Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard: Now With MIDI!
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Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard · Source: Bastl Instruments
Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard · Source: Bastl Instruments
[27 August 2025] Bastl Instruments updates its Kastle 2 Wave Bard with USB MIDI, letting you both send to the experimental sample player and – even more exciting – from!
Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard
Bastl Instruments‘ wild Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a sample-mangling powerhouse with all sorts of wild functionality. One thing it didn’t have, though, was MIDI. Thanks to a new firmware, it now does, with the USB slot now handling both MIDI in and out. That means that not only can you control the crazy box from a MIDI controller, you can send out information.
“Wave Bard is not just a sound box – it’s a powerful MIDI controller and sequencer,” says Bastle. “Send finely curated USB MIDI data to your DAW or USB MIDI device, and discover new ways of playing and interacting through a modular interface.”
The new firmware, which also addresses bugs and other issues, is free to download for owners of Kastle 2 Wave Bard. You can find it at the Bastl Instruments homepage.
Pocket-Sized Experimental Sample Player
[29 April 2025] Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard is an experimental, patchable sample player in the popular pocket-sized Kastle format. With plenty of modulation, CV control, and a pattern generator, Kastle 2 looks like heaps of sample mangling fun.
Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard
Adding to the general flurry of excitement leading up to this year’s Superbooth, Bastl Instruments began teasing the “Bard” on social media about a week ago. Now we finally know what it is! The second product on the Kastle 2 platform after last year’s Kastle 2 FX Wizard, Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a patchable stereo sample player that invites you to experiment and perform with samples in a new and unique way.
Inside the pocket-sized box is enough memory for up to 89 seconds in mono and 44 seconds in stereo at 44.1 kHz. You can also use lower-resolution samples for a lo-fi feel and even more sample time. It’s important to note that the Bard can’t sample on its own; it’s strictly a sample player. Samples are imported via a browser-based app.
A bank holds eight samples, which can be selected manually or via CV. You can adjust the length using a knob or the corresponding CV input. The knob also lets you reverse samples on the fly – a clever solution!
The pitch is adjustable continuously within a range of ± 2 octaves, with optional scale quantization. The browser app even lets you configure custom scales. For sound shaping, Kastle 2 Wave Bard offers a highpass and lowpass filter, as well as a couple of effects (stereo delay and chorus/flanger). Thanks to an audio input, you can also process external audio through the filter and FX.
For modulation, there’s an LFO with triangle and pulse waveshapes, reset, and sync. In addition, Kastle 2 Wave Bard offers a built-in clock generator and even a pattern generator for pitch, gate, and modulation. Patterns can be configured in the browser-based app.
In addition to a stereo input and output, the pocket-sized sample player offers analog sync I/O and a USB-C connector for communication with the app and firmware updates.
Price and Availability
Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard is now available for €200 (VAT included).
More Information
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