Novation Bass Station II Analog Synthesizer Keyboard, 25-Key
The Bass Station is back with 25 full-sized keys and all-analog oscillators, filters and effects, plus the ability to store and recall patches and presets.
$499.99
- 8 x$62.50
- No Credit Check6 x$83.33
- No Credit Check4 x$125.00
Overall User Ratings (based on 4 ratings)
Submitted March 2, 2014 by Benjamin F in Las Cruces, NM
"One of the all time greatest mini-monosynths to date."
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I really have very little bad to say about this synth. The sound is absolutely exceptional and spans the gamut of being very clean to absolute chaos. It has a more "refined" sound than something comparable like the minibrute, but I'd also say it has less of its own character, which can be a plus or minus depending on your needs. It's nice to be able to have patch storage (and the LCD display will tell you how many number increments you're off as soon as you move a dial or slider, so you can always know where any knob or slider parameter started out at, which is a HUGE help). Also both filters are quite different sounding. The new "Acid" filter is actually a really nice touch (i.e., Roland 303 style), but you also get the classic bass station filters with LP/HP/BP (which I think were originally based upon a somewhat obscure filter design, from the Wasp synth or something similar). The oscillators all sound really smooth to me, and there's plenty of modulation you can get happening. I do wish they had implemented a 2nd ADSR; that's probably my biggest gripe, along with the lack of any CV I/O. However, at this price, you really can't go wrong. I can't imagine anyone that loves analog synths NOT being happy with this thing. With ZZounds payment plan, pretty much anyone can get ahold of one without much financial strain. And I'd say it's 100% worth it.
Musical Background:
mixing engineer/producer; well over a decade
Musical Style:
electronic.
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Submitted December 16, 2013 by Fred K in Chicago, IL
"Modern Retro Sound Machine"
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I used to own a Roland SH-101 and a Sequential Circuits Pro One many years ago and wanted something similar to be able to create fat synth bass-lines and leads, as well as general analog monophonic mayhem. The Novation Bass Station II does all that and more. It's basically an old-school analog mono synth similar to the SH-101 and the Pro One, but with a few modern conveniences, such as 128 patch memory and more compact size. It's enormously fun to play around with and to discover its seemingly endless and amazing sonic possibilities. It's great for both recording and live situations.
Sound
The Bass Station II sounds excellent, just like a high quality analog monosynth should. Running it through the PA, a keyboard amp, or even through headphones, one can feel its raw sonic power. It's loud and clear (with no static noise like some vintage analog synths), the bass sounds are deep and smooth (it has a sub oscillator with three different waveforms), the tuning is rock solid thanks to the 2 DCOs, and the filter is fantastic, with an enormous range and depth! Just running the arpeggiator or the onboard sequencer while doing some manual filter sweeps is practically capable of inducing a state of hypnosis...
Features
The one thing that always annoyed me most about the SH-101 and the Pro-One was that I couldn't save the sounds I had created. With the Bass Station II you get 128 memory patches to store all your best sounds. The Bass Station II comes with 70 presets, most of which are actually pretty good, but all can be freely edited and/or overwritten. The arpeggiator is very versatile with a nice variety of settings and 32 rhythmic styles (unfortunately some of rhythm patterns are quite useless and rather annoying, however. I hope there's a way to reprogram those). The Bass Station II also has a 32 note sequencer, capable of storing 4 different sequences. The sequencer is great, it is triggered by whichever note you play and can be automatically transposed. One can also actually switch seamlessly between the 4 sequences, which really brings this thing to life. The Bass Station II also has a latch switch (i.e. hold switch), which not only keeps the apreggiator and sequencer going, but actually holds any single note indefinitely. Very useful for hands-free operation. Another neat little feature is the simple 3 digit multi-function LED display. It shows the patch number by default, but when you tweak any knobs, it shows the value of the parameter you're adjusting (e.g. tempo setting, ADSR values etc.). It has MIDI and USB connections which allow the Bass Station to be hooked up to other instruments and computers. The Bass Station also features blue backlit pitch bend and modulation wheels, which look very cool in the dark!
Ease of Use
Right out of the box you'll find yourself tweaking the knobs and sliders, generating incredible sounds. It's very simple and intuitive to use, well laid out and compact. The instruction manual is only 20 pages long, and if you've ever used analog synths before you probably won't even need it until you get into the more advanced functions. The Bass Station II is a straight-forward monophonic synthesizer and it does what it's supposed to do incredibly well.
Quality
Although the Bass Station II appears small and feels light, it is quite solidly built and doesn't feel cheap. It is a serious professional musical instrument, not a novelty gadget like the Korg Monotrons. All the controls (knobs and sliders) feel firm and durable. The 2-octave keyboard with full-size keys is very nice! The keys feel really comfortable to play and even have aftertouch.
Value
At this price, the Bass Station II is definitely a bargain! If you want REAL (NOT Virtual) analog earth-shaking bass sounds, soaring leads, and electronic space noise, but don't want to pay through the nose for comparable vintage equipment, the Bass Station II is it! This little synth is guaranteed to become a classic! Nicely done, Novation!
Manufacturer Support
N/A
The Wow Factor
For analog purists, this is an exciting modern interpretation of retro/vintage synthesizer technology. It looks cool and futuristic with its black and blue color scheme, blinking lights, lots of knobs and sliders, and of course the blue hue of the pitch and mod wheels. But even better than that, it sounds fantastic and sort of takes you back to the early days of prog rock and electronica a la Pink Floyd or Kraftwerk.
Musical Background:
Played music for 30 years, in various bands and recording projects. Play keyboards, guitar, bass, and vocals
Musical Style:
Punk, post-Punk, New Wave, Rock, Electronica
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Submitted September 21, 2015 by david g
"Dynamite in a small package"
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First of all, I super like the payment plan Zzounds has allowed us, works better than saving for me. Second! Bass station exceeds my expectations in several ways. (1) It is very programmable with out menu diving and for anyone used to programming it really don't need a manual. Monophonic allows me to focus on the low end and avoid recording errors caused by trying to make a stereo box into a mono... Layering the analog sound with Vsti's or digital synths is like a cake (Or an onion) making splendid deep sound fields.(2) Where my digital synths low end begin to quiver a little or perhaps, more accurately, insist on being polite as a crystal goblet, this David can stomp like Goliath. It is able to make raspy tones, growly bass lines and drone nicely if asked to. Punch, It has it. It can squeal like a pig too. (3) I prefer my sounds to have a rounded out feel to them, round bass sounds are a snap here and so are the envelopes! Multi=tracking with a midi set up is a pizza cake too. My 8 channel stereo recorder likes the audio out put and my odd and end Vsti's with the ho-hum feel can be routed thru the audio input for extra character too. Run this little wonder through a decent effects box and look out below!(4) I purchased the Bass station 2 mainly for the filter, the designer is a master of two other unique synth filters, Wasp and Oscar. I am doubtful i can tell this synth in a mix (a good thing for a lower budget studio) but i can really tell the difference between the Bass station 2 and , say, a smaller Moog. I also considered the Arturia micro , maybe soon, just for the control features for a small modular set up and perhaps another unusually good filter.I would say that this unit is well designed and very usable in a micro studio set up. While the modulation routing is not very complex, I don't mind, i have a couple of synths that excel at that. Look at the Bass station as a deep flavor to be added to an audio recipe. There are some decent pre-programmed sounds to get you going (idea wise) and room for a few dozen of your own, you can over write any you want to.Solid feeling knobs and switches, good full sized keys, USB or wall wart powered,pretty cool blue, black and white color schemes and a layout that makes sense to me. I have programmed large Moogs, DX7's and used a ARP 2600 and Korg PS 3100 and i find this little beast to be tamable in less than a couple of hours, yet flexible enough to make MY sounds real. I turned down a Moog Prodigy a few years back after the seller realized it actually worked, he was asking 75$. I felt sorry for him because his Bass player had died suddenly leaving the Moog with the band. I demonstrated the way it could be programmed and they took it back to their garage, happy. Later i mentally kicked my butt for not snagging it. This is even better and it is not an antique needing expensive repairs, a long warm up time and more programmable.If it lasts as long as some of my other less expensive gear has, i will be musically happy.Psiklon (Jamendo.com for free downloads of my retro music)
Musical Background:
Sound design, experimental electronic music and research for various non-profits, including Nodal Focus.
Musical Style:
Electronic , ethnic
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Submitted March 11, 2015 by Nicholas Burke in McLeansboro, IL
"My first analog synth"
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I bought the Bass Station II so that I could start learning about synthesizers and oscillators. I love the ease of creating and storing my own patches. With all the dials and sliders at my fingertips, it was easy for me to learn what parts of the sound I was actually controlling, which made learning so much easier. The Bass Station II patch library software makes organizing patches easy also.
At the time of purchase I really had no clue the difference between polyphonic and monophonic keyboards, I was almost upset that I didn't purchase a polyphonic synth, but after comparing the thick bass sounds to my friends keyboards I am more than happy with my purchase. It serves its purpose, which is pumping out the bass!
I have since purchased an Ultranova to play lead parts with and I still like the Bass Station II so much more!
Musical Background:
15 years, Saxophone, guitar
Musical Style:
Acoustic-Bluegrass/Electronic
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