Compact, Patchable, and Quirky Pocket Groovebox: The Bastl Instruments Kastle 2 Wave Bard Offers Experimental Rhythm Creations
Hitting the Brick Wall of Superbooth: As the electronic music community gathers for Europe's largest gear spectacle next week, brands, big and small, are unleashing their newest creations. Prepare to meet the Kastle 2 Wave Bard, a petite sample player and patchable groovebox from Bastl Instruments, joining a seemingly growing tribe of samplers adopting a distinctly medieval feel in the last year.
This compact, portable, and liberating sample player, Bastl Instruments claims, enables the exploration of fresh rhythms and licks using modulation and modularity. Among its features is a CV and Gate-driven pattern generator equipped with hands-on controls to modulate its output, facilitating your unique beat sculpting endeavors. The generator's rhythmic pulses can be triggered from the built-in LFO, which can sync with other gear or deviate freely, steering the dancefloor.
Bastl labels the Wave Bard as semi-autonomous, indicating a unit eager to compose for you with in-built inspiration courtesy of electronic artist Oliver Torr's lovingly crafted sound bank.
But, don't just take it for a ride out of the box; Wave Bard truly excels when personalized. Slot your samples into it, feed them to the pattern generator, tweak the sounds with knobs for pitch and modulation, and remix patterns on the fly. There's a sample knob for quick sample swapping and a length control adjusting decay, with leftward tweaks adjusting attack - even allowing for sample reversal if you fancy the idea.
Controls to fine-tune the sequencer playing and manage the effected output are at your fingertips. Manipulate the soul-stirring stereo delay, slide into chorus/flanger FX, and master the built-in resonant filter with low- and high-pass modes. A mini patchbay is included, allowing for manipulation of playback by physically connecting components in the sequence you prefer.
Wave Bard can accommodate eight samples per bank and boasts six factory-loaded banks, with 32 banks available in its computer-based editor software, should you require additional creative space. And, due to its battery-powered nature (running on three AAs) and USB-C port, you can assert your creative dominance anywhere, anytime.
Transporting your samples aboard the Wave Bard is a breeze, courtesy of a straightforward web-based app, where you can also inject fresh scales and rhythms. Enjoy 89 seconds of high-quality mono sample time (44 seconds in stereo), with support for lower sample rates if preferred, offering more playtime for those who embrace the lo-fi aesthetic.
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Wave Bard 2 fetches €160. Dive into Bastl Instruments' website to delve deeper into this enticing mysterio-tech contraption.
Note: Recent months have seen a few intriguing releases featuring a medieval aesthetic in samplers:
- The Illuminated Medieval Sampler: Dimension-defying embroidered artwork depicting a unicorn, medieval figures, and a dramatic background, manifesting modern art's connection to its medieval roots[1].
- Castle Sampler #2 Cross Stitch Pattern: This captivating cross-stitch pattern offers a theoretical medieval aesthetic, available for printing as a PDF, allowing users to craft their dreamy medieval motifs[4].
Further exploration of medieval aesthetics in samplers is scarce, but medieval-inspired fashion and art continue to thrive in popular culture, noticeable in various digital mediums such as TikTok videos focusing on medieval fashion trends[3].
- The Kastle 2 Wave Bard, a new gadget in the realm of technology, blends entertainment with music by offering a petite sample player and patchable groovebox, adopting a distinctly medieval aesthetic that mirrors recent trends in technology and art.
- As the electronic music community delves into Europe's largest gear spectacle, the intriguing world of technology and entertainment intertwines, with gadgets like the Wave Bard 2, joining a lineup of unique and immersive sampling devices thatcontinue to draw inspiration from medieval aesthetics, resonating with popular culture and art.
