Novation Bass Station II Analog Monosynth

This might be my most regretted blind spot. I should have tried one of these ages ago. The timing was great though. I just replaced a behringer wasp clone with a Bree6. I was missing the filters on the wasp. Not enough to get another one, but enough to make a mental note about it. So enter a different problem. Hating on the arturia keystep. Wanting full size keys. And not really needing more than 25 keys. I'm playing into a hardware tracker. I can start and stop time at will, and edit notes in post. The closest thing I can find to small with full size keys is either an old oxygen from m-audio that will feel like a toy, or garbage that requires a DAW and a computer. Then someone literally suggested getting a used bass station. "They have a great keybed for the price and full sized keys. You can find the first generation one for a few hundred bucks." So I check and surprisingly, the bass station models are slimmer than even the keystep 32. Then I read the description, and find out THE GUY that made my favorite filter of all time, put the filter on this masterpiece. And it was THE GUY that did it. Not Uli. Not wish.com. And I wanted the "new" one. And it was literally as easy as swapping the usb power cable and the MIDI cable over. And for my original purpose, using it as a keyboard, it's absolutely perfect. Head and shoulders above the keystep for note entry. The fact that it basically includes a 3 oscillator Wasp is the greatest kind of amazing. And when you start messing with it, a whole lot of things start jumping out at you. It would already be a great value to me. But you have pre and post filter distortion/overdrive. You can drive the filter with a knob. That's so useful. You can map patches to keys. So you could build a little drum kit on this. And with the wasp filter and patch saving, it's going to sound awesome. This might be the best value in a synth from a reputable maker, with some strong competition from dreadbox.

As my first (physical) synthesizer, I love my Bass Station II. Having an actual physical synthesizer right in front of me, using my hands to turn knobs, push buttons and toggle switches just feels so good and much more personal than just using digital Synth VST's. The Bass Station II's build quality is excellent. Feels like if I accidentaly dropped it that it would knock just shatter into pieces. Keys, knobs, wheels, switches and buttons feel great, too. About 2 months in I realized that the interface and where each specific control was positioned was quickly burned into my brain so I can even use it in semi-dark or dark rooms if necessary. Only negative is I wish it had Reverb and Delay/echo effects. Nonetheless, the Novation Bass Station II gets a 10/10 from me. I also have other Novation products,; Launchkey Mini Mk4, FLkey 49, Launch Control XL Mk3. I love them all.

There are so many more incredible software synths at far more affordable prices with infinitely more features... so why get an analog? I suppose it's similar to the reason one would prefer having the local newspapers delivered instead of browsing the countless news articles on the web. Or maybe it's the same reason an artist will argue how he can't feel the texture of drawing with charcoal by means of a graphics tablet. I'm an avid listener of music with synthesizers, and if you're not, you're looking at the wrong product. I know Novation has had success with its LaunchPad and I've tried some older software by Novation with complete satisfaction. After researching the differences between this product and some others primarily the MiniBrute, with some regard of other reviews, I selected and purchased the NB2 when the price was low. I'm not a traditional keyboardist, so the 2-octave set of keys doesn't hinder what I play too much. I use this product more to invent my own sounds rather than compose. However the keys and knobs are great as they can double as a MIDI controller for your DAW via USB. Pros: - Flip on a switch, plug in the amp, turn some knobs, and start grooving... - or construct a cacophony of debilitating longitudinal waves within seconds! - Can store sounds on the hardware (1-69 are presets, 70-127 are default patch, all of which are editable) - Can store sounds on the computer (Save/Load files through [...] - 24 knobs of fun, including one especially big knob that's more fun to tweak than the others Cons: - Professional grade recording involves additional expensive equipment (as if $500 bucks wasn't enough to satisfy your lavish hobby) What unique features of this product did I enjoy? - Novation's well organized balanced palette of tools to use on subtractive synthesis - Interesting LFO implementation - Aftertouch: Push a key extra hard for a user-programmed effect - Arpeggiator: Play live at a set tempo or program your own-add a dash of swing to taste! - Separate or combine ADSR of modulation envelope and amplitude envelope - 3 different envelope trigger options and adjustable portamento (Important if you want to make some retro acid basslines) - Sequencer progammed oldstyle - Explore presets by tweaking knobs, and it will tell you if you're above or below the saved value - Most knob resolutions at 128 or 256 - Fits in your lap and lightweight - Although all these features are nice and handy, I spend most of the time with this product simply crafting sounds What would I change about this product? - Nothing that I can't really get used to Am I a professional musician? - No

Holy moly I wish I would have bought one of these sooner! It’s the perfect size for performing live while playing guitar and it’s called a “Bass” Station II but it’s great for leads also! It’s an older piece of gear but man it’s amazing.

A gift for hubby. He loves it and uses all the time. He’s very particular and he says it’s wonderful

I am writing this review after having purchased it in July of 2020. Oh boy, am I in love with my Bass Station II! Every time I turn it on and listen to its sound, I am taken away from day to day life. Hear me out! I understand this is a monotone analog synthesizer. But the richness! The beauty of the sound! It's so crisp and amazing. This was the first synthesizer I've ever used. I was inspired by DeadMau5 Master Class on EDM, and, after his lessons on analog vs digital synths, I immediately bought this beautiful instrument. Why is this instrument so great? The useability! The cutoff filter, arguably one of most enjoyable dials on any synth, is well-built and well crafted. It responds well to the touch and allows wonderful expressiveness of analog sounds. Wherever I bring my synth, I always have people asking about it. I love it! How about everything else? I'll tell you what... I love to unintentionally play with sounds to see what I can come up with. The ease of changing envelopes, tone, and understanding what you're doing while you're doing it is GREAT on this synth. First synth? This is a great start. Do you own a music shop and want a GREAT new resident synth? This is your addition. I love my Bass Station II, I have a special bond with this synth as it's my first! If you get this device, I hope you find great joy with it as I have.

This is a nice little analog synth, a good value for the money. The only reason I didn't give it five stars: It has a great arpeggiator, but the arpeggiator can only be triggered by the actual keys - it cannot be triggered by incoming Midi notes. I use it as an expansion module in my synth rig, and so that means that the arpeggiator is essentially useless to me.

I ended up returning this because I wanted something a little more versatile, but I honestly regret that a little bit. This thing just sounds totally sick and is very aggressively appropriate for harder EDM styles (I was using it for DnB production). It doesn't have great modulation/routing possibilities, there aren't many oscillator shapes to choose from, the usable FX are just different types of distortion/overdrive, and patch management is a little dated and limited. But what it does, it does fantastically well, which is make raw, sick bass tones. Just be advised you're not going to get much more than that, and keep in mind that you can get VSTs that do everything this does, for free. If you're OK with those caveats, then you'll love this synth.

This synthesizer is truly fantastic. I believe it is great for hip hop, trance, drum and bass, techno and pretty much all dance music. I have connected it to my akai XR20 and it is fantastic.

probably the best in it's price range. Decent build. Packed with tons of features, this will keep you occupied for ages. Good for a beginner to learn synthesis too. Bit annoying having to pay a premium for these products being in India. It costs like $400 in the US

Disappointingly, my item has arrived today. Given that it was sold as shipping from australia it is highly disappointing that it arrived with a us power adapter. The type where the prongs can be swapped for the right type depending on you location. Unfortunately only the US prongs we’re included.

Es la leche

bel instrument