Novation Bass Station II Analogue Synth

Reimagining Novation's classic analogue monosynth for the new generation of electronic musicians, Bass Station II enhances and improves on the original in every area, making it even bigger, badder and more versatile.

Packing two oscillators, a multimode filter, amp and filter modulation, step sequencing and an arpeggiator, Bass Station II gives you everything you need to make bleeding-edge basses, leads, pads and FX. Yet despite all that power and adaptability, it couldn't be easier to program and play, thanks to its intuitively arranged controls and full sized 25-note keyboard. 128 on-board presets (with 64 factory sounds and downloadable artist patches) let you store, recall and adapt your favourite sounds.

Much More Than Bass

Equally at home on stage and in the studio, Bass Station II can sound as warm and mellow or aggressive and hard as you want it to. Modulate the filter to make it sing, crank the distortion to toughen up that bass, and push the resonance to self-oscillation to get those lead lines screaming.

Featuring two tuneable oscillators, a sub-oscillator for enhancing the all-important low end, plus noise and ring modulation, Bass Station II more than delivers when it comes to generating raw tones. It's also got two distinct analogue filter types – the Classic multi-mode filter of the original Bass Station and the all-new 24dB/octave Acid filter, with its darker, smoother sound – and plenty of modulation in the shape of two LFOs and a pair of ADSR envelopes.

Easy Controls for Complex Design

Bass Station II puts a powerful collection of controls at your fingertips, so you can totally lose yourself in discovering and creating new sounds. Of course, Novation have laid those controls out in the clearest and most useful way possible, to keep your sound design workflow fluid and fun.

Save and Load Patches

Bass Station II comes loaded with 64 diverse presets designed to showcase its incredible sonic flexibility. Visit the Novation website to download new artist patches to keep you inspired, and create your own sounds from scratch and save them in one of the 64 user preset slots. A free software librarian lets to manage your Bass Station II’s patches.

Instant Inspiration

When you need instant melodic inspiration, Bass Station II's pattern-based arpeggiator and step sequencer are ready to roll. Record your own patterns into the sequencer in real time, then store them for use with any patch. Sequences and arpeggios automatically sync to your connected music software or MIDI hardware, and swing can be dialled in when you really want to get your groove on.

Connect to Just About Anything

Being a class compliant USB device, you can plug Bass Station II into any Mac, PC or USB power supply and start playing. It also has MIDI I/O on 5-pin DIN ports, for hook-up to other MIDI gear, and you can even connect an external instrument and run it through Bass Station II's analogue filter and effects.

Paraphonic mode

Bass Station II is now a paraphonic monosynth, because you can control the pitches of each of the two oscillators separately in its single-voice architecture. Play two notes at a time rather than just one and get interesting interactions through the Ring and Filter Mod.

Components

The Components content manager allows you to backup and restore your patches and other content from your Bass Station II. It's available for free at components.novationmusic.com, perfect for free updates. Simply log in and connect your Bass Station II to your Mac® or PC running Chrome™ or Components Standalone.

• Create a huge variety of sounds: Two tuneable, syncable analogue oscillators with a selection of four waveforms, plus sub-oscillator, noise and ring modulation.
• Enormous bass and shrieking leads: Switch the Classic Filter between low-, high- and band-pass modes with 12 and 24dB/octave slopes.
• Improved analogue filter stage: The 24dB Acid Filter is even darker, wetter and smoother than the Classic.
• Turn Jekyll to Hyde: Create crunchy, aggressive sounds with true analogue distortion, filter-modulation effects and filter overdrive.
• Easily load and save patches: There’s space for 128 patches, and 64 factory sounds are included. Downloadable artist packs cover a huge range of styles and give you even more presets to get inspired, and you can create your own sounds from scratch and save them in any preset slot.
• Get instant inspiration: Record notes, ties, rests and rhythms in real time using the step sequencer and arpeggiator, then store them for use with any patch.
• Experiment easily: Get hands-on with the comprehensive array of controls, cleverly arranged for intuitive patch design and sound editing.
• Flexible modulation: Triangle, sawtooth and square LFO waveforms, as well as sample and hold, and two ADSR envelopes for filter, pitch and pulse width modulation.
• Connect to hardware and software: Connect and sync to your music software and MIDI-compatible hardware.
• Player's keyboard: Full sized 25-note velocity-sensitive keyboard, with fast synth-action action and aftertouch.
• Components: Components allows you to backup and restore your templates and sessions in the cloud, enabling access from anywhere in the world. All content can also be saved locally.

Warranty

Enjoy three years of warranty - 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.

Included Software

• Ableton Live Lite
• 4BG Loopmasters

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

SYNTH ENGINE

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)

Effects

• Distortion send
• Oscillator filter mod amount (FM effect created by Oscillator 2 modulating filter freq)

Step Sequencer/Arpeggiator

Arpeggiator

• Up to 32 different patterns
• Select between 1-4 octave range
• Swing function
• Select direction:
• oup
• odown
• oup / down 1
• oup / down 2
• oAs played
• oRandom
• Latch (hold the arpeggiator)

Step Sequencer

• Up to four sequences
• Assign one of 32 preset rhythms or create your own
• insert rests or legato (slide)
• Sequencer re-trigger function

Portamento

• Adjust glide time
• Single trigger or re-trigger modes
• Integrate into step sequencer and arpeggiator