Novation Bass Station II Analog Synth Overview
Nothing out there sounds this warm, fat and dirty.
The analogue monosynth reborn
Bass Station II is Novation’s pure analogue monosynth. Novation based it on Novation’s classic Bass Station, then enhanced every area to make it even bigger, angrier and more versatile. It has two tuneable oscillators, a sub-oscillator for enormous bass, plus noise and ring modulation. It also gives you two distinct analogue filter types: the classic multi-mode filter and a new acid filter, for a massive variation in sonic possibilities.
Much More Than Bass
This synth can sound as mellow or aggressive as you want. Seek out sweet spots with the filter mod to make it sing. Crank the distortion and it will growl with pent up anger. Push the resonance to self oscillation to create shrieking leads. Bass Station II can sound however you feel.
Easy Controls for Complex Design
Novation put as many controls as possible onto Bass Station II, so you can totally lose yourself in discovering and creating new sounds. Of course, Novation also laid out all those controls in the clearest and most useful way, to keep sound design as straightforward and fun as possible.
Save and Load Patches
Novation loaded Bass Station II with 64 diverse patches that showcase its huge sonic variation. Novation also left 64 slots free, so you can easily save and load your own patches on the unit, or in the free librarian software.
Instant Inspiration
Bass Station II’s pattern-based arpeggiator and step sequencer are a fun and immediate way to find new inspiration. The sequencer lets you record your own notes, ties, rests and rhythms in real time, then store them, recall them and use them with any patch you like. Easily and automatically sync them to your music software or hardware setup, or even add swing to get your groove going.
Connect to Just About Anything
Bass Station II is fully class compliant, so you can plug into anything via USB and start playing. It also has MIDI I/O on 5 pin din ports, so you can connect your other MIDI gear. You can even connect an external instrument and run it through Bass Station II’s analogue filter and effects.
AFX Mode
AFX Mode is the realisation of electronic music legend Richard 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.
- Analogue synth: brand new version of the classic Bass Station
- Bass Station II has a pure analogue audio signal path, reviving the spirit of the original Bass Station with an all-new design optimised for bass.
- Two distinct analogue filtersTwo distinct analogue filters
- A brand new "Acid" filter joins the "Classic" original Bass Station filter -("Classic" switches between low, hi and band pass with 12 and 24dB slopes).
- Load and save patches
- Bass Station II ships with 64 factory patches and a further 64 user slots. Patch dump enables you to archive and swap sounds.
- Pattern-based Step Sequencer and Arpeggiator
- Bass Station II has an arpeggiator with a programmable step sequencer that enables you to store and call up patterns and quickly sketch-out ideas.
- Dedicated Tweakable Controls
- Analogue synth layout includes dedicated controls for all major parameters enabling instant hands-on control of the sound engine.
- Sub Oscillator
- Two Oscillators plus an additional Sub Oscillator
- Bass Station II has two sync-able, tune-able oscillators with four selectable waveforms, plus a third sub-oscillator for generating enormous bass sounds.
- Analogue effects section
- Bass Station II includes fully analogue distortion and filter-modulation effects and a separate filter overdrive to add an aggressive, crunchy sound-quality.
- Flexible modulation featuring 2 Envelopes and 2 LFOs
- LFO waveforms include triangle, sawtooth, square and sample & hold. Two ADSR envelopes are available for filter, pitch and pulse width modulation.
- MIDI I/O and USB connectivity
- Bass Station II can be connected to your music software as well as your MIDI compatible hardware.
- keyboard with aftertouch
- Players 'synth-action' keyboard with aftertouch
- The keyboard mechanism is a two-octave (25 note) velocity sensitive synth-action keyboard with full-size keys and assignable aftertouch
- Access to the Sound Collective
- Ableton Live Lite
- 4BG Loopmasters
- Free Melodics lessons
- Hardware & controller assignment:
- 25 note synth-action keyboard
- Aftertouch can be assigned to modulate:
- Filter frequency
- LFO 1to Osc pitch
- Osc 2 speed
- Pitch wheel
- Modulation wheel can be assigned to:
- LFO 2 to filter frequency
- LFO 1 to Osc pitch
- Osc 2 pitch
- Octave up/ down buttons
- 64 factory presets
- 64 slots for user patches (and patch dump facility for storing more)
- Master volume dial
- Inputs and outputs:
- USB MIDI (for connecting & powering Bass Station II via host computer)
- Mono output on 1/4" TRS jack
- Headphone output on 1/4" TRS jack
- External input on 1/4" TRS jack
- Sustain pedal input on 1/4" TS jack
- MIDI IN / MIDI OUT ports on 5 pin din
- DC power input
- Switch between power off / DC powered / bus powered
- Oscillators:
- Osc 1
- Osc 2
- Sub Osc (3)
- Noise generator
- Osc 1 & 2:
- Select between waveforms:
- sine
- triangle
- sawtooth
- square/variable pulse width
- Features:
- Sync 1 & 2
- Detune
- Octave range
- Pitch bend
- Pitch modulation from Mod Envelope and/or LFO 1
- Pulse width modulation from Mod Envelope and/or LFO 2
- Sub Osc (3) which is tracked to Osc 1
- Select independently between waveforms:
- Sine
- Square
- Narrow pulse
- Features:
- All modulation and tuning tracked to Osc 1
- Independent octave select
- Mixer: ♣ Osc 1 level ♣ Osc 2 level ♣ Sub Osc level ♣ Noise generator level ♣ Ring modulation depth ♣ External signal level
- Filter: Two filter types ♣ Acid type (diode ladder filter design) ♣ Classic type (derived from original Bass Station)
- Features : Cutoff ♣ Resonance ♣ Overdrive ♣ Filter frequency to Mod Envelope depth ♣ Filter frequency to LFO 2 depth
- Select 'Classic' filter between: ♣ Low pass ♣ Band pass ♣ High pass ♣ 12dB slope ♣ 24dB slope
- Envelopes: Two ADSR Envelopes (Attack/Decay/Sustain/Release) ♣ Amp Envelope ♣ Mod Envelope ♣ Combined control of both Envelopes
- Select triggering mode between: ♣ Single trigger (holds envelope state when new note is played) ♣ Multi trigger (re-triggers with every new note played) ♣ Autoglide (engages portamento) There is also a VCA limiter
- LFO: Two LFOs each selectable between: ♣ Triangle ♣ Sawtooth ♣ Square ♣ Sample and hold ♣ Both LFOs independently adjustable between rate and delay time ♣ Key sync LFO 1 & 2 ♣ LFO slew on LFO 1& 2 (low pass filter on the LFO waveform)
- Wherever you happen to be in the world, you can rely on a three-year warranty if any Novation hardware needs repairing or replacing due to a manufacturing fault.
- AFX Mode
- Fixed duration envelopes
- Extended sub-oscillator control
- Oscillator glide diverge
- Envelope re-trigger count
