Introducing the Novation AFX Station - Limited Edition Aphex Twin Collaboration

Limited edition Black Novation Bass Station II with AFX Mode for $439.99. As always see the dealers on the right for availability. Details follow:

"Introducing the Limited Edition Aphex Twin collaboration - AFX Station.

Following an exciting hunt for clues across the globe, gathered and documented by the press [on MATRIXSYNTH here and here] and public, the spotlight has been shining on Novation to reveal the mysterious Aphex Twin collaboration.

Novation is excited to finally announce AFX Station, an all-new, limited edition of their modern classic Bass Station II monosynth, designed in collaboration with electronic music legend Richard D James aka Aphex Twin.

AFX Station is a sound designer’s dream. It has the same powerful feature set that has made Bass Station II the go-to monosynth for countless music makers. In addition, it has AFX Mode pre-installed, which revolutionises the way the monosynth can be played and programmed. Perfect for sequencing and arpeggiation, with AFX Station, every key on the instrument can become a new patch, making it a powerful analogue drum module, a flexible sound design tool, or a killer bass or lead machine.

To check out the AFX Station visit our site from launch on Tuesday 20th October, 8AM PST.

Availability: Online and in-store, limited
Cost $439.99"

CLICK FOR MORE »

The Glorious Combo Livejam- Juno 106, Bass Station 2, Blooper, Launchpad Pro, Octatrack and RE 201

-CALC-

Fresh back from a little servicing love, the Roland Juno 106 and RE201 tape echo get back on the bench for a workout.

Based around a simple sequence from Launchpad Pro into the Bass Station 2 (using the marvellous AFX mode) the 106 is feeding loops into the Chase Bliss Blooper pedal. Octatrack holding the rhythm section in check.

JS Bach sits on watching."

Novation Teases New Aphex Twin Collaboration

Apparenlty these billboards are popping up in LA, Berlin, Bristol, and London per CDM.

Click the image to the left to zoom in and find some clues, if they apply that is.

On the left you'll see X-Station. The original X-Station was a controller keyboard with the K-Station engine built in. Note the font below it.

On the right you'll see Osc Filter Mod. Below you'll see Microtuning.

Feel free to see what else you can find.

Aphex Twin also worked with Novation on the AFX Mode Bass Station II and the Warp Records WXAXRXP 30th Anniversary Bass Station II.

Rumor is we'll find out Oct 20.

Update: and an image of the purported box spotted by Soviet Space Child.

Bass Station II - Advanced Sound Design // Novation Live

NovationTV

"-CALC- revisits the classic Bass Station II analogue synth, with a live stream focused on sound design. -CALC- will cover some of the more interesting and unusual features that this beast of a monosynth has to offer, including a look at programming the powerful AFX mode, releasing the 3rd Oscillator, paraphonic control and exploring the very powerful and programmable envelopes."

noyzelab's NYZ BSII M8Y Pure Data Patched Editor for the Novation Bass Station II

Available here

"Pure Data patch to assist with editing the Novation Bass Station II consisting of 3 main editors i] AFX Mode ii] Microtuning iii] On-key Functions"

via @noyzelab:

"NYZ BSII M8Y for editing AFX Mode, Microtuning & On-Key Functions on Bass Station II available as a FREE open source @HashtagPureData patch

beta testing & special advisory natteringz @AphexTwin
+
THNX 2 @WeAreNovation"

Glitch Drums Jamming With Bass Station 2 AFX Mode

Published on Apr 11, 2020 Perplex On

"So much fun with BS2 and its #AFX mode. All sounds are coming directly from the #BassStation2 using its internal sequencer and heavy live tweaking of various parameters. Just added a little ambient drone afterwards using #Mononoke synth on the iPad."

Perplex On - Sorry For The Mess (Bass Station 2 AFX Mode + iPad Jam)

Published on Apr 1, 2020 Perplex On

"What a better way to start a new synth friendship by messing around with #afxmode on the #BassStation2? Sequenced by #riffer on the iPad, added kick with #playbeat and a touch of master glitching with #glitchcore. Sorry for the mess!"

Animated Graphic Scores Performed on the Novation BassStation II

Rain Published on Nov 16, 2019 John Keston

"Strands is the working title for a series of audiovisual compositions based on the idea of animated, generative, graphic scores. Last year I composed six of these scores written in Javascript for Parking Ramp Project, a performance installation in a seven-level parking ramp with a large cast reflecting on transience, migration, and stability commissioned by Guggenheim fellow, Pramila Vasudevan. While Parking Ramp Project was composed for a trio, Strands is specifically composed for a soloist.

Rain is a new movement in the series and the first that I have produced with video of the animated score. Currently there are five movements in the piece. I performed the first four recently at the ISSTA conference in Cork, Ireland. The visual part of the piece is meant to be read like music but without the use of key or time signatures. Each time the piece is played the visuals are regenerated, so it is never performed the same way twice.

The musician may interpret the visuals in many ways. For example, in Rain lines are animated from the top of the screen to the bottom. Where the line appears horizontally is roughly regarded as pitch and as the line animates the sound is modulated. The lines also vary in weight. Heavier lines are louder and lower in pitch while thinner lines are quieter, generally higher, and sometimes altered with a high-pass filter.

I performed Rain using the Novation Bass Station II, which has a feature (AFX mode overlays) that allows for each note to have entirely different parameters. With this technique I was able to map different timbres to the keybed and use this variety in texture as another way to interpret the score. Keep an eye out for more of these. It is my intent to make videos for all five of the movements and perhaps add one or two more to the series.

https://audiocookbook.org/strands/"

Generator

Premiered Nov 24, 2019 John Keston

"Generator is the next piece in the Strands series. These audiovisual compositions illustrate the interpretation of animated, generative, graphic scores written in Javascript. Generator is made up of connected line segments that that go from left to right, up, or down, but never in reverse. The weight and length of each segment is consistent across the width of the screen and changes once a new set of segments starts again from the left.

I interpret each set of segments as an arpeggio. The tempo of each arpeggio is decided by the segment length. Shorter segments, drawn more quickly, are paired with faster arpeggios. As the line segments wander up and down I generally interpret the Y axis as pitch, but because the direction of each segment is random the pitches are not exact representations of the paths that are displayed; neither is it the intent to exactly follow the visuals. Instead, musicians interpret the score so that human qualities contrast the computer generated visuals.

The aesthetics of the pieces in this series, both visually and sonically, are secondary to the objectives. First that the scores are composed for the purpose of being read by musician(s). Secondly, the artist(s) have space to improvise within their interpretations. Thirdly (in addition to interpretation) aleatoric elements make the pieces significantly different from one performance to the next. Finally, although the performances vary, distinct characteristics identify each piece.

The objectives of these pieces lead to music that is often atonal and/or atemporal. After about a dozen rehearsals, performances, and recordings with a trio and as a soloist it has become apparent that tonality and timing often do emerge. For example, in Generator the tempi of the arpeggios change with each animated progression from left to right. Arbitrary rests are interspersed with random lengths. This amounts to timing without time signatures. And, since the pitches are left up to the artist the notes performed may or may not be in key. In my performance I chose to use a variety of intervals and scales leading up to the chromatic scale at the conclusion.

https://audiocookbook.org/generator/"

Novation Bass Station AFX Mode Demo and Tutorial

Published on Jul 1, 2019 Starsky Carr

"A quick look at the excellent AFX mode, playing it live and with the arpeggiator and sequencer. Plus how to program an overlay with 25 sounds in one preset using the new overlay function in AFX mode."

Novation Bass Station 2 - AFX Mode - Exploring the Presets - Midiverse - TV

Published on Jun 25, 2019 Midiverse - TV

"What's up everybody? Today we're going to be checking out the 4.14 update to the Novation Bass Station 2. Here are a few sounds from the AFX Mode Presets. Let's check it out."

Warp Records WXAXRXP 30th Anniversary Novation Bass Station II

via Novation

"Warp Records celebrate their 30th anniversary with three-day NTS Radio takeover, including exclusive mixes and giveaways.

For the past 30 years, UK based label Warp Records have been consistently setting the bar in the electronic music world, always pushing the boundaries of the genre and thrilling music fans worldwide.

Founded by Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell in the back of a record store in Sheffield in 1989, Warp has become the pioneer of its genre with a unique yet reliable catalogue of electronic music. Responsible for bringing to the world the likes of Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Squarepusher and Nightmares on Wax, plus loads more, Warp have also more recently ventured into film, art installations and their own online independent record store, Bleep.com.

This weekend, Warp are set to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Partnering with NTS, they’ll bring together their legendary roster with a packed out 100-hour schedule of music, including exclusive mixes, tributes and giveaways.

As part of the celebrations and in honour of the release of our recent Bass Station AFX update, listeners will have the chance to get their hands on a very limited edition Warp Records x Aphex Twin x Novation Bass Station II, 1 of only 5 made. For a chance to win, simply sign up for the WXAXRXP mailing list following the link below [bottom of page here].

LISTEN NOW

We’ve also compiled a selection of our favourite Warp releases spanning the past thirty years. With so many releases, we could have kept this list going on for ages, but here are ten particular highlights from the past three decades chosen by some of the team over at Novation HQ:

CLICK FOR MORE »

Bass Station 2 - AFX MODE (Aphex Twin) + Korg ER MK 2

Published on May 16, 2019 Synth Mike

- Synth Mike - Warsaw - Poland -
Bass Station 2 in Aphex Mode

Gear:
Bass: Bass Station 2
Drums: Korg Electribe R MK II (ER MK2)
Interface: iK iRig Pro Duo
Camera: iPhone Xr

Bass Station II vs. OP-Z (Sequencing AFX Mode)

Published on May 7, 2019 Red Means Recording

"Let's use the Teenage Engineering OP-Z to sequence AFX mode on the Novation Bass Station II.

AFX Mode puts a distinct patch on each key of the Bass Station II keyboard. The OP-Z has a robust sequencer that lets us take advantage of this.

I'll show you how I set up MIDI for this, and then do a performance."

Novation Bass Station 2 AFX mode (4.14) demo

Published on Apr 30, 2019 Hunart©

"Hi!

Got the BS 2 for a short time so I`ve decided to check how it looks now with the newest 4.14 firmware. It is just some fun with the features. Beside 2 Echo`s from Ableton Live there`s no comression or external FX just the usual limiting at the end of the chain.

Fel free to ask any questions.

Enjoy,

Hunart©"

Bass Station 2 Update AFX Mode in Action

Published on Apr 16, 2019 zafrosoundz

"I used the overlay preset o2 to produce this little track, really like the idea of AFX mode and hope you like it too."

Update: 2nd demo:

Bass station 2 Update AFX mode in action

Published on Apr 16, 2019 zafrosoundz

"Again using the preset overlay, this time 04 to make this jam, let me know what you think, cheers."

Bass Station II AFX Mode Jam Session

Published on Apr 15, 2019 Case Woo

"Testing firmware 4.14"

See here for additional demos and details.

AFX Mode (4.14) // Novation Bass Station 2 Tutorial

Published on Apr 14, 2019 Ron Cavagnaro

"This tutorial is to show how the new AFX mode works on the new Novation Bass Station 2 firmware upgrade. It was developed in a collaboration of Richard D. James (AKA Aphex Twin) and Novation.

When AFX mode is turned on, you can change the sounds individually by holding down the key and turning the parameters you want. Saving is done by pressing save from the menu (Function + Arp - Swing)

Intro 0:00
AFX Mode 0:24
Stand-Alone Arp Demo 0:52
H9 Shimmer Reverb Added 2:00
AFX Mode Speed Stress Test w/ Deluge 2:25
Improvised 16 Step Sequence AFX Mode Demo 3:48
Adding FX from Korg KP3+, Roland MX1 5:23"

Novation // Bass Station II 4.14 - AFX Mode

Published on Apr 14, 2019 NovationTV

"-CALC- introduces the exciting new update for Bass Station II - v4.14.

The latest firmware update for Bass Station II adds five powerful and innovative new features to Novation’s hugely popular monosynth, all of them developed in response to user feedback and requests, one of those users being particularly noteworthy…

--- AFX Mode (the realisation of Aphex Twin)
--- Fixed duration envelopes
--- Extended sub-oscillator control
--- Oscillator glide diverge
--- Envelope retrigger count

Bass Station II owner? Download the update for free now from components:
--- https://novationmusic.com/components

For more on Bass Station II, visit:
--- https://novationmusic.com/synths/bass...

Need help installing Bass Station v4.14? We have a handy guide here: http://bit.ly/AFXModeHelp
We have also created a new v4.14 User Guide here: http://bit.ly/AFXModeUserGuide

#WeAreNovation #BassStationII #AFXMode"

Update: and the press release:

"New Bass Station II x Aphex Twin firmware update

The latest firmware update for Bass Station II adds five powerful and innovative new features to Novation’s hugely popular monosynth, all of them developed in response to user feedback and requests, one of those users being particularly noteworthy…

AFX Mode

Electronic music legend Richard James, aka Aphex Twin, has already played an instrumental part in the Bass Station II story, having provided guidance for the implementation of the micro-tuning added with Firmware v2.5. His conceptual contribution to v4.14 is even more profound.

Letting his imagination run riot, James envisioned the decidedly radical notion of having a discrete set of synthesis parameters assigned to each note of Bass Station II, either variations on a ‘seed’ patch, or disparate sounds designed to constitute a chimeric whole. Although this sort of thing could already be kludged using very fast program change messages, having multiple sounds active at the same time would clearly be a far more creative and efficient system.

AFX Mode is the realisation of James’ out-there concept. Put simply, it lets you modify your Bass Station II patch on a key-by-key basis. Use it to introduce subtle changes to a sound as you play up and down the keyboard; divide the keyboard into multiple zones (one per key if you like!), each playing its own sound; or create entire drum kits in a single preset for triggering manually or via the Arpeggiator. It’s a truly inspiring feature that really does open up a whole new world of sound design and performance possibilities.

Fixed duration envelopes

Aiding in the programming of drum sounds and plucks especially, the sustain segments of Bass Station II’s envelopes can now be set to a fixed length, moving on to the release stage regardless of when the key or trigger is actually released after playing a note. When fixed duration envelopes are enabled, the decay stage is taken out of play, and the Decay slider instead sets the duration of the Sustain stage.

Extended sub-oscillator control

With Firmware v4.14, Bass Station II’s sub-oscillator, slaved to the pitch of Oscillator 1, can be detuned using the Coarse and Fine controls. Now you can set the sub to any non-octave tracking interval you like, and knock it out of tune – subtly or dramatically – for creative effect.

Oscillator glide diverge

Prior to Firmware v4.14, both of Bass Station II’s oscillators could only be set to the same Glide time, but now you can slow down the Glide time of Oscillator 2 relative to Oscillator 1 by a variable amount, causing the two to diverge for interesting portamento effects. Just the thing for adding thickness and character to basslines, pads and leads, and certainly not a function you’ll find on many other hardware or software synths.

Envelope retrigger count

The Firmware v2.5 update added envelope retriggering, and now, to help with drum synthesis, the number of times the envelopes retrigger can be adjusted.

Introducing AFX Mode, fixed duration envelopes, extended sub-oscillator control, oscillator glide diverge and envelope retrigger count, Firmware v4.14 is a free update for all Bass Station II users, available via the Components content manager for Mac and PC."