Bastl Kalimba

What is Bastl Kalimba?

Bastl Kalimba is a unique desktop instrument that combines microphones, touch sensors, and an accelerometer, with a user interface inspired by the traditional kalimba and its main interaction element: the tines. 

We believe that this combination of features and physical interface leads to intuitive creativity and easy musical expression.

Just play it, you already know it.

Inspired by the legendary instrument

Treat it like an acoustic Instrument, it will answer like one

Plucking the Kalimba’s tines with varying intensity is captured by internal microphones and touch-sensitive areas, which then excite both the physical modelling engine and the FM engine. In certain settings, you can even excite the engine by knocking or strumming on the unit’s casing or directly on the tines.

Intuitive features with a Bastl twist

Motion and expressiveness are central to this instrument. The internal accelerometer acts as an alternative exciter for the physical modelling engine, while also interacting with the FM engine by dynamically filtering the left and right channels as you move and rotate the device. The front panel features function-based touch points (for creating pads, pitch slides, and timbral modulation) and there are also 2 function-assignable ones on the back of the device.

Custom scales, octave shifting, an arpeggiator, presets, an internal layering looper, tempo/metronome, and built-in effects (such as reverb, delay, bit-crush, overdrive, filtering, and modulation) are all included.

Developed with artists for any occasion

Kalimba has been one of the most challenging development projects Bastl has endured so far. Instrument’s hardware interface based on tines had to go through several iterations to endure uncompromising stress tests. Kalimba’s casing also went through several versions to guarantee the best possible ergonomic shape for a human hand of any size.

Close collaboration and hands-on testing with our friendly artists, such as Oliver Torr, Never Sol, and others, were essential in developing an instrument that is both practical and fun for everyone—from hobby musicians to professional artists and producers.

Take it Anywhere

Sensitivity of internal microphones is well tuned so you don't have to worry about feedback on a loud stage. With a rechargeable battery via USB-C and built-in speaker, the Bastl Kalimba is also a great companion for outdoor and commuting adventures.

YouTube's First Impressions

Connectivity

Interface and sync with your studio with the rich connectivity that includes, CLK in jack, MIDI IN jack and MIDI OUT/CLK OUT jack, USB MIDI etc.

Evolution of Bastl Kalimba

We have spent more than three years developing this instrument, exploring different casing shapes, tine lengths, materials, internal designs, features, and visual directions. We couldn’t be more grateful and proud of the entire Bastl team for what they have accomplished and how much heart they’ve put into this project ❤️

Bastl Kalimba's Kickstarter Special Edition

As a thank you for your support on Kickstarter, we wanted to create something special. Together with our friends at Anymade Studio, we designed an exclusive front panel for the Bastl Kalimba’s Kickstarter launch. You can get this special edition, along with a custom neck strap, for €500. This edition is limited to 500 units.

Availability and Exclusivity

The Bastl Kalimba launches on Kickstarter first to fund its production. As this is our most ambitious project to date, with great potential but also a significant risk, we believe Kickstarter is the right place to kick it off (pun intended).
After producing and shipping the Bastl Kalimba to our backers, we will begin manufacturing units for our global network of retailers. You can expect to find the Kalimba in stores near you by the end of the first half of 2027.

Expected delivery date 📦

The first batch of 1 500 units is expected to ship in December 2026. If demand exceeds this number, we plan to ship a second batch (up to 750 Kalimbas) in early 2027.

For those interested in getting a Bastl Kalimba after the Kickstarter campaign ends, you can join our waiting list via the official Bastl Instruments website to receive the latest updates on availability—both in our B-shop and at local retailers, but the price will see an increase to at least 550 Eur.

Shipping, Taxes & International Orders

Shipping isn’t included in your pledge. We’ll collect shipping later through the Pledge Manager when we’re getting ready to ship. 
This allows us to lock in the best possible rates closer to delivery.
We’re actively working with our logistics partners to bring these costs down as much as possible.

Taxes & Duties

Depending on your country, taxes or duties may apply. We work with regional import partners and handle the whole process so you don’t have to deal with customs yourself.
The exact amount will be calculated based on your country and collected through the Pledge Manager before we ship. That means you’ll see the full cost in advance, and nothing unexpected should show up when your Bastl Kalimba arrives.

Tiers

Add-Ons

TEAM

At Bastl Instruments, we actively take part in the contemporary music scene by developing future-proof musical instruments and catalyzing change in the ecosystems we find ourselves in. Our team creates and promotes new opportunities for performers, and together we explore the potential for the social impact of music in the real world and online. We already are established brand known for inovation and we have been delivering unique instruments to creatives since 2013.

Our primary motivation is to develop and produce original instruments that allow all of us to make our very own unique music. With Bastl’s innovation-driven design and often unprecedented functionality, we expand the possibilities of composition, experimentation, and live performance, influencing the present and the future of music-making. 

To us, music is an ecosystem of people, events, and tools. All through this ecosystem, we want to interact, find new forms of expression, and fuel the creation of action-ready communities.

We're deeply rooted in the Do It Yourself culture (“bastl” in Czech), which inspires us to engage with tech hands-on. However, we want to reshape it and use it to fit the needs of society without being blindly led by ready-made hardware. That's why we invent our own instruments, offer DIY kits, and organize workshops and courses. By teaching and running events, we encourage not only local folks’ individual involvement in music-making, but we also foster a sense of community and try to pass on our passion for electronic music-making.

We have a small yet very innovative team of inventors who seek new ways of interacting with sound and producing electronic music. All our ideas have been grounded in the needs of our community, and these ideas have been tested continuously by performing in front of live audiences. Making music is and always has driven our development.

Stretch Goal: Bastl Kalimba Web-App Editor 💻

Even though you can set up custom scales, fine-tune them directly on the device, and adjust the arp type, scales, and rate, we want to create a faster and more comfortable solution to help anyone make changes to their Bastl Kalimba.
If this Kickstarter project reaches 1,500 backers for the Bastl Kalimba, we will develop a web app editor where you could manage your presets, set custom RGB colors, and edit your scales or arps as part of a future update within a year of the product’s release. We also see great potential to add even more features to this app in the future.

Complete list of Features

• 12 tone tines 
  • touch and velocity sensitive
  • each holds tone with micro tuning adjustment 
  • for plucking or touch sound playing
  • each with light responding to playing
• 6 voices - Unique sound engine 
  • FM synthesis
  • physical modeling with stereo digital resonators
  • Stereo microphones for exciting the physical modeling engine
  • interactive macro mapping across 6 bipolar control knobs
  • Octave switching
• Front Panel Touchpoints
  • Pad touch point for altering the behaviour of tines into manual volume fading 
  • Glide touch point for touch based pitch slides between tines
  • SOIL and WIND touch points to alter the timbre, activate accelerometer and excite the resonators
  • Advanced locking feature for touch points, tines and arpeggiator
• Assignable L/R touch points 
  • can be assigned to any knob/effect
  • can also be assigned to: pitch bend (+/- 1 or 7 semitones), transpose (+/- 7 or 12 semitones), tempo, arpeggiator octave and rate, pad, glide, velocity add and sustain
• Accelerometer
  • Sound animation with movement (rotating/shaking the device)
• Performative Arpeggiator 
  • 5 modes: up/down/up-down/order/random
  • velocity is set with touch pressure
  • Tempo divider
  • set octaves
• Built in looper
  • free running or tempo synced with unique reversing time stretch
  • 90 seconds loop time
  • double/half the looper time
  • up/down an octave
  • destructive looping (rerecord the looper thru the built in effects)
  • undo/redo (1 layer)
• Built in effects: 
  • Downsampler/Bit crusher/Distortion (RAT style)
  • Chorus/Flanger/Tape emulation
  • Filter that softly cuts high or low frequencies
  • Reverb/Delay 
    • two models for each - day time/night time
    • adjustable decay/time and send level
• Tempo generator 
  • numerical BPM input
  • tap tempo
  • external clock divider/multiplier
  • half/double tempo
  • hi-hat style metronome
• 12 scales = tuning presets
  • tuning for each tine with micro pitch adjustments
  • Easy scale semitone transpose
• 16 presets - holds all sound and arpeggiator settings
• 6 level sensitivity setting for different climates and hands
• Built in speaker
• Built in battery charged by USB-C 
• Neck/wrist strap holes
• Ergonomic enclosure

Connectivity

• Stereo headphone/line level output -3.5mm ~ 1/8" TRS - 150 mW per channel
• MIDI input: 3.5mm ~ 1/8" TRS (Type A)
• Analog clock input: 3.5mm ~ 1/8" TS
• MIDI output 3.5mm ~ 1/8" TRS (Type A) / Analog clock output TS (selectable)
• USB-C MIDI input/output
• USB-C firmware updates/charging

Dimensions & Weight

• Dimensions: (L × W × H): 144 × 95 × 50 mm / 5.67 × 3.74 × 1.97 in
• Weight: 310 g / 0.68 lb
• Comes with a compact protective hardshell carry case