Listen. I logged onto my laptop this morning and saw about seven videos of this new Bastl Kalimba and now I want one. I’m sure you’re going to as well after checking this out.
At first glance, the Bastl Kalimba behaves exactly as you’d expect. The 12 tines are there, inviting the familiar pluck-and-ring gesture that defines the instrument’s identity. But beneath that surface, it’s way different. A six-voice sound engine combines FM synthesis with physical modeling and stereo digital resonators, further enhanced by stereo microphones that feed into the modeling system for more organic, reactive sound behavior.
Performance control is deeply interactive, with macro-mappable bipolar knobs and multiple front-panel touchpoints that reshape sound in real time. These include pad, glide, soil, and wind controls that affect volume behavior, pitch movement, timbre, and resonator excitation, with optional accelerometer input that responds to motion like shaking or rotating the device.
Many controls can be reassigned, including pitch bend, transpose, tempo, arpeggiator behavior, and sustain, allowing highly flexible live performance setups. There is also a locking system to freeze or secure specific performance states.
The instrument includes a performative arpeggiator with five modes (up, down, up-down, ordered, and random), along with tempo division, octave control, and velocity response based on touch pressure. A built-in looper provides up to 90 seconds of recording with tempo syncing, reverse time-stretching, destructive re-recording through effects, and basic undo/redo functionality. Loop timing can be doubled, halved, or shifted across octaves for additional variation.
A built-in effects section offers creative sound shaping, including downsampling, bit crushing, distortion, chorus, flanger, tape-style emulation, filtering, delay, and reverb, each with multiple character modes (day and night variations).
A tempo engine supports manual BPM entry, tap tempo, and external clock sync, along with metronome functionality and scaling options. The instrument also includes 12 tuning scales, per-tine micro-adjustments, transpose controls, and 16 full presets that store all sound and performance settings.
Additional hardware features include a built-in speaker, rechargeable USB-C battery system, ergonomic enclosure, and strap attachment points for portability and performance use. Connectivity is extensive, with stereo headphone/line output, MIDI in/out via 3.5mm TRS, analog clock input/output, and USB-C for MIDI and firmware updates. The device is designed to be both portable and performance-focused, with a compact form factor and included protective carry case.
Pre-orders are available here via Kickstarter, which was originally seeking $52,870 and it currently over $300,000. So I think it’s safe to call it a pre-order.
Bastl also notes if they reach 1,500 Kickstarter backers, they’ll build a web app editor within a year of release. It would let users manage presets, customize RGB colors, and edit scales and arpeggios more easily, with potential for additional features later.
