Bastl Instruments Launches Kastle 2 Wave Bard Ahead Of Superbooth 2025
Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a “semi-autonomous” patchable sample player for discovering new rhythms and riffs.
Ahead of Superbooth 2025, scheduled for May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin, Bastl Instruments has launched a new ‘experimental’ compact sample player and patchable groovebox , inspired by its popular Kastle Drum synth launched in 2020.
Bastl Instruments says this compact and portable sample player is designed to “empower you to discover new rhythms and riffs through modulation and modularity”. Onboard you’ll find a CV and Gate-based pattern generator with physical controls to modulate its output creating your own bespoke beats, triggered from the in-built LFO which can sync to your other gear or run wild, controlling the show.
Bastl describe the Wave Bard as being “semi-autonomous”; being a unit that given enough freedom will essentially compose for you, with in-built inspiration coming from the onboard sound bank lovingly put together by electronic artist Oliver Torr.
Take a closer look below:
But, of course, Wave Bard really comes into its own when you make it your own. Load the unit with your own samples, apply them to the pattern generator, tweak the sound with pitch and mod knobs and remix the patterns on the fly. A sample knob allows you to switch samples while the length control will adjust decay while turning left will allow you to adjust the attack, going all the way to reversing the sample should you go so far.
There are controls to manipulate the sequencer as it plays and the effected output is under your full command with controls for the stereo delay, chorus/flanger FX and built-in resonant filter with low- and high-pass modes. There’s even a mini patchbay on board so you can manipulate the playback by physically wiring its components together into whatever order you like.
Wave Bard has room for eight samples per bank and six factory-loaded banks, with up to 32 banks available in its computer-based editor software should you need more room to breathe. And, by virtue of being battery-powered (on three AAs) in addition to that ubiquitous USB-C port, you really can use it anywhere.
Getting samples inside is accomplished via a simple web-based app – where you can also inject new scales and rhythms to try out – and there’s a generous 89 seconds of mono sample time (that’s 44 in stereo) at a high-quality 44kHz rate. Of course, if you’re after more time or simply love that lower sample-rate sound, you can downgrade and have room to spare.
The Kastle 2 Wave Bard is available now for €190. Both Kastle 2 instruments – the Wave Bard along the FX Wizard – will be presented at Superbooth 2025 at booth #0385. Find out more on the Bastl Instruments website.
