Got to test drive a DB-01 loaned by @lesstalkmoredisco. I love the sound! Clearly tuned for a gritty, heavy bass tone. Great stuff.
Especially the sub osc cranked up, without any drive added yet, already sounds beautifully thick.
Synthesis parameters are limited but some smart solutions there, the 3-knob envelope controls for example: very effective. No patch memory but given the directness of the interface I don’t think that 's an issue (except perhaps for the LFO settings which are menu divey).
The mono synth comparison material I have here is a Circuit Mono Station, which i will remind you all again is very underrated, awesome little synth. Advantages of the CMS are the more elaborate synthesis controls, 2nd osc, ADSR, 12/24db filter, mod matrix and more advanced sequencer. Between it’s overdrive and 3 distortion modes there’s much latitude to roughen things up. And it has a beautiful, smooth clean sound as well. I was able to get the CMS to sound pretty close to the Bassline in many instances. But the Bassline can’t do the clean smooth sounds that the CMS can, nor its 2-osc sounds.
That said, the Bassline is really excellent at that thick overdriven sound. It takes more work on a synth like the CMS to get there, and the interface is a bit less direct. It’s also double the size.
Doing such comparison makes me re-appreciate the CMS once again. I wouldn’t trade it for the Bassline or don’t find enough difference for justifying having both. But if I didn’t have a CMS I’d be very very tempted to get the Bassline, as its sound is very very good for the techno that I like.