Novation BassStation
Category: Products / synthesisers / dco synthesisers
Added: 13-Dec-98 | Author: admin
New price: 249 | S/H price: UP TO 200 uk
Company Link: Novation
Novation BassStation
It's 1993 and the second wave dance craze was in full effect! Everyone wanted that dance music squelchiness & realtime evolving synth sound, but the current reign of sample based digital synths just didn't do that stuff. In short there were no new affordable synths which did hands-on squelchy filter etc stuff with hands-on control pots or sliders. Enter Novation who came riding to the rescue delivering this baby for around £349 GBP, which soon dropped to a cheaper street price & the people snapped it up like a good 'un!
The BassStation is emblazoned with the sub-title of 'Analog Bass Synth' and features dual DCO Oscillators with a choice of Sawtooth or variable Pulse waves, with the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) being available from a switchable choice of either Envelope 2, the LFO, or Manual via a dedicated Pulse Width controller pot. The LFO itself offers Sawtooth, Triangle or Random modes and is accompanied by Speed & Delay controls. The Filter is switchable between 12 & 24 dB/Octave. As a handy bonus the Mod Wheel is switchable between Pitch or Filter cut-off.
The BassStations forte is that it's a very immediate synth, delivering instant gratification, and with FULL MIDI control everything you tweak can be recorded. Patches can be saved to any of 7 switchable setting slots via a rotary Patch selector, or Patches can be saved and loaded via MIDI, so your BassStation loads the required sound from your DAW sequence. The memory section also features a handy Protect switch which once activated prevents your lovingly crafted sounds from being accidentally over-written!
The BassStation became a gigantic hit both in its original Keyboard & follow up 19" rack form. The 19" rack-able BassStation Rack added CV & Gate In & Out as a bonus. Plenty of named artists created tracks using the BassStation & it's still a cool synth today. It even works off batteries, making it a cool choice for a portable laptop or tablet DAW master keyboard with true portability.
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Category: Products / synthesisers / dco synthesisers
User Comments
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Martin Cote
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
Nice sounding synth. Close(but not perfect) 303 emulation. In 24dB filter mode the thing can REALLY screech out
the CRAZIEST acid noises! (Can you say Josh Wink???)... Only complaint is that the thing is really...FLIMSY!
The action on the keys sucks, and the thing is reminiscent of a childs toy... But if you are looking for crazy acid, this
is the synth for you. And the price is excellent too. Picked ours up for $400 canadian, new...
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Paul Bae
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
My basstation rack is broken!!!! The filter section does not work at all. A repair guy I know could not fix it.
Anybody else have the same problem? please advise. Thanx.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Thomas Leib
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
This thing is a real cool bassmachine. The basses I got out off it are so deep and exploding!!! And when you search
for screaming experimental sounds, it´s your choice. But a problem I got is, that it is sometimes not in pefect tune
(without touching a knob!!). The 303 emulation is shit(I think it´s because the lack of the 18dB-filter;try it out:
switch between 12dB and 24dB,12 is not heavy enough and 24 is to screamy) But all in all in germany we would say:
geile kiste!! (wich means that this is a cool little thing)
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Mr Alex Gould
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
It's wicked for trance as you can record the sysex messages on the lfo's
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: kilo
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
yeah...also, you can send the sysex patch data as a save to your sequencer, then the sysex can be saved and loaded
with each track...excellent....also, you can get the novation to sitch sounds in the middle of a bar....I did a track
where the bassline plays for a 2 bar cycle repeating, at the end of the second bar of the loop, the novation changes
sound to almost a drum roll type sound....makes an excellent effect.
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: marc day
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
mmmmm basstation, well i've owned two and both went wrong, everyone i know can't seem to get a really good rounded fat bass sound with no top end in it like you can a 101. Everyone i know ends up getting rid of them, but i suppose for the money theyre not awful, they just seem unreliable and disappointing !!! Like your site though.....
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Intervention
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
The Basstation is a classic it has it's own unique
character, from bass lines to lead it sounds great,
trouble is I don't really know how to program it,
but then again - it doesn't really matter!!!
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Steve Freeman
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
Nice to see a novation site that insn't all sell,
sell, sell. Very informative.
One critisism on the Bassstation I have is that the
filter knobs produce an almost step like cange in the
sound, Rather than the smooth change you would expect
from a rotary knob. Is this typical of all Bassstations
or have I got a bad machine?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Steve Freeman
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
Nice to see a novation site that insn't all sell,
sell, sell. Very informative.
One critisism on the Bassstation I have is that the
filter knobs produce an almost step like cange in the
sound, Rather than the smooth change you would expect
from a rotary knob. Is this typical of all Bassstations
or have I got a bad machine?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: kilo
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
Is this when you send the control data to a sequencer & playback ??....maybe the resolution of the sequencer is not set high enuff.......otherwise, it maybe has a shagged pot !
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Steve Freeman
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
Re-Kilo. I have not yet connected it up to my studio set up as it is else where. The stepping syndrome only seems to occur on some sounds.
Still a good machine. I have a copy of the MIDI Implementation chart at http://members.aol.com/surfurd/novation for anyone that may be intersted.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Steve
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
The above address should read http://members.aol.com/surfurd/novation.html
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Sven Magnus
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 09-Jan-99
Everyone keeps telling me Bassstations are so great, but how do they compare to Rubberduck in combination with a sampler?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: kilo
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
well, they are two completely differentr beasts.....if you have a basstation, you can play a continuous midi piece over the length of a track,....if you use the Rubberduck & sampler, you are limited to audio pieces being the length available in your sampler memory.......you can also use the method you talk about with a basstation.... if rubberduxck is setup and played live, controlled from a hardware unit, then it can be viable... in that case it or rebirth will sound more like a real 303 if that is what you want.... otherwise the basstation is a million more times versatile
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: dan
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
For the money, its the best pure analog synth that you can buy
new. Second, nothing can touch its midi implementation. So if
your using a computer sequencer or even a hardware sequencer, you
can do some truely great stuff. Mind Blowing
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: ben
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
Just picked up the keyboard version 2nd hand and i must say I am very impressed. 303 emulation is OK but the 24db filter really screams. Much more versatile than I expected. Currently having fun drawing filter cut-offs in cakewalk. I've also noticed that some of the knobs (eg. filter cutoff) seem to change the sound in a step fashion (Steve noticed this above...) however when controlled using a software sequencer to draw the changes this doesn't happen... Anyway nice little synth
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Evan Wilson
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
i want a basstation really bad. However, i'm curious about the price difference in the U.S. could you e-mail me the price and any other information that you have. i.e.(shipping handling charges, list of competitive bass modules). Thank you
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: MJ
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 09-Jan-99
Great piece of gear, I never wanted to buy one because of some of the inherent drawbacks but now I can live without it.
I have the BassStation Rack and there are some really special things you can do with the thing that include the ability
to apply the filter to any audio device. Did you ever want to rhythmically stutter a held note or a long sweep? Play the
audio back from a cd or a sampler, turn the OSC1 MIX knob all the way down (EXT) and use a keyboard or sequenced pattern to
open the envelope and POOF! a great effect! Want to add some warmth? Send the audio out to an effects processor with a wee
bit of plate or room verb or chorus (trust me it kicks)
Great Sound, Great Tools, and a Great Price.
For those like myself that love to tweak while they play,
You can get a small road rack case 3-4U and mount it on a
stand near or behind your keys.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: virusmindz
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
can the novation b.s. proceed with various sampled
sounds? I mean can I play not only 2 wave forms but
work with any sound playing it from some recource and
connecting it in some input on the bassstation...
I mean is`int better to choose SYNTECNO teebee with 3
waveforms and input jack... (but with out any keyboard)
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: zedEx
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 09-Jan-99
Had the BS rack for 2 years - love the sounds, hate the unreliability.
Mine has NEVER responded properly to ProgChange (from Cubase on AtariST), sometimes it works,
but other times it goes to a random prog. I get noisy 'clicks' at the start of some sounds, and sometimes
the 'SAVE' light just flashes really fasat and the BS won't respond for hours...
Oh, and the rubber keys are REALLY wearing out now...
Yet I just can't bare the thought of selling it.
zedEx
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Kilo
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jan-99
This review will be updated soon to include a RA3 audio file of the Basstation doing it's stuff
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Chris Papas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jan-99
I'm into producing hard-house stuff, and I would not trade my b?station rack for any of the analog-synth/303 emulator racks on the market. With a bit of patience and creativity you can come up with AMAZING!! patches...
Thanks novation!!
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Chris Papas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jan-99
I created a totaly wicked kick drum ov the rack.It kicks ass.Will provide settings soon...Don't miss this if you want a trully banging kick!!
If anyone else has created prcussion/drum sounds on the b/station please provide info here, or E-mail...
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: xoxos to you lot
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 19-Jan-99
bassstation is AWESOME. found it a little limited in the range of sounds it can produce, but it's a great starter. if you work those two oscs, you can learn a LOT about sound and stay happy for a long time. also, i prefer the 'acid' transient type of sounds analogue synths are used for, and this will let you really WORK your sounds.
will also say that the sounds are luvvely; intense filter, resonance! get one. use it. mine is second hand and true the filter assign switch doesn't like to toggle much anymore (but you can override this with LFO delay. also switches are replacable. if you're going to do this stuff, you should learn how) but the thing's been knocking around for a while, so this is forgiveable. do i have to stop?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: djcooch@webtv.net
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 19-Jan-99
Ive been djing for 7yrs now an finally i want to make tracks....
I have a novation basstation (keybord) but to tell u the truth i dont know how 2 use I just got it at a good price from someone....but I would relly want to learn how to use it ... I dont even know how to load up sounds... please help
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: niklas
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 19-Jan-99
I would like som support about a basstation. When i bought it I did,nt get any book with info.
Just an easy question, how do I change the sending and recieving midi channel on a basstation?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Alan Wislon
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 19-Jan-99
I've have a Bass Station to sell. Mint condition; hardly used. Best offer please.
Alan (Liverpool)
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: sphere
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 19-Jan-99
The BassStation review offered a quite splitted point of view concerning the 303-ish sounds. But this synth can do a lot more! It's excellent for leads,pads,Moog-
basses.....kinda like a SH-101 with MIDI and a lot of other goodies.
Simply love it!!!
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: brett barnes
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 19-Jan-99
I'm in love w/ 303 bass lines. I bought my bass station back in 94 when it was brand new. Unfortunately I was new to music prodution, and my ear could not realy tell certian synths apart. It took me months just to get my bass station to sound like a 303. With a few years under my belt, and never actually touching a 303, Rebirth 338 finaly showed me how the 303 was controled. the range of the 303 is Phenominal .Today, I can make some identicalty sounding impersonations w/my rack module bass station, but with very limited range through the filter section. To date the best sounding clone is Rebith 338 . Unfortunately it's architecture limits it to studio use because of the lack of note on note responsiveness.
There is a new contender in this arena. the "next!" spacebass 3.3 ,and superbass 4.4. I've never heard them,but from the specs i've seen,they seem to be built more to the original; single osc., ect.: if you could, I would like to see these in the comparrison section of your site sometime soon.The 3.3 sells for a mere $300.00 U.S.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: low
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.io.com/~low/
Activity: part-timer
Date: 28-Apr-99
it's okay - there are better mono synths at around the same price...try Waldorf Pulse (analogue)
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Stephan Kümpel
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/davidson/966/
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 30-Oct-99
Everybody check out my BassStation Manager, I wrote some years ago. Its Public Domain. Fell free to send comments ...
Think this machine should never have been called BASS-Station.
Have fun,
Stephan
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: jojo the dog faced boy
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 07-Mar-00
Do the knobs transmit midi data, cause not only would it be quite good as a stand alone, but as a controller ?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: suba
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 07-Mar-00
This machineeeeeeeeeee
isssssssssssss
greeeeeaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Ellipsis
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.mp3.com
Activity:
Date: 07-Mar-00
The bass stations nobs do transmit midi, but only on the midi out, not the thru...(ie: the out and thru are not merged, they are kept seperate)
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Jasper
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 08-Mar-00
On the keyboard, filter/resonance/mod depth/env1 att/env1 dec/env2 att/env2 dec all transmit midi plus the controler and pitch.
I use mine to control the a3000 sampler (my write button is trashed so it's only good for controling now).
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: chumpleman
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 08-Mar-00
This site is the biggest rip-off of sonicstate.com I've ever seen...
dancetech sux eggs
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Swift
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 08-Mar-00
Chumpleman you are talking complete shite mate!
This site is full of very knowledgeable who actuall know a bit about the music being discussed and the user reveiws are actually reviews.
Sonic State is v poor in comparison for example the user reviews on SS are either written by people who have played with a synth for 10 mins in their local store or go along the lines of"this is great" or "this is shit".
The forums are no better with stupid questions like what car do you own?,who here is gay? etc etc.
So stop talking out fo your arse and don`t come here if you don`t like it!
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: DJ Danny J
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 08-Mar-00
Anyone who claims Dancetech Sucks is a complete utter moron. The people who reply here give you more then "5 stars" or "thumbs up". If they say it isn't good, the tell you why. If it's the raddest thing on the market, they tell why again. "They" are the people who know what they are talking about because they have owned one or used one. Also I have came here with many questions (some being stupid too) but i have had atleast 5 different answers to every one and reasons behind each one and how each one would help me out. Your an asshole if you say dancetech sucks and dosent have anything to offer. Ok, i am gonna leave this back to people with info on the Bass Station now.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Jasper
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 02-May-00
besides, dancetech has been around longer than sonic-state.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: pascal
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 03-May-00
he chumpleman,..did your mom said you are allow to go on the internet !!!!duh
Dancetech rulezzz,..helped me a lot with stuff
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Paul Michaelson
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 03-May-00
Dancetech kicks ass. Its my home page.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Please don't feed the trolls.
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/troll.html
Activity:
Date: 04-May-00
People - don't feed the trolls. If someone makes a stupid, inflammatory remark like that, ignore it.
See the link I put in instead of my website for the definition of "troll".
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Head Noise
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 27-May-00
I have this wierd thing happening w/ the LFO speed knob. I works fine at far right (fastest) down to middle position. Go left of middle, though, and the LFO jumps to nothing or slowest speed. Anyone have similar probs or know whats up here?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: giotto
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 15-Apr-01
I use a basstation rack as one of two modules I run off my mpc60. I love it. It fills in the hole musically between my mpc and my lead module. One thing that really suprised me was how well it sounded as a lead synth. So I have been using it for some really anthemic breakdowns and the like. It sounds great on its own, but man, get a simple $150 multi-fx, and all of a sudden this thing will start taking over the world, bass or lead. As for the "rounded basses" people can't seem to find, pick your patch, and just turn resonance all the way down. Turn the filter down quite a ways too, and you'll have your fat RnB/ Pop/ House bass from heaven. turn the filter up a touch and you can dial up a little extra high end character as you need it. As for comparisons with a 303, I hate to be inflamatory, but I think that whole quest should be left behind with the Summer of Love. If you need pound for pound one of the most satisfying and fierce pieces of gear ever created, drop your change on a basstation.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Peter Möller
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Professional
Date: 22-Aug-01
I don´t know how the thing works, if it´s good or if it completely sucks, but I´m about to bye my Novation(rack) today for 250$!!!!!
Product rating out of 5:  |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: jorge cortez
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: part-timer
Date: 02-Oct-02
Hi:
I just love it, for portability it can be beat, but forget the 303, man I usi it for moog leads, taurus drones.
What's the ext.cont.in i/8 inch jack in the back for?, is it to plug a CV pedal, volume, external signals?, if you guys know, please pass the info.
Thanks
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Wakka
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 15-Oct-02
I know the Bass Station can make some excellent 303 type sounds. Cosmosis used one on their album cosmology and the thing squeals.
Have almost got mine sounding right, but just cant hit the top end.. Anyone got any suggestions?
I know it can be done!
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: C738
Email: Email supplied but hidden
http://c738.myweb.nl
Activity:
Date: 16-Oct-02
I need to boost the resonance to make it scream when I open the cutoff.
Maybe an external distortion?
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: pwhaley
Email: Email supplied but hidden
na
Activity: Hobby-ist
Date: 28-Jun-03
Er, my first analogue synth. After four years tweaking I get some splendid noises. It probably won't take you that long. Got a sysex editor with loads of ace sounds. Sounds meant for the rack work too, with the odd weird result.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Mark Duff
Email: Email supplied but hidden
Activity:
Date: 12-Oct-04
I had a very long play with one of these once . in the music store i worked in
and i cant say it caught my ear really..
yes it can do all the same sounds as say a roland sh101 or closer sounding to a roland juno 106 .. but really .. for the money this was asking at the time
you could buy one of the above synths and in the 106 case have 6 voice polyphony
if you can find one cheap then yeh .. but the build quality was so so
and we had a few units come back .. with key contacts and knob failures..
but if its cheap .. they yeh its not bad .. has midi .. but i think any software synth with similar spec will out perform it these days,.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Bastiaan van de Werk
Email: No email added
Activity:
Date: 13-Oct-04
I remember lusting for this baby years ago when all I had was a crappy Pentium
PC with a SB AWE32....I can't remember the number of times I drooled over this
and other webpages and thinking of having that sexy little mini keyboard on my
lap. I bought mine two years ago (finally) and I am so happy that I did.
It can do the most excellent squelchy, bubbly sounds....I find it to be excellent in
the mid-range sounds not particularly in the bass-region though.
| Product rating out of 5: |
Last added comment
Product: Novation - BassStation
Name: Bastiaan van de Werk
Email: No email added
Activity:
Date: 13-Oct-04
I remember lusting for this baby years ago when all I had was a crappy Pentium
PC with a SB AWE32....I can't remember the number of times I drooled over this
and other webpages and thinking of having that sexy little mini keyboard on my
lap. I bought mine two years ago (finally) and I am so happy that I did.
It can do the most excellent squelchy, bubbly sounds....I find it to be excellent in
the mid-range sounds not particularly in the bass-region though.
| Product rating out of 5: |
'Novation BassStation'
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