Bastl’s Kastle 2 and Citadel Eurorack are now DIY kits, open source platforms

It started with Kastle 2, Bastl Instruments’ cute and clever handheld. It could be a multi-effect, a sample player, a synth. Then Citadel modules came along and did those things in Eurorack. Now, Bastl’s got a surprise: you can buy these as DIY kits, and a big chunk of the Raspberry Pi-powered platforms are being released as open source. Here are all the details.

Etsuko’s Eterna for monome norns, an elegant 6-voice slice instrument

In its bones, Eterna for monome norns returns to some of the original success of monome: doing imaginative, intuitive, musical things with slices. A single audio file transforms via 6-voice sampler/sequencer and 12-page interface into everything from delicate ambient textures to detailed grooves.

Peter Kirn - December 26, 2025

Ornament & Crime, open module, gets new powers in Phazerville 1.7

Ornament & Crime is the open module that basically is a computer – but a very elegant, minimalistic one. And with the actively developed Phazerville firmware, it keeps getting more superpowers, all on a module platform you can buy affordably or make yourself. Here’s a snapshot of how active that Phazerville development is, as version 1.7 drops.

Peter Kirn - February 20, 2024

What if modular cases were also modular? Geert’s 3D-printed solution

Peter Kirn - September 4, 2023

monome, teletype are free in VCV Rack – and hardware is returning this fall

Peter Kirn - July 27, 2023

Eurorack kits, cases, and more ways to mod your Korg NTS-1 hardware

Peter Kirn - July 3, 2023

Synthstrom Deluge synth-sampler-sequencer is now open source, GPLv3; details

Peter Kirn - May 10, 2023

Dozens of recipes on Mutable Instruments Plaits, for your Eurorack kitchen

Peter Kirn - March 19, 2023

Mutable Instruments swan song: end of production leaves huge legacy, one last Plaits update

Peter Kirn - December 15, 2022

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