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 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

The dissapointment came when I loaded some sysex patches from my songs and sustituted the plugin for the real thing. The patches sounded quite similar but not quite right. All of which would suggest a capable synth in its own right but the feature set is actually dramatically expanded by a series of Function buttons, which can be enabled/ deactivated by pressing Function and then pressing one of the keyboard's keys. Novation released the Bass Station 2 in 2013 during a period when analog monosynths were enjoying a resurgence. The original Bass Station was a favorite amongst many thanks to its affordable price and very distinctive timbre. For the updated version, Novation decided to retain what made the original such a hit, but add some new features, such as an arpeggiator, a sequencer, a new keyboard and more. All this means that the Bass Station 2 is more than just a reissue with a new look, but a great instrument in its own right.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 If you're an inveterate envelope tweaker, the concept of sharing will never feel totally comfortable. Here, you can at least set the basic shape of both envelopes simultaneously, before flipping a switch and controlling the mod envelope alone to make fine adjustments. Perhaps this just felt easier, to me, than former Bass Stations because the sliders are a big improvement over the original knobs. Very good analogue synth. Great sounds, tweaking options and patches. Great synth for learning about how analogue synths work and sound patch creation. Arpeggiator is fun. Latch is useful for sound creation (latch simply makes the key continue to play even when you remove your finger from the key). Midi works well, but I must point out better as a slave device than as a master. It goes out of sync if I set it as master with Volca devices (which only can act as a slave device if not Korg branding), but is flawless as slave for any other midi out device.

Its tone-shaping capabilities have now been expanded to break away from the original's low-pass shape alone; now you'll find high-pass and band-pass options too, all available with 12dB or 24dB slopes. There's also a brand new filter option, Acid. As its name suggests, it's capable of tones which evoke the 303 and its relationship with resonance will have synth lovers drooling. Modulation station Bass Station II's secret sound-design weapon is envelope retriggering. It’s now possible to configure envelopes to retrigger once the decay stage has ended, opening up a whole range of new possibilities. Firstly you have a choice of Classic and Acid filter. The former is variable so the slope can be adjusted between 12 and 24dB and the type adjusted between low, band or high pass. The Acid filter, however, is a fixed 4-pole low pass based on diode ladder types ‘found in various synths popular in the 1980s’ according to the manual. We’re pretty sure they mean the aforementioned Roland TB- 303 as you get splashes of its acid like squealing across presets, but more on these later. The sharing of controls is a well-established Novation tradition, here continued as painlessly as I've known it. The synth has two oscillators, two LFOs, two envelopes and two filters. With more huddled twosomes than Clapham Common and only a finite amount of panel space, sharing is as logical as it is inevitable. For LFOs and oscillators, this works well enough, thanks to intelligent use of switches. The user interface also has a second type of switch — of the programmable type. For these, there are LEDs that indicate stored values adjacent to each switch. Completely control the frequency triggered by each key press, giving your scales another dimension.

The iconic synth returns re-vamped

Like the Pulse Width, the frequency can be modulated by both LFO2 and the Modulation Envelope. So think of Bass Station 2’s modulation possibilities simply as: LFO1 and the Modulation Envelope control the oscillators while the ME and LFO2 control the frequency (in Classic mode). It’s perhaps a little simplistic but you get why the Mod Envelope is so important – it has a hand modulating three important components in the synth’s architecture. Bass Station II includes fully analogue distortion and filter-modulation effects and a separate filter overdrive to add an aggressive, crunchy sound-quality. Mixer: ♣ Osc 1 level ♣ Osc 2 level ♣ Sub Osc level ♣ Noise generator level ♣ Ring modulation depth ♣ External signal level

Synth can be a little intimidating at first if you have never had an analogue synth, but you will learn analogue from using it and grow to love it. Price is great for what you get! Sequences are transposed by playing the keyboard, and if you want to break them up, gaps can be introduced non-destructively. When you turn the Rhythm knob all the way to the right, your sequences and arpeggios play as expected, but when you turn it to the left, an increasing number of rhythmic gaps are introduced, culminating in a spaced-out series of crotchets.

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 What I love about this feature is that it forces you to think about modulation in a new way. Remember that this is still a monophonic synth, the overlays are simply changing lots of parameters every time you press a key. It’s an ingenious idea. I found there were two main approaches to using them. You can treat each key as a separate sound and create lots of individual noises — this creates great drum kits. Otherwise, more subtle overlays can be used to create variations on a melodic sound by tweaking the sound for individual keys. I found that programming a bass or lead line, and then using an overlay to inject some variation into one or two notes was very pleasing. There are enough experimental features to keep even the most diehard synthesist happy. Conclusion When programming, don't expect to be overly aided by the display, which is of the numerical, three-digit LED type, only adorned with > and < lights to show whether a parameter's value is higher or lower than its preset value. 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.