DONNER

B1 Bass Synthesizer

Donner sent us one of these to check out and do some video work with (check out a killer track that Kyle Andrews made for us on our YouTube channel), and we were super impressed with this small format, yet ultra-cool, bass synth.

We’ve always reached for our tried-and-true Novation Bass Station for bass synth stuff here in the office studio, but this $159 B1 was no slouch! If the tactile silicone keyboard isn’t your jam, you’ve got traditional MIDI I/O on tap so you can connect it to any of the devices you’ve already got in the studio. The other cool thing is it’s got a built-in step sequencer, as well, so you can craft a sequence and start tweaking it on-the-fly as it runs, in order to fulfill all those house and acid dreams.

The filter, envelope and other settings are dead-simple, including the on-board effects like delay and saturation, so if you’re just getting your feet wet into making electronic music, this might be the ideal way to start. No overly complicated rows of knobs or confusing menus to navigate. You can be up and running immediately, making EDM and dance tracks with convincing bass sequences from the jump.

Build quality is surprisingly good for the price, and it includes standard line outs and headphone ports, as well. Considering the price, getting a true hardware analog bass synth and sequencer for under $200, you just can’t go wrong.

Benjamin Ricci

PROS excellent soundshaping capabilities, compact, super affordable

CONS $159