A 1997 monosynth that fuses Roland’s punch and Moog’s weight—but only if you’re happy with one note at a time.
The Novation Super Bass Station is a 1997 monophonic desktop synthesizer built to emulate Roland and Moog bass synths. It adds separate ADSRs for filter and amplitude, key follow, an SH-type sub oscillator, noise generator, ring mod, true mixer, distortion, stereo chorus, panning, two LFOs, arpeggiator with clock out, slide function, and 200-patch memory. It delivers focused, hands-on bass synthesis—but only one note at a time.
Separate ADSRs and key follow give precise, expressive control over filter and volume—unlike the original Bass Station.
2:37
More Sources, Better Mix
An SH-type sub oscillator, noise generator, ring modulator, and true mixer let you layer and distort bass tones from the ground up.
4:14
Effects That Move the Bass
Distortion, stereo chorus, panning, two LFOs, and slide make it a self-contained bass performance instrument—not just a tone generator.
6:04
Roland Meets Moog, Not Just Copies
It functions as a flexible, MIDI-aware emulator of Roland and Moog bass synths—not a clone, but a hybrid with its own workflow.
Worth your time?
Yes. Use the whole thing.
4/ 5
What works
emulating Roland and Moog bass voices
real-time modulation with two LFOs and slide
layering and distorting bass tones with ring mod and distortion
tight integration into hardware setups via MIDI and CV/Gate
What does not
polyphony
multitimbrality
sample playback
external patch storage
Use it if
bass-focused electronic musicians
hardware integrators needing MIDI and CV/Gate
Skip it if
polyphonic composers
live performers needing sequencers beyond arpeggiation
The written brief1 min read
What it is and what it was built for
The Novation Super Bass Station is a 1997 monophonic desktop synthesizer built to emulate Roland and Moog bass synths. It was developed as an enhanced successor to the original Bass Station.
How it works, in terms a player would use
It gives a player two oscillators plus an SH-type sub oscillator and noise generator. A true mixer balances them. Filter and amplitude each have their own ADSR. Key follow shapes filter response across the keyboard. Ring mod, distortion, stereo chorus, panning, and two LFOs sit in the effects path. The arpeggiator outputs clock. Slide creates portamento for 303-style patterns.
What it does better than anything else
It integrates Roland-style bass synthesis (303-style slide, ring mod, aggressive filter) and Moog-style warmth (sub oscillator, true mixer, analog signal path) in one dedicated monophonic desktop unit better than any other 1997-era synth of its size and price.
What it does badly
It does not do polyphony. It does not support multitimbral operation. It has no built-in sequencer beyond the arpeggiator. Its 200-patch memory is fixed—no external storage or patch librarian.
What people made with it
No verified claims about specific music, artists, albums or recordings were provided in the source material.
Who should use it, and who should not
A bass-focused electronic musician who wants tactile control over monophonic tone shaping, real-time modulation, and hardware integration via MIDI and CV/Gate. Not for producers needing polyphony, sample playback, or deep sound design beyond its architecture.
Is it worth your time
Yes—if you need a compact, hands-on monosynth that emulates Roland and Moog bass voices with expanded modulation and routing, and you value MIDI and CV/Gate compatibility over polyphony or modern editing.
