Vintage Synth Explorer

Novation • BassStation Keyboard

Before the famous Novation BassStation Rack module came the small and portable BassStation Keyboard! Basically a 2-octave keyboard with a BassStation rack built-in. This synthesizer uses analog sound emulation to reproduce the sounds of a monophonic 2-VCO analog synthesizer with the same simple and intuitive controls via 17 knobs, 10 switches and 2 Moog-style pitch/mod wheels.

The BassStation can faithfully reproduce analog bass sounds just like a TB-303, Minimoog or Prophet synthesizer. The small keyboard and monophonic architecture set this keyboard up for strict bassline or lead synth lines. It also transmits MIDI continuous controller data for its pitch/mod wheels, frequency cutoff, resonance, filter modulation depth, env1 attack, decay and env2 attack and decay.

Unlike the Rack version, however, the keyboard lacks basic patch storage options. There are only 7 memory patches and 1 manual patch (what the knobs are doing right now). The memory can be stored externally using MIDI SysEx dumps. But for the low price (under $500) this makes a great and compact analog bass synth for any user with simple but tasteful bass needs. It is used by Apollo 440 and Lo Fidelity AllStars.

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

GNeuman

Posted 16 hours ago

I seem to recall that the Bass Station was perhaps the first synth in the analog revival...


I did what must be the worst deal of the century 16 years ago where I part-exchanged my Pro One (YES, PART-EXCHANGED IT!!) for the then newly released Novation Bass Station........DUHHHHHH!!!

Wasn't sorry to see it go......

brianelectro

Posted 29 days ago

this synth was also used by RZA

Benny

Posted 66 days ago

I got to admit I was slightly disappointed with the filter the first time I played it, the resonance is a bit too screechy and not very flexible for knob-twiddling. But then I tried programming some classic basses and leads and this is what this synth really exels at, it's 303 emulation is not very accurate and I don't think it's got a very "techno"-sound to it at all, this sounds very oldschool analog, bassy, bleepy, bubbly and surprisingly warm, gonna keep this in my inventory for those classic warm drifty basses.

Sanhedralite

Posted 79 days ago

Had one of these.. got rid within a week.. found the sound rather week and the build quality not up to much

Kyle

Posted 144 days ago

Hey Prophet, I have to disagree! I think this is a great little synth and I have had it for about 12 years and it's always worked a treat, no bad pots here! I have a Moog Voyager (amongst others) too but I still find really fat or weird useable sounds from this plastic gem from time to time. I think one of the best things about it is the speed that it takes, it's so simple!

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