# Now released ::: rhodope: ethnic bulgarian choir & syllabuilder (word-building engine) : free demo p



## StrezovSampling (Jan 31, 2014)

Hi everyone, We are really excited to announce our newest product - an _ethnic Bulgarian choir_ called '*Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir*', that we have been working on for an year now together with *Alex Koev* - a composer and programmer from Varna, Bulgaria. 

Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir gives you the ability to write your own words and sentences via the new SYLLABUILDER engine. It also features Polyphonic legato, controllable release samples, fluid playability mode that is suitable for live playing, keyswitching, save/load function, initializing and, most importantly, the special timbre of the ethnic Bulgarian choir! 

*UPDATE: 23/07/2014* 
Due to many requests, we decided to give you a free demo patch of Rhodope! >8o 

The demo patch is fully functional but limited to:

Playing range: C4 - G4 (C4 = middle C)
Vowels: Ah, Ee, Oh
Consonants: C, L, S, CH

All letters can be selected in Syllabuilder dashboard but the letters presented with dark gray color will not produce any sound.
Saved presets are compatible with the full version of the library.

Just as reminder: If you want to make 'staccato' like passages (with longer pause between notes/chords) please use NON-LEGATO mode. it is made for this purpose and begining of the words (i.e. attacks) will sound more naturally in this mode.

RHODOPE DEMO

*UPDATE 08/07/2014*

Here's a new demo by Henri Vartio, using Rhodope! 
*Song for the Mountains by Henri Vartio*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/song-for-the-mountains-by-henri-vartio[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... nri-vartio

*UPDATE 27/06/2014*
We're happy to show you yet another demo for "Rhodope", this time by Marie-Anne Fischer. 

*Dust For Plums by Marie-Anne Fischer*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/dust-for-plums-by-marie-anne-fischer[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... ne-fischer

*UPDATE 23/06/2014*
Hello once again!

Good news - we received so much emails and messages asking us to increase the introductory price that *we decided to expand it till July 1st*! The normal price of Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir *is $200*, so you still have the possibility to get the library with a* 25% discount *($149)!

And to add to this, we give you this walkthrough video which shows you how to create a vocal track *from scratch* in 30 minutes. (technically it's less, because I do speak too much! ) 



Till this moment we haven't received a single bug report from our beta testers and clients, but nevertheless *we started working on a 1.1 version*. Our goal is to improve the sound of the short consonants as well as to *add additional sample material* (_like "Ya", "Yu", etc._). 
In this version the short consonants can be controlled only by Volume in the advanced options panels; the Attack and Release sliders in this panel do not control the short consonants right now because everything connected to them is already fixed (excluding Volume of course). 
However, we decided to 'unlock' the Attack and Release for the short consonants in the upcoming 1.1 (a prototype of which I'm using in the video above). 

There are also a few other useful features which will be announced soon. 

If you find any bugs or simply have feedback or suggestions - do not hesitate to contact us! 

Best, George and Alex

----

A new demo, this time created by Abel Vegas:

*The Tracians by Abel Vegas*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/the-thracians-by-abel-vegas[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... abel-vegas

*Levitate by Dirk Ehlert*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/levitate-by-dirk-ehlert[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... irk-ehlert

Rhodope is now released! You can grab your copy for the introductory price of *$149 till Monday 23rd. *

RHODOPE: ETHNIC BULGARIAN CHOIR

You can see me explaining how I did the choir part on the track "Firebird" in this walkthrough video here: 


*UPDATE: 12/06/2014*
Hello everyone. Here's a new demo by Simon Porter which uses all the vowels of Rhodope in a more contemporary genre. We are happy to say that the release will be in the next few days! 

*Rhodes by Simon Porter*
[flash width=500 height=200 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/sets/rhodope-ethnic-bulgarian-choir[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... rian-choir

RHODOPE: ETHNIC BULGARIAN CHOIR
* 10 singers
* range of E3-D5 (C4 = middle C)
* the powerful SYLLABUILDER engine (full word building engine) allows you to write words that will be 'sung' by the virtual choir
* The Syllabuilder gives you the ideal balance between the detailed control over the words and the fast workflow 
* ability to Save and Load presets; cross-compatible with future versions. 
* ability to manually edit each of the consonants or vowel sounds in Syllabuilder text
* Polyphonic legato
* The ability to overlap different vowels/consonants in a single midi track - one voice holding on “Ah” (for instance), while the other voices still progressing throughout the lyrics.
* Easy to use either live or in your DAW
* Intuitive HELP incorporated in the Kontakt patch
* Various other scripts that will help you in your workflow

Stay tuned!

*UPDATE: 02/06/2014*
Hello everyone, 

happy to say that we're starting the beta version today and we have taken all comments into consideration. Thank you for all your replies and personal messages! This shows how the community can help improving a sampling product! 

Here's a track that I created using Rhodope. The main power behind Rhodope is the *syllabic singing* (singing in which each syllable of text is matched to a single note.)

However I've created a few melodic lines at the beginning showing that Rhodope can be used for this purpose as well. 

*FIREBIRD* 
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/firebird-by-george-strezov-official-rhodope-demo[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... odope-demo

---------------------------------------



MOCK-UP OF THE TRADITIONAL BULGARIAN SONG "KAVAL SVIRI" 
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/kaval-sviri-mockup-by-alex-koev[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... -alex-koev
Ppitch-wheel was used to bring the key with 1/4 higher and also some Valhalla vintage verb in order to match the original recording. 

Kindest regards,
George and Alex


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## Click Sky Fade (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Nice.


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## paulmatthew (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Very nice. This choir has an appealing sound to it , and is very different than Storm Choir.


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## doctornine (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Darn it, it's like waiting for a bus... you wait and wait and wait and then two come along at once 

Seriously, though - that sounds really nice - can't wait to hear more.


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## The Darris (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

This makes me want to do a mock-up of the Xena: A Warrior Princess Main Theme: http://youtu.be/SVsrX3LiXNY


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## MA-Simon (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Veeeeeery nice! :D



> Xena: A Warrior Princess Main Theme: http://youtu.be/SVsrX3LiXNY


Oh, the memories!


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## midi_controller (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*



doctornine @ Fri Jan 31 said:


> Darn it, it's like waiting for a bus... you wait and wait and wait and then two come along at once



I know right? It's fantastic!

I'm wondering, will there be some more "flavorful" stuff included? Like those little ornamentations that Bulgarian choirs do all the time? Looking forward to hearing more! Perhaps something with a bit more emphasis on legato, didn't hear it too clearly in the first look. Hell, if you can just mock up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwxCaJCwgr0 (Kaval Sviri) and make it sound even remotely realistic I'll buy this in a heartbeat! :D


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## Wes Antczak (Jan 31, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Wow! For the longest time I was hoping that a Bulgarian choir library would come along, and now we will have three. One phrase based and two that let you create your own. This is fantastic news!!! I'll be keeping an eye out for more news for sure. 

You guys are right... it's totally like waiting for the bus that never comes and then suddenly two (or three) come around the corner. I'm not complaining though!


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## StrezovSampling (Feb 1, 2014)

Thank you very much for your positive feedback and interest! We decided to share a new demo with you guys (_please have in mind that this is still pre-Alpha version_) - composed by Alex Koev himself. 

Here is something that you can hear in this demo - overlapping syllables/vowels (for instance one voice holds "Ah", while the other voices sing the lyrics). 

[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/shes-a-stone-by-alex-koev[/flash]

@midi_controller - yes, there wouldn't be much sense in making a Bulgarian choir without having in mind actual folklore songs. All our current testing involves some of those - I am afraid that "Kaval Sviri" is not among them, but if we have some spare time - we would try making a mockup for it as well. 

P.S.
Also do not forget the Save->Load option - we will set up some Bulgarian songs that you could directly import and play in your tracks.


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## TheUnfinished (Feb 1, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Wow, that looks truly excellent.


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## Wes Antczak (Feb 1, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

This demo sounds really great. It's exactly the kind of sound that I'm looking for.


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## tmm (Feb 1, 2014)

George, that sounds excellent! Very unique, I'm excited to hear more about it.


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## rottoy (Feb 2, 2014)

Don't know where else to post this, but anyway.
George, you should really consider doing a Solo Strings library. Your Cornucopia Strings is still my go to library for shorts, longs and string FX's.

It's a gritty, almost chamberlike sound that sounds GLORIOUS! Just wanted to say that. :D

On-topic: That choir sounds AMAZING!


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## EastWest Lurker (Feb 2, 2014)

Congrats, George.


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## StrezovSampling (Feb 6, 2014)

Thanks guys! We're going to show you more videos on how the engine works and of course more about the polyphonic legato and the other controllable options in the interface. 



rottoy @ Sun Feb 02 said:


> Don't know where else to post this, but anyway.
> George, you should really consider doing a Solo Strings library. Your Cornucopia Strings is still my go to library for shorts, longs and string FX's.
> 
> It's a gritty, almost chamberlike sound that sounds GLORIOUS! Just wanted to say that. :D



Thanks, that's quite a compliment! I won't be lying when I tell you that Cornucopia would have been a much better library if we had bigger budget for it. Still I really enjoy the sound and certainly this will not be the end of our orchestral sampling. 
But so far turns out 2014 is the year of the Choir!


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## Lex (Feb 6, 2014)

*Re: Strezov Sampling - proud to present RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER*

Sounds fantastic!


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## StrezovSampling (May 18, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- FIRST OVERVIEW VIDEO!*

We said - "Beta in the end of March", but now it's closer to the end of May. Rest assured - we've put lots of work on making "Rhodope" as good as it can be and here is the first 'Overview' video of the library and GUI. 

Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir gives you the ability to write your own words and sentences via the new SYLLABUILDER engine. It also features Polyphonic legato, controllable release samples, fluid playability mode that is suitable for live playing, keyswitching, save/load function, initializing and, most importantly, the special timbre of the ethnic Bulgarian choir! 

I've explained the concept behind SyllaBUILDER and the way it works in this video - check it out!



Kindest regards,
George and Alex


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## emid (May 18, 2014)

This is really a different library. Congrats and looking forward George.


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## tmm (May 18, 2014)

Incredible work George, can't wait for the release!


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## Daniel James (May 18, 2014)

I need this in my life....

-DJ


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## tradivoro (May 20, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- FIRST OVERVIEW VIDEO!*

Listening to the soundcloud demo, it gives me the idea that you can do Karl Jenkins - Adiemus type stuff with this library...  Great sounding stuff...


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## Alex Koev (May 21, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- FIRST OVERVIEW VIDEO!*

Hi, my name is Alexander and I'm the developer, sample editor and conceptual designer behind 'Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir' from Strezov Sampling.

Thank you guys for your interest and positive feedback! We really appreciate it.

@tmm - We will start testing with the beta team in next Tuesday or Wednesday and if all goes well we are planning to release it in the first week of June.

@tradivoro - as for Karl Jenkins - Adiemus type of stuff - if we have some spare time, we would try to do something about this. 

In the next few days we will share another audio demo which is a mock up of 'Kaval Sviri' (as requested by midi_controller) so you can hear for yourself how close Rhodope performs in an acappella fight vs. a real Bulgarian choir!


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## tradivoro (May 22, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- FIRST OVERVIEW VIDEO!*



Alex Koev @ Wed May 21 said:


> @tradivoro - as for Karl Jenkins - Adiemus type of stuff - if we have some spare time, we would try to do something about this.



That's ok, I can already hear it in my head. I was just mentioning that I heard this possibility...


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## StrezovSampling (May 27, 2014)

[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/kaval-sviri-mockup-by-alex-koev[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... -alex-koev

Hello everyone. Pleased to share with you this demo of "Kaval sviri" (as requested by @midi_controller) that Alex created today. He used pitch-wheel to bring the key with 1/4 higher and also some Valhalla vintage verb in order to match the original recording. 

Hope you guys enjoy this!


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## tmm (May 27, 2014)

Wow, that's impressive! Well done Alex (and Strezov, more generally).

Will Rhodope have a 'tightness' control to adjust the tightness of the attacks?


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## mk282 (May 27, 2014)

StrezovSampling @ 27.5.2014 said:


> [flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/kaval-sviri-mockup-by-alex-koev[/flash]
> Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... -alex-koev
> 
> Hello everyone. Pleased to share with you this demo of "Kaval sviri" (as requested by @midi_controller) that Alex created today. He used pitch-wheel to bring the key with 1/4 higher and also some Valhalla vintage verb in order to match the original recording.
> ...



Hmmm... where are the releases? Ends of syllables sound incredibly unnaturally cut off...


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## Raptor4 (May 27, 2014)

mk282 @ Tue May 27 said:


> Hmmm... where are the releases? Ends of syllables sound incredibly unnaturally cut off...



I agree with *mk282* + 1.
Same issue with the syllable attacks which results absolutely Electronic vocals. Both issues can be caused by getting/cutting syllables from existing phrase samples, which is usual for low budget/quick projects...
The legendary Bulgarian Voices Brilliance over tones are missing in this prototype as well.

By the way it is a Vocal Group of 10-12 singers no more (or 6 doubled and tuned). I wonder why it is announced as a Choir when it is not even a Chamber Choir (20-40 elite and dedicated singers) nether a Choir (over 40 elite and dedicated singers) according to the Wikipedia?

Here is a *True Reference Track* of that mockup "Kafal Sviri".
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/bulgarian-voices-keepers/kafal-sviri-intro[/flash]


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## tmm (May 27, 2014)

Leave it to teh interwebs… post an awesome demo of an unfinished product, and it's a guarantee that some people will focus on the remaining imperfections rather than celebrate how far it's come.


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## Daniel James (May 27, 2014)

Such an amazing tone! Keep it up guys 

My first ever experience with this type of sound was this track. 



I have wanted that type of sound since. Looks like its finally happening.

-DJ


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## StrezovSampling (May 27, 2014)

tmm @ Tue May 27 said:


> Wow, that's impressive! Well done Alex (and Strezov, more generally).
> 
> Will Rhodope have a 'tightness' control to adjust the tightness of the attacks?



Thanks, all credit goes to Alex  It won't have a tighten knob per se, but as you can see in the video you can adjust the length of each consonant/vowel - so for instance you can have "ma" versus "mmmma". 



mk282 said:


> Hmmm... where are the releases? Ends of syllables sound incredibly unnaturally cut off...


As you've probably seen in the video you have the option to adjust the release length of the samples; we have also edited the samples and removed unwanted noise material - it's just not suitable with the concept behind this library. There is also reverb on top of the plugin which imho also blurs the releases a bit. 



Raptor4 said:


> I agree with mk282 + 1.
> Same issue with the syllable attacks which results absolutely Electronic vocals. Both issues can be caused by getting/cutting syllables from existing phrase samples, which is usual for low budget/quick projects...
> By the way it is a Vocal Group of 10-12 singers no more (or 6 doubled and tuned). I wonder why it is announced as a Choir when it is not even a Chamber Choir (20-40 elite and dedicated singers) nether a Choir (over 40 elite and dedicated singers) according to the Wikipedia?
> 
> Here is a True Reference Track of that mockup "Kafal Sviri".


Hello @Raptor4 - as you know Kaval sviri has various arrangements and performances; the one that we used for reference was the one that @midi_controller shared - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwxCaJCwgr0 - performed by "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares". As for the choir sizes - I'm not sure how to respond to that; personally I wouldn't place my trust into Wikipedia sources and would say that everything below 10 singers would be a vocal ensemble. In our case we have 10 singers: 3 high, 4 mid and 3 low (first, second, third voice). They are all singing in unison, except the notes they cannot get to. 

One thing I could say is that I don't know about budgets (_I really don't care about that, I've used quite a lot instruments from people around here and most of those are better than ones made with lots of money_), but this is definitely not a "quick" project. It's an experimental project because it doesn't have a single performance sample or loop - we have our own way of capturing consonants and vowels and making them fit together. We came to this conclusion after a year of testing and half a year of scripting and playing around with different syllables and settings; we even scratched a lots of material till we got to this part. 

Since we will soon be entering the beta version, we would gladly take note of what you suggested regarding the releases. And I think you know my phone number and I think we're from the same country, so I'd really love to talk more about this while having a nice Bulgarian beer. It's all about good music at the end! 

Cheers

@DJ, 



Daniel James said:


> Such an amazing tone! Keep it up guys Smile


Hey Daniel, thanks a lot. I love the score of Alone in the dark. Funny enough it was recorded by the choir I mentioned above - the Mystery of the Bulgarian voices.  

Best,
G.


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## Raptor4 (May 27, 2014)

StrezovSampling @ Tue May 27 said:


> As for the choir sizes - I'm not sure how to respond to that; personally I wouldn't place my trust into Wikipedia sources and would say that everything below 10 singers would be a vocal ensemble. In our case we have 10 singers: 3 high, 4 mid and 3 low (first, second, third voice). They are all singing in unison, except the notes they cannot get to.


George, you can not blind the experts here - *10 singers* is equivalent of a village "Old Mothers Vocal Group". There are thousands of Vocal Groups in Bulgaria, but they can not never be compared to the PRO Grand Choirs thought the Mothers are Great! 
If you do not trust the Wikipedia "Choir" definitions, then refer to some other literature or ask the experts!



> One thing I could say is that I don't know about budgets I really don't care about that


You do not know about budgets? It is sad, because it is the most significant factor to be able to afford hiring Grand Choirs with Professional Singers for long time (one year are the rehearsals and the organization). 



> It's an experimental project because it doesn't have a single performance sample or loop - we have our own way of capturing consonants and vowels and making them fit together. We came to this conclusion after a year of testing and half a year of scripting and playing around with different syllables and settings; we even scratched a lots of material till we got to this part.


The Demo says more than your experiments. It seems that your team needs much more time to achieve true results. 

*BTW*. George, you are a good guy but sometimes your enthusiasm may push you into wrong direction - just a friendly note which may improve your production!


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## StrezovSampling (May 27, 2014)

Hi Raptor4, 

I still do not understand what you are implying about the choir size; I've sung in the National Academy of Music chamber choir (of 12 people) and was on salary there for 3 years. Is it better with more singers? Perhaps. Our flagship series "Storm Choir" has only 6 singers per section (and simulates a full mixed choir) - and people loved the chamber choir sound and the possibilities it gives you while making music. 

As for budgets and vocal groups - I'm not sure what you are implying but we recorded the best singers from the State folklore ensemble "Philip Koutev" (http://philipkoutev.com/); conductor was Georgi Andreev, who a few years back orchestrated and conducted the music for Crysis 2 along with Borislav Slavov, Tilman Silescu and Hans Zimmer. One of the singers is Nelly Andreeva whose song "Malka moma" was featured on quite a few movies, "Hummingbird" is just one of them. 

My main income and job is composing music for films and TV here in Bulgaria - it's what I love doing. I have Masters degree in Choir conducting though and record, sing and work with choirs on a daily basis. What is great about the whole sampling market is its diversity - you can have chamber choirs, large mixed choirs, chamber orchestras and huge ensembles. 

It's OK not to like a product/sample pool/scripting/GUI, but bashing about the choir size and implying that the professionals involved are "Old Mothers Vocal Group" is not something that I'd like seeing in this thread. Thanks for the insights about the releases - we will look this up. 

Best,
G.


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## JE Martinsen (May 28, 2014)

Just to offer my two cents worth, I really do like what I hear so far! There's just one little thing that just doesn't sound quite "right" to my ears, and that is the transitions between the notes as has been mentioned. I first noticed that almost immediatley in the overview video, and later in the "KAVAL SVIRI" mock-up. It's as if there's missing some "air" before the start and/or at the end of the samples. It takes quite a bit of realism away from an otherwise exceptionally fine sounding choir library IMHO. I really hope this can be improved upon if that is indeed possible. I may also of course be wrong about this. As I said just my two cents.

Thanks for your effort and hard work, George!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 2, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- MOCKUP OF "KAVAL SVIRI"*

Hello everyone, 

happy to say that we're starting the beta version today and we have taken all comments into consideration. Thank you for all your replies and personal messages! This shows how the community can help improving a sampling product! 

Here's a track that I created using Rhodope. The main power behind Rhodope is the *syllabic singing* (singing in which each syllable of text is matched to a single note.)

However I've created a few melodic lines at the beginning showing that Rhodope can be used for this purpose as well. 

*FIREBIRD* 
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/firebird-by-george-strezov-official-rhodope-demo[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... odope-demo

Best,
George


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## JE Martinsen (Jun 2, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- MOCKUP OF "KAVAL SVIRI"*



StrezovSampling @ Mon Jun 02 said:


> Thank you for all your replies and personal messages! This shows how the community can help improving a sampling product!



Exactly! I'm absolutely confident RHODOPE will be a fantastic product. And although I have no idea how the Kontakt scripting magic is done, I'm sure it's doable to give the note transitions some more "air".

Does RHODOPE include some "bam-bara-bara-bam" samples? (Did I just ask that..?) I heard some great rythmic singing like that done by a Bulgarian choir and I'd love to able to replicate it as closely as possible.

The Firebird demo is really great btw!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 2, 2014)

Hi Jon,

thanks for your kind words about the track and product. We're already thinking of incorporating a few features that might help in the note transitions. 

Rhodope doesn't have a single phrase or loop. So no, there are no 'bam-bara-bara-bam' samples. You can try making your own with the Syllabuilder though!


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## JE Martinsen (Jun 2, 2014)

StrezovSampling @ Mon Jun 02 said:


> Rhodope doesn't have a single phrase or loop.


And thank you for that, George!



StrezovSampling @ Mon Jun 02 said:


> So no, there are no 'bam-bara-bara-bam' samples. You can try making your own with the Syllabuilder though!



Hoping there are some "bam"/"bara", "dam"/"dara" or even "dim"/"diri" samples included. Or similar, as long as they relate in that way perhaps.

For example : dam-dara-dara-dam-dam-da-dam-dara-dara-dam-dam-da... etc. Try singing that line quite fast and I'm sure you get my drift. That kind of fast rhythm going on. Is this kind of "accompagnement" singing a common part of the Bulgarian choir style of singing? I'd be very happy if perhaps you could share some knowledge on this, George! I listened and I liked, but I'm not so good at translating that into words I'm afraid. I just know that I love that kind of rhytmic singing!

Thanks! :D


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## Dr.Quest (Jun 2, 2014)

This is amazing! I would not have believed this even possible. Brilliant! Must buy!
J


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## Alex Koev (Jun 3, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- FIRST DEMO "FIREBIRD"*

Thank you for your positive feedback guys.

In the early days of beta testing, we can say that we have significantly improved the *SyllaBuilder* engine.
Now there are additional settings for volume, attack and release for each vowel and consonant sounds you type into SyllaBuilder, *which will give you more precise control over performed syllables and words*.



JE Martinsen @ 2nd June 2014 said:


> Hoping there are some "bam"/"bara", "dam"/"dara" or even "dim"/"diri" samples included. Or similar, as long as they relate in that way perhaps.


Like George already said Rhodope doesn't have a single phrase or loop and there are no 'bam-bara-bara-bam' samples in the library.
This library is based on separately recorded vowel and consonant sounds that are mixed in realtime based on what you are typing into *Syllabuilder* (full word building engine).


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 12, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- New Demo by Simon Porter!*

Hello everyone. Here's a new demo by Simon Porter which uses all the vowels of Rhodope in a more contemporary genre. We are happy to say that the release will be in the next few days! 

*Rhodes by Simon Porter*
[flash width=500 height=200 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/sets/rhodope-ethnic-bulgarian-choir[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... rian-choir

RHODOPE: ETHNIC BULGARIAN CHOIR
* 10 singers
* range of E3-D5 (C4 = middle C)
* the powerful SYLLABUILDER engine (full word building engine) allows you to write words that will be 'sung' by the virtual choir
* The Syllabuilder gives you the ideal balance between the detailed control over the words and the fast workflow 
* ability to Save and Load presets; cross-compatible with future versions. 
* ability to manually edit each of the consonants or vowel sounds in Syllabuilder text
* Polyphonic legato
* The ability to overlap different vowels/consonants in a single midi track - one voice holding on “Ah” (for instance), while the other voices still progressing throughout the lyrics.
* Easy to use either live or in your DAW
* Intuitive HELP incorporated in the Kontakt patch
* Various other scripts that will help you in your workflow

Stay tuned!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 15, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- "Rhodes" by Simon Porter*

Rhodope is now released! You can grab your copy for the introductory price of $149 till Monday 23rd. 

RHODOPE: ETHNIC BULGARIAN CHOIR

You can see me explaining how I did the choir part on the track "Firebird" in this walkthrough video here: 


Best,
George


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 16, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- New demo by Dirk Ehlert!*

Since you asked about Karl Jenkins' "Adiemus" I think that this beautiful piece by Dirk Ehlert shows "Rhodope" in a very similar context.

*Levitate by Dirk Ehlert*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/levitate-by-dirk-ehlert[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... irk-ehlert

Rhodope is available for the introductory price of $149!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 19, 2014)

*Re: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER --- New demo by Abel Vegas!*

A new demo, this time created by Abel Vegas:

*The Tracians by Abel Vegas*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/the-thracians-by-abel-vegas[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... abel-vegas

You have until Monday to get Rhodope for the introductory price of $149!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 23, 2014)

*Walkthrough video #2*

Hello once again!

Good news - we received so much emails and messages asking us to increase the introductory price that *we decided to expand it till July 1st*! The normal price of Rhodope: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir *is $200*, so you still have the possibility to get the library with a* 25% discount *($149)!

And to add to this, we give you this walkthrough video which shows you how to create a vocal track *from scratch* in 30 minutes. (technically it's less, because I do speak too much! ) 



Till this moment we haven't received a single bug report from our beta testers and clients, but nevertheless *we started working on a 1.1 version*. Our goal is to improve the sound of the short consonants as well as to *add additional sample material* (_like "Ya", "Yu", etc._). 
In this version the short consonants can be controlled only by Volume in the advanced options panels; the Attack and Release sliders in this panel do not control the short consonants right now because everything connected to them is already fixed (excluding Volume of course). 
However, we decided to 'unlock' the Attack and Release for the short consonants in the upcoming 1.1 (a prototype of which I'm using in the video above). 

There are also a few other useful features which will be announced soon. 

If you find any bugs or simply have feedback or suggestions - do not hesitate to contact us! 

Best, George and Alex


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## Wes Antczak (Jun 23, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : Video & EXTENDED IN*

Thank you for posting the new walkthrough! Very helpful.


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## zouzou (Jun 24, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : Video & EXTENDED IN*

Hi,

Congratulations for your job! You recorded real Bulgarian voices! Your software is very powerful, but IMHO the SYLLABUILDER makes sounding too synthetic... The problem seem to be the natural articulations between consonants and vowel. It's very difficult to make it sounding natural and real. We don't need necessarily to build complete words every time, so I think it can be a very good idea to add some new samples like "Ah", "Eh", "Oh" (with natural attack and release, to be able to make natural chords), some complete typical expressions and syllables traditionally used by the Bulgarian choirs, and some ornaments - mordents, turns, wholenote rises... (a bit like Vocalisa v.i.). So the work would be faster and more realistic !

Many thanks !

Regards


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 25, 2014)

Wes Antczak @ Mon Jun 23 said:


> Thank you for posting the new walkthrough! Very helpful.


Thanks Wes - glad it was useful! Be sure to send us your feedback too once you play around with the library! 



zouzou @ Wed Jun 25 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Congratulations for your job! You recorded real Bulgarian voices! Your software is very powerful, but IMHO the SYLLABUILDER makes sounding too synthetic... The problem seem to be the natural articulations between consonants and vowel. It's very difficult to make it sounding natural and real. We don't need necessarily to build complete words every time, so I think it can be a very good idea to add some new samples like "Ah", "Eh", "Oh" (with natural attack and release, to be able to make natural chords), some complete typical expressions and syllables traditionally used by the Bulgarian choirs, and some ornaments - mordents, turns, wholenote rises... (a bit like Vocalisa v.i.). So the work would be faster and more realistic !
> 
> ...


Hi Zouzou, 
thanks for your feedback! As you have already seen, the Syllabuilder engine needs some time getting used to. What you ask about the single vowels can already be done; I've used this technique in the beginning of my demo, "Firebird" and explained it in this walkthrough - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLeyc5yEXu4

If you are trying to make 'staccato' pasages (i.e. with long pause between chords/notes) in your song and you want the Syllabuilder to continue to the next syllable without using keyswitches, try using NON-LEGATO mode (C#1). It is designed for this purpose and the start of the words (i.e. preceded by space in the Syllabuilder dashboard) will sound with natural attack, because all vowels and consonants are actually recorded that way - with natural attacks and releases.

As for additional material - we already have some ideas implemented for version 1.1 (including bonus samples!). 

If you'd like you can send us MIDI/.nka/screenshot of your Rhodope Options window (i.e. not the pre-saved .nki file) over at contact[at]strezov-sampling[dot]com and we can tweak your lyricis a bit and guide you through the process. This will be helpful for us as well, because we do need all feedback we can get in order to make Rhodope and Syllabuilder better and better. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!


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## tmm (Jun 25, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : Video & EXTENDED IN*

zouzou - in my experience, I would say that the Syllabuilder can certainly sound synthetic (as can any virtual word builder) without proper attention to the MIDI note timing and careful programming of the A / S / volume / duration per syllable.

As I've been using it, I first speak / sing the words to myself, paying careful attention to where I'm pausing, where I'm holding, and how my volume changes with each syllable / sound. Depending on how you say a word, the letter(s) you choose will often not be the actual letters you would have spelled the word with.

Then I try to program the most accurate representation of it within the Syllabuilder, adjusting the attack / sustain / volume / duration per sound (not just syllable).

Ex: to make X, you spell EKS, slightly reduce the volume on E, and make the S hold a little longer (duration depends on your tempo). To spell "super", you write SUPR, extend the duration of S and U a little, extend the duration of R more, and reduce the attack and volume on S (then make sure not to hold the R too long... unless you're really loving the rolls  )

The chord and gap controls are also important in controlling how well / realistically you can create phrases. Finally, there's the obvious point about making sure to adjust the dynamics and vibrato controls while playing / sequencing.

Adding all this together, you can create realistic vocal passages. I'm still working on completing a song with Rhodope, but will share once it's complete.


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## Wes Antczak (Jun 25, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : Video & EXTENDED IN*

Yes, when working with this type of syllable building it isn't about how the word is spelled (like how you would spell it when writing out on paper) but rather about how it sounds. And how those pieces fit together to form the word that you want to "sing". The emphasis is on critical listening and breaking down how the word is formed. This includes "hearing" how the separate parts are spaced, how they are articulated - including at what volume. Just as it would if you were writing a part for winds, etc., it also means that breathing is important, so the critical listening includes being aware of how the performer is breathing.

Rhodope provides control for all of these elements. You can also save your completed phrases as a preset for future use.

Great post, tmm!


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## zouzou (Jun 25, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : Video & EXTENDED IN*

Thanks a lot guys !!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 27, 2014)

*New demo by Marie-Anne Fsicher*

We're happy to show you yet another demo for "Rhodope", this time by Marie-Anne Fischer. 

*Dust For Plums by Marie-Anne Fischer*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/dust-for-plums-by-marie-anne-fischer[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... ne-fischer


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## IvanP (Jun 30, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : New Demo Added*

What a nice library this is!

Bought it yesterday and love it…. I was looking for some time for that choir sound (as featured in films like Troy, etc) and it's been really well captured, great sonic balance while having a distinct character on each of the registers that add to the ethnic flavor :mrgreen: 

Btw…I have to say that George is a class act….I had an issue with another library and it's been solved immediately. Wonderful support. Thank you again!


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## StrezovSampling (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks Ivan, much appreciated! Without getting into details - there will be exciting news about Rhodope soon!

Those of you who are interested in the library - you still have 12 hours to get Rhodope for the introductory price of $149!


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## zouzou (Jul 7, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : New Demo Added*

Hi,

Here is my RHODOPE personal review.
I did not have much time available to test this v.i., but here are my first impressions.

First, congratulations to Strezov Sampling ! 

After downloading the software, I wondered if there was not had a problem (464 mb .rar and 727 mb in the unzipped folder) but no...
I opened "Rhodope" in Kontakt, and played a chord with the first letter "A", and... WOW, some Bulgarian girls arrived in my studio!
Yes, a real Bulgarian choir was recorded!


- PROs - (like tmm)
- Great attack, awesome clarity and presence. The sound is truly unique!
- Syllabuilder is very easy and intuitive to work : lots of very useful settings to adjust your preferences.

- SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT -
- About Syllabuilder : be able to move a syllable or word in Syllabuilder by "drag and drop". Be able to have the last letter of a syllable in "Release Trigger", with the set duration for the note (after the note is released). For example: Currently, if you play the words "ABEMUS PAPAM" (OK, I know Rhodope is not first made to sing in Latin!) you hear "ABEMUSSSSSSSSS PAPAMMMMMM ..." (regardless of the duration for the "s" and "m") and you must quickly release the note to hear correctly the words "ABEMUS" and "PAPAM" - it would be great to be able to play "ABEMUUUUUUUU (release) S" "PAPAAAAA (release) M"! (Otherwise, add an option that sets the length of the last letters - "s" and "m" in the example - even if you hold the key.). Have a special place in your website where users can upload and download Syllabuilders words and phrases! Everyone could drop files indicating the original language and the English translation. This would be very convenient, especially for those who do not have the chance to be Bulgarian (nobody's perfect!). This would make a great Rhodope users community!
- About samples : I find that the “V” consonne sounds like “M” : difficult to make “AVE” (in "AVE MARIA" or as in the French word "avec"). I also find it lacks the "y" vowel to make sounds like "yah" or "yeh" - which are different from the "ia" or "ie" structure. Some connections between consonants and vowels do not sound very natural: for example, vowels preceded by consonants "sh"... but I understand that it must be very difficult to do, and there should be a kind of "morphing" to do well. Maybe should be Rhodope completed with most used syllables samples (as in Vocalisa)? There is something strange in one of the voices in the "Oh C#5" sample (strange attack...). I think that mf or p samples will be helpful in some cases. Finally, it would be great to add voice effects, inflections and ornaments, to make a more realistic Bulgarian choir !

Don't worry about the amount of SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT, it is because I think Rhodope is already a wonderful and very typical v.i. that is destined for a great future and with the improvements that Strezov Sampling may bring in the future, Rhodope will become a terrific and "Must Have" virtual instrument!

Thanks!

Zouzou (with his so bad English...!)

(also emailed to [email protected])


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## StrezovSampling (Jul 8, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : New Demo by Henri Varti*

--- double post ---


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## StrezovSampling (Jul 8, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : New Demo Added*

Hello zouzou, 

thank you so much for your feedback and kind words! Those are much appreciated! 

Some of the things that you mentioned are already in the "To-Do" list for the 1.1 version - for instance we've recorded sample material like "Ya", " Yo", etc. and didn't think that those would be useful - however the user input definitely told us that we were wrong and this is why we're currently cutting and editing the additional files which will be freely available to all current and future users of Rhodope. 

In my track, "Firebird", I stumbled across the problem with holding a single vowel for a longer period of time; since then we started thinking about a way to incorporate this in the Syllabuilder engine - because right now the Sustain pedal holds a syllable, which you can use for mellismatic melodies. We will include this in the new version too! We'll try working on the "v" consonant and will look at the C#5 Oh vowel sample. You probably noticed that the sound in that range is different and it's produced with more effort. 

As for the drag and drop - not sure how Kontakt will handle this; we can test and see whether such an option could be achieved. 

We are looking to further improve Rhodope, based on user feedback and popularity. 

Thanks again! 

---- 
And while we're at this topic - here's a new demo by Henri Vartio, using Rhodope! 
*Song for the Mountains by Henri Vartio*
[flash width=500 height=100 loop=false]https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling/song-for-the-mountains-by-henri-vartio[/flash]
Direct link: https://soundcloud.com/strezov-sampling ... nri-vartio

Best,
George.


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## zouzou (Jul 8, 2014)

*Re: NOW RELEASED ::: RHODOPE: Ethnic Bulgarian Choir & SYLLABUILDER (word-building engine) : New Demo by Henri Varti*

Thanks for your reply George !

I look forward to version 1.1! I'm very impatient !

Zouzou


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## StrezovSampling (Jul 23, 2014)

*Rhodope: Free demo patch!*

Due to many requests, we decided to give you a free demo patch of Rhodope! >8o 

The demo patch is fully functional but limited to:

Playing range: C4 - G4 (C4 = middle C)
Vowels: Ah, Ee, Oh
Consonants: C, L, S, CH

All letters can be selected in Syllabuilder dashboard but the letters presented with dark gray color will not produce any sound.
Saved presets are compatible with the full version of the library.

Just as reminder: If you want to make 'staccato' like passages (with longer pause between notes/chords) please use NON-LEGATO mode. it is made for this purpose and begining of the words (i.e. attacks) will sound more naturally in this mode.

RHODOPE DEMO

Kindest regards,
George and Alex


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## StrezovSampling (Aug 17, 2014)

In case you haven't seen this - here's a detailed review by Daniel James: link

He shows the library in great depth and in context.


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