Earlier Bela products, availability and support
Bela has evolved through several generations of hardware. Many of these earlier boards powered installations, instruments and research projects for years, and continue to do so today. While some are now end-of-life, we maintain documentation and software support so existing projects can continue to run reliably.
This page collects the platforms we no longer actively promote, alongside those we still produce in small quantities.
Still Available (Legacy but Active) #
Bela Cape #
The first Bela hardware platform: low-latency audio and sensor processing on the BeagleBone Black. Still widely used in thousands of projects and products worldwide, produced in small batches.
Pepper #
Pepper is a programmable Eurorack module based on our previous-generation Bela platform. In hundreds of racks worldwide, Pepper is still available as full DIY kit in small, rolling batches directly from our shop.
CTAG FACE & BEAST #
CTAG is a multichannel audio platform built around Bela and the BeagleBone Black. It remains available in limited quantities and is well suited to research labs, installations and long-running projects that require many channels of audio. Although based on an earlier generation of Bela, CTAG continues to be supported and used in production environments.
End-of-Life Products (Supported, but No Longer Manufactured) #
These products are end-of-life, but remain fully documented and supported through the Bela software ecosystem.
Bela Mini #
A compact version of the original Bela system based on the original PocketBeagle. Now EOL, but supported and well documented for ongoing projects.
Bela Mini Multichannel Expander #
An add-on board offering multichannel audio I/O. EOL, with stable software support for existing users.
Audio Capelet #
A small-format audio I/O expansion board for prototyping. End-of-life.
Multiplexer Capelet #
Allowed a large number of analog sensors to be read by Bela. EOL but still supported and frequently referenced in research and teaching materials.
Documentation and Long-Term Support #
All legacy platforms remain supported in the Bela software image, and we continue to maintain documentation, examples, and community resources for them. Many long-running installations, instruments and research systems still rely on this hardware, and we are committed to supporting them.
The Current Generation: Bela Gem #
Our latest hardware platform is the Bela Gem family — compact, powerful boards designed for long-term production and modern embedded workflows. For new projects, Bela Gem offers the best performance and long-term availability.
Bela Gem Multi
- 10 audio inputs, 10 audio outputs (8 DC-coupled), 24-bit / 96 kHz
- Ultra-low-latency audio (<1 ms round-trip typical)
- 8 × 16-bit analog inputs
- 16 × digital GPIO
- USB-A host + USB-C device
- I2C / Qwiic connector
- LiPo battery input
- Powered by PocketBeagle 2 (quad-core A53 1.4GHz)
- Dimensions: 70 × 58 x 22mm
