Bass Station by GForce Software: A 90s Classic With a Modern Twist

Written by Bytemapper

We often think of the 1980s as the halcyon days of synthesizers. Back during the Reagan years, synthesizers were this primordial element, pulled from the dregs of psychedelia to make reverb drenched pop classics courtesy of the likes of Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, New Order, and so forth. It’d be a bit of a fool’s errand to ignore the intervening 40 years of development in hardware and software alike, though, wouldn’t it? 

Novation is more known these days for their stellar controllers and flagship synths like the Peak and Summit. However, 1994 saw the release of a humble 1U rack mount analog module and its keys bearing counterpart. The Novation Bass Station has an interesting legacy, coming about in the wake of the acid craze and the start of house and techno. Flash forward 31 years, and the venerable mono synth has been re-imagined as a thoroughly realized software instrument thanks to the good folks at GForce Software. 

Simplicity Isn’t an Absence of Depth 

GForce’s take on the Bass Station is immediately recognizable to anyone with a passing familiarity with the hardware unit. This is a single page, single tab sort of synth. You’ve got a pair of modeled DCOs, a single filter, and a pair of envelopes for sculpting the initial signal path. 

Available waveforms are your usual suspects with a saw, pulse, sine, and triangle all present and accounted for. Osc 1 has the ability to use a sub oscillator, which makes it perfect for dialing in those huge resonant basses of yesteryear. 

However, the old restrictions of the Bass Station, namely the monophonic operation, are left mercifully back in 1994. This new software Bass Station is fully polyphonic, and the Roland inspired filter, relaxed envelopes and effects section beg for pads. 

As a polyphonic virtual analog, the Bass Station isn’t treading new ground. You throw a shoe at any soft synth around and you’ll find these waveforms, similar filters, etc. However, the ease of operation and the core sound behind this synth make it one to notice. Like the comparable Bassline-101 from TAL Software, the Bass Station is all sweet spot. 

GForce has made some additions to the architecture as well in the form of the XADSR and XLFO. This brings your modulation sources up quite significantly. You won’t be rewriting the book on neurobass design, but you’ve got more options than first thought. Combined with the extended polyphony, this makes for a potent and affordable virtual analog with a decidedly 90s flair to it. 

How Does It Sound?

A synth isn’t worth much if the core sound fails to impress. However, the Bass Station doesn’t have these concerns. Its core sound cuts right through a mix when dialed in as a bass or lead. I was able to conjure up those damaged bells that Boards of Canada is so fond of in a matter of seconds and minimal processing helped to get it seated as the leading element in a mix. 

In my time with the Bass Station, I’m blown away by the richness of the sound. Since starting software reviews, I’ve had the time to invest in some cheaper analog and digital synths and the Bass Station stands right next to them, much to my chagrin. It’s oddly fitting, as the Bass Station has a legacy as an affordable and attainable analog synth for the masses. 

The sound is anything but cheap, GForce’s modeling of analog components has only grown more sophisticated since the early days of Oddity and Minimonsta. The last year of Oberheim-endorsed releases has been testament to that. 

So, sounds alone, I’d purchase sight unseen. 

Is It Worth the Spend?

With a retail price of 99.99 GBP, the Bass Station is running dangerously close to the price of a used vintage synth. However, you’re not going to worry about things like filter chips or voice chips dying in the dead of winter. So, for ease of use, I certainly think Bass Station is worth the spend. 

The extended voicing options, the stellar effects, and wider modulation options make this a thoroughly modern synth despite its vintage trappings. If you’re going to spring for the hardware, you won’t be disappointed. If your significant other is sick of cabling and seeing a studio rack, then the software version is more than enough to conjure up visions of raves circa 1995. 

You can’t go wrong either way.