twin. Put simply, it lets you modify your Bass Station II patch on a key-by-key basis. Use it to introduce subtle changes to a sound as you play up and down the keyboard, divide the keyboard into multiple zones – one per key if you like! – each playing its own sound, or create entire drum kits in a single preset for triggering manually or via the arpeggiator. It's a truly inspiring feature that really does open up a whole new world of sound design and performance possibilities. AFX Mode is part of Bass Station II's v4.14 firmware update, available as a free download via Novation's free Components companion/management software.