Novation Circuit Mono Station is a mono analogue synthesiser that has been smartly developed from 2013’s
Bass Station 2. Its biggest draw has to be its built-in synthesiser. Let's take a look at this exciting new design.
Heritage
Novation is not particularly known for analogue designs. You have to stretch your mind back to 1993 to recall the Bass Station, their flagship analogue synth that was redesigned as the
Mk2 in 2013.
Apart from this, the brand has not been occupied with analogue designs.
The
Circuit Mono is based on Novation’s much loved Circuit groovebox, however as you may have guessed, its digital components have been replaced with analogue ones.
The Mono Station exchanges the digital synths and sample section from its namesake with a paraphonic analogue engine taken from the Bass Station.
The Circuit Mono Station breaks from the earlier Circuit groovebox model with its oscillator ability. The Circuit had a limited sound shaping ability, however the new and improved Circuit Mono enjoys two oscillators that can be sequenced and controlled independently.
Alongside this, the sequencer is enhanced with a dedicated track for modulation which empowers the user to edit the gate length, alter the sync rate and play with patterns.
Connectivity
The Circuit Mono Station offers a fair amount of connectivity options. For example, the CV, Gate and modulation outputs provide an easy and quick way to control separate hardware.
You can easily plug in the model into a Mac or PC, where you can start playing immediately. The device also features MIDI In, Out and Thru points, making it simple to connect your other MIDI gear.
Features
The Novation Circuit Mono Station is kitted out with some pretty impressive features. Let’s take a quick overview to get a full understanding of this machine’s capabilities.
You can easily get the frequency band you require thanks to a choice of high-pass, low-pass and band-pass filters with slopes of 12dB and 24dB. The distortion effects on offer are threefold and encompass a throwback to 1993 with Classic Bass Station, alongside new fuzz or a beguiling mixture of both.
A feature that we really like is the ability to have three sequencer tracks, with two oscillator sequencers and one modulation sequencer. This is coupled with an adaptable modulation system featuring a four-by-eight modulation matrix that allows complicated alteration and routing.
The Mono Station utilises it attractively lit pads, allowing you to load and save up to sixty four patches on the device, so you can really let your creative juices flow.
The
Novation Circuit Mono Station is a feature-rich model that is accessibly priced to appeal to both newcomers and older hands looking for a new piece of kit.
It is not necessarily a game changer but it is refreshing to see Novation explore monologue designs after so many years firmly in the digital realm.
The Novation Circuit Mono Station is a feature-rich model that is accessibly priced to appeal to both newcomers and older hands looking for a new piece of kit.
It is not necessarily a game changer but it is refreshing to see Novation explore monologue designs after so many years firmly in the digital realm.