HAINBACH Gets Weird: Bastl Kalimba Reviewed Like a Roo on a Trampoline

Right off the bat, HAINBACH introduces us to the Bastl Kalimba—a synth that looks like a kalimba and a game controller had a cheeky rendezvous. This isn’t your nan’s thumb piano; it’s a physical modeling and FM looping synth, wrapped in a 3D-printed shell and brimming with oddball potential. Bastl sent HAINBACH an early unit, and he wastes no time showing off its unique design and the promise of its Kickstarter roots.

The Kalimba’s blend of tactile playability and digital wizardry is a breath of fresh air in a world full of samey synth boxes. It’s got the soul of an acoustic instrument but the brain of a mad scientist, and HAINBACH’s playful approach makes it clear: this is an instrument for those who want their music-making to be as unpredictable as a kangaroo on a Red Bull bender.

With firmware 0.6 under the hood, the Bastl Kalimba is still a bit of a wild child. HAINBACH dives into the quirks—layering loops, syncing internally and externally, and, most importantly, abusing the looper’s glitchy side-effects. The early firmware is full of delightful chaos, letting you stack textures and even create some absolute filth by pushing the looper into sonic meltdown territory.

For those who love a bit of sonic mayhem, these glitches are pure gold. HAINBACH cheekily hopes Bastl keeps some of these artefacts for the freaks who like to sonically destroy things. If you’re the type who enjoys a bit of musical mischief, this section of the video is a must-watch—words can’t do justice to the crunchy, unpredictable sounds that erupt when you start pitching loops up and down. It’s as much fun as a BBQ gone off the rails.

Don’t be fooled by the chaos—the Bastl Kalimba can also serve up sweet, melancholic melodies that’ll have you drifting like a lazy arvo on the Yarra. HAINBACH shows how the internal mic picks up the plucking of the tines, driving the physical modeling and FM engine to create everything from microtonal drones to lo-fi study beats. It’s a surprising shift from the earlier glitch-fest, proving this box isn’t just a one-trick pony.

The FM engine delivers everything from Rhodes-like tones to dreamy pads, and the metronome doubles as a hi-hat for extra groove. Whether you’re after gentle plucks or lush drones, the Kalimba’s got you covered. It’s a rare synth that can go from outback storm to Sunday chill in the blink of an eye—just don’t expect it to hold your hand through the process.

Here’s where things get spicy. HAINBACH explores the Bastl Kalimba’s versatility, flipping between traditional plucking and experimental pad mode. You can blend it with other instruments, use the gold plates for touch-sensitive note control, and dive into a feature set that includes an internal speaker, multiple scales, arpeggiator, delay, reverb, modulation buttons, accelerometer, MIDI, and more. It’s like Bastl crammed a festival’s worth of gear into something you can chuck in your backpack.

But don’t expect a smooth ride if you’re a seasoned kalimba player—those tines are a bit rough, and the playing technique is a tad different. HAINBACH admits it’s less comfy than some acoustic kalimbas, but the expressive pad mode and modulation points open up a world of sound. Whether you’re a knob-twiddler or a finger-plucker, there’s plenty to discover, and the real magic is best experienced in the video’s performance snippets. Trust me, you’ll want to see (and hear) it in action.