World News – AU – Limited Edition Bass Station II from Novation and Aphex Twin embraces the weird

The Bass Station II from Novation is considered a modern classic in the synth world and the company deserves a lot of credit for constantly releasing updates and expanding its feature set In fact, even though the basic three-oscillator analog sound engine is unchanged, the 2020 version of the Bass Station II looks like a completely different instrument than the one launched in 2013. This is, objectively, a good thing We can only hope that other companies will show their legacy products the same care and affection as Novation. But there’s a big catch: After years of adding features, there are countless functions that you simply won’t find labels on the front panel of your trusty Bass Station

One of the biggest additions came last year in AFX mode (we’ll get to the details later), which was created in collaboration with Aphex Twin himself, M Richard D James So the next step, obviously, was for the two to unite on a special Aphex Twin edition of the synth, dubbed the AFX Station. (Interestingly, Aphex Twin was also involved in the development of Korg’s monologue, so he’s clearly interested in affordable monosynths)

The most immediate difference here is the design But it’s not just an aesthetic change, the labels have been completely redesigned to make all the latest features easily accessible – you don’t have to remember this feature anymore and pressing the second F # key twice activates AFX mode overlays

It might seem like a minor change, but trust me, it makes all the difference Bass Station’s interface is already quite complex So stacking some hidden features on top could make it quite intimidating for a C newbie. is one of the reasons I was hesitant to recommend it in my beginner’s guide to buying a synth (That and the asking price of $ 440 puts it a little above what we consider to be “Entry level”)

The overall look is also a bit darker and more modern The somewhat dated square blue and black has been replaced with a retro black and white scheme, with pixelated fonts and purple highlights The whole thing has a computer vibe of the 1980s The body is still voluminous and square; you can certainly tell this is not an instrument designed in 2020, but the facelift feels like it’s more current To be fair, unlike a lot of other mainstream synths, the Bass Station has sizable keys. normal And honestly, I had gotten so used to minikeys, that I almost forgot what it was like to play on normal sized keys

The whole thing also comes in a special limited edition box with artwork designed by Weirdcore, frequent collaborator of Aphex Twin

To complete the package, the AFX station comes preloaded with the latest firmware and AFX mode already installed.This adds features such as extended sub-oscillator controls and slip divergence (meaning both oscillators will slide more importantly, it adds what Novation calls “overlays,” which essentially allow you to create a different synth patch on each key (almost like a sample lock). to play crazy glitchy leads and basslines that mutate with every note and even turn the Bass Station into a full-fledged drum machine This is one of the most unique features I have ever seen on a synth

Rounding out the updates are seven new overlays (you can have eight in total) and 128 new presets from artists such as Noyze Lab, Richard Devine, Lightbath, rbeny, and Perplex On Although there are many classic leads, basses and even a few pads A lot of new patches play on the weird side and new rhythmic characteristics of the Bass Station

I know AFX mode is almost a year old at this point, but I hadn’t had a chance to use it in person until now and have to say it’s even more impressive than this what I expected It’s incredibly fun to play with and create some crazy, glitchy rhythm parts on It’s not often that I get lost in creating drum parts, but I could easily spend hours on end. create organized chaos

Keeping track of your overlays can get quite complicated, but Novation has added a manager to their components software tool, which helps a bit

Considering the updated look, exciting new presets, and full interface, it’s clear that the AFX Station is the version of the Bass Station II to get Especially since it’s the same price – $ 440

Aphex Twin, Synthesizer, Novation Digital Music Systems, Novation, On, Electronic Music