Absolute Music: Bass Station 2 In-Depth Demo (Feat. Original Bass Station)
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Chris joins us in our Bournemouth superstore and studios to give an in-depth demonstration of the new Novation Bass Station II analogue synthesiser. He shows us all the new features of this little analogue beast, as well as giving us plenty of audio examples. As an added bonus, we also brought in an original Bass Station rack to see how they compare. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away in the comments below. Enjoy!
** Oh, and at the end of the video we're aware that we've written 'Base' instead of 'Bass'. We are also aware that in the edit, we've accidentally included 2 takes explaining some of the features of the LFO section. This isn't Chris forgetting what he has already talked about, it's what staying up late editing videos does to you! **
PRODUCT LINKS (MORE INFO/BUY)
NOVATION BASS STATION II
www.absolutemus...
FOR MORE INFORMATION
A B S O L U T E M U S I C
www.absolutemus...
Y O U T U B E
/ absolutemusicuk
F A C E B O O K
/ absolutemusicuk
T W I T T E R
/ absolutemusicuk
the looks and feels of Roland's Sh-101 and Juno-106
One of the best reviews EVER! Congrats man, you made me take this synth even more seriously than before!! 5 stars ;)
Funny how Chris is wearing colour-coordinated schmatter... Well done... you blend in with the Bass Station...
ZZZzzz...
why are things explained twice?
Bad editing. Probably forgot to tell about the lfo delay.
@@toine2121 no memory of this comment, sold it for more than I paid for it years ago
The Minibrute sounds different, not neccesarily better. Besides it is not the most reliable synth, I was going to do a comparison of the MB and the BS 2 when my Minibrute's amp envelope generator suddenly died on me. While the MB is undergoing repairs I'm left with the BS2 which I find to be a marvellous synth that soundwise could even take on the moog sub phatty or little phatty.
I have one and totally recommend it. If your into old industrial and electro, this is a perfect little bass synth for it.
yar!
Empty_Space Did you end up getting one?
Also agreeably one of the better demo's on-Y-tube
Brilliant, thanks for this detailed over-view !
Nice I depth tutorial, with some of the finer details, like when in dual env mode how midi works in a macro type mode. Good stuff Novation!
Best demo out of the BS2
***** I didn't notice him go over the effects section, which is what I am especially curious about!
Outboard kit simple sounds fuller and better than ANY plug in poop!
Never got sold on the ider of my computer becoming the synth engine of the studio. :(lol) hence the needed power of a good pc/MAC and expensive sound cards or in.out devices.
At the end of the day, anyone can get a plugin synth (paid or cracked).
Only a true sound lover will go hardware every time :)
Im lucky enuff to have the ORG Bass station rack, and A-station from back in the day.
Don't ever see myself substituting them for a plug-in lol (sucker's)
I've had an original rack version, dsi tetra and little phatty. i just bought the bs2 and have enjoyed creating sounds on this much more! Highly recommended
Nice in depth video. Although, The smacking of the lips after every other sentence is driving me crazy.
Are those blue LED lights emanating from the pitch and mod wheels, or is that just bright blue paint?
so one and a half minutes in, we learned that it actually does save and load patches thank you thank you.
also, a little off-topic, but does anyone know why i am only able to answer comments of people who have connected their account to google+? [at least that seems to be the case] its like this since i connected mine to +.??
Lennart Born Yeah... I was noticing that I could only reply on certain comments... That is not very cool.
Very well done demostration! I really like the new bass station!
Question about the Oscs. Would the settings of Osc 1 affect Osc 2 when switching to and fro?
E.g. Osc 1 has Pulse Width all the way left. I switch to Osc 2 and turn the Pulse Width knob to the right. When I go back to Osc 1, will the Pulse Width be affected?
+Absolute Music thanks for the info! exactly what I was hoping for. another question if you don't mind :) like any other synths which are not 100% perfect, are there any aspects of the BS2 which could have been better? Maybe the circuit flow, or lack of certain features?
Just saw another review that shared a flaw of the BS2. As the preset are saved digitally, when you load your preset, the physically controls are not the same as what was saved. And you have to figure out what the values are.
+Aaron Sim I don't think this is a flaw as such. I think I know what you mean but if I'm wrong , sorry. The knows and encoders can't change to suit each patch that you change to. but if you look to the right of the diplay, as you change a parameter, a light starts flashing......and turns to a solid once you have found the correct value of that parameter for that particular patch. Maybe you know that and that's what you mean by having to work it out. but it actually gets pretty easy after a while. Hope that helps but out of interest, how else could it be done easier. just can't think how they could do it in any other way.
+jamie wilson you're right, it's not exactly a flaw, poor choice of words on my part. perhaps they could have used endless rotary encoders that allows you to tweak the patch easily when you load it.
There IS a usb port... no CV gate... midi I/O...
hey i need help please!...Im trying to connect my bass station 2 to my fl studio 11 though usb....what do i need?
need midi
+Bold Magazine Hello! I am currently using a Korg Microkorg in FL Studio, here is what you will need to put your synth into FL:
1; a midi interface or cable. I am currently using a M-Audio Midisport Uno, does the trick, although better interfaces will give you better options.
2; a audio interface, some way to plug the audio out into your computer. Do your research and find one that works for you!
A better interface may be able to give you a midi in/out as well as a plug in/out for XLR and other ports, for a direct into your computer.
Hope this helps, fun plugging!
- ESTE TIPO HABLA MUCHOOO Y HACE POCO
MUCHO BLA,BLA BLA Y NO HACE NADA ( ME MAREO EL KL0
hey novation, please listen all your users, bs2 can be one of the best monosynths around if you fixed the sync problems of the arp e sequencer. The problem is not fixed with the second firmware, the arp/seq dont start automactly in slave mode, like all the machines in the world do (roland, korgs). In the final build of the firmware the BS2 should respond to start stop messages (when start or stop is hit the arp or sequence retriggers in time). This would be such a great feature.
seems that novation have a big problem with midi sync stuff
+Pedro Floriani Best to post this on their forum page.
To whomever keeps making these god awful bass station 2 demo vids :
1. You've literally made the same demo multiple times. Please for the love of god just demo some new sounds.
2. Turn the damn distortion off. Almost every patch you have the distortion on. What is wrong with you? Are you dense? Does every single patch need to have distortion cranked?!
I don't think this synth is for you. It's for programmers not preset users. You'd be better off getting a virus or something with loads of pre-programmed sounds. I found this demo to be many times better than someone just running through presets I'm never going to use. It shows me what I may be able to achieve by programming the synth. I have to say it's really tempted me. Great job Chris.
Hmmm, I find it slightly ironic that people nowadays insist on CV/Gate, because that was a feature which was ditched 30 years ago -at least in standalone keyboard synths-along with DCB. OK, CV is nice and has that old school vibe and it makes sense in conjunction with vintage equipment or other CV contolled devices but I wouldn't see it as the main selling point.
No tap tempo? This is mad.
Nice presentation but why repeat the whole LFO info after saying it can go to 64bars the 1st time? You mentioned 2 modulation sources - Env & LFO but then said aftertouch could be used as a source, can it? Very important to me - will the external input have to be triggered? You say I can use the BS2 as a filterbox - will the OSC/Env have to be triggered for me to hear the external source? Nick told SonicStates Nick that it would - you seem to say not???
Will there be a rack with CV/Gate please?
I would not go that far. It is a good synth but the little phatty is awesome. If price doesnt mean much to you then the access t12 darkstar, moog (any really for bass) Dave Smiths new Prophet 12', Dave Smith Tempest, Jomox New Mbase and you can create anything and recreate any existing soung or sound. That arsenal i just listed would be an EDM musicians dream. Add a controller like the Arturia Key Lab, some VST plug ins and a great daw like logic (yes even for EDM) and bam you got a studio
Please, stop complaining! Maybe there is too much basic info but presentation is good overall. BS2 sounds very good. This is a kind of synth I expected from Roland - a modern and improved version of SH-101.
erm, this synth has a patch save option you simply hit the write/ store/ save button. You just have to remember which patch number you've assigned it to. I like the interfaces of the minibrute and ms 20 mini, but sometimes a little patch storing option would be nice, especially when you transport the synth and/or use it live. As much as i like my minibrute, it's not the most practical synth in this respect.
"To trigger the external input it is the envelope rather than the oscillator that will let the external signal pass through"... Thank you SO MUCH! Wonderful news and I will be picking one up over the MS20mini - woo hoo! Thank you for all your help and patience with this - now my last question... Will AbsoluteMusic be doing pre-orders? I had great experience with Absolute many years ago buying my Flextone III xl - even shipping that monster to Ireland didnt provide a problem to Absolute :)
Thanks so much for your help - sincerely appreciated! Its a shame the BS2 has to be triggered to act as a filterbox - saying that Im thinking perhaps you could latch the lowest key or something similar sub-audio and filter that way...
Thanks again so much for the reply - now I just need to start saving :)
How does this do with classic lead sounds, like brass or Boards of Canada "Kaini Industries", type sounds. I know they're not as popular these days, but I think part of SH-101's popularity comes from its ability to do leads as well as bass.
I think the BS2 is definitely worth it's price, and the filter sounds very smooth and phat. I'm just curious what else it can do.
@ Chris Hayes:
Analogue synths have a unique tonal character and are sometimes somwhat less predictable than softsynths, apart from that, it is simply a different thing to have a real piece of hardware under your fingertips. Tweaking controls an coaxing sounds out of the equipment is a very immersive experience. And you can even go beyond the tweaking if you have something like an MS 20 on which you can even override the inernal signal routing using patch cables.
Absolutemusic - well done for dealing with the harsh criticisms here by doing the virtual equivalent of gritting teeth and saying "we understand your point, but.."
This synth requires the use of saving patches in my mind. I don't know how you could easily recall all of the parameters to a patch since almost all controls are shared to save space. This as well as the fact that you can mix all the wave forms in the minibrute at once have me set on a minibrute. It does sound great though but I really like having as much direct control as possible.
love the sound , but it's sorely missing CV/GATE I/O.
That would have made me buy it instantly , even if that made the synth more expensive.
I think the sound is much nicer than the minibrute.
Arturia Minibrute that is!
:-)
--
CV gate could go to my Eurorack, SH101, Filterbank 2 or from my TT303 & Monotribe. I dislike the MIDI settings Im forced to use in Ableton Live 8 so CV/Gate would be an instant buy - For Me...
I want to like this synth, but it sounds too clean, does'nt really have that muddy bass sound analog synths have, if that makes any sense.
that would rival any other studio if you attach a good mixer 20 plus channel mixer from Allen and Heath or Mackie and youll be making the best music technology has to offer today.
I'm looking into getting a hardware synth. Im already very familiar with software synths such as Massive and FM8. I'm curious what features make a hardware synth more beneficial than having just software synths.
it would have been funnier if it went for three hours with him repeating explanations for the same stuff over and over... but I appreciate the Groundhog Day existentialism
Check out Arturia!
:-)
--
Chris, did you sleep in your car last night?
Just wondering.
Good vid.
The most helpful bass station II tutorial I have seen so far. Thanks!
I actually owned one, and I must say I did enjoy it alot. Had that sound I was talking about. Thanks for the suggestion by the way.
different type of sounds. Minibrute is more of a raw dirty sound. This one is deeper bassier sound.
Man the Bass station has such a sweta sound if it wants too. lovely synth. Is the Filter 100% analog?
È un brutto synth, dico proprio esteticamente. Opinione personale. :-)
Lovely demo :) Wouldn't mind making some demo music for this lil beast
Just pre-ordered one of these bad boys today. Was told that it should be shipping out around July 8th.
The bass station II has always reminded me of a keyed C=64 synth.
great demo .must admit i'd sooner have a built in delay or reverb, not a fan of distortion on synths.
hey dude! how do you assign different functions to the mod wheel?
Eric Wareheim?
hey absolute music, whats the song played at the end? x
You should enjoy Minibrute by Arturia, that's an equivalent noiser and rougher.
Super demo!Si tous les instruments pouvaient êtres présentés avec autant de passion et d'informations ce serait cool ;-)
I've got a Basstation ( the very fist keyboard) and two Superbasstation-2's
Did you try to compare the new one with that rack, standing near in this video? ))
Will it make any sense for me to add a new Basstation to my setup, or is it basically the same synth with added FX ?
только ради sin готов рассмотреть как вариант, а так не вариант.
Can it be plugged into my DAW?
I have yet to find a better demo. Very thorough!
so now we need Bass Station 2 Rack Edition
Very thorough demo, thanks.
Need an updated video now for the new firmware.
Show some respect, nice video keep up the work! Nice one x
I think the layout of interface inspired from SH-101
nothing, and with the massive you got a lfo
It kind of looks like an amputated Juno 108
I have a microkorg...why should I buy this?
either i can't make it work for me, or something is wrong on my basstation 2.
when i checked it out at the store, it always did what i liked to do. now i have one myself at my studio, and it always sounds way too agressive and destorted, even if i start a new patch, when i start of , it sounds okay, as soon i turn almost any knob, it starts to sound absolutley agressive :S
nah! that's not it. i use the line output (mono). my cable wasn't cheap at all, it sounds this way no matter what i plug in. even if i use the headphones output on to my not so really cheap technics headphones it sounds this way.
medias.audiofanzine.com/images/normal/676947.jpg
seems a bit like the old mini moog ?
at least a monosynth with sinewave osc!!
Should I save for this or the minibrute? I would like to play live with a band.
If you're on a limited budget: Get the Bass Station2 it is more flexible than the minibrute can sound very close to a moog and it does have full usb to midi implementation that allow it to double duty as a DAW controller. Also important- especially for lice use: The BS2 has patch memory with up to 128 memory locations. In addition to that you can also save patch data on your PC and load them back onto the synth when needed. Another small yet impotant point for live performances: the BS 2 has a bigger, better frequency cutoff knob which you can't miss even on a dark stage. When buying the Bass Station you should consider getting an additional power adaptor as a spare. The adaptor that came with mine broke after a short while. I received a replacement within a day and that has held up pretty well so far, but the power leads on thos things are fairly short. If the adaptor breaks you can easily find a replacement, you just have to make shure that it has the the correct output and the correct polarity, alternatively the bs can also be powered by usb, either your computer or a standard usb charger.
Them trainers though
Thankyou for this amazing vid........
hmmm I'd have to see that demo then.
Is there anything Brits won’t describe as “Fantastic”?
yes ..lots of things..whats your preferred adjective when someone trying to sell something
A rack-version would be nice.
CV gate???... usb... midi????
I'm sold at 13:19
ugh...I hate functions built into the keys....
+blipblip88 you mean aftertouch?
Nice shoes.
Excellent review!
buy it soon! ;)
Nice!
Excellent demo.
lol :)
could I sync this with korg volca beats via the ext in?
sync with midi is possible! :)
Thanks. I got the midi sync part down. Now moving onto sequencers! :)
Im glad i bought the microbrute
I've got both. They both have their place.
Very unimpressive sounding synth.
Minibrute definately sounds better.
Such garbage. Soon 'real' musicians will become extinct!
Too much talk. On a demo when the synths dont sound that good they talk alot to fill up the time.
Don't say "COMPLETELY ANALOG" when it's DCO. You only mention "It's also digitally controlled" as a positive thing as though it merely allows for more features. This can definitely be misleading to a less educated customer.
The Bass Station II doesn't produce half as warm and real analog tones as a fully analog synth does. The digitally controlled oscillators - and digitally controlled filters with subtle stepping - in fact give it a very sterile and plasticy sound in comparison.
It's actually more like a compromise between features and sound.
***** DC definitely makes a big difference to a sound. The Juno-60 always had that plastic sound to it, which needed a lot of effects and often some kind of distortion to get a pleasant and usable sound out of, and even then, just when you think it sounds nice, whenever I'd turn back to a MiniMoog or Jupiter-8, it was as if I discovered analog all over again, because it sounded so much better -- You could put this down to personal preference again, but I can't believe that it's not (paradoxically) *objectively* a more pleasant sound to have no digital control, and I'm very open-minded and willing to let a synth do its own thing (I do still love a Juno-6 for big poly pulse-wave chords with bit crushing and reverb on them, but I digress).
People seem to always be finding themselves playing around with all the BSII features, but never really getting a satisfying, usable sound out of it.
Arturia's effort with the MiniBrute actually sounded a lot more inspiring and usable, in terms of how thick and truly analog the sound is. However even that synth still has its flaws.
If you could point me to some actual songs using the BSII prominently enough, I could reconsider my point, because all I see going on is people "fiddling" with the thing, with an array of short-term sounds and sonically unimpressive results. There's not a one sound that people (or I for that matter) went "Nice" at and got some inspiration out of to keep playing with that thing. There always seems to just be the lure of the features, not the sound.
I'd love to hear a demonstration of the BSII used with some discipline and inspiration though, in a track of whatever kind of genre (just not *too* tech-sounding, since I don't like the average modern messy synth 'music' that just ends up sounding like a bunch of unpleasant SFX because people are (once again) just playing around with features trying to get 'weird and new' sounds, but as long as it doesn't just have 'weird' and 'squibbly' sounds, it'd do fine for demonstration).
Thanks for the elaborate reply though. I'd love to be convinced over the sound capabilities of the BSII, because that would mean I could get that, and get a lot of extra capabilities without a big compromise in the sound.
These sorts of stupid arguments remind me of the sort of people who claim vinyl has a better frequency response and sound than CDs, not realising that vinyl is heavily filtered at the high and low end and usually comes from a digital source anyway. I bet given a blind listening test you wouldn't have a clue which was the DCO analogue or the old style one.
boltar2003
Please, don't project your own incompetence on others. I can't help it that you may be pathetically lacking when it comes to accurate hearing.
Your vinyl bashing doesn't make much sense either. Obviously an original vinyl pressing (in good condition) has a tremendously more expansive frequency response than a regular CD and if you've never experienced the huge improvement in definition, I'm sure you've just never heard it, or you must have the worst speaker system and audio card in the world.
Obviously a vinyl release of music that was recorded and processed digitally won't make that big an impact (mostly because of bad mastering and compression that's popular now though), at least not over high-definition digital copies (in that case it would probably only introduce negative artifacts from being played off vinyl. Sound basically sounds best when kept in its original intended format). A regular CD though, has terrible bit depth and sample rates, which makes it quite obviously a more compressed and low-definition sound experience (you'd have to go with at least 96khz/24bit, whereas a regular retail CD has 44.1khz/16bit; it's universally agreed upon that this quality difference is clearly noticeable, if the source material has definition that was high enough.
A 192khz/24bit digital rip of mint-condition vinyl content (with an analog master source), will already sound absolute miles better than a CD remaster. You can quite clearly hear the expanded resolution to the sound, so I would say that a high definition digital recording of analog sound (such as from synths) is still fine with me (modern digital definitions have become expansive enough to provide resolutions up to beyond noticeable frequency resolutions). When it's put in regular CD format however, you're effectively converting it to a lossy format, which has a big impact on sound quality and experience. So yes. Vinyl records of analog masters are much better than CD versions of those. There's no argument. Playing high-definition vinyl rips over my high-end AKG headphones, has reinvigorated listening pleasure completely, because everything sounds like you're right there in the studio (granted that it's mastered well), whereas a digital remaster always sounds like a muddy compressed mess in comparison.
Johnny Natrium The 80s phoned - they want their idiotic vinyl is better arguments back.
boltar2003
Please tell me that you think a CD has just as good a frequency response and range as an analog-produced vinyl record.
The REAL analogue sound which is very difficult to reproduce with virtual analogue synths and VSTs. Electricity flows through a real analogue synth making the signal path less predictable (warmer). Other than that, the FM 8 is based on Yamaha's DX-7 digital synth (80s)... The FM-8 is easier to program and sounds "cleaner". It is up to you if you want some grundge or a "clean" sound. And this is purely subjective :-)