Gear of the Year: Best Synth 2013 – Novation Bass Station II

Welcome to our day-by-day list of the winners of our Gear of the Year 2013 survey – the votes have been counted and added up and we’re going to kick off with our deserved synth of the year…

Synth of the Year – Novation Bass Station II

Price: £399 Web: http://uk.novationmusic.com

What a year for synths. In any other year, any of the synths mentioned below could have won as 2013 was a year when hardware synths returned with a vengeance. Bass Station II just about nudges through. Gloriously easy to get around, a big sub-oscillator and distortion circuit gives it a huge sound and the Acid filter adds a touch of 90s nostalgia. It’s a superb update to its 20-year-old self (and only £50 more!). Bravo!

Read our Full Review of the Bass Station II Here 

They could have won … in 2012, or 2014. Not 2013, though: there’s the Nord Lead 4 with its rich sound and incredible variety of tones; the Waldorf Pulse 2 (our reviewer, Alex Holmes, won’t give it back); the Moog Sub Phatty’s massive, lovely sounds; and the Arturia MiniBrute’s rasping, brutal vibes. So, like we said, what a year for synths!

Join us tomorrow for the next winner…