Bastl Instruments Basil

Flexible Stereo Space Delay

Basil is a compact, yet flexible, digital stereo delay module built on the Bastl Pizza platform. It offers clean delay, as well as lo-fi flavors, and its Space section opens the doors to exploration far beyond simple delay territory. The Basil delay buffer modulates really well, allowing to recreate most classic time-based effects, such as chorus, flanger, vibrato, pitch shifter, reverb, and stereo widener, among others, and navigate between them with just a few performative gestures.

Go clean, go dirty, go hyper. In stereo!

Basil is ideal for clean effects, ambient washes, glitchy sound design, or distorted drones. With its V/Oct input, fine delay tuning, and filter in the feedback path, it can also be effectively used as part of a Karplus-Strong synthesis voice. Even the feedback amount is compensated with the shortest delay times to maintain constant decay characteristics when changing pitch.

The delay time features stereo spread and fine-tune components, and can be synchronized to the clock via the Sync jack. The Feedback knob has two sides - simple feedback and ping pong mode, where the Left and Right channels cross-feedback.

The frontiers of space and time at your fingertips

The Space section brings a variety of flavors to the table! The Blur function provides two ways to diffuse the delay – either directly or in the feedback path, tilting the Basil delay towards the realm of experimental reverb machines. The feedback Filter offers low-pass and high-pass modes that can make the sound brighter or darker. And finally, Taps are multi-taps with either odd or even spacing, adding density to your delays and reverbs.

The assignable CTRL knob and CV allow you to modulate any of the many parameters (time, stereo, fine, dry/wet, feedback, speed, freeze, lo-fi, blur, filter, and taps) and tailor the Basil delay to your preferred use.

Drone till oblivion

The Speed section allows for longer delay times by running the buffer at half speed or – in the extended range – at quarter and eighth speeds. This approach creates octave jumps, ensuring the delays remain in tune with your material. It is also great for creating drone layers.

Because the sample rate goes very low at lower speeds, Basil brings in a low-pass anti-aliasing filter that removes high frequencies. However, you can also turn the filter off with the LO-FI setting and enjoy some downsampled goodness at lower speeds.

The Freeze function treats the delay buffer as a read-only sample loop that can be layered with the incoming signal. You can sync it and use all the other modifications with it as well.

Features

• flexible STEREO delay buffer
• stereo inputs (Left normalized to Right) and outputs
• V/OCT DELAY input suitable for Karplus Strong synthesis
• STEREO spread
• FINE tune of delay time (for tonal applications)
• SYNC input for synchronized delays
• HALF SPEED with an extended range of quarter and eighth speeds suitable for octave jumps
• max sample rate 41.66 kHz, 16-bit
  — max delay time in stereo 0.5 s
  — max delay time in mono (via ping-pong) 1 s
  — max delay time at half speed in stereo 1 s (2 s at quarter and 4 s at eighth)
• LO-FI setting for turning off the anti-aliasing filter for lower sample-rates
• DRY/WET mix with a constant power curve
• FEEDBACK knob and CV with normal (right) and ping pong (left) modes
• FREEZE function to act as micro looper or for ambient washes
• SPACE section to add more dimension
  — BLUR for diffusion (inside or outside feedback)
  — FILTER in the feedback path
  — multi-TAPS for adding density
• assignable CTRL knob and CV (time, stereo, fine, dry/wet, feedback, speed, freeze, lo-fi, blur, filter, taps)
• firmware updates via micro USB
• based on the Bastl Pizza HW platform (different FW and front panel)