Bastl Instruments & Oliver Torr: Building Sonic Worlds, One Patch at a Time

The heart of Oliver’s contribution to Bastl’s Citadel lies in a sample pack that’s both personal and practical. Rather than aiming for generic utility, he’s curated sounds that he finds genuinely useful for improvisation—whether in the studio or on stage. The organization of these samples reflects his natural workflow, making them immediately playable and inspiring for spontaneous sessions.

Oliver’s history with Bastl’s Kastle series is evident, having previously crafted the Wave Bard’s base sample pack. While that earlier work was designed with universality in mind, the Citadel pack is more idiosyncratic—filled with the textures and timbres he reaches for most often. There’s even mention of a hidden Easter egg in the Wave Bard’s factory bank, hinting at Oliver’s penchant for playful sonic surprises.

Oliver describes his use of the Kastle 2 Wave Bard and other devices as a balancing act between chaos and control. He likens some machines to pure unpredictability, while the Wave Bard offers a more nuanced spectrum—allowing him to dial in just the right amount of disorder with a twist of a knob. This approach turns the instrument into a rhythmic chaos machine, ideal for improvisational jams where surprises are part of the fun.

To further shape his setup, Oliver has built custom augmentations—like button matrices and holders—that let him interact with multiple Bards and other Bastl modules in creative ways. Over time, he’s developed a tactile familiarity with these instruments, striving to play them almost instinctively. This hands-on relationship is at the core of his expressive, moment-driven sound design.

The video shifts into practical territory as Oliver demonstrates how he integrates environmental sounds into his workflow. Using wireless microphones and Ableton, he captures the ambient noise of city life—cars passing, intersections humming—and weaves these real-world textures into his improvisational sessions. This process isn’t about pristine field recording; it’s about letting the outside world inform and inspire the music in real time.

By manipulating these sounds—pitch-shifting, looping, and layering—Oliver creates overlapping sonic realities. He describes the experience of listening to both the present and a frozen moment from the past, blurring the line between documentation and creation. For Oliver, world-building is as much about context and imagination as it is about the sounds themselves.

The partnership between Oliver and Bastl Instruments is more than a typical artist endorsement. Oliver speaks of a genuine connection to the Bastl community, having collaborated with the team for years and developed friendships with the designers. This sense of shared philosophy is reflected in both his approach to sound and the instruments themselves—tools that are as inspiring to look at as they are to play.

Bastl’s ethos of openness, experimentation, and human-centred design resonates throughout the presentation. Oliver’s workflow—whether it’s running environmental audio through the Time module or building 3D-printed instruments for collaborative projects—embodies the idea that sound creation is a living, evolving process. The video closes with a nod to individuality: every artist’s universe is unique, and the best gear is the kind that helps you open your own portals.