# Bouzouki 8-string Acoustic, new sample library by Handmade Sounds



## dimitris (Apr 19, 2012)

*Handmade Sounds* has released *Bouzouki 8-string Acoustic*, a Greek bouzouki sample library for Kontakt which captures the unique sound of the bouzouki and simulates a realistic playing technique.

The library is comprised of 1500+ 24-bit samples and a single Kontakt instrument patch. Note-on and release samples were recorded chromatically, at soft, medium and hard velocities, down and up strokes, hammer-on, pull-off, slide and tremolo articulations. There are also multiple takes for customary major, minor and diminished chords and multiple noise samples including body resonance, fret and pick noises.

Extensive scripting has gone into the patch. This script simulates real playing by processing the velocity, speed and legato of the played notes and applying a number of rules that affect the final sound, e.g. appropriately positioning the notes on the correct fret and course, muting strings where needed, pitching and fading sample attacks, adjusting slide speed, and more. Additionally there are 12 keyswitches that allow full manual control of course/fret positioning and articulation.

*Bouzouki 8-string Acoustic features*
1547 24-bit/44.1-kHz, full-length samples.
Chromatically sampled; all 27 fret positions, all 4 courses.
Soft, medium, hard velocity levels for each note.
Alternating down/up strokes for each velocity level.
Sustained, Hammer-On, Pull-Off, Tremolo and Slide articulations, all chromatically sampled.
1, 2 and 3 semitone Hammer-On and Pull-Off samples per note.
Sampled major, minor and diminished chords, with all customary inversions.
Realistic playing noises layered at adjustable levels.
Automatic or manual control of course/fret positioning, articulation and up/down stroke.
Adjustable thresholds for fast/slow auto-positioning, fast/slow picking, forced down-stroke.
Mono/Poly voice modes, for solo or polyphonic playing (4-voice max, one per course).
Real-time fretboard display of the note position/articulation for precise control.
Pitch-bend wheel triggered slides.
Velocity controlled slide duration.
Basic effects suite (EQ, Compressor, Reverb, Limiter) in user interface.
*Requirements*
Kontakt v4.1.1 or higher is required (full-retail version).

*Price*
Bouzouki 8-String Acoustic costs *49 EUR*. It is available for download at www.handmadesounds.com

*More demos*
http://youtu.be/5saQjP9h0Nk 
http://vimeo.com/40145642


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## shakuman (Apr 19, 2012)

Thanks! but I noticed there is no different between this release and http://www.virtualbouzouki.com/index.html to my ear both sounds look same!! even the articulations, any one can confirm this?

Shakuman.


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## dimitris (Apr 19, 2012)

Hi Shakuman,

They are two different products. The similarities exist due to the nature and the playing techniques of the instrument in real life. 

I am the developer of Bouzouki 8-String Acoustic and I'd gladly answer any questions regarding this library.

Cheers,
Dimitris


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## shakuman (Apr 19, 2012)

Thanks Dimitris! it's clear now =o .

Shakuman.


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## TheUnfinished (Apr 19, 2012)

The most obvious difference is the price!

Sounds very nice. Personally I'm not entirely surprised two bouzouki libraries sound similar.


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## stonzthro (Apr 19, 2012)

Wow, that sounds awesome! 

I've needed bouzouki from time to time - next time I do, I'll pick this up.


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## SPOTS (Apr 19, 2012)

Sounds very nice indeed. One big fear re keyswitches though: watching the video, it seems like the keyswitching programming is a lead part by itself. I wonder how easy/intuitive or hard/tedious this library is to make it sound that nice.


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## dimitris (Apr 20, 2012)

Hi all, 

Thanks for the feedback - and very nice to hear that you like the sound of the library. 

@SPOTS
As a keyboard player I totally agree, it is important to be able to play an instrument directly/intuitively. For this reason, in the Settings view of the user interface I have included a number of threshold controls that adjust the automatic play parameters to the player's/performance's needs. As an example, the Fast/Slow positioning threshold defines the time interval that is the switch point between slow-played and fast-played riffs, in effect deciding if a note will be played at the easiest/cleanest fret/course (low fret/high course) or within the left-hand grip range (close to the fret of the previous note). Another example is the forced downstroke velocity threshold, which forces notes that are hit harder than the set value to be played downstroke, allowing a player to play more dynamic riffs, adjusted to his technique and keyboard hardness.

As I receive feedback, I'm sure that many good ideas will pop up and find their way into updates. I am open to all suggestions and looking into starting a support forum in the coming days. In the meantime, feel free to contact me by posting right here, or by email at [email protected].

BTW, in the first demo, all keyswitches between C and F are manual overrides of course and stroke. They are not necessary, the solo would sound just fine without them. I added them in the end, to match 100% my friend's play on the real bouzouki. 

Here is the manual, containing UI screenshots as well.
http://www.handmadesounds.com/bouzouki8acousticmanual

Cheers,
Dimitris


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## dimitris (May 23, 2012)

I'm very excited to announce that as of tonight the lib is exclusively part of the Impact Soundworks catalog and available only at www.impactsoundworks.com. The new distribution starts with an updated release, at a slightly reduced price too! You can read all about it on this post: http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3629382

I want to thank Andrew Aversa of IS (a.k.a. zircon_st) for his offer and super nice attitude. Look out, more to come of this cooperation...


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