Ableton Forum

Anyone have one? How is it? Is it worth $250?

++I'm talking about the hardware unit

You can get the Novation Bass station as a VST/AU plugin now direct from the Novation website. http://www.novationmusic.com/downloads. ... =19&type=1

I used one years ago and it's a very basic, old skool analog unit by todays standards. Not worth the cash IMO when you can get much better sounding plugins for less than $250 nowadays.

I've never heard the hardware but if it sounds like the software then I wouldn't bother especially at 250. it does have a decent sound but it's just really not for me.

it's a very nice synth!
although the behringer-like plastic toy feeling it can deliver impressive sounds and most of the parameters are midi controllable, it integrates pretty well with a DAW.

But overall, you would say that the hardware sonic quality is no different than the plug? i have the plugin already.

Apparently the software sounds nowhere near as good as the hardware...........but why not a Waldorf Pulse with the Rekon editor and use it as a vsti?

googoo wrote:Apparently the software sounds nowhere near as good as the hardware...........but why not a Waldorf Pulse with the Rekon editor and use it as a vsti?

Great idea apart from the fact that the editor does not work within Live

http://www.rekonaudio.com/VSTHostInfo.php

I feel quite miffed by this as I paid up way back in the first round of releases only discover that from version 1.3, live was no longer supported. Worked prior to this but my guess is that the 1.3 rewrite uses sysex and not CCs. It would not be so bad however, 1.1 and 1.2 have some serious bugs that make them unusable. By all accounts, the last two releases have made it a fully working editor, just not for us guys..

But yeah, the Pulse is a great synth..

EvilEvilEvilEvilEvil wrote:Anyone have one? How is it? Is it worth $250?

++I'm talking about the hardware unit

I had the hardware unit - simple, straightforward, and sounded good, BUT...it felt like a cheap, cheap plastic toy. I wanted to see how it compared to my X-Station and it wasn't even close.

Save yer $250 for nicer hardware.

OTOH, you could pick up a Bass Sta rack and use a ReMOTE to control it - if you really need hardware.

Good luck,

Dont pay 250 for it. Just buy the Remote LE for $99 It came with a free version of the Bass Station and VStation and yes they are both quite nice. Two killer vst and a 25keycontrllerfor a $100. Cant beat it.

If you want a HW synth in that $$$ range/size, go for the XioSynth, much more advanced! (Or a little more for a Micron or Korg Micro)

basstation rack also serves as a midi ->cv interface, i use it to midi my moog source.
dunno if that's handy for you, but it makes it worth keeping for me.

...also sounds great on its own, though it's not my favourite bass synth (despite the name)

I have two bass stations. You can make the fattest, grittiest sounds possible if you take the time to learn how to program it. It's true analog not a model and, despite it's plastic construction, this baby is very durable and has survived many gigs for me, plus you can use it as a midi controller for soft synths in live and / or another hardware synth.

I wouldn't pay more than $250.00, but you will not find a soft synth to match it's sound.

plus knob turning gives me wood.

I got the software version with my novation SL and it's nothing special ... sounds good , but it's just a subtractive synth like any other.

I can believe the hardware version sounds better , I have the novation drumstation and it kicks ass , but keep in mind that the basstation is a monosynth so if you don't have other polyphonic synths I'd suggest looking for a used virus rack (you should be able to find them for the same price) or some other polysynth first.