Rubén Terron Rodriguez has released Kalimba: Pocket Synth, a new iOS app that blends the character of a Kalimba with a Synthesizer.
At this year’s Superbooth, Bastl Instruments unveiled the Kalimba Synthesizer that became an instant hit. This fascinating instrument raised €1 million on Kickstarter.
For those who—for whatever reason—didn’t back the project, an app is now available that combines both instruments. Rubén Terron Rodriguez, who previously released the “16 Drones” and “Omni” apps, presents the Kalimba Pocket Synth—a fusion of a kalimba and a Synthesizer.
Rubén Terron Rodriguez Kalimba
Kalimba: Pocket Synth is a new iOS Synthesizer app that transforms the kalimba into expressive plucks, evolving sustain textures, and rhythmic performances.
When you open the app, you are greeted by a layout that resembles a traditional kalimba. At its core, however, Kimba: Pocket Synth by Rubén Terron Rodriguez is more than that, with sample playback and synthesis engines you can freely combine.
It starts with a natural kalimba sampler where you can adjust the level. The second layer consists of an E-Kalimba physical modeling pluck engine with various controls and presets. Tone, body, metal, air, vibrato, envelope, and more let you shape the sound.
These parameters let you explore a wide range of kalimba sounds. The third one is a wavetable engine with various wavetables that gives you a bit of a gritty timbre. Use them independently or in combination for a hybrid pluck sound.
You can play them directly from the configurable strips, and use different keys and scales. Additionally, you have an E-Kalimba and wavetable sustain engine that adds an ambient quality to your Kalimba tones. Play it with the upper section of the strips.
To refine your tones, the engine also houses built-in fully adjustable effects: distortion, delay, and reverb processors.
For animation and more evolving tones, it also features a multi-wave LFO system that lets you draw a modulation area directly onto each assigned strip.
It’s fun that you can animate the sustain part (drone/ambient layer) while continuing to play the “Kalimba” as usual – this lets you have two distinct sounds playing simultaneously.
Performance Play
The Kalimba: Pocket Synth app can be played just like any standard kalimba; however, the version developed by Rubén Terron Rodriguez includes tools only possible in a virtual instrument or later in the Bastl Kalimba.
The built-in MIDI looper lets you capture melodies on the fly. Press on it and play it. Once done, it will play it back. A bit of a pity the recorded loop isn’t visible in the looper section. Next to this is a repeater that you can play by touching the repeat button and a strip.
One step further, it also features an arpeggiator and a strum mode, giving you more ways to play the Kalimba. The menu system also hides a generative sequencer and a drone mode. The latter is for the plucked engines.
The app ships with various ready-to-use presets. In compatible AUv3 hosts, Kalimba: Pocket Synth can work as an instrument or as a MIDI processor controlling another instrument.
And in case you’re wondering: yes, you can adjust the number of strips—anywhere from 5 to 17. I’m particularly fond of portrait mode, which gives off more of a “kalimba” vibe—especially on an iPhone, given its compact size.
First Impression
A well-designed app that I’ve grown increasingly fond of the more I’ve played with it. It’s not a massive synth engine, but anyone who enjoys the sound of a kalimba should definitely take a look. The free version is available to try, and if you enjoy it, you can go Pro at any time and get the AUv3 version.
Rubén Terron Rodriguez Kalimba: Pocket Synth is available now as a free download from the Apple App Store. You can unlock the Pro version with AUv3 via in-app purchase for 9,99€
More information here: Rubén Terron Rodriguez / App Store
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