The Bastl Kalimba is a wild synth that thinks it's a thumb piano

"Make no mistake, the Bastl Kalimba is a synthesizer, you just play it like a kalimba. Its tines don't really make much sound. There is an internal mic that you can blend in for a little acoustic spice, but it's mostly driven by the synth engine that combines physical modeling and FM. The tines are actually touch and velocity-sensitive triggers. And, while it can sound somewhat like a real kalimba, it's a lot more sonically versatile and offers features you can only find on a synth."

"Beyond the synth sounds that range from pluck to pads, there are also built-in effects covering basic spatial effects like delay and reverb, as well as distortion, bit crushing, and even tape emulation. There's also a multi-mode high- and low-pass filter, a simple arpeggiator."

"More interesting, though, are the looper and touch points that add unique effects. The looper has time-stretching features, can be reversed, and rerecorded through the effects for destructive processing. A series of touchpads on the front enable note glides and alter the timbre using effects that Bastl calls Soil and Wind. Those effects unlock the Kalimba's accelerometer for further timbral manipulation."

"There are also two programmable touch points on the top that can be assigned to almost any parameter, from simple pitch bends to the size of the reverb. Bastl is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for the first batch of Kalimbas. Normally, this is where you get the caveats about crowdfunded products. But Bastl Instruments is a well-established company with a long track record of delivering oddball music gear at scale."

Bastl Kalimba functions as a synthesizer played like a kalimba, with tines acting as touch and velocity-sensitive triggers rather than producing significant acoustic sound. An internal mic can be blended in for added acoustic character, while the synth engine generates tones using physical modeling and FM. Sounds range from plucks to pads and include built-in effects such as delay, reverb, distortion, bit crushing, and tape emulation. A multi-mode high- and low-pass filter and a simple arpeggiator are included. A looper supports time-stretching, reversal, and rerecording through effects for destructive processing. Touchpads enable note glides and timbre changes via Soil and Wind, using an accelerometer for further control. Two programmable touch points can be assigned to nearly any parameter, including pitch bends and reverb size.

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