The Novation Bass Station II is an excellent small controller for Omnisphere. The panel is easy-to-understrand and you have control over all four Layers of a Patch and the FX send. You can control Filter types and slopes, two LFOs, an Overdrive control, a Distortion control, and the Arpeggiator — all powered from a single USB cable connected to your laptop! It’s way more capable with Omnisphere than it might look at first glance and it’s also a good analog mono synth. The keys are high-quality, it has nice wheels, and a sustain pedal input. The overall feel of the controls is excellent and best of all, the price is surprisingly low. This synth is highly recommended if you are looking for a mobile companion for your laptop/backpack rig — it’s the closest thing to a no-brainer on the list! Even if you already have a larger synth to use with Omnisphere, this one is ideal as a mobile option.
Novation Bass Station II Strengths:
- Intuitive, Fun AND Powerful!
- Highly Portable
- USB-powered
- Great Build Quality and Feel
- Nice Analog Mono Synth
Novation Bass Station II Details:
| Retail Price | $579 |
|---|---|
| Number of Keys | 25 |
| Keyboard Type | Unweighted |
| Size of Controls | Medium |
| Special Features | N/A |
| Dimensions | 18” x 10.75” x 3” |
| Weight | 5.37 lbs |
| USB Powered | Yes |
| Pitch Bender | Yes |
| Mod Wheel | Yes |
| Sends Aftertouch | Yes |
| Sustain Pedal Input | Yes |
| Expression Pedal Input | No |
| Ribbon | No |
| Non-Functional Controls | Volume Transpose |
| Arpeggiator | Yes |
| Sequencer | No |
| MIDI Messages | CC, NRPN |
Omnisphere Sections Controlled by the Novation Bass Station II:
| Independent Layer Control | No |
|---|---|
| Number of Oscillators | 4 |
| Number of Wavetables | 4 |
| Number of Envelopes | 2 |
| Number of LFOs | 2 |
| Filter Types | Classic LPF 2-pole Classic LPF 4-pole Beefy LPF 4-pole Beefy BPF 2-pole Beefy BPF 4-pole Jupiter HPF 2-pole Jupiter HPF 4-pole |
| FX Units | Tube Overdrive Global Ambience |
| Soundsources | No |
| Mod Matrix | No |
| FM | Yes |
| Ring Mod | Yes |
| Waveshaper | No |
| Unison | No |
| Harmonia | No |
| Granular | No |
| ORB | No |
| Arpeggiator | No |
Ratings
| Control of Omnisphere |  |
|---|---|
| Panel Layout |  |
| Ease of Use | |
| Keyboard Feel | |
| Build Quality | |
