Bastl Instruments Kastle ARP

Bastl Instruments Kastle ARP Synthesizer at a Glance:

The Kastle ARP from Bastle Instruments is a pocket-sized patchable synthesizer with a unique melody generator. The tone generation is based on a quantized sine wave oscillator with a digital waveshaper. As an alternative to Waveshaper, the timbre control can be used to mix between sine waves and 8-bit chiptunes. The pitch selection uses simple concepts to create a surprising complexity; "melody mill" is the best way to describe it. The quantized oscillator is always perfectly tuned, and the pitch can be selectively modulated via the NOTE and CHORD inputs. The decay envelope adds variety by occasionally skipping pitches before triggering again. The voltage-controllable LFO generates square and triangle waveforms. Additionally, the bass output plays the root of the current chord, enhancing the overall sound. The Kastle ARP is definitely a small experimental box for musicians who want to be guided by the result or just listen to the playful, self-generated sounds.