Donner B1 Bass Synth
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See on Donner USEssentially a clone of the iconic Roland TB-303, this single oscillator mono synth features a built-in 16-step sequencer, and range of knobs and dials to modify the sound. The Donner B1 is a versatile instrument, ideal for live performances or anyone looking to learn hands-on. You can even use it as a basic USB-C MIDI keyboard, albeit without key velocity and very soft touch rubber keys.
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Specifications- Brand: Donner
- Keys: 26
- Output: USB-C Midi, 5 1/4-inch audio jack, MIDI in and out DIN sync ports
- Type: 16-step sequencer single oscillator mono synth
Donner B1 Bass Synth Shop at Donner US Shop at AmazonThe Donner B1 is a reasonably priced analog bass synth based on the classic Roland TB-303, aka the King of Acid. Featuring a built-in 16-step sequencer, you can either record the audio output as is to play live, or plug it into USB-C and feed the notes through MIDI. It's a versatile little device, and perfect for learning what all those knobs and buttons do.
A Bit of TB-303 History
But before we delve into the Donner B1, a bit of history. The Roland TB-303 launched in my birth year, 1982, as a way to emulate a bass guitar. For its intended purpose, it was absolute rubbish and consequently became a bit of a commercial failure. The second-hand market was flooded with the flops.
By the late 80s, people on a tight budget grabbed a bargain and began realizing its true potential. They created unique sounds using the single oscillator mono synth and the handy built-in 16-step sequencer. This led to the phenomenon of acid house and arguably the entire British rave culture, resulting in some absolute bangers. Though I'll admit, I'm more partial to a bit of happy hardcore myself.
But the rest, as they say, was history, and the 303 remains one of the most iconic synths and a hell of a lot of fun to play with. A modern replica of the 303 will set you back upwards of $300.
On a technical level, both the 303 and the Donner B1 are single oscillator mono synths, making them fairly easy to understand. They come with a set of filters, saturation controls, all working from one single tone at a time.
Getting Hands-On with Knobs and Dials
The box is sparse, with just a USB-C cable, power adaptor, and the Donner B1. So let's talk about what you'll find on the Donner B1.
First is the keyboard. While you can play live and use it as a MIDI keyboard through USB-C, the keys are relatively squishy. They're really just for key entry in the sequencer. It doesn't feel good to play on these tiny pads, unless you're doing some slow chord work.
On the right of that, you have the sequencer and controls, with up to 128 pattern memory, each with 16 steps. These steps are represented on the bottom row of the keyboard keys. Programming a new sequence is super easy; you don't need to play in real-time. Just hit the notes you want in the right order, and stop when you're done.
In edit mode, you can use the arrow keys to jump between each step of the sequence and adjust it or completely overwrite it by either changing the key or shortening or lengthening the note, adding a slide to make the note merge into the next, or an accent to make it stand out. You can also adjust the BPM, and don't forget to press the save button twice when you're done or it won't write back to memory.
If you're playing live and want to move to the next programmed sequence, you can press the arrow key, and it'll automatically finish up the current sequence before moving on.
Then we get to the fun knobs and dials at the top, which is what controls the sound you get out of it. This is monophonic, meaning it plays one note at a time. If you're new to synths like I am (and obviously, like a lot of people were back when the 303 was discovered in charity shops), that's useful because you can isolate and learn the effects easily.
Your first core option is a square or saw-tooth waveform. The saw-tooth offers a lot of a harsher, cutting sound, while the square wave is smoother.
The pitch knob comes next for pitch bending. No need to explain that one.
Next to that we have the filter section with three knobs, which is probably the main way you'll modify the sound and spend most of your time twiddling. The cutoff determines which sounds are allowed to pass through the filter, right for high pass, left for low key. Resonance controls the intensity of the filter, turn left for a more subdued sound, right for more… squelch. This is affectionately known as the squelch knob. Lastly is the depth knob, and this gives you a punchier, jumpy sound.
The decay knob determines how quickly the note falls off, left being punchier, right being a longer note.
Then to the right of that, you have accent. This doesn't affect the normal notes, only the notes you mark as accented, and it really just determines how much they are accented.
On the second row, you'll find the saturation controls. You have a toggle first to determine if these are even active, and even if they're on with knobs all the way left, it still affects the sound slightly. The two control knobs here are drive and tone. Tone is relatively easy to understand: turning right shifts the tone toward higher frequencies, while left leaves it a more warmer, bassier sound. Drive, meanwhile, gives you a more overdriven, aggressive sound (left is less overdrive, or a cleaner sound).
Finally, we have the delay section, where you can add an echo to your sounds. The time knobs controls how long before a sound is repeated back, and Level is how much sound comes back. Feedback results in multiple echoes as the delayed note is fed back into the sound engine. With the knob all the way to the right, you get a more ethereal, soundscape-style sound.
It's worth noting that as an analog synth, you'll need an audio interface to get the signal into your computer. While it does feature USB-C connectivity, this is only for use with the basic keyboard and sequencer. If you want to hear the effects of those dials and the built-in synth, you'll need to use the raw audio output.
Creating a Tune with Donner B1
Since I have nearly zero musical talent, I asked ChatGPT to write me a banging trance song with a suggested key, baseline, melody, and drum track. It wasn't particularly imaginative on the drum track, but you can see in the video review what else it came up with.
I used the sequencer to create the suggested bass line, then swapped over to USB-C MIDI to enter the chords. Finally, I swapped over to the Donner DMK-25 Pro (which I previously reviewed) to enter a basic melody. Then I let the rest of the song play on repeat, while I messed around with the synth dials in real-time.
The resulting song snippet probably isn't going to win any awards, but it isn't utterly horrendous either. I mean, my eight-year son was impressed, so...
Do You Need the Donner B1 Analog Bass Synth?
Of course, if you just care about getting the classic 303 sound, you can get a realistic replica of it with a $10 iPhone app or VST plugin. But an official Roland TB-303 hardware re-release would set you back at least $300. The Donner B1 is just over $100 and offers basically everything the original did, as well the ability to use it as a quick and dirty USB-C MIDI keyboard. The keys don't feel great and lack any velocity, but they'll do in a pinch.
In truth, you're buying this for live performances or because you want the tactile feel of the knobs and dials; nothing beats getting your hands on the hardware to get a feel for the music.
What can I say? Everybody needs a 303.
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