Stereo and multichannel audio boards for embedded DSP
Bela has just launched Bela Gem – a new open-source audio platform for the PocketBeagle® 2 — on Crowd Supply. These two new boards, Bela Gem Stereo and Bela Gem Multi, bring real-time, high-resolution audio I/O to the Beagle ecosystem with sub-millisecond latency and a growing ecosystem of developer tools.
Embedded Audio and Sensor Processing
The Bela Gem boards are designed to mount directly to PocketBeagle 2 using the two 2×18 pin headers. Built around the PB2’s quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC and its PRUs, they provide:
- Bela Gem Stereo: 2-in/2-out audio, ultra-compact
- Bela Gem Multi: 10-in/10-out audio, 8 outputs can be DC-coupled ±5 V
- all:
- Audio quality: 24-bit / 96 kHz
- Latency: ~1 ms end-to-end
- Analog: 8 channels, 16-bit, 24 kHz
- Digital: 16 GPIO, 48 kHz
- Connectivity: USB-A, I²C, QWIIC
This makes Bela Gem ideal for synthesisers, haptics, sound installations, spatial audio systems, DIY musical instruments and more.
Software & IDE: Fast Prototyping Meets Full Control
One of the key strengths of Bela Gem is its powerful and intuitive development environment. Every Bela Gem board runs a pre-configured Linux system (Debian) that includes the Bela IDE: a browser-based tool for writing, compiling, running, and debugging code directly on the board.
The IDE gives immediate access to Bela’s real-time audio engine, along with the full range of onboard peripherals: audio codec, analog inputs, GPIO, and I²C/QWIIC. No driver setup or kernel config needed — just power it up and start developing.
Built on Beagle Since Day One
Bela has always been powered by BeagleBoard.org hardware. From the original Bela audio cape for BeagleBone Black in 2016, of which there are thousands now out in the world deployed in research labs and music studios worldwide, Bela’s platform is tightly coupled with the Beagle family.
“We chose Beagle hardware back in 2015 because of the low-latency potential with PRUs and the openness of the platform. Almost ten years later, we’re still building on Beagle—now with more power and portability than ever.”
— Giulio Moro, Bela co-founder and lead engineerWith Bela Gem, the project now enters its next chapter, bringing that same real-time DSP capability to the new generation of Beagle boards.
Programming Options
You can develop Bela Gem projects using:
- C++ for real-time DSP and hardware access (also Arduino-style)
- Pure Data for patch-based audio/interaction design
- Max RNBO via export
- SuperCollider
- Csound
- FAUST via export
The IDE includes an integrated oscilloscope, build system, console, and hundreds of example projects, all accessible from your browser when you are connected to the board.
Low-Level Access
Prefer to work from the terminal? Bela Gem also supports anything you normally run on headless Linux, e.g.: sysfs, libgpiod, and i2c-tools, spidev for low-level hardware access and Linux apps and services
This dual-level approach means you can build quick prototypes or go deep and integrate Bela Gem into a larger system.
Explore the code: github.com/BelaPlatform/Bela
Compact Stackup with Mounting Holes
Bela Gem Stereo (58 × 45 × 22 mm) is just a little wider than the PB2, giving you space for mounting holes and both TRS jacks and socket headers for audio. Whether you’re using jacks or embedding the board directly, both signal routes are available.
Bela Gem Multi (70 × 58 × 22 mm) adds height to accommodate 10 mini jacks (32 mm with jack wings). The jack “wings” can be detached if you’re embedding it inside a custom enclosure.
Open Source Designs
As with all Bela products, Bela Gem is open-source. All schematics, KiCad layouts, and software for Bela Gem are released under open licenses:
For both boards KiCad landing patterns will be available to make it easy to design expansion PCBs and enclosures.
Join the Campaign
The Bela Gem campaign is now live on Crowd Supply. Backers can choose between single boards, 5-packs, and can add flashed SD cards and importantly a PocketBeagle 2!
- Campaign live: July 2025
- Shipping starts: November 2025, via Crowd Supply & Mouser
For more technical details, watch the assembly videos or join the conversation: