right, what synthesizer should I buy?

I could either get:

Novation Bass Station:

Dave Smith Evolver:

Creamware MiniMax ASB

Bass Station is by far the cheapest, but is developing into a true classic and I've wanted one for ages. The Dave Smith Evolver has a wicked analogue style sequencer, 2 VCO's and 2 DCO's so very versatile for a monosynth. The MiniMax ASB is the only one that isn't actually analogue, but is apparently a very good MiniMoog clone plus it looks cool.

So what do I go for? I'm leaning towards the Bass Station as it's cheap, true analogue filter path (with DCO's) and has good reviews.....but I'm also sorely tempted by the Evolver....then there's the MiniMax bringing up the rear....

Whadayareckon WATMM?

how much is the wooden one?

SUPER Bass Station

Dave smith evolver

novation bass station is a plugin now that sounds pretty close to the real thing. i used to own one, it was cool but nothing that special

bassstation for realz yo

  LUDD said:

how much is the wooden one?

£400 - £500

  xxx said:

Why are you gunning for such specific, limited monosynths? I guess you have a larger scheme that they're going to fit into...

yes this...

  Awepittance said:

Dave smith evolver

 

novation bass station is a plugin now that sounds pretty close to the real thing. i used to own one, it was cool but nothing that special

yeah, i've got the plugin...i don't tend to use my laptop in my setup though...want all hardware really...but yeah, the Evolver could be the way to go....

  BCM said:

  LUDD said:

how much is the wooden one?

 

£400 - £500

wtf and it's VA. just get a plugin for nothing.

get a waldorf q

  LUDD said:

get a waldorf q

yeah, forgot about those - that's another one i'm considering.....

  analogue wings said:

  BCM said:

  LUDD said:

how much is the wooden one?

 

£400 - £500

 

wtf and it's VA. just get a plugin for nothing.

 

yeah true, it's a fucking ripoff really..... not as bad as the arturia hardware synth though - that's just a box with their plugins and a few knobs and it's like £1800!!

have you used a bassstation before BCM?

I can't say its particular good for the type of music you normally make.

Well I got my BassStation rack for $120, so it's the best way to get a great analog bass synth for very little coin. The external filter input is also really useful, especially paired with other CV stuff. However, all around you can't do that much with it alone, but it's great paired with other things. So it's more helpful to have a dynamic synth box like the Evolver around, but if your building a whole rig of synths, the BassStation is great to have.

  telikan said:

Well I got my BassStation rack for $120, so it's the best way to get a great analog bass synth for very little coin. The external filter input is also really useful, especially paired with other CV stuff. However, all around you can't do that much with it alone, but it's great paired with other things. So it's more helpful to have a dynamic synth box like the Evolver around, but if your building a whole rig of synths, the BassStation is great to have.

i agree with this, i dont think the keybord version is all that necessary and on it's own it can seem a tad lacking.

  BCM said:

  xxx said:

Why are you gunning for such specific, limited monosynths? I guess you have a larger scheme that they're going to fit into...

 

 

yes this...

 

 

  Awepittance said:

Dave smith evolver

 

novation bass station is a plugin now that sounds pretty close to the real thing. i used to own one, it was cool but nothing that special

 

yeah, i've got the plugin...i don't tend to use my laptop in my setup though...want all hardware really...but yeah, the Evolver could be the way to go....

QY-10 FTW, lol. i still have mine :embrassed:

I got one of these and I love it. There is no midi and no portamento but it slays. They cost anywhere from $600-$1200 (US). You can get a midi retrofit installed for around $400.

It has a 6 voice polyphony (hence the name) and you can get crazy tweaks, pristine pads or dirty bass out of it. You name it. It is a fucking amazing machine.

Make sure you get one with a newly replaced battery, though.

  Awepittance said:

have you used a bassstation before BCM?

 

I can't say its particular good for the type of music you normally make.

no i haven't used a hardware one...thought i might get some nice acid noises out of it? not the case?

  Rubin Farr said:

  BCM said:

  xxx said:

Why are you gunning for such specific, limited monosynths? I guess you have a larger scheme that they're going to fit into...

 

 

yes this...

 

 

  Awepittance said:

Dave smith evolver

 

novation bass station is a plugin now that sounds pretty close to the real thing. i used to own one, it was cool but nothing that special

 

yeah, i've got the plugin...i don't tend to use my laptop in my setup though...want all hardware really...but yeah, the Evolver could be the way to go....

QY-10 FTW, lol. i still have mine :embrassed:

QY-10 is awesome! i just use it as a hardware MIDI sequencer though now...

  jefferoo said:

 

I got one of these and I love it. There is no midi and no portamento but it slays. They cost anywhere from $600-$1200 (US). You can get a midi retrofit installed for around $400.

It has a 6 voice polyphony (hence the name) and you can get crazy tweaks, pristine pads or dirty bass out of it. You name it. It is a fucking amazing machine.

Make sure you get one with a newly replaced battery, though.

er, one of what?

in my personal experience the Basstation is as bad for getting 'acid sounds' as the Vermona DRm-1 is for getting 808 drum sound alike drum hits

if you want weird analog bass i think the basstation is great, but for a more traditional fat squelchy sound there are better choices, ie the evolver

Original demo cassette for the Super Bass Station

http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/soundsheet/nova_sbs.html

Try not to lol milk out yr nose when it "failthfully recreates" a 303

Compared to the original, the SBS has

* Filter 12/24 db

* Ring Mod

* Distortion

* Stereo Chorus

* Panner

All analogue, and all available to the external input.

PLUS Juno style sub oscillator, osc hard sync and noise

PLUS it has a built in MIDI-CV coverter, so if you ever want to add a 101 or 202 to the rig you are sorted.

ok evolver's taken the lead! cheers awepittance....

  analogue wings said:

Original demo cassette for the Super Bass Station

 

http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/soundsheet/nova_sbs.html

 

Try not to lol milk out yr nose when it "failthfully recreates" a 303

 

Compared to the original, the SBS has

 

* Filter 12/24 db

* Ring Mod

* Distortion

* Stereo Chorus

* Panner

 

All analogue, and all available to the external input.

 

PLUS Juno style sub oscillator, osc hard sync and noise

 

PLUS it has a built in MIDI-CV coverter, so if you ever want to add a 101 or 202 to the rig you are sorted.

hmmmmm, MIDI-CV converter....interesting.....

This is kinda an EKT thread?

Go for the Dave Smith or get a Waldorf Blofeld :D

yes it is kind of an EKT thread but not in EKT. yeah, waldorf blofeld was also a possibility, but i don't really want another analogue modelling DSP synth job (or is the blofeld wavetable?)- really want VCO's/DCO's and analogue filters....

Evolver still looking strong.....

I have an Oberheim Matrix 1000 which uses the exact same Curtis DCO/Filter chips as the Evolver. It's awesome and really powerful. As versatile of not more so than the Evolver. Probably cheaper on the Bay, and 6 voices instead of 1.

Even though it's DCO, it really has that dark, thick "american synth" sound, and not the bright punchy Roland/Korg sound. Listen to pretty much every synths sound on a Prince record foir the kind of sound I mean.

Just another option to consider anyway.

Edit: feel free to consider this an endorsement of the Evolver as well

i wanna buy the evolver but i can't get on fucking ebay now! it's not working....

  BCM said:

ok evolver's taken the lead! cheers awepittance....

 

  analogue wings said:

Original demo cassette for the Super Bass Station

 

http://www.keyboardmuseum.com/soundsheet/nova_sbs.html

 

Try not to lol milk out yr nose when it "failthfully recreates" a 303

 

Compared to the original, the SBS has

 

* Filter 12/24 db

* Ring Mod

* Distortion

* Stereo Chorus

* Panner

 

All analogue, and all available to the external input.

 

PLUS Juno style sub oscillator, osc hard sync and noise

 

PLUS it has a built in MIDI-CV coverter, so if you ever want to add a 101 or 202 to the rig you are sorted.

 

hmmmmm, MIDI-CV converter....interesting.....

Well on top of all that, the main reason I'd love to trade my BassStation up to the Super, is that it has separate envelope controls for amplitude and filter, as opposed to one section of controls and a switch. Makes for way more hands on tweaking. Supers seem really hard to come by though...