Bastl's new instrument is a kalimba that is also a synthesizer

12 touch-sensitive tines, physical modeling, FM synthesis, a looper, and a built-in speaker—everything fits into a size you can hold in both hands.

The Kalimba announced by Bastl Instruments at Superbooth 2026 is exactly what its name suggests. It is a real, playable kalimba that is also a full-featured synthesizer. It took three years to develop and weighs 310 grams when held in your hand.

The 12 metal tines are touch and velocity-sensitive, and a built-in microphone picks up their vibrations to drive a dual-sound engine featuring stereo physical modeling resonators and FM synthesis. You can play it like a normal kalimba or just touch it to produce sound—there are two different playing modes and six bipolar knobs that allow for real-time control of timbre, excite, blend, detune, body, and decay.

The built-in accelerometer is also not to be missed. Simply tilting or rotating the unit dynamically changes the filtering of the left and right channels. It is not a gimmick; the very act of "holding" the instrument becomes a third means of sound shaping.

The effect chain covers filters, a crunch section with downsampler/bitcrusher/distortion, chorus/flanger/tape modulation, two types of delay, and two types of reverb. It also includes a looper capable of destructive re-recording, an arpeggiator, and a 16-slot preset storage function. Connection terminals include headphone/line out, dedicated CLK in, MIDI in, MIDI out/CLK out, USB-C for both MIDI and charging, and a built-in speaker.

It is the kind of instrument you want to pick up even before you hear it.

The Bastl Kalimba is now accepting orders on Kickstarter. Early bird pricing starts from €389. The limited Kickstarter Special Edition, a collaboration with Anymade Studio, is €500 (limited to 500 units, includes a dedicated front panel and custom neck strap). The retail price is expected to be €550 or more, with in-store sales expected to begin in the first half of 2027. The first batch of 1,500 units is scheduled to ship in December 2026. The campaign runs until June 6.

Specifications Overview

TypeAcoustic/digital hybrid instrument
Tines12, touch + velocity sensitive
EnginePhysical modeling + FM, 6 voices
EffectsFilter, crunch, modulation, delay, reverb
Other featuresLooper, arpeggiator, accelerometer, 16 presetsI/OHeadphone/line out, CLK in, MIDI in, MIDI out/CLK out, USB-C, built-in speaker
PowerRechargeable battery
Weight310g
Early birdFrom €389
KS Limited Edition€500 (limited to 500 units, includes dedicated panel + strap)
Planned retail priceFrom €550 (in-store from first half of 2027)
Scheduled shippingDecember 2026

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bastl-kalimba/bastl-kalimba