Training Example: Bastl Instruments – Review the Data, Give Your Score & Compare to the Real AI Evaluation

Bastl ? Instruments is a synth (trouble) maker based in Brno, Czech Rep. ?? Since 2013, we’ve been helping people develop their unique sound and build up their DIY communities centered around electronic music. We started out as a friendly group of geeks, and to this day, Bastl is a family-run operation with roots in the community.
Our wild inventions cover Eurorack modules, standalone ? analog & digital synthesizers, studio utilities, and more, and they fit perfectly into various production setups. Inside and out, they’re designed to fight boredom and routine, since we want them to be the fuel for your creativity.
Whether you’re exploring alien noise soundscapes, working on your next techno banger, or anything in-between, be ready to get your hands dirty with our classics like Thyme+, Softpop 2 or the iconic pocket synth Kastle and its successors FX Wizard, Wave Bard, and Alchemist. The whole ? platform was later extended into the Eurorack format as CITADEL and open-sourced.
We throw parties, occasionally release ? music, and collab with edu organizations like SYNTH LIBRARY in Prague and Vasulka Kitchen in Brno.
We pass on our know-how at DIY workshops and courses. All our products come with detailed guides, and we’ve open-sourced most of our schematics and code so that our instruments are ready for hacking or modding.
The ? planetary is always on our mind, and we try to produce in the most eco-friendly and responsible way possible. Our team supports diversity on all fronts, and Bastl actively encourages everyone to express themselves freely.
We embrace the odd and the unruly – come and join the party! Follow us on ? YouTube ? Instagram ? Discord ? Patreon/Blog ? TikTok ? Facebook ? Soundcloud ? GitHub.
Subscribe to our ? newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest products, community news, and special discounts.
Always designed by ⚡️ Anymade ⚡️Studio.

[H3] Déjà vu

[H4] Pow­er­ful Volt­age Util­i­ty mod­ule for volt­age pro­cess­ing, at­ten­u­a­tion, sig­nal boost­ing, cross­fad­ing, and mix­ing

[H3] Citadel Alchemist

[H4] Patch­able Eu­ro­rack Hy­brid-Syn­the­sis In­stru­ment with MI­DI

[H3] Citadel FX Wizard

[H4] Com­pact eu­ro­rack stereo mul­ti-ef­fects hero with MI­DI

[H3] Citadel Wave Bard

[H4] Ex­per­i­men­tal eu­ro­rack stereo sam­ple play­er with MI­DI

[H3] Crust

[H4] A Hard-Hit­ting Drum Voice

[H3] Neo Trinity

[H4] 6 chan­nels of ges­tur­al mu­sic-mak­ing

[H3] Ciao!!

[H4] Four high-qual­i­ty, low-noise line out­puts for the best pos­si­ble mod­u­lar-to-line lev­el con­ver­sion

[H3] Basil

[H4] Flex­i­ble Stereo Space De­lay

[H3] Aikido

[H4] Quad VCA mix­er with sub­mix rout­ing & two styles of in­te­grat­ed en­ve­lope fol­low­ers

[H3] Pizza

[H4] FM & WAVE-SHAPE Os­cil­la­tor

[H3] Buddy

[H4] Pre­amp stereo mix­er

[H3] Ikarie

[H4] Reach the peaks of alien sound­scapes with your Eu­ro­rack as mis­sion con­trol

[H3] Dark Matter

[H4] Volt­age Con­trolled Au­dio Feed­back Mod­ule

[H3] 1983

[H4] Poly­phon­ic MI­DI to CV In­ter­face

[H3] Kompas

[H4] Prob­a­bil­i­ty trig­ger gen­er­a­tor

[H3] Cinnamon

[H4] Volt­age Con­trolled State Vari­able Fil­ter

[H3] Timber

[H4] Dual Wave­form Lum­ber­jack

[H3] ABC

[H4] Sim­ple Six Chan­nel Sig­nal Mix­er

Discontinued

[H3] Waver

[H4] Wave­fold­ing Drone Mix­er

Discontinued

[H3] Skis II

[H4] Dual VC De­cay with VCA

Discontinued

[H3] Ciao!

[H4] Quad Line Out­put & Head­phones Amp

Discontinued

[H3] Popcorn

[H4] Non-lin­ear CV Se­quencer

Discontinued

[H3] Popcorn CV Exp

[H4] More CV in­puts for en­hanced con­trol of Pop­corn

Discontinued

[H3] Popcorn Gate Exp

[H4] Gate Outs Ex­pander for Pop­corn

Discontinued

[H3] Knit Rider

[H4] Six-voice Trig­ger/Gate Se­quencer

Discontinued

[H3] Knit Rider EXP

[H4] Re­set Jack and Clock Out &­ more for Knit Rid­er

Discontinued

[H3] Dynamo

[H4] Dy­nam­ics and more...

Discontinued

[H3] Tromsø

[H4] VCO, Com­para­tor and Sam­ple & Hold Com­bo

Discontinued

[H3] Tea Kick

[H4] Uni­ver­sal Ana­log Drum Cir­cuit

Discontinued

[H3] Hendrikson

[H4] Gui­tar/In­stru­ment Am­pli­fi­er with CV Cross­fad­er

Discontinued

[H3] CV Trinity

[H4] Hex Mod­u­la­tion Sig­nal Su­per­hero

Discontinued

[H3] CV Trinity Exp

[H4] Six Chan­nel In­de­pen­dent Re­set/Re-trig­ger In­puts

Discontinued

[H3] grandPA

[H4] Dual Gran­u­lar Sam­pler

Discontinued

[H3] Spa

[H4] grand­Pa Ex­pander

Discontinued

[H3] Noise Square

[H4] Ver­sa­tile Gen­er­a­tor of Nois­es and Square Wave Sig­nals

Discontinued

[H3] LOL

[H4] per­for­ma­tive mute mod­ule

Discontinued

[H3] Quattro Figaro

[H4] Quad VCA with CV In­ver­tors and Mixed Out­puts

Discontinued

[H3] Little Nerd

[H4] Clock, Trig­ger and Gate Proces­sor

Discontinued

[H3] Multiple

[H4] Pas­sive Mul­ti­ple

Discontinued

[H3] Skis

[H4] Dual De­cay En­ve­lope & VCA

Discontinued

[H3] Propust

[H4] Trip­ple Pas­sive Fil­ter

Discontinued

[H3] Solenoid

[H4] Quad Trig­ger to So­le­noid Mo­tor Dri­ver

Discontinued

[H3] Solenoid Exp

[H4] In­di­vid­ual CV Con­trol for Ve­loc­i­ty of Each Chan­nel

Discontinued

[H3] Servo

[H4] Dual CV to Ser­vo Mo­tor Dri­ver

Discontinued

[H3] DC motor

[H4] Dual Bipo­lar DC Mo­tor Dri­ver

Discontinued

[H3] Sense

[H4] Ana­log Sen­sor Cal­i­bra­tion Mod­ule

Discontinued

[H3] Clutch

[H4] Quad At­ten­u­a­tor & Vol­ume Ped­al to CV In­ter­face

Discontinued

[H3] Dup Dup

[H4] Dual Volt­age Con­trolled Footswitch

Discontinued

[H3] Kong

[H4] Dual Drumpad In­ter­face

Discontinued

[H3] Spaghetti

[H4] Util­i­ty Toolie

Discontinued

[H3] Wackel Kontakt

[H4] Bro­ken Ca­ble & Bad Con­tact Em­u­la­tor

Discontinued

[H3] VCV BASIL

[H4] Flex­i­ble Stereo Space De­lay

[H3] VCV CRUST

[H4] A Hard-Hit­ting Drum Voice

[H3] VCV PIZZA

[H4] FM & WAVE-SHAPE Os­cil­la­tor

[H3] VCV Kompas

[H4] Prob­a­bil­i­ty trig­ger gen­er­a­tor

[H3] Juice Bus

[H4] Juice­board

Discontinued

[H3] Rumburack Case

[H4] Com­plete Eu­ro­rack Case with Pow­er Sup­ply

Discontinued

[H3] Marton Case

[H4] Com­plete Eu­ro­rack Case with Pow­er Sup­ply

Discontinued

[H3] Long Skiff

[H4] Com­plete Eu­ro­rack Case with Pow­er Sup­ply

Discontinued

[H3] Marton Skiff

[H4] Com­plete Eu­ro­rack Case with Pow­er Sup­ply

Discontinued

[H3] Rumburack 2.0

[H4] Pow­er­ful Ana­log/Dig­i­tal Mod­u­lar Sys­tem

Discontinued

[H3] BOB

[H4] Ana­log pro­cess­ing mod­u­lar sys­tem

Discontinued

[H3] BOBEK

[H4] Ana­log Pro­cess­ing Mod­u­lar Sys­tem

Discontinued

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[H3] Kalimba

[H4] Ex­pres­sive and in­tu­itive hy­brid in­stru­ment and syn­the­siz­er

[H3] Kastle 2 Alchemist

[H4] Com­pact Patch­able Hy­brid-Syn­the­sis In­stru­ment with MI­DI

[H3] Kastle 2 Wave Bard

[H4] Ex­per­i­men­tal, patch­able stereo sam­ple play­er with MI­DI

[H3] Kastle 2 FX Wizard

[H4] Com­pact patch­able stereo mul­ti-ef­fects hero with MI­DI

[H3] Softpop SP2

[H4] A rare beast that ex­cels at both melody and noise in equal mea­sure

[H3] Thyme+

[H4] Step in­to the world of dig­i­tal tape. Jam with Ro­bots by your side!

[H3] Outsidify

[H4] The Bastl app for ex­plor­ing son­ic worlds around you

[H3] Bestie

[H4] Not just a mix­er. Al­so a stereo dis­tor­tion/sat­u­ra­tor with a pre-rout­ed feed­back chan­nel

[H3] Legacy

[H4] In­stru­ments that have been dis­con­tin­ued and are no longer avail­able for pur­chase

Discontinued

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Buy Here
The Kastle 2 Wave Bard is an experimental, patchable stereo sample player that empowers you to discover new rhythms and riffs through modulation and modularity.
Samples are organized in banks, which can be selected and sequenced using knobs or CVs from the built-in Pattern generator and LFO.
Reverse your sounds with the LENGTH knob and the Wave Bard’s unique reversing envelope.
Play melodic samples in quantized scales, and spice up the sound with built-in filter, delay or chorus/flanger effects.
You can load not only your own samples, but also rhythms and scales with the web-based app
You can set the number of Sequencer steps in the web-based app as well. Beyond the classic lengths, you’ll find a whole constellation of options for lovers of polyrhythms and polymeters.
Wave Bard both sends and receives USB MIDI.
[H1] Perfect portability
The Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a compact, portable instrument that runs on 3 AA batteries or USB-C, so it can inspire you anywhere, anytime. It loves to jam with your other portable gear—sync it with the sync in/out ports, and use the audio input to mix external signals with the Wave Bard’s output or run them through its built-in effects.
[H1] Modulate everything
All main parameters can be modulated and tightly sequenced by the surprisingly powerful CV and GATE pattern generator. Create groovy off-grid beats using the built-in LFO, which can be synced, reset, or left to run freely.
[H1] Follow the sound
Do not make beats—let them naturally emerge! The Wave Bard is a semi-autonomous companion that keeps surprising you with fresh ideas. Get instant inspiration from the carefully crafted factory sound bank by the one and only Oliver Torr, or load your own samples and remix on the fly.
[H1] MIDI Power-up!
From firmware version 1.1 on, Wave Bard both sends and receives USB MIDI, making studio integration a breeze! Wave Bard is not just a sound box—it’s a powerful MIDI controller and sequencer. Send finely curated USB MIDI data to your DAW or USB MIDI instrument, and discover new ways of playing and interacting through a modular interface—get ready to open a new world of the Kastle magic.
[H1] Sonic Worldbuilding
Oliver Torr — the creator of the original factory sample bank for the Kastle 2 Wave Bard, brings you his new signature Citadel Wave Bard sample pack. And it works both for Kastle 2 and Citadel. Check the sounds: Open the Sample Loader Web App, click on Preset, and select Citadel by Oliver Torr. Click on any of the samples to peak into the Glazmo world. And if you feel its sonic poetry, click Generate firmware and then load the file into your instrument. To paraphrase Oliver — dive deep, research and find or create context. Nothing is just as it seems, and everything can be a subject worthy of your attention. Bon voyage!
By the way, have you discovered the Easter-egg bank Oliver hid in the original Wave Bard factory sample bank?
[H1] Raving reviews
Kastle 2 Wave Bard and FX Wizard selected as the Needle In The Hay’s 2025 prizes in the annual competition by Happy Mag
Review: "Bastl Instruments' Kastle 2 Wave Bard is a cute, patchable and experimental groovebox that fits in your pocket" by MusicRadar
Review: "Crazy mayhem rhythm machine" by Waveform
[H1] Features
8 samples per bank (adjustable from 3 to 32 samples in the editor)
6 factory-loaded banks (up to 32 banks in the editor)
user samples can be loaded via web-based app
89 seconds sample limit (mono), 44s (stereo) at 44kHz, or combination
even more sample time available at lower sample rates
stereo audio processing at 44kHz/16-bits
PITCH knob with range of ± 2 octaves (4 octaves total)
— PITCH MOD attenuverter knob for modulating pitch
— NOTE input: quantized pitch with selectable scales (updates on trigger)
— FREE input: continuous, unquantized pitch modulation
— user-defined scales via web-based app
— BANK+PITCH MOD to change quantizer scale
— BANK+SAMPLE MOD for root note adjustment
— BANK+LFO MOD for fine tuning
— BANK+PITCH to change and preview octave
SAMPLE knob to select 1 of 8 samples
— hit the SHIFT button to trigger the selected sample
— TRIGGER input to trigger sample playback
— SAMPLE MOD input with attenuation and two modes:
— PLAY: CV modulation directly trigger samples
— CUE: CV aims at samples and playback waits for a trigger
BANK input with attenuation to change sample banks using CV
LENGTH envelope knob
— turn right to adjust decay
— turn left to reverse samples and add attack
— during attack, samples don't retrigger
— LENGTH MOD input with attenuverter
— LENGTH MOD updates only at trigger
— patchable ENV output of the envelope
stereo delay or chorus/flanger FX
resonant FILTER with Lowpass/Highpass modes
LFO with triangle and pulse output, reset input, attenuverting modulation, synced or free
Tempo generator with tap tempo, divider, and external clock input
Pattern generator (tempo synced) with GATE and CV output, patch-programmable
GATE generator contains RHYTHM patterns user-programmable via web-based app
user-defined number of Sequencer steps via the web-based app
stereo input with input gain (up to +12db), accepts up to 6 Vpp signal
input can be mixed at the output or run thru the built in effects
stereo output capable of driving headphones up to 250 Ohm
analog sync input
analog sync output
modular I/O connections via right channel of the sync jacks
USB MIDI Input (clock, notes, CCs, pitch bend)
USB MIDI Output to use as a MIDI controller/sequencer (clock, notes, CCs, pitch bend)
[H1] Tutorials
Kastle 2 with MIDI is crazy! | Firmware update Video Manual with Wes a.k.a. @soffter
Tiny FX box with MIDI control. Bastl WAVE BARD and FX WIZARD with @SynthDad
Bastl Kastle 2 WAVE BARD – Video Manual with Wes
Bastl Kastle 2 Wave Bard: Everything You Need to Know to Start by @Shimmery.mp3
Wild semi-modular synths that FIT IN YOUR POCKET? Bastl Kastle 2 Wave Bard & FX Wizard by @Turbo Tambourine
It's Not Broken, It's Bastl. // The Kastle 2 Wave Bard by @StephenMcLeod
[H1] What's in the box
Kastle 2 Wave Bard unit
quickstart guide
10 patch cables
sticker
for environmental reasons, we are excluding the batteries from the package
[H1] Technical Details
USB-C (firmware updates, USB MIDI, uploading samples, power)
3x AA battery power (both rechargeable and non)
power consumption approx. 100-150 mA, should last up to 15-18 hours on 3x AA batteries.
[H1] Web-based App
Use the Sample loader app to load not only your own samples, but also rhythms and scales. You can set the number of Sequencer steps as well:
web app
[H1] Open-source
Kastle 2 Wave Bard comes with open-source firmware and schematics. Feel free to tweak it as you like, or get inspired and create a new instrument based on it!
[H1] DIY KIT
You can build your own Kastle 2 with our full DIY kit. Go through the complete assembly guide below and make sure that you understand all the steps.
BUY DIY KIT
Complete assembly guide pdf
Disclaimer:
We do not provide technical assistance or remote troubleshooting for DIY Kits. All PCB boards are fully tested before leaving our factory.
If you need help after assembly, we offer a paid repair service called Come to Daddy. Shipping costs are the customer’s responsibility.
[H1] Downloads
quickstart guide pdf
CHN quickstart guide pdf
JPN quickstart guide pdf
complete manual pdf
JPN complete manual pdf
Wave Bard's Cookbook pdf
Wave Bard MIDI cheat sheet pdf
Wave Bard patch sheets pdf
Kastle 2 PO Sync Guide pdf
calibration guide pdf
latest firmware v1.6 zip
how to update & release notes pdf
FAQ
press release pdf
press kit drive
[H1] Audio
Bastl · WAVE BARD
[H3] Video