Have you ever wondered how to generate rhythm on a patchable drum machine that has neither buttons, nor a programmable sequencer? We have and turns out you gotta discover it!
Kastle was originally released in Fall 2016 and gained instant popularity as an affordable, pocket-sized modular synth. We processed a lot of feedback and introduced a much improved version v1.5 a year later. Now we’re revisiting the concept once again with an alternative way to operate the same hardware.
The design process gave birth to a seemingly limited, but in fact an innovative and quite playful take on a rhythm box that is using some novel concepts, like the dynamic acceleration envelope to build “a lot of dynamic rhythm” out of very little modulation.
The Kastle Drum is a special edition of Bastl’s classic mini modular synth focusing on algorithmic industrial glitchy drums.
Drum sound synthesis with a unique dynamic acceleration charged envelope makes this rhythm box surprisingly versatile and extremely fun to play. The built-in VC clock generator with a stepped pattern sequencer can either run on its own or it can be synchronized to analog clock, while retaining the triangle LFO for parameter modulation.
The Kastle Drum is a mini modular synthesizer with a headphone output, 2 in/out ports for interfacing other gear, and it runs on just 3 AA batteries. It is ideal for beginners in modular synthesis, but it will add some quite unique functionality to any modular synthesizer system. It delivers the fun of modular synthesis at a low price and fits into your pocket so you can play it anywhere!
8 drum synthesis styles
”noises” output for less tonal content
DRUM selects drum sounds
acceleration charge dynamic envelope
decay time
PITCH control with offset and CV input with attenuator
voltage-controllable clock with square and triangle output
stepped voltage generator with random, 8 step and 16 step loop mode
2 I/O CV ports that can be routed to any patch point
the main output can drive headphones
3x AA battery operation or USB power selectable by a switch
open source
durable black & gold PCB enclosure
dimensions: 70 x 60 x 50 mm
powered by 3x AA battery or Micro USB
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
Product Overview
Have you ever wondered how to generate rhythm on a patchable drum machine that has neither buttons, nor a programmable sequencer? We have and turns out you gotta discover it!
Kastle was originally released in Fall 2016 and gained instant popularity as an affordable, pocket-sized modular synth. We processed a lot of feedback and introduced a much improved version v1.5 a year later. Now we’re revisiting the concept once again with an alternative way to operate the same hardware.
The design process gave birth to a seemingly limited, but in fact an innovative and quite playful take on a rhythm box that is using some novel concepts, like the dynamic acceleration envelope to build “a lot of dynamic rhythm” out of very little modulation.
The Kastle Drum is a special edition of Bastl’s classic mini modular synth focusing on algorithmic industrial glitchy drums.
Drum sound synthesis with a unique dynamic acceleration charged envelope makes this rhythm box surprisingly versatile and extremely fun to play. The built-in VC clock generator with a stepped pattern sequencer can either run on its own or it can be synchronized to analog clock, while retaining the triangle LFO for parameter modulation.
The Kastle Drum is a mini modular synthesizer with a headphone output, 2 in/out ports for interfacing other gear, and it runs on just 3 AA batteries. It is ideal for beginners in modular synthesis, but it will add some quite unique functionality to any modular synthesizer system. It delivers the fun of modular synthesis at a low price and fits into your pocket so you can play it anywhere!
8 drum synthesis styles
”noises” output for less tonal content
DRUM selects drum sounds
acceleration charge dynamic envelope
decay time
PITCH control with offset and CV input with attenuator
voltage-controllable clock with square and triangle output
stepped voltage generator with random, 8 step and 16 step loop mode
2 I/O CV ports that can be routed to any patch point
the main output can drive headphones
3x AA battery operation or USB power selectable by a switch
open source
durable black & gold PCB enclosure
Technical Specs
Shipping Details
How much is my shipping?
Shipping is automatically calculated before you submit your payment information. Simply add items to your cart and proceed to the checkout page, where you'll be offered shipping options and their prices. In the UK it's normally around £4 for order values under £150, and free above that. Shipping to mainland EU is typically between £7 and £20, depending on the shipping method and the size and weight of the order.
Do you ship to my country?
Almost certainly - the site will give you an estimate of shipping costs if you add an item to the cart and then enter your country and postcode. If you have specific requirements (such as if you prefer UPS over FedEx, for example) then let us know in advance and we'll try to work something out for you.
Shipping methods
We use a combination of Parcelforce, DPD, Royal Mail and UPS for the UK, and for international orders it's either Royal Mail, UPS, DHL or FedEx depending on where you are in the world. If you have a particular preference then try to let us know BEFORE you order so we can look into it for you. Please note that there may occasionally be additional shipping charges if you live in a remote area, depending on what surcharges are applied by the shipper. We'll get in touch to discuss this with you in such cases.
Dispatch times
For UK orders, we normally dispatch the same working day if we get the order before 15:00. If you have a really urgent situation then of course drop us an email before ordering and we'll always do our absolute best to accommodate you.
For international orders, we normally dispatch the same day if we get the order before 13:00 but again, occasionally it might be the next day before we can send it out, and sometimes FedEx or UPS may come a little earlier than scheduled which would also push an order into the next day.
Shipping times
Since April 2020 the couriers we use have suspended guarantees for shipping times, so even though we're paying them for priority services - 24-48 hours for most of the world - in practice it's often an extra day on top and sometimes it can be longer.
There is absolutely nothing we can do about this unfortunately. If you are outside the UK and it's a life-or-death situation where you absolutely MUST have that passive mult for the next day then... it may be better to find a local supplier.
Saturday shipping
If you're in the UK and you order before 15:30 on a Friday then we can send something for a Saturday delivery (NB: this applies to UK mainland addresses only). The success rate with DPD is about 95% so it's worth a punt most of the time. Please note that if you select Saturday shipping on an order placed earlier in the week, we'll wait until Friday to ship it.
Pre-orders
If a product is listed as a pre-order, it means we've ordered it from the supplier but it's not physically in stock yet. The product listing will include an estimated shipping date based on the best information we have from the supplier, but do bear in mind this is subject to change and is not a guaranteed date.
If you place an order containing a mixture of in-stock and pre-order items, we'll normally hold off on shipping anything until the pre-order item(s) have arrived, rather than splitting it into multiple shipments. If you need the in-stock items sooner, we'd recommend placing separate orders. As always, please get in touch if you have questions.
