Focusrite Audio Engineering BASS STATION II User manual

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Novation
A division of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd.
Windsor House,
Turnpike Road,
Cressex Business Park,
High Wycombe,
Bucks,
HP12 3FX.
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.novationmusic.com
Trademarks
The Novation trademark is owned by Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. All other
brand, product and company names and any other registered names or trade marks
mentioned in this manual belong to their respective owners.
Disclaimer
Novation has taken all possible steps to ensure that the information given here is both
correct and complete. In no event can Novation accept any liability or responsibility for
any loss or damage to the owner of the equipment, any third party, or any equipment
which may result from use of this manual or the equipment which it describes. The
information provided in this document may be modied at any time without prior
warning. Specications and appearance may differ from those listed and illustrated.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read these instructions.
2. Keep these instructions.
3. Heed all warnings.
4. Follow all instructions.
5. Do not use this apparatus with water.
6. Clean only with dry cloth.
7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other
apparatus (including ampliers) that produce heat.
8. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarised or grounding-type plug. A
polarised plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug
has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are
provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not t into your outlet, consult an
electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
9. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs,
convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
10. Only use attachments/accessories specied by the manufacturer.
11. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specied by
the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used,
use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid
injury from tip-over.
12. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
13. Refer all servicing to qualied service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged,
liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has
been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
14. No naked ames, such as lighted candles, should be placed on the apparatus.
WARNING: Excessive sound pressure levels from earphones and headphones can
cause hearing loss.
WARNING: This equipment must only be connected to USB 1.1 or 2.0 type ports.
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER
(OR BACK). NO USER-SERVICABLE PARTS
INSIDE. REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED
SERVICE PERSONNEL.
The lightning ash with arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous
voltage” within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufcient magnitude
to constitute the risk of electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the
user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing)
instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE
THIS APPARATUS TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION
Compliance Information Statement: Declaration of Compliance procedure
Product Identication: Novation Bass Station II keyboard
Responsible party: American Music and Sound
Address: 4325 Executive Drive, Suite 300 Southaven, MS 38672
Telephone:[phone]
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
For USA
To the User:
1. Do not modify this unit! This product, when installed as indicated in the instructions
contained in this manual, meets FCC requirements. Modications not expressly
approved by Novation may void your authority, granted by the FCC, to use this
product.
2. Important: This product satises FCC regulations when high quality shielded USB
cables with integral ferrite are used to connect with other equipment. Failure to use
high quality shielded USB cables with integral ferrite or to follow the installation
instructions within this manual may cause magnetic interference with appliances
such as radios and televisions and void your FCC authorisation to use this product
in the USA.
3. Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class
B digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined
by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a
circuit different from that to which the receiver
is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
For Canada
To the User:
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
RoHS Notice
Novation has conformed and product conforms, where applicable, to the European
Union’s Directive 2002/95/EC on Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) as
well as the following sections of California law which refer to RoHS, namely sections
25214.10, 25214.10.2, and 58012, Health and Safety Code; Section 42475.2, Public
Resources Code.
CAUTION:
The normal operation of this product may be affected by a strong electrostatic
discharge (ESD). In the event of this happening, simply reset the unit by removing
and then replugging the USB cable. Normal operation should return.
COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES
Novation is a registered trade mark of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited.
Bass Station II is a trade mark of Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited.
2013 © Focusrite Audio Engineering Limited. All rights reserved.

3
CONTENTS
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS .....................................2
ENVIRONMENTAL DECLARATION ........................................2
For USA ..........................................................2
For Canada .......................................................2
COPYRIGHT AND LEGAL NOTICES........................................2
INTRODUCTION .......................................................4
Key Features ......................................................4
About This Manual .................................................4
What’s In The Box ..................................................4
Registering your Bass Station II .......................................4
Power Requirements ................................................4
Hardware Overview.................................................5
GETTING STARTED.....................................................7
Loading Patches ...................................................7
Saving Patches.....................................................7
Basic Operation – sound modication ..................................7
The LED display ..............................................7
The Filter knob ...............................................8
Pitch and Mod wheels .........................................8
Octave Shift .................................................8
Transpose ...................................................8
On-Key functions .............................................8
Local control .................................................8
SYNTHESIS TUTORIAL ..................................................9
Pitch........................................................9
Tone........................................................9
Volume .....................................................9
The Oscillators And Mixer ......................................9
Sine Waves ..................................................9
Triangle Waves ...............................................9
Sawtooth Waves .............................................10
Square / Pulse Waves .........................................10
Noise ......................................................10
Ring Modulation .............................................10
The Filter...................................................10
Decay Time .................................................11
Sustain Level................................................11
Release Time................................................13
LFOs ......................................................13
Summary ...................................................13
The Oscillator Section ..............................................14
Waveform ..................................................14
Pitch.......................................................14
Modulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Pulse Width.................................................14
Oscillator Sync ..............................................14
The Sub Oscillator ...........................................14
Paraphonic Mode ............................................14
Oscillator Error ..............................................15
Extended Sub-Oscillator Tuning ................................15
The Mixer Section .................................................15
The Filter Section .................................................15
Filter type ..................................................15
Frequency ..................................................17
Resonance..................................................17
Filter modulation ............................................17
Overdrive ..................................................17
Adjustable Filter-Tracking .....................................17
The Envelopes Section .............................................17
Envelope Retriggering ........................................18
Envelope Retriggering Count ..................................18
Fixed Duration Sustain Envelopes...............................18
Portamento ......................................................18
Glide Divergence ............................................18
The Effects Section ................................................18
The LFO Section ..................................................19
LFO 1: .....................................................19
LFO 2: .....................................................19
LFO Waveforms .............................................19
LFO Speed .................................................19
LFO Delay ..................................................19
LFO Speed/Sync.............................................19
LFO Keysync ................................................19
LFO Slew...................................................19
The Arpeggiator Section ...........................................20
Arp Swing ..................................................20
The Sequencer....................................................21
Record.....................................................21
Play .......................................................21
SEQ Retrig..................................................21
AFX Mode .......................................................21
Overlays ...................................................21
Saving Overlays .............................................21
Clearing Overlays ............................................21
Copying Overlays ............................................21
Protecting Overlays ..........................................21
Overlay Parameters ..........................................21
On-key Functions .................................................22
APPENDIX ...........................................................24
Novation Components .............................................24
Importing Patches via SysEx .........................................24
Sync values table ..................................................24
Init Patch – parameter table .........................................25
Synth settings saved on power-off ....................................25
Synth settings not saved on power-off.................................25
MIDI parameters list ...............................................26
AFX Mode SysEx Support...........................................27
Export .....................................................27
Import .....................................................27
Copy ......................................................27
Move ......................................................27
Save Current Overlay Bank ....................................27
Clear Current Overlay Bank ....................................27
Clear Single Overlay..........................................27
Current Overlay Bank Selection.................................27
Overlay Write Protection ......................................27
Overlay Parameter List .............................................27
Micro-Tuning .....................................................28
Tuning Tables ...............................................28
Tuning Morphing ............................................28
Table Selection..............................................29
Table Save..................................................29
Greeting Message.................................................29
Character Support ...........................................29

4
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing this Bass Station II digitally-controlled analogue synthesiser.
Based on the classic 1990s Novation Bass Station synth, it combines traditional
analogue waveform generation and processing with the power and exibility of digital
control, plus a set of effects and presets for the 21st century.
NOTE: Bass Station II is capable of generating audio with a large dynamic range, the
extremes of which can cause damage to loudspeakers or other components, and also
to your hearing!
Key Features
• Classic analogue waveform generation
• Two multi-waveform oscillators plus separate sub oscillator
• Analogue signal path – lters, envelopes, modulation
• Traditional “single function” style rotary controls
• LP/BP/HP lters with variable slope
• Separate dual LFO section
• Ring Modulator (inputs: Oscs 1 and 2)
• Versatile 32-step arpeggiator with wide range of patterns
• 32-step sequencer with four memories
• Portamento with dedicated time control
• Pre-loaded with 64 brand new Killer Patches
• Memory for 64 additional User Patches
• Pitch and Mod wheels
• 25-note velocity-sensitive keyboard with aftertouch
• -5/+4 octave keyboard shift
• Key transpose function
• On-Key functions – use the keyboard to adjust non-performance sound
parameters
• MIDI input and output
• LED display for patch selection, parameter adjustment, octave settings, etc.
• External DC input (for supplied AC PSU)
• Class-compliant USB port (no drivers required), for alternative DC power, patch
dump and MIDI
• External audio input to mixer section
• Headphone output
• Sustain pedal socket
• Kensington Security Slot
About This Manual
We’ve tried to make this manual as helpful as possible for all types of user, and this
inevitably means that more experienced users will want to skip over certain parts of it,
while relative novices will want to avoid certain parts of it until they’re condent they’ve
mastered the basics.
However, there are a few general points that are useful to know about before you
continue reading this manual. We’ve adopted some graphical conventions within
the text, which we hope all types of user will nd helpful in navigating through the
information to nd what they need to know quickly:
Abbreviations, conventions, etc.
Where top panel controls or rear panel connectors are referred to, we’ve used a
number thus: 1to cross-reference to the top panel diagram, and thus: 1 to cross-
reference to the rear panel diagram. (See page 5 and page 6).
We’ve used BOLD TEXT (or Bold Text) to name top panel controls or rear panel
connectors; we’ve made a point of using exactly the same names as appear on the Bass
Station II. We’ve used SEVEN-SEGMENT DIGITS to denote numbers that appear on the top
panel LED display.
Tips
These do what it says on the tin: we include bits of advice, relevant to
the topic being discussed that should simplify setting up Impulse to
do what you want. It’s not mandatory that you follow them, but
generally they should make life easier.
These are additions to the text that will be of interest to the more
advanced user and can generally be avoided by the novice. They are
intended to provide a clarication or explanation of a particular area
of operation.
What’s In The Box
Your Bass Station II has been carefully packed in the factory and the packaging was
designed to withstand rough handling. Should the unit appear to have been damaged
in transit, do not discard any of the packing material and notify your music dealer.
If practical, save all the packing materials in case you ever need to ship the unit again.
Please check the list below against the contents of the packaging. If any items are
missing or damaged, contact the Novation dealer or distributor where you purchased
the unit.
• Bass Station II synthesiser
• DC power supply unit (PSU)
• USB cable
• Bundle Code for registration
Registering your Bass Station II
Registration of your Bass Station II is optional, however in doing so you will gain access
to a range of free bundled software and access to Novation Components standalone
software.
Power Requirements
Bass Station II is shipped with a 9 V DC, 500 mA power supply. The centre pin of the
coaxial connector is the positive (+ve) side of the supply. Bass Station II can either be
powered by this AC-to-DC mains adaptor, or by a USB connection to a computer. To
obtain the best possible audio performance from Bass Station II we recommend using
the supplied adaptor.
There are two versions of the PSU, your Bass Station II will be supplied with the
one appropriate to your country. In some countries the PSU comes with detachable
adaptors; use the one that ts your country’s AC outlets. When powering Bass Station
II with the mains PSU, please ensure that your local AC supply is within the range of
voltages required by the adaptor – i.e., 100 to 240 VAC - BEFORE you plug it into the
mains.
We strongly recommend that you only use the supplied PSU. Using alternative PSUs will
invalidate your warranty. Power supplies for your Novation product can be purchased
from your music dealer if you have lost yours.
If the synth is powered via the USB port, note that it will “go to sleep” if the host
computer goes into power save mode. The synth can be “woken-up” again by pressing
any key; however, this does not alter the power status of the computer.
A word about laptops:
If powering your Bass Station II via the USB connection you should be
aware that although the USB specication agreed by the IT industry states
that a USB port should be able to supply 0.5 A at 5 V, some computers
- particularly laptops – are unable to supply this current. Unreliable
operation of the synth will result in such a case. When powering Bass
Station II from a laptop’s USB port, it is strongly recommended that the
laptop is powered from AC mains rather than its internal battery.

5
Hardware Overview
610
8111247 13 1820
21 29 31
9 26 27 35 3732
7 14 15 16 17 19 22 28 33363430
1
2
2324 38 39 4025 25 24
3
43
41
45
48
49
4
42
5
44
46
125-note (two octaves) velocity-sensitive keyboard with aftertouch.
2Pitch and Mod wheels: The Pitch wheel is mechanically biased to return to the
centre position when released. The wheels are internally illuminated.
3Octave shift keys – transpose the keyboard in octave increments.
4Transpose - lets you transpose the keyboard in semitone increments, up to a
maximum of +/- 12 semitones.
5Function/Exit – hold this down to use any of Bass Station II’s On-Key Functions. A
wide range of “system set-up” parameters can be set in this mode.
Master section:
6LED display – a three-character alphanumeric display showing various items of unit
data – e.g., patch number, octave shift and parameter values – depending on which
other controls are in use.
7Org. Value – one of these two LEDs will illuminate when the value of a parameter
no longer matches the value stored for the patch.
8Patch/Value – allows selection of one of the 64 Factory or 64 User Patches, and are
also used to set parameter values for On-Key functions.
9Save – use in conjunction with Patch keys 8to save modied Patches in User
Memories.
10 Volume – sets the Bass Station II’s audio volume.
Oscillator section:
11 Osc Select switch – assigns the controls in the Oscillator section to Oscillator 1 or
Oscillator 2.
12 Range – steps through the base pitch ranges of the selected oscillator. For standard
concert pitch (A3 = 440 Hz), set to 8’.
13 Waveform – steps through the range of available oscillator waveforms – sine,
triangular, sawtooth and pulse.
14 Coarse – adjusts the pitch of the selected oscillator over a range of ±1 octave.
15 Fine – adjusts the oscillator pitch over a range of ±100 cents (±1 semitone).
16 Mod Env depth – controls the degree by which the oscillator pitch changes as
a result of modulation by Envelope 2; the control is ‘centre-off’, so that either pitch
increases or decreases can be obtained.
17 LFO 1 depth – controls the degree by which the oscillator pitch changes as a result
of modulation by LFO 1.
18 Pulse width modulation source – active only when Waveform 13 is set to Pulse; this
switch selects the method of varying the width of the pulse waveform. The options are:
modulation by Envelope 2 (Mod Env), modulation by LFO 2 (LFO 2) or manual control
by the Pulse Width control 19 .
19 Pulse Width – a multi-functional control adjusting the pulse waveform; only active
when Waveform 13 is set to Pulse. When the pulse width source modulation switch
11 is set to Manual, the control adjusts the pulse width directly; when set to Mod Env
or LFO 2, it acts as a Modulation Depth control. Note that the pulse width may be
modulated by all three sources simultaneously, by differing amounts.
20 Sync 1-2 – this LED illuminates when the Osc 1/Osc 2 Sync function is enabled (an
On-Key Function)
21 Octave – sets the range of the sub-octave oscillator; the actual pitch of this
oscillator is determined by OSC 1’s pitch, and adds additional bass frequencies (LF) to
the sound. -1 adds LF one octave below OSC 1, -2 adds LF two octaves below.
22 Sub Osc Wave – a choice of three waveforms is available for the sub-octave
oscillator: sine, narrow pulse or square.
LFO section:
23 LFO Delay/Speed – the two rotary controls in the LFO section are dual-function,
the function being set by this switch. In Speed mode, the rotary controls adjust the
frequencies of the two LFOs. In Delay mode, they set the “fade-in” time for the LFO.
Speed mode can be changed to Sync mode by using one of the On-key functions. See
“ Mod Wh: Filter Freq (bottom C)” on page 22 for further information.
24 LFO waveform – these buttons step through the available waveforms for each LFO
independently: triangle, sawtooth, square, sample and hold. The associated LEDs give
a visual indication of the LFO speed and waveform.
25 LFO rotary controls – these two controls either adjust LFO speed or delay, as set by
the LFO Delay/Speed switch [23].
Mixer section:
26 OSC 1 – adjusts the proportion of Oscillator 1’s signal making up the sound.
27 OSC 2 – adjusts the proportion of Oscillator 2’s signal making up the sound.
28 Sub – adjusts the proportion of the sub-octave oscillator making up the sound.
Additional inputs - up to three further sources may contribute to the synth output; this
control sets their levels. The control’s function is set by switch 30 .
29 Noise/Ring/Ext – determines the function of rotary control 29 . When set to
Noise, the rotary control sets the amount of white noise added to the sound; when
set to Ring, it sets the amount of the output from the Ring Modulator circuit is added
(the inputs to the Ring Modulator are Osc 1 and Osc 2); in the Ext position, an external
signal connected to the rear panel connector 6can be mixed in.

6
Filter section:
30 Type – two-position switch selecting lter type: Classic congures a variable lter,
whose basic characteristics may be set with the Shape and Slope switches 32 and 33
; Acid congures a 4-pole diode ladder lo-pass lter, which emulates a type of lter
found on early ‘80s analogue synths.
31 Shape – three-position switch; with Type set to Classic, sets the lter characteristic
to be lo-pass (LP), band-pass (BP) or hi-pass (HP).
32 Slope – two-position switch; with Type set to Classic, sets the slope of lter beyond
the passband to either 12dB or 24dB per octave.
33 Frequency – large rotary knob controlling the lter’s cut-off frequency (LP or HP),
or its centre frequency (BP).
34 Resonance – adds resonance (an increased response at the lter frequency) to the
lter characteristic.
35 Overdrive – adds a degree of pre-lter distortion to the mixer output.
36 Mod Env depth – controls the degree by which the lter frequency is modied by
the Mod Envelope.
37 LFO 2 depth – controls the degree by which the lter frequency is modied by
LFO 2.
Envelopes Section:
38 Env Select – assigns the Envelope faders [40] to vary the parameters of
the Amplitude Envelope (Amp Env), Modulation Envelope (Mod Env), or both
simultaneously (Amp+Mod Env).
39 Envelope controls – a set of four faders adjusting the standard ADSR Envelope
parameters (Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release).
40 Triggering – three-position switch controlling how envelopes work with legato and
portamento playing styles.
Arpeggiator section:
41 On/Legato – turns the arpeggiator on and off. Also allows notes in a recorded arp
sequence to be tied, or played in a Legato style.
42 Latch/Rest – sets the arpeggiator to play the current pattern continuously. Also
allows a musical rest to be inserted in an arp sequence. When the arpeggiator is off, the
Latch/Rest button enables a Key Hold function, which simulates the effect of holding a
key down continuously, until another key is pressed.
43 Tempo – sets the arp pattern tempo in the range 40 to 240 BPM.
44 Rhythm – selects one of 32 pre-dened arp rhythmic patterns. The LED display
indicates the pattern number.
45 Arp Mode – the arp can play the notes making up the selected pattern in a variety
of sequences; Arp Mode sets the sequence, and can also put the arp into Record and
Play modes for patterns based on the notes actually played rather than on the pre-
dened sequences.
46 Arp Octaves/SEQ – 4-position rotary switch setting the number of octaves over
which the arp pattern plays. This control also selects one of four global sequences
when Arp Mode is set to Play or Record.
Portamento section:
47 Glide Time – sets the portamento glide time; with the control fully anticlockwise,
portamento is ‘off’.
Effects section:
48 Distortion – controls the amount of pos t-lter distor tion added to the synth output.
49 Osc Filter Mod - allows the lter frequency to be modulated directly by Oscillator
2.
21
9
3
4
5
6
7
8
1POWER IN – connect the supplied PSU here when powering Bass Station II from
AC mains.
2Power switch – three-position switch: centre is OFF, set to ext DC if using the
supplied AC mains PSU, set to USB if powering Bass Station II from a computer via
a USB cable.
3USB – standard USB 1.1 port (2.0-compatible). Connect to a Type A USB port on a
computer using the supplied cable.
4MIDI IN and OUT – standard 5-pin DIN MIDI sockets for connecting Bass Station II
to other MIDI-equipped hardware.
5SUSTAIN – 2-pole (mono) ¼” jack socket for connection of a sustain pedal. Both
N/O (Normally Open) and N/C (Normally Closed) pedal types are compatible; if
the pedal is connected when the Bass Station II is powered on, the type will be
automatically sensed during boot-up (provided your foot is not on the pedal!).
6EXT IN – ¼” jack socket for external microphone, instrument or line level audio
inputs. Input is unbalanced. An audio source connected here may be mixed with
the synth sound.
7LINE OUTPUT (MONO) – ¼” jack socket carrying the Bass Station II’s output signal;
connect your recording system, amplier and speakers, audio mixer, etc. Output is
unbalanced.
8HEADPHONES – 3-pole ¼” jack socket for stereo headphones (though synth
output is mono). Phones volume is adjusted by the VOLUME control [10].
9Kensington Security Slot – to secure your synth.

7
GETTING STARTED
Bass Station II may be used as a standalone synthesiser, or with MIDI connections to/
from other sound modules or keyboards. It may also be connected - via its USB port –
to a computer (Windows or Mac). The USB connection can supply power to the synth,
transfer MIDI data to/from a MIDI sequencer application and allow Patches to be saved
to memory.
The simplest and quickest way of getting started with Bass Station II is to connect
the rear panel jack socket marked LINE Output 7 to the input of a power amplier,
audio mixer, powered speaker, third-party computer sound card or other means of
monitoring the output.
Audio In
Headphones
USB
Audio Out
MIDI In
Master Keyboard
MIDI Out
Sound Modules
Note: Bass Station II is not a computer MIDI interface. MIDI can be
transmitted between the synth and computer via the USB connection,
but MIDI cannot be transferred between the computer and external
equipment via Bass Station II’s MIDI DIN ports.
If using Bass Station II with other sound modules, connect MIDI OUT 4on the synth
to MIDI IN on the rst sound module, and daisy-chain further modules in the usual way.
If using Bass Station II with a master keyboard, connect the master keyboard’s MIDI
OUT to MIDI IN on the synth, and ensure that the master keyboard is set to output on
MIDI channel 1 (the synth’s default channel).
With the amplier or mixer off or muted, connect the AC adaptor to the Bass Station II
1, and plug it into the AC mains. Turn the synth on by moving the rear panel switch
2to ext DC. After completing its boot sequence, Bass Station will load Patch 0, and
the LCD display will conrm this. For a list of initial synth settings which are not retained
from the previous session, please see Synth settings unsaved from previous session in
Appendix.
Turn on the mixer/amplier/powered speakers, and turn up the VOLUME control 10
until you have a healthy sound level from the speaker when you play.
Using headphones
Instead of a speaker and/or an audio mixer, you may wish to use a pair of headphones.
These may be plugged into the rear panel headphone output socket 8. The main
outputs are still active when headphones are plugged in. The VOLUME control 10
also adjusts headphone level.
NOTE: The Bass Station II headphone amplier is capable of outputting a high signal
level; please take care when setting the volume.
Loading Patches
Bass Station II can store 128 Patches in memory. 0 – 63 are pre-loaded with some great
factory sounds. 64 – 127 are intended for storing user Patches, and are all pre-loaded
with the same default “initial” Patch (see “Init Patch – parameter table” on page 22).
A Patch is loaded by simply scrolling up or down to the Patch number with the Patch
buttons 8; the Patch is immediately active and the LED display shows the current
patch number. The Patch buttons can be held down for fast scrolling.
Note that when you change Patch, you lose the current synth settings. If
the current settings were a modied version of a stored Patch, these
modications will be lost. Thus it is always advisable to save your settings
before loading a new patch. See Saving Patches below.
Saving Patches
Patches can be saved to any of the 128 memory locations (0 – 127), but remember that
if you save your settings to any of Patches 0 - 63, you will overwrite one of the factory
presets. To save a patch press the Save button 9. The LED display – showing the
current patch number - will ash. To overwrite this Patch with your current settings,
press the Save button again. The LED display will briey indicate that the patch is
being saved.
To save the current settings to a different memory to the Patch number on the display
(as would be the case if you loaded a Patch, modied it in some way and then wished
to save the modied version without overwriting the original version), press the Save
button and then use the Patch buttons to select an alternative Patch memory while
the display is ashing. Once selected, it is possible to audition the target patch (by
using the keyboard) just to make sure that you are happy to overwrite it. Press the
Save button once more to store the patch. The LED display will briey indicate that the
patch is being saved.
You can abort the Save procedure at the “LED ashing” stage by pressing the Function/
Exit button 5. The Save procedure will cancel and Bass Station II will return to the
patch being edited.
The Bass Station II Factory Patches can be downloaded from the
Novation website and Novation Components if they have been
accidentally overwritten. See “Importing Patches via SysEx” on page
24.
Basic Operation – sound modication
Once you have loaded a Patch you like the sound of, you can modify the sound in many
different ways using the synth controls. Each area of the control panel is dealt with in
greater depth later in the manual, but a few fundamental points should be discussed
here:
The LED display
The three-segment alphanumeric display will normally show the number of the
currently-loaded Patch (0 to 127). As soon as you change any “analogue” parameter
– i.e., turn a rotary control or adjust an On-Key function, it will display the parameter
value (most are either 0 to 127 or -63 to +63), with one of two arrows being highlighted
(at the right-hand side). These arrows indicate which direction the control needs to be
turned in order to match the value stored in the patch. It reverts to the Patch number
display after the control is released.

8
The Filter knob
Adjusting the frequency of the synth’s lter is probably the most commonly-used
method of sound modication. For this reason, Filter Frequency has its own dedicated
large rotary control 34 at the panel top right. Experiment with different types of patch
to hear how changing the lter frequency alters the characteristic of different types
of sound.
Pitch and Mod wheels
Bass Station II is tted with a standard pair of synthesiser control wheels 2adjacent
to the keyboard, Pitch and Mod (Modulation). The Pitch control is spring-loaded and
always returns to the centre position.
Moving Pitch will always raise or lower the pitch of the note(s) being played. The
maximum range of operation is 12 semitones up or down, but this may be adjusted
using On-Key function Oscillator: Pitch Bend Range (Upper C#).
The Mod wheel’s precise function varies with the patch loaded; it is used in general to
add expression or various elements to a synthesised sound. A common use is to add
vibrato to a sound.
It is possible to assign the Mod wheel to alter various parameters making up the sound
– or a combination of parameters simultaneously. This topic is discussed in more detail
elsewhere in the manual. See ‘On-key functions (mod wheel) on page 22.
Octave Shift
These two buttons 3transpose the keyboard up or down one octave each time they
are pressed, to a maximum of four octaves downwards, or ve octaves upwards. The
number of octaves by which the keyboard is shifted is indicated by the LED display.
Pressing both buttons together (Reset) returns the keyboard to its default pitch, where
the lowest note on the keyboard is one octave below Middle C.
Middle C
Transpose
The keyboard may be transposed up or down one octave, in semitone increments.
To transpose, hold down the Transpose button 4, and hold down the key
representing the key that you wish to transpose to. Transposition is relative to Middle
C. For example, to shift the keyboard up four semitones, hold Transpose and press E
above Middle C. To return to normal pitching, perform the same actions, only select
Middle C as the target key.
The Arpeggiator
Bass Station II includes an arpeggiator, which allows arpeggios of varying complexity
and rhythm to be played and manipulated in real-time. The arpeggiator is enabled by
pressing the Arp ON button 42 ; its LED will illuminate.
If a single key is pressed, the note will be retriggered by the arpeggiator, at a rate
determined by the Tempo control 44 . If you play a chord, the arpeggiator identies
its notes and plays them individually in sequence at the same rate (this is termed an
arpeggio pattern or ‘arp sequence’); thus if you play a C major triad, the selected notes
will be C, E and G.
Adjusting the Rhythm 45 , Arp Mode 46 and Arp Octaves 47 controls will alter the
rhythm of the pattern, the way the sequence is played and the range in a variety of
ways. See “The Arpeggiator Section” on page 18 for full details.
On-Key functions
To reduce the number of controls on Bass Station II (and hence make the synth smaller
and neater!), a number of conguration and setup options have been assigned to the
keyboard itself. Think of the keys as having a Shift (or Ctrl, or Fn) function, as on a
computer keyboard; the On-Key functions are enabled by holding down the Function/
Exit button 5while pressing a key. The On-Key function for each key is printed on the
top panel immediately above the keyboard.
Some On-Key functions are “bi-state” – i.e., they enable or disable something, while
others are “analogue” parameters which consist of a range of values. Once the On-Key
function mode has been entered, use the Patch/Value buttons 8to alter its state or
value.
Pressing Function/Exit a second time will exit the On-Key function mode or
alternatively, if you wish to change another parameter, hold the Function/Exit button
while pressing the key of the next parameter. See page 21 for full details of all the
On-Key functions.
Local control
Bass Station II has a high degree of MIDI implementation, and almost every control
and synth parameter transmits MIDI data to external equipment, and similarly, the
synth can be controlled in almost every respect by incoming MIDI data from a DAW
or sequencer.
Local control is enabled/disabled via the On-Key function Global: Local (upp er A). Hold
the Function/Exit button 5and press the key. Use the Value buttons 8to switch Local
control On or Off. The display will conrm the setting. Press Function/Exit to exit the
On-Key mode. The default state is for Local mode to be On, so that the keyboard
works! If you want to control the synth via MIDI from other equipment (such as a master
keyboard), set Local mode to Off. Local mode is always set to ON after a power cycle.

9
SYNTHESIS TUTORIAL
This section covers the general principles of electronic sound generation and
processing in more detail, including references to Bass Station II’s facilities where
relevant. It is recommended that this chapter is read carefully if analogue sound
synthesis is an unfamiliar subject. Users familiar with this subject can skip this section
and move on to the next.
To gain an understanding of how a synthesiser generates sound it is helpful to have an
appreciation of the components that make up a sound, both musical and non-musical.
The only way that a sound may be detected is by air vibrating the eardrum in a regular,
periodic manner. The brain interprets these vibrations (very accurately) into one of an
innite number of different types of sound.
Remarkably, any sound may be described in terms of just three properties, and all
sounds
always have them. They are:
• Pitch
• Tone
• Volume
What makes one sound different from another is the relative magnitudes of the three
properties as initially present in the sound, and how the properties change over the
duration of the sound.
With a musical synthesiser, we deliberately set out to have precise control over these
three properties and, in particular, how they can be changed during the “lifetime” of
the sound. The properties are often given different names: Volume may be referred to
as Amplitude, Loudness or Level, Pitch as Frequency and Tone as Timbre.
Pitch
As stated, sound is perceived by air vibrating the eardrum. The pitch of the sound is
determined by how fast the vibrations are. For an adult human, the slowest vibration
perceived as sound is about twenty times a second, which the brain interprets as a bass
type sound; the fastest is many thousands of times a second, which the brain interprets
as a high treble type sound.
Time Time
A B
If the number of peaks in the two waveforms (vibrations) are counted, it will be seen
that there are exactly twice as many peaks in Wave B as in Wave A. (Wave B is actually
an octave higher in pitch than Wave A). It is the number of vibrations in a given period
that determines the pitch of a sound. This is the reason that pitch is sometimes referred
to as frequency. It is the number of waveform peaks counted during a given period of
time which denes the pitch, or frequency.
Tone
Musical sounds consist of several different, related pitches occurring simultaneously.
The loudest is referred to as the ‘fundamental’ pitch and corresponds to the perceived
note of the sound. Other pitches making up the sound which are related to the
fundamental in simple mathematical ratios are called harmonics. The relative loudness
of each harmonic as compared to the loudness of the fundamental determines the
overall tone or ‘timbre’ of the sound.
Consider two instruments such as a harpsichord and a piano playing the same note
on the keyboard and at equal volume. Despite having the same volume and pitch,
the instruments still sound distinctly different. This is because the different note-
making mechanisms of the two instruments generate different sets of harmonics; the
harmonics present in a piano sound are different to those found in a harpsichord sound.
Volume
Volume, which is often referred to as the amplitude or loudness of the sound, is
determined by how large the vibrations are. Very simply, listening to a piano from a
metre away would sound louder than if it were fty metres away.
Volume
A B
Having shown that just three elements may dene any sound, these elements now
have to be related to a Musical synthesiser. It is logical that a different section of the
Synthesiser ‘synthesises’ (or creates) these different elements.
One section of the synthesiser, the Oscillators, provide raw waveform signals which
dene the pitch of the sound along with its raw harmonic content (tone). These signals
are then mixed together in a section called the Mixer, and the resulting mixture is then
fed into a section called the Filter. This makes further alterations to the tone of the
sound, by removing (ltering) or enhancing certain of the harmonics. Lastly, the ltered
signal is fed into the Amplier, which determines the nal volume of the sound.
Oscillators Mixer Filter Amplifier
Additional synthesiser sections - LFOs and Envelopes - provide further ways of altering
the pitch, tone and volume of a sound by interacting with the Oscillators, Filter and
Amplier, providing changes in the character of the sound which can evolve over
time. Because LFOs’ and Envelopes’ only purpose is to control (modulate) the other
synthesiser sections, they are commonly known as ‘modulators’.
These various synthesiser sections will now be covered in more detail.
The Oscillators And Mixer
The Oscillator section is really the heartbeat of the synthesiser. It generates an
electronic wave (which creates the vibrations when eventually fed to a loudspeaker).
This Waveform is produced at a controllable musical pitch, initially determined by the
note played on the keyboard or contained in a received MIDI note message. The initial
distinctive tone or timbre of the waveform is actually determined by the waveform’s
shape.
Many years ago, pioneers of musical synthesis discovered that just a few distinctive
waveforms contained many of the most useful harmonics for making musical sounds.
The names of these waves reect their actual shape when viewed on an instrument
called an oscilloscope, and they are: Sine waves, Square waves, Sawtooth waves,
Triangle waves and Noise. Bass Station II’s Oscillator section can generate all these
waveforms.
Each waveform shape (except Noise) has a specic set of musically-related harmonics
which can be manipulated by further sections of the synthesiser.
The diagrams below show how these waveforms look on an oscilloscope, and illustrate
the relative levels of their harmonics. Remember, it is the relative levels of the various
harmonics present in a waveform which determine the tone of the nal sound.
Sine Waves
Volume
Harmonic
1
Sine Wave
Sawtooth Wave
Volume
Volume
Harmonic
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
1 2 3 4 5
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Noise
These possess just one harmonic. A sine waveform produces the “purest” sound
because it only has this single pitch (frequency).
Triangle Waves
Volume
Harmonic
1
Sine Wave
Sawtooth Wave
Volume
Volume
Harmonic
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
1 2 3 4 5
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Noise
These contain only odd harmonics. The volume of each decreases as the square of its
position in the harmonic series. For example, the 5th harmonic has a volume 1/25th of
the volume of the fundamental.

10
Sawtooth Waves
Volume
Harmonic
1
Sine Wave
Sawtooth Wave
Volume
Volume
Harmonic
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
1 2 3 4 5
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Noise
These are rich in harmonics, and contain both even and odd harmonics of the
fundamental frequency. The volume of each is inversely proportional to its position in
the harmonic series.
Square / Pulse Waves
Volume
Harmonic
1
Sine Wave
Sawtooth Wave
Volume
Volume
Harmonic
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
1 2 3 4 5
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Noise
These contain only odd harmonics, which are at the same volume as the odd harmonics
in a
sawtooth wave.
It will be noticed that the square waveform spends an equal amount of time in its ‘high’
state as in its ‘low’ state. This ratio is known as the ‘duty cycle’. A square wave always
has a duty cycle of 50% which means it is ‘high’ for half the cycle and ‘low’ for the
other half. Bass Station II lets you adjust the duty cycle of the basic square waveform
to produce a waveform which is more ‘rectangular’ in shape. These are often known as
Pulse waveforms. As the waveform becomes more and more rectangular, more even
harmonics are introduced and the waveform changes its character, becoming more
‘nasal’ sounding.
The width of the pulse waveform (the ‘Pulse Width’) can be altered dynamically by a
modulator, which results in the harmonic content of the waveform constantly changing.
This can give the waveform a very ‘fat’ quality when the pulse width is altered at a
moderate rate.
A pulse waveform sounds the same whether the duty cycle is – for example - 40% or
60%, since the waveform is just “inverted” and the harmonic content is exactly the
same.
50%
40%
10%
60%
Noise
Noise is basically a random signal, and has no one fundamental frequency (and
therefore no pitch property). All frequencies are present in noise, and all have the same
volume. Because it possesses no pitch, noise is often useful for creating sound effects
and percussion type sounds.
Volume
Harmonic
1
Sine Wave
Sawtooth Wave
Volume
Volume
Harmonic
Square Wave
Volume
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Volume
Harmonic
1 3 5 7
Triangle Wave
1 2 3 4 5
Harmonic
1 2 3 4 5
Noise
Ring Modulation
A Ring Modulator is a sound generator that takes signals from two oscillators and
effectively “multiplies” them together. Bass Station II’s Ring Modulator uses Oscillator
1 and Oscillator 2 as inputs. The resulting output depends on the various frequencies
and harmonic content present in each of the two oscillator signals, and will consist of
a series of sum and difference frequencies as well as the frequencies present in the
original signals.
OSC 1
OSC 2
X
The Mixer
To extend the range of sounds that may be produced, typical analogue synthesisers
have more than one Oscillator. By using multiple Oscillators to create a sound, it is
possible to achieve very interesting harmonic mixes. It is also possible to slightly detune
individual Oscillators against each other, which creates a very warm, ‘fat’ sound. Bass
Station II’s Mixer allows you create a sound consisting of the waveforms of Oscillators
1 and 2, the separate sub-octave oscillator, a Noise source, the Ring Modulator output
and an external signal, all mixed together as required.
OSC 1 OSC 1 VOLUME
OSC 2 VOLUME
SUB OSC VOLUME COMPLEX
WAVEFORM
MIX OF
OSC1, 2 AND 3
MIXER
INPUT TO
FILTER
OSC 2
SUB OSC
The Filter
Bass Station II is a subtractive music synthesiser. Subtractive implies that part of the
sound is subtracted somewhere in the synthesis process.
The Oscillators provide the raw waveforms with plenty of harmonic content and the
Filter section subtracts some of the harmonics in a controlled manner.
7 types of Filter are available on Bass Station II; they are all variations of the three basic
lter types: Low Pass, Band Pass and High Pass. The type of Filter most commonly used
on synthesisers is Low Pass. On a Low Pass Filter, a “cut-off frequency” is chosen and
any frequencies below this are passed, while frequencies above are ltered out, or
removed. The setting of the Filter Frequency parameter dictates the point above which
frequencies are removed. This process of removing harmonics from the waveforms has
the effect of changing the sound’s character or timbre. When the Frequency parameter
is at maximum, the lter is completely “open” and no frequencies are removed from the
raw Oscillator waveforms.
In practice, there is a gradual (rather than a sudden) reduction in the volume of the
harmonics above the cut-off point of a Low Pass Filter. How rapidly these harmonics
reduce in volume as frequency increases above the cut-off point is determined by
the Filter’s slope. The slope is measured in ‘volume units per octave’. Since volume is
measured in decibels, this slope is usually quoted as so many decibels per octave (dB/
oct). The higher the number, the greater the rejection of harmonics above the cut-
off point, and the more pronounced the ltering effect. Bass Station II’s lter section
provides two slopes, 12 dB/oct and 24 dB/oct.
A further important parameter of the Filter is its Resonance. Frequencies at the cut-off
point may be increased in volume by the Filter Resonance control. This is useful for
emphasising certain harmonics of the sound.
As Resonance is increased, a whistling-like quality will be introduced to the sound
passing through the lter. When set to very high levels, Resonance actually causes
the lter to self-oscillate whenever a signal is being passed through it. The resulting
whistling tone being produced is actually a pure sine wave, the pitch of which depends
on the setting of the Frequency knob (the lter’s cut-off point). This resonance-
produced sine wave can actually be used for some sounds as an additional sound
source if wished.

11
The diagram below shows the response of a typical low pass lter. Frequencies above
the cut-off point are reduced in volume.
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
When resonance is added, the frequencies around the cut off point are boosted in
volume.
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
In addition to the traditional Low Pass Filter type, there are also High Pass and Band
Pass types. On Bass Station II, the Filter type is selected with the Shape switch 32 .
A High Pass Filter is similar to a Low Pass Filter, but works in the “opposite sense”,
so that frequencies below the cut-off point are removed. Frequencies above the cut-
off point are passed. When the Filter Frequency parameter is set to zero, the lter is
completely open and no frequencies are removed from the raw Oscillator waveforms.
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
When a Band Pass Filter is used, only a narrow band of frequencies centered around the
cut- off point are passed. Frequencies above and below the band are removed. It is not
possible to fully open this type of Filter, and allow all frequencies to pass.
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Frequency
Cut-off
Frequency
Envelopes And Amplier
In earlier paragraphs, the synthesis of the pitch and the timbre of a sound was
described. The next part of the Synthesis Tutorial describes how the volume of the
sound is controlled. The volume of a note created by a musical instrument often varies
greatly over the duration of the note, according to the type of instrument.
For example, a note played on an Organ quickly attains full volume when a key is
pressed. It stays at full volume until the key is released, at which point the volume level
falls instantly to zero.
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUM E
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
A Piano note quickly attains full volume after a key is pressed, and gradually falls in
volume to zero after several seconds, even if the key is held.
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
A String Section emulation only attains full volume gradually when a key is pressed. It
remains at full volume while the key is held down, but once the key is released, the
volume falls to zero fairly slowly.
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
In an analogue synthesiser, changes to a sound’s character which occur over the duration
of a note are controlled by a section called an Envelope Generator. Bass Station II
has two Envelope Generators; one (Amp Env) is always related to the Amplier, which
controls the note’s amplitude – i.e., the volume of the sound - when the note is played.
Each envelope generator has four main controls, which are used to adjust the shape of
the envelope (often referred to as the ADSR parameters).
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
Attack Time
Adjusts the time it takes after a key is pressed for the volume to climb from zero to full
volume. It can be used to create a sound with a slow fade-in.
Decay Time
Adjusts the time it takes for the volume to fall from its initial full volume to the level set
by the Sustain control while a key is held down.
Sustain Level
This is unlike the other Envelope controls in that it sets a level rather than a period of
time.
It sets the volume level that the envelope remains at while the key is held down, after
the Decay Time has expired.

12
Oscillator 1
Ring Mod 1 * 2
Noise
External Input
Oscillator 2
Sub Oscillator
Sub Oscillator
Mixer VCA
Mod Envelope
LFO 2
FilterOverdrive Distortion
Amp Envelope
Oscillator 1
Mod Envelope
LFO 1
LFO 2
pitch
pulse width
Oscillator 2
Mod Envelope
LFO 1
LFO 2
pitch
pulse width
Bass Station II Block diagram
Oscillator modulation controls
1. Audio ow
2. Mod ow
3. Sub Osc control from Osc 1
1. Mod ow
2. Sub Osc control from Osc 1
SIMPLIFIED BLOCK DIAGRAM

13
Release Time
Adjusts the time it takes for the volume to fall from the Sustain level to zero once the
key is released. It can be used to create sounds that have a “fade-out” quality.
Most synthesisers can generate multiple envelopes. One envelope is always applied to
the amplier to shape the volume of each note played, as detailed above. Additional
envelopes can be used to dynamically alter other sections of the synthesiser during the
lifetime of each note. Bass Station II’s second Envelope Generator (Mod Env) can be
used to modify the lter cut-off frequency, or the pulse width of the Oscillators’ Square
Wave outputs.
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
LFOs
Like the Envelope Generators, the LFO section of a synthesiser is a Modulator. Thus
instead of being a part of the sound synthesis itself, it is used to change (or modulate)
other sections of the synthesiser. In Bass Station II, for example, the LFOs can be used
to alter Oscillator pitch, or Filter cutoff frequency.
Most musical instruments produce sounds that vary over time both in volume and in
pitch and timbre. Sometimes these variations can be quite subtle, but still contribute
greatly towards characterising the nal sound.
Whereas an Envelope is used to control a one-off modulation over during the lifetime
of a single note, LFOs modulate by using a repeating cyclic waveform or pattern. As
discussed earlier, Oscillators produce a constant waveform, which can take the shape
of a repeating sine wave, triangle wave etc. LFOs produce waveforms in a similar way,
but normally at a frequency which is too low to produce a sound that the human ear
could perceive directly. (LFO stands for Low Frequency Oscillator.) As with an Envelope,
the waveforms generated by the LFOs may be fed to other parts of the synthesiser to
create the desired changes over time – or ‘movements’ - to the sound. Bass Station
II has two independent LFOs, which may be used to modulate different synthesiser
sections and can run at different speeds.
Imagine this very low frequency wave being applied to an Oscillator’s pitch. The result
is that the pitch of the Oscillator slowly rises and falls above and below its original pitch.
This would simulate, for example, a violinist moving a nger up and down the string of
the instrument whilst it is being bowed. This subtle up and down movement of pitch is
referred to as the ‘Vibrato’ effect.
A waveshape often used for an LFO is a Triangle wave.
TIME
PITCH
PITCH WITHOUT MODULATION
Alternatively, if the same LFO signal were to modulate the Filter cut-off frequency
instead of the Oscillator pitch, a familiar wobbling effect known as ‘wah-wah’ would
be the result.
Summary
A synthesiser can be broken down into ve main sound generating or sound modifying
(modulating) blocks:
1. Oscillators that generate waveforms at a various pitches.
2. A Mixer that mixes the outputs from the Oscillators together (and add Noise
and other signals).
3. Filters that remove certain harmonics, changing the character or timbre of the
sound.
4. An Amplier controlled by an Envelope generator, which alters the volume of a
sound over time when a note is played.
5. LFOs and Envelopes that can be used to modulate any of the above.
Much of the enjoyment to be had with a synthesiser is with experimenting with the
factory preset sounds (Patches) and creating new ones. There is no substitute for
‘hands on‘ experience. Experiments with adjusting Bass Station II’s various controls will
eventually lead to a fuller understanding of how the various synth sections alter and help
shape new sounds. Armed with the knowledge in this chapter, and an understanding
of what is actually happening in the synth when tweaks to the knobs and switches are
made, the process of creating new and exciting sounds will become easy. Have fun!

14
BASS STATION II IN DETAIL
The Oscillator Section
1812 13 1120
15 14 16 17 19
Bass Station II’s Oscillator section consists of two identical primary oscillators, plus
a “sub-octave” oscillator which is always frequency-locked to Oscillator 1. The
primary oscillators, Osc 1 and Osc 2, share a single set of controls; the oscillator being
controlled is selected by the Oscillator switch 18 . After adjustments have been made
to one oscillator, the other may be selected and the same controls used to adjust its
contribution to the overall sound, without altering the settings of the rst. You can
constantly reassign the controls between the two oscillators until you get the sound
you’re af ter.
The following descriptions thus apply equally to the two oscillators, depending which
is currently selected:
Waveform
The Waveform switch 13 selects one of four fundamental wave shapes - Sine,
Triangle, (rising) Sawtooth or Square/Pulse. The LEDs above the switch
conrm the waveform currently selected.
Pitch
The three controls Range 12 , Coarse 14 and Fine 15 set the Oscillator’s fundamental
frequency (or Pitch). The Range switch is calibrated in traditional “organ-stop” units,
where 16’ gives the lowest frequencies and 2’ the highest. Each doubling of stop
length halves the frequency and thus transposes the keyboard pitch down one octave.
When Range is set to 8’, the keyboard will be at concert pitch with Middle C in the
centre. (Note that Oscillator range setting is completely independent of the keyboard’s
Octave Shift function, set with the Octave buttons 3).
The Coarse and Fine rotary controls adjust the pitch over a range of ±1 octave and
±1 semitone respectively. The LED display shows the number of semitones above or
below concert pitch as Coarse is adjusted. When Fine is adjusted, the display shows
the variation above or below concert pitch in cents, where 1 cent = 1/100 of a semitone.
Modulation
The frequency of either Oscillator may be varied by modulating it with either (or both)
LFO 1 or the Mod Env envelope. The two Pitch controls, LFO 1 depth 17 and Mod
Env depth 16 control the depth – or intensity – of the respective modulation sources.
Note that only one LFO – LFO 1 - is used for oscillator modulation. Oscillator pitch can
be varied by up to ve octaves, but the LFO 1 depth control is calibrated to give ner
resolution at lower parameter values (less than ±12), as these are generally more useful
for musical purposes.
You will nd the following parameter settings generate musically
useful pitch swings:
6 = a semitone 12 = a tone 22 = a perfect fth
32 = one octave 56 = two octaves 80 = three octaves
Negative values of LFO 1 depth “invert” the modulating LFO waveform; the effect of
this will be more obvious with non-sinusoidal LFO waveforms.
Adding LFO Modulation can add a pleasing vibrato when a sine or triangle LFO
waveform is used, and the LFO speed is set neither too high nor too low. A sawtooth or
square LFO waveform will produce rather more dramatic and unusual effects.
Adding envelope modulation can give some interesting effects, with the oscillator
pitch altering over the duration of the note as it is played. The control is “centre-off”,
the LED display shows a range of -63 to +63 as it is adjusted. With the parameter value
set to maximum, the oscillator pitch will vary over eight octaves. A parameter value of 8
shifts the pitch of the oscillator by one octave for the maximum level of the modulation
envelope (e.g., if sustain is at maximum). Negative values invert the sense of the pitch
variation; i.e., the pitch will fall during the attack phase of the envelope if Mod Env
depth has a negative setting.
Pulse Width
When the Oscillator waveform is set to Square/Pulse, the timbre of the “edgy” square
wave sound can be modied by varying the pulse width, or duty cycle, of the waveform.
The Pulse Width modulation source switch 18 allows the duty cycle to be varied either
manually or automatically. When set to Manual, the Pulse Width control 19 is enabled;
the parameter range is 5 to 95, where 50 corresponds to a square wave (a duty cycle
of 50%). Extreme clockwise and anticlockwise settings produce very narrow positive
or negative pulses, with the sound becoming thinner and more “reedy” as the control
is advanced.
Pulse width may also be modulated by either (or both) the Modulation Envelope or LFO
2, by moving switch 18 to one of its other positions. The sonic effect of LFO modulation
on pulse width is very dependent on the LFO waveform and speed used, while using
envelope modulation can produce some good tonal effects, with the harmonic content
of the note changing over its duration.
Oscillator Sync
Oscillator Sync is a technique of using one oscillator (Osc 1 on Bass Station II) to
add additional harmonics to the waveform produced another (Osc 2), by making the
waveform from Osc 1 “retrigger” that of Osc 2 before a full cycle of Osc 2’s waveform
has been completed. This produces an interesting range of sonic effects, the nature
of which varies as the frequency of Osc 1 is altered, and is also dependent on the
ratio of the two oscillators’ frequencies, as the additional harmonics may or may not
be musically related to the fundamental frequency. The diagrams below illustrate the
process.
OSC 2
OSC 1 (LEADER)
OSC 2 (FOLLOWER)
In general, it is advisable to turn down the volume of Osc 1 in the Mixer section 26 so
that you don’t hear its effect. Osc Sync is enabled by an On-Key function – Oscillator:
Osc 1-2 sync (the higher D). The Sync 1-2 LED 20 illuminates when Osc 1-2 sync is
selected.
The Sub Oscillator
In addition to the two primary oscillators, Bass Station II has a secondary “sub-octave”
oscillator, whose output can be added to that of Osc 1 and Osc 2 to create great bass
sounds. The sub oscillator’s frequency is always locked to that of Osc 1, so that the
pitch is either exactly one or two octaves below it, according to the setting of the Sub
Oscillator Octave switch 21 .
The waveform of the sub oscillator is selectable independently of Osc 1, with the Wave
switch 22 . The options are: sinewave, a narrow pulse wave or a square wave.
Both the sub oscillator switches have associated sets of LEDs to conrm the current
setting. The sub oscillator output is fed to the Mixer Section where it may be added to
the synth sound to the degree required.
Paraphonic Mode
The Bass Station II is at its core a monophonic synthesiser. However, enabling
paraphonic mode gives you different playing possibilities. Paraphonic means you can
use the two oscillators separately and track them across separate keys.
In monosynth mode, when both oscillators are turned up, they track the keyboard
together, regardless of if they are detuned from each other. With paraphonic mode
enabled, when you play 2 keys on the keyboard you have the ability to separate the
2 oscillators and play them individually In paraphonic mode, the 2 oscillators will still
share the same amplier and lter.
To enable paraphonic mode, hold down the function button and double tap Osc 1-2
sync. The display will change to:P-0. Use the patch value buttons to enable (P-1) or
disable (P-0) paraphonic mode. Paraphonic mode can be saved per-patch. By default
paraphonic mode is always off.

15
Oscillator Error
To create a bit more carnage it’s now possible to introduce random detune to your
oscillators each time a key is pressed. The error follows a pseudo-random function, so it
should be different every time you press and give you impression of an older analogue
synthesiser.
To turn on oscillator error: hold the function key and press Pitch Bend Range twice.
The screen will change to:E-0. Use the patch value keys to change this value from 0-7. 0
is no error, and 7 represents an error of maximum approximately 1 semitone.
Oscillator error can be saved in the patch. By default it will be 0 (no error). When in
paraphonic mode the error will be different for each part.
Extended Sub-Oscillator Tuning
By default the Sub-Oscillator follows the pitch of oscillator 1. The Sub-Oscillator can
now be detuned from oscillator 1 using the Coarse/Fine controls. This means all 3
oscillators can be tuned to different pitches to create interesting intervals and triad
chords with single key presses.
To adjust the tuning of the Sub-Oscillator press and hold the Function key whilst
adjusting the oscillator Coarse/Fine tune controls.
When the Sub-Oscillator detune is set to 0, it will match the detune of Oscillator 1,
which is the default.
The Mixer Section
21 29
26
27
22 28
Oscillator 1
Ring Mod 1 * 2
Noise
External Input
Oscillator 2
Sub Oscillator
Sub Oscillator
Mixer
VCA
Mod Envelope
LFO 2
FilterOverdrive Distortion
Amp Envelope
Oscillator 1
Mod Envelope
LFO 1
LFO 2
pitch
pulse width
Oscillator 2
Mod Envelope
LFO 1
LFO 2
pitch
pulse width
Bass Station II Block diagram
Oscillator modulation controls
1. Audio ow
2. Mod ow
3. Sub Osc control from Osc 1
1. Mod ow
2. Sub Osc control from Osc 1
The outputs of the various sound sources can be mixed together in various proportions
to produce the overall synth sound, using what is essentially a standard 6-into-1 mono
mixer.
The two Oscillators and the sub oscillator have dedicated, xed level controls,
Osc 1 26 , Osc 2 27 and Sub 28 . The other three sources – the Noise source, Ring
Modulator output and external input - “share” a single level control, though any mix of
the three may be used. The Noise/Ring/Ext switch 30 assigns the fourth level control
29 to one of these three sources at a time; having set the level in the mix for one of
them, you can move switch 30 to a different position and add that source to the mix
without altering the level of the rst.
The Filter Section
31 35 3732
33363430
The sum created in the mixer from the various signal sources is fed to the Filter Section.
Bass Station II’s lter section is both simple and traditional, and can be congured with
only a small number of single-function controls.
Filter type
The Type switch 30 selects one of two lter styles: Classic and Acid.
Acid congures the lter section as a xed-slope, 4-pole (24 dB/oct), low-pass type.
Low-pass lters reject higher frequencies, so this lter setting will be suitable for many
types of bass sounds. This lter type is based on the simple diode-ladder designs
that were found in various analogue synths popular in the 1980s, and has a particular
sonic character. When Acid is selected as the Type, the Slope and Shape switches are
inoperative.
When Type is set to Classic, the lter is congured as a variable type, whose Shape
and Slope may be set with the switches 31 and 32 respectively. A low-pass (LP),
band-pass (BP) or hi-pass (HP) characteristic may be selected with Shape; Slope sets
the degree of rejection applied to out-of-band frequencies; the 24 dB position gives
a steeper slope than the 12 dB; an out-of-band frequency will be attenuated more
severely with the steeper setting.
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Low Pass 24 dB (Classic / Acid)
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Low Pass 12 dB
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Low Pass 24 dB (Classic / Acid) with resonance

16
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Low Pass 12 dB with resonance
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Band Pass 24 dB
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Band Pass 12 dB
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
High Pass 24 dB
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Cutoff
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Volume
Volume
Frequency
Frequency
Frequency
High Pass 12 dB

17
Frequency
The large rotary Frequency control 33 sets the cut-off frequency of the Acid lter
type, and also of the Classic lter type when Shape is set to HP or LP. With a Classic
band-pass lter congured, Frequency sets the centre frequency of the pass-band.
Sweeping the lter frequency manually will impose a “hard-to-soft” characteristic on
almost any sound.
Resonance
The Resonance control 36 adds gain to the signal in a narrow band of frequencies
around the frequency set by the Frequency control. It can accentuate the swept-lter
effect considerably. Increasing the resonance parameter is very good for enhancing
modulation of the cut-off frequency, creating a very edgy sound. Increasing Resonance
also accentuates the action of the Frequency control, giving it a more pronounced
effect.
Filter modulation
The lter’s Frequency parameter may be varied automatically - or modulated, by the
output of LFO 2 and/or the Modulation Envelope. Either or both methods of modulation
may be used, and each has a dedicated intensity control, LFO 2 depth 37 for LFO 2
and Mod Env depth 35 for the modulation envelope. (Compare with the use of LFO 1
and Mod Env for modulating the Oscillators.)
Note that only one LFO – LFO 2 - is used for lter modulation. Filter frequency can be
varied by up to eight octaves.
Some examples of the relationship between the LFO 2 Depth parameter
and the lter frequency are as follows:
1 = 76 cents
16 = one octave
32 = two octaves
Negative values of LFO 2 depth “invert” the modulating LFO waveform; the effect of
this will be more obvious with non-sinusoidal LFO waveforms.
Modulating the lter frequency with an LFO can produce some unusual “wah-wah”
type effects. Setting LFO 2 to a very slow speed can add a gradual hardening and then
softening edge to the sound.
When the lter’s action is triggered by Envelope 2, the lter action changes over the
duration of the note. By adjusting the Envelope controls carefully, this can produce
some very pleasing sounds, as for example, the spectral content of the sound can be
made to differ considerably during the attack phase of the note compared to its “fade-
out”. Mod Env depth lets you control the “depth” and “direction” of the modulation;
the higher the value, the greater the range of frequencies over which the lter will
sweep. With the parameter set to its maximum value, the lter frequency with vary
over a range of eight octaves when Envelope 2 Sustain is set to maximum. Positive and
negative values make the lter sweep in opposite directions, but the audible result of
this will be further modied by the lter type in use.
Overdrive
The lter section includes a dedicated drive (or distortion) generator; the Overdrive
control 34 adjusts the degree of distortion treatment applied to the signal. The drive
is added before the lter.
Adjustable Filter-Tracking
Filter tracking is when the cutoff position of the lter frequency tracks the keyboard.
This allows you to control how much the Filter Cutoff is going to be tracked and allow
for more natural sounds, as typically going into higher registers timbres become
brighter, much like that of a lter opening and letting higher frequencies pass.
Filter tracking can now be adjusted by holding the function key and pressing the Filter
Freq key twice. The display will change to: F-0 This means that lter tracking is fully on.
You can use the patch value buttons to change this value in the range 0-7, where 0 is full
lter tracking and 7 is no lter tracking.
The lter tracking setting can be saved per-patch. By default it is always fully on.
The Envelopes Section
Bass Station II generates two envelopes each time a key is pressed, which can be used
to modify the synth sound in various ways. The envelope controls are based on the
familiar ADSR concept.
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN
RATE
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
SUSTAIN TIME
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
VOLUME
AT TAC K DECAY RELEASE
SUSTAIN
TIME
KEY "ON" KEY "OFF"
FILTER
CUT-OFF
The ADSR envelope can be most easily visualised by considering the amplitude
(volume) of a note over time. The envelope describing the “lifetime” of a note can be
split into four distinct phases:
• Attack – the time it takes for the note to increase from zero (e.g., when the key
is pressed) to its maximum level. A long attack time produces a “fade-in” effect.
• Decay – the time it takes for the level to drop from the maximum value reached
at the end of the attack phase to a new level, dened by the Sustain parameter.
• Sustain – this is an amplitude value, and represents the volume of the note after
the initial attack and decay phases – i.e., while holding the key down. Setting a
low value of Sustain can give a very short, percussive effect (providing the attack
and decay times are short).
• Release – This is the time it takes for the note’s volume to drop back to zero
after the key is released. A high value of Release will cause the sound to remain
audible (though diminishing in volume) after the key is released.
Although the above discusses ADSR in terms of volume, note that Bass Station II is
equipped with two separate envelope generators, referred to as Amp Env and Mod
Env.
Amp Env - the amplitude envelope - is the envelope that controls the amplitude of the
synth signal, and is always routed just to the VCA in the output stage (see the
Bass Station II block diagram on page 14).
Mod Env – the modulation envelope - is routed to various other sections of Bass Station
II, where it can be used to alter other synth parameters over the duration of the note.
These are:
• Modulating the pitch of Osc 1 and Osc 2, at a degree set by the Mod Env
depth control 16
• Modulating the pulse width of Osc 1 and Osc 2’s outputs when they are set to
Square/Pulse waveforms and the Pulse Width modulation source switch 18 is
set to Mod Env
• Modulating the lter frequency (when the lter is in Classic mode), at a degree
set by the Mod Env depth control 37
38 39 40
Bass Station II has a dedicated slider control for each ADSR parameter. The set of
sliders will adjust the envelope(s) selected by the Env Select switch 38 : the amplitude
envelope, the modulation envelope, or both together.
• Attack - sets the note’s attack time. With the slider at its lowest position, the
note attains its maximum level immediately the key is pressed; with the slider
in its uppermost position, the note takes over 5 seconds to reach its maximum
level. Midway, the time is approx. 250 ms.
• Decay - sets the time the note takes to decay from its initial level to that
dened
by the Sustain parameter. With the slider at the mid-position, the time is approx.
150 ms.
• Sustain - sets the volume of the note after the decay phase. A low Sustain value
will have the effect of emphasising the start of the note; having the slider fully
down will make the note inaudible when the decay time has elapsed.

18
• Release - Many sounds acquire some of their character from the notes
remaining audible after the key is released; this “hanging” or “fade-out” effect,
with the note gently dying away naturally (as with many real instruments) can be
very effective. With the slider set to the mid-position the Release Time will be
approx. 360 ms. Bass Station II has a maximum release time of over 10 seconds,
but shorter times will probably be more useful! The relationship between the
parameter value and the Release Time is not linear.
Further control over how individual notes sound with different playing styles can be
obtained with the different settings of the Triggering switch 40 .
• Single – the selected envelope(s) is triggered for every note that is played on its
own. However, if playing in a legato style then the envelope(s) will not trigger.
If the Glide Time control is set to anything other than fully anti-clockwise (off),
portamento is applied between the notes irrespective of playing style. See
“Envelope Retriggering” on page 18.
• Multi – the selected envelope(s) is always triggered for every note played,
regardless of playing style. If the Glide Time control 46 is set to anything other
than fully anti-clockwise (off) portamento is applied between the notes, whether
they are played in a legato style or not.
• Autoglide – this mode works in the same way as Single, but portamento is
applied only to those notes played in a legato style.
What is Legato?
As implied above, the musical term Legato means “smoothly”. A Legato
keyboard style is one where at least two notes overlap. This means
that as you play the melody, you keep the previous (or an earlier) note
sounding as you play another note. Once that note is sounding, you
then release the earlier note.
Legato style playing is relevant to some sonic possibilities. In the case of Multi
mode, it is important to appreciate that the envelope will re-trigger if any ‘gap’ is left
between notes.
Envelope Retriggering
It’s possible to congure both your mod and/or amplitude envelopes to retrigger once
the decay stage has ended.
This can be turned on and off by holding the Function key and pressing the AmpEnv
(for amplitude envelope looping) or ModEnv (for modulation envelope looping) keys
twice. The screen will change to:r-0. Use the patch value keys to switch between r-1
(envelope retriggers) or r-0 (envelope does not retrigger).
The settings can be stored in the patch. The default value is always to not retrigger.
Envelope Retriggering Count
As an extension to the retriggering envelope feature described above, envelopes can
be set to loop indenitely, or any value up to 16 times.
Envelope Retriggering must be turned on for this feature to be effective. To turn on
Envelope Retriggering, hold Function and press the Amp-Env or Mod-Env function
keys twice (until the display changes to r-0), then use Patch </> buttons to select r-1.
To set the number of times the envelope will loop, hold Function and press the Amp-
Env or Mod-Env key three times (until the display changes to c-0). When set to c-0 the
envelope will loop indenitely, this is the default setting. Select from c-[1-16] (using the
Patch </> buttons) to set the number of loops from 1 to 16.
Fixed Duration Sustain Envelopes
The sustain period of both the amp and mod envelopes can be set to a xed time. This
is especially useful for using the Bass Station II to design drum sounds.
When active, the envelope will move to the release stage a set period of time after the
sustain stage, regardless of whether the triggering note is released or not.
When you enable xed duration sustain, the decay stage is removed from the envelope.
The decay slider will now determine the duration of the sustain stage of the envelope.
To change the envelopes to a xed-duration mode, hold Function and press the Amp-
Env or Mod-Env key four times (until the display changes to d-0). Set the display to d-1
to enabled xed duration envelopes.
When enabled, xed duration sustain envelopes override the envelope retriggering
feature.
Portamento
Portamento makes notes sequentially glide from one to the next as they are played,
rather than immediately jumping from one pitch to another. The synth remembers the
last note played and the glide will start from that note even after the key has been
released. The duration of the glide is set by the Glide Time control.
Glide Divergence
By default, the same Glide time (portamento) is applied for all oscillators. However, it is
also possible to introduce different glide times between the rst and second oscillators.
To turn on Glide Divergence, hold Function and press the Input Gain key twice. The
display will show (g-0). Select g-[1-15] (using the Patch </> buttons). The selected value
determines how much slower oscillator 2 glides.
When glide divergence is enabled oscillator 2 will always glide slower than oscillator 1.
The Effects Section
Two additional sound effects tools are provided with Bass Station II: Distortion and
Osc Filter Mod.
48
49
• Distortion - this adds a controlled amount of distortion before the VCA. This
means that the distortion characteristic will not change as the amplitude of the
signal changes over time as a result of the Amplitude Envelope.
• Osc Filter Mod – This allows the lter frequency to be modulated directly by
Oscillator 2. The intensity of the resulting effect is dependent on the control
setting, but also almost all Osc 2 parameters, e.g., range, pitch, waveform,
pulse width and any modulation applied.
Try adding Osc Filter Mod while sweeping Osc 2 pitch with the pitch
wheel.

19
The LFO Section
Bass Station II has two separate Low Frequency Oscillators (LFOs), designated LFO
1, and LFO 2. They are identical in terms of features, but their outputs are routed to
different parts of the synth and are thus used differently, as outlined below:
LFO 1:
• can modulate the pitch of Osc 1 and/or Osc 2; the amount of modulation is
adjusted in the Oscillator Section with the LFO 1 depth control 17 .
• can modulate the pitch of both Osc 1 and Osc 2 via the Mod wheel 2, if
enabled by the On-Key function Mod Wh: LFO 1 to Osc Pitch (lower C#).
• can modulate the pitch of both Osc 1 and Osc 2 via keyboard aftertouch, if
enabled by the On-Key function Aftertouch: LFO 1 to Osc Pitch (lower F).
LFO 2:
• can modulate the pulse width of Osc 1 and/or Osc 2 when Waveform 13 is
set to Square/Pulse, and the pulse width modulation source switch [18] is set to
LFO 2.
• can modulate the lter frequency; the amount of modulation is adjusted in the
Filter Section with LFO 2 depth control 38 .
• can modulate the lter frequency via the Mod wheel 2, if enabled by the On-
Key function Mod Wh: LFO 2 to Filter Freq (lower D).
LFO Waveforms
The waveform switches 24 select one of four wave shapes - Triangle, (falling) Sawtooth,
Square or Sample and Hold. The LEDs next to the switch conrm the waveform
currently selected.
LFO Speed
The speed (or frequency) of each LFO is set by the rotary controls 25 when the LFO
Delay/Speed switch 23 is set to Speed. The frequency range is from zero to about
190 Hz.
2324 25 25 24
LFO Delay
Vibrato is often more effective when faded-in, rather than just ‘switched on’; the Delay
parameter sets how long the LFO output takes to ramp up when a note is played. The
single (one per LFO) rotary control 25 is used to adjust this time when the LFO Delay/
Speed switch 23 is in the Delay position.
LFO Speed/Sync
These On-Key functions (available for each LFO independently) relate to the Delay/
Speed switch 23 in the LFO section of the Bass Station II. When Delay/Speed is set to
Speed, it is possible to extend its function by using the Speed/Sync On-Key function.
Setting the On-key function Speed/Sync LFO 1 (via the lower A key) to SPd (Speed)
allows the speed of LFO 1 to be controlled by the rotary control 25 . Setting it to
Snc (Sync) reassigns the function of this control, and allows the speed of LFO 1 to be
synchronised to an internal or external MIDI clock, based on a sync value selected by
the control 25 . Sync values are shown on the LED display. See Sync Values table on
page 24.
The same facility is applicable to LFO 2 by the On-Key function Speed/Sync LFO 2,
which is selected by the lower A# key.
LFO Keysync
Each LFO runs continuously, ‘in the background’. If Keysync is Off, there is no way of
predicting where the waveform will be when a key is pressed. Consecutive presses of
a key will produce varying results. Setting Keysync to On re-starts the LFO at the start
of the waveform every time a key is pressed.
Keysync is selected on or off for each LFO independently by On-Key functions: LFO:
Keysync LFO 1 (lower G) and LFO: Keysync LFO 2 (lower G#).
LFO Slew
Slew has the effect of modifying the shape of the LFO waveform. Sharp edges become
less sharp as Slew is increased. The effect of this can be heard by selecting Square
as the LFO waveform and setting the rate fairly low so that the output when a key is
pressed alternates between just two tones. Increasing the value of Slew will cause the
transition between the two tones to become a “glide” rather than a sharp change. This
is caused by the vertical edges of the square LFO waveform being slewed.
Slew is controlled by On-Key functions: LFO: Slew LFO 1 (lower B) and LFO: Slew LFO 2
(middle C). Press the Function/Exit button 5and the chosen Slew LFO key; then
adjust the parameter value using the Value buttons 8. Press Function/Exit again to
exit LFO Slew.
Note that Slew has an effect on all LFO waveforms, but the effect
differs somewhat between waveforms. As Slew is increased, the time
taken to reach maximum amplitude is increased, and can ultimately
result in it never being achieved at all, though the setting at which this
point is reached will vary with waveform.
SQUARE WAVE
NO SLEW
SMALL SLEW VALUE
LARGE SLEW VALUE

20
The Arpeggiator Section
Bass Station II has a versatile Arpeggiator feature which allows arpeggios of varying
complexity and rhythm to be played and manipulated in real-time. When the
Arpeggiator is enabled and a single key is pressed, its note will be retriggered. If
you play a chord, the Arpeggiator identies its notes and plays them individually in
sequence (this is termed an arpeggio pattern or ‘arp sequence’); thus if you play a C
major triad, the selected notes will be C, E and G.
43
41
45
42
44
46
The Arpeggiator is enabled by pressing the On button 41 ; the associated LED will
conrm its status.
The tempo of the arp sequence is set by the Tempo control 43 ; you can make the
sequence play faster or slower by adjusting this. The range is 40 to 240 BPM, and the
BPM value is shown in the LED display. If Bass Station II is being synchronsied to an
external MIDI clock, it will automatically detect the incoming clock and disable the
Tempo control. The tempo of the arp sequence will now be determined by the external
MIDI clock. To view the BPM value of the incoming clock, adjust the Tempo control
slightly; this will change the LED display to show the external clock rate.
If the external MIDI clock source is removed, the Arpeggiator will
continue to “ywheel” at the last known tempo. However, if you now
adjust the Tempo control, the internal clock will take over and override
the ywheel rate. The arp tempo is now governed by the internal clock
and adjustable by the Tempo control.
The Latch button 42 plays the currently selected arp sequence repeatedly without the
keys being held. Latch can also be pressed before the Arpeggiator is enabled. When
the Arpeggiator is enabled, Bass Station II will immediately play the arp sequence
dened by the last set of notes played, and will do so indenitely.
The arp pattern is selected by the three controls 44 , 45 & 46 : Rhythm, Arp Mode and
Arp Octaves.
• Rhythm – the arpeggiator comes with 32 pre-dened arp sequences; use the
Rhythm control to select one. The sequences are numbered 1 to 32; the display
conrms the number of the one selected. The sequences increase in rhythmic
complexity as the numbers increase; Rhythm 1 is just a series of consecutive
crotchets, and higher-numbered rhythms introduce more complex patterns and
shorter duration notes (semiquavers).
• Arp Mode – the setting of this 8-position switch roughly determines the order in
which the notes making up the sequence will be played:
SWITCH
POSITION DESCRIPTION COMMENTS
Up Ascending Sequence begins with lowest note played
Down Descending Sequence begins with highest note played
UpDn
Ascend/descend
Sequence alternates
UpDn2 As UpDn, but lowest and highest notes are
played twice
Played Key order
Sequence comprises notes in the order in which
they are played
Random Random The notes held are played in a continuously-
varying random sequence
Record See Sequencer section (page 20)
Play
You should spend some time experimenting with different combinations
of Rhythm and Arp Mode. Some patterns work better in certain Modes.
• Arp Octaves – allows upper octaves to be added to the arp sequence. When
set to 2, the sequence is played as normal, then immediately played again an
octave higher. Higher values extend this process by adding additional higher
octaves. Settings other than 1 have the effect of doubling, tripling, etc., the
length of the sequence. The additional notes added duplicate the complete
original sequence, but octave-shifted. Thus a four-note sequence played with
Arp Octaves set to 1 will consist of eight notes when Arp Octaves is set to 2.
Arp Swing
This arp parameter is set via a On-Key function, Arp: Swing (upper F#). Hold the key
down and adjust the parameter value with the Patch/Value buttons 8. If Swing is
set to something other than its default value of 50, some further interesting rhythmic
effects can be obtained. Higher values lengthen the interval between odd and even
notes, while the even-to-odd intervals are correspondingly shortened. Lower values
have the opposite effect. This is an effect which is easier to experiment with than
describe!