# BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra released// Final Hours of the Intro Special + Free Tenor Duduk available



## StrezovSampling (Sep 13, 2017)

We are happy to release BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra powered by Native Instrumens Kontakt Player today at an attractive Intro Price of $329 ($399 RRP). Additional crossgrade discounts for owners of Tupans X3M and Rhodope 2 Ethnic Bulgarian Choir are available upon login on our website. http://bit.ly/2jMU0LV

Intro Pricing offer ends Jan 8 2018.

BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra is a highly unique and fresh sounding collection giving you access to a huge amount of Eastern European soloists. Balkan Ethnic Orchestra includes everything you need to write authentic eastern european Balkan music. From expressively playable folklore instruments and the infamous balkan brass sound to an ethnic vocal quartet and solo percussion. It's all right at your fingertips.

Every instrument inside this collection was recorded with the same attention to detail than our other libraries, featuring multiple mic positions, different short and long articulations, expressive phrases, true polyphonic legato and various ensemble sizes. Recorded at Sofia Session Studio using high-end recording equipement and the same approach towards liveliness and realism as our Next Generation Choir Series, Balkan Ethnic Orchestra provides inspiration from the roots. For a complete and detailed overview we highly recommend watching the official walkthrough video as well as checking out the manual

*Overview:*


*Authentic Ethnic Orchestra from the Balkan region recorded in Sofia Session Studio*
*Two microphone positions close and hall recorded through high-end recording equipement + custom convolution reverb*
*All performances combined in playable and easy to use patches with special attention towards the natural expression of the soloist*
*Over 40 of the finest Ethnic Folklore Soloists from the Balkans (Wind, Bowed and Plucked String and Brass Instruments, Vocal Quartet and Percussion Soloists) with various ornamented short and long articulations including multiple True Legato recordings*
*True Polyphonic Legato Ethnic Quartet Choir featuring* *Agile Legato for 10 syllables in three different speeds, special layer of 'shake' sustain singing for all patches and the Syllabuilder Version 3 from the Next Generation Choir Series*
*Full deeply sampled Balkan Brass Band *
*Special percussion section featuring Ethnic Percussion Players using the X3M Percussion Engine*
*Organic Futuristic and Fantasy Pads created from the recordings of BALKAN*
*Powered by Native Instrument's free Kontakt Player and NKS compatible*


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## JonSolo (Sep 13, 2017)

Ha you beat me by two minutes, heh. Looking good!


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## zimm83 (Sep 14, 2017)

WAOUHHHH !!! Just WAOUHHHHHH...................................


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## Circe (Sep 14, 2017)

Beautiful ethnic strings. !


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## zimm83 (Sep 14, 2017)

Man this sounds enormous. Even an ethnic choir with sustains staccatos and legatos !! And percussions ....and....and......just Enormous...... More infos please because too many new libraries these last days are coming out .. It' s good but my wallet.........


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## zimm83 (Sep 16, 2017)

More please.....


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## StrezovSampling (Sep 17, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> More please.....



We still have some small recording sessions left, what would you like to see included in the library? There's still enough time to include some v.i.c wishes. We're open for suggestions.


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## ysnyvz (Sep 17, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> We still have some small recording sessions left, what would you like to see included in the library? There's still enough time to include some v.i.c wishes. We're open for suggestions.


accordion, zurna, cimbalom, bouzouki, lyra/kemenche.


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## ghandizilla (Sep 17, 2017)

+1 for kemence !


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## zimm83 (Sep 17, 2017)

Playable Loops : Perc, violin zithar etc... ! Just an idea...


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## zimm83 (Sep 17, 2017)

Ethnic bowed instruments with legato !!!


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## Circe (Sep 17, 2017)

Add posibility to Play chords with just one note, but not only Major and minor.. so lots and lots of chords, you know... Aug, sus, dim, 7h, 9th, 11th....etc. etc... Like sonokinetic makes, but in this case amplied chords features. All made in a new tab, adding some arpeggiators to make sequences, like Sonuscore-The Orchestra.


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## Sid Francis (Sep 17, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> Ethnic bowed instruments with legato !!!


Oh yes please...


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## ghandizilla (Sep 17, 2017)

The ideal : Kemençe captured on performance with speed layers on all articulations including legato.


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## J-M (Sep 17, 2017)

Another +1 for Kemençe!


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## zimm83 (Sep 18, 2017)

+1 for Lyra.
And playable phrases ( chromatic....).
But we all wish too much things.....The release being really soon, isn't it ?


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## ghandizilla (Sep 18, 2017)

When will it be possible to buy an entire player, naturally bred and grown up in Bulgaria, for 30$?


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## Strezov (Sep 18, 2017)

You can already do this, just give me a call  Although I work through the weekends too....


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## zimm83 (Sep 18, 2017)

This teaser shows us something new, fresh, fantastic and we can't wait to get it. Still wondering what are the other instruments included. And of course what articulations (or phrases ) are included. Can't wait but can't go wrong. It' s STREZOV boys !!!


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## Vovique (Sep 19, 2017)

Playable chords would be nice indeed.


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## StrezovSampling (Sep 19, 2017)

Vovique said:


> Playable chords would be nice indeed.



We have strummed chords mapped like our Distort 2 guitar. So it's very playable especially for someone with decent piano skills.

Also want to add that Ethnic Bowed Instruments are included, with true legato of course. 

Keep the suggestions comming.


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## Alohabob (Sep 19, 2017)

WOW!!!


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## zimm83 (Sep 19, 2017)

RE-WOW !!!! When does it come out please ?


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## Vovique (Sep 20, 2017)

Thanks, George! Can't wait


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## rottoy (Sep 20, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> RE-WOW !!!! When does it come out please ?


They are still recording stuff, so I assume it's not going to release any time soon.


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## StrezovSampling (Sep 20, 2017)

rottoy said:


> They are still recording stuff, so I assume it's not going to release any time soon.



Does October qualify as soon?


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## rottoy (Sep 20, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Does October qualify as soon?


I stand corrected.


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## zimm83 (Sep 20, 2017)

[
YES :: christmas in OCTOBER !!!!!


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## zimm83 (Sep 24, 2017)

The second part of the library ( as said in the teaser ) ? Please ...


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## StrezovSampling (Sep 29, 2017)

Hello everyone! 

We did a small teaser featuring some of the instruments from the Balkan Band section. Let us know what you think!


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## rocking.xmas.man (Sep 29, 2017)

I love it! I really like 'themed' libraries and this will clearly become a go-to for that Special not-so-epic vibe


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## Mundano (Oct 1, 2017)

fantastic!


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## JonSolo (Oct 9, 2017)

I guess we will see this drop soon!


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## zimm83 (Oct 12, 2017)

So......infos ???


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## shakuman (Oct 12, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> So......infos ???



+1


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## StrezovSampling (Oct 13, 2017)

We will soon reveal more details. This will be a very special product for us and everyone interested in our libraries in general.


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## Nils Neumann (Oct 13, 2017)

just be not to expensive


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## zimm83 (Oct 15, 2017)

Hy.....Something news ? Loving ethnic tones......female quartet. Can't wait!


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## zimm83 (Oct 28, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> Hy.....Something news ? Loving ethnic tones......female quartet. Can't wait!



Coming soon ?


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## JonSolo (Oct 28, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Does October qualify as soon?


That's what they said. Several days left.


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## zimm83 (Oct 28, 2017)

JonSolo said:


> That's what they said. Several days left.


Hummmmmmm...................


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## Strezov (Oct 28, 2017)

Hey everyone! We haven't posted in a while but we have good news - the library is now finished, went through beta testing and sounds awesome to our ears. The other news is that we decided this library will benefit from NKS support so (fingers crossed) this will be our first Kontakt powered instrument. This will increase our production time a bit but we believe it will be for the greater good. 

Would you be interested in me doing a live stream demonstration of the library?


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## zimm83 (Oct 28, 2017)

Strezov said:


> Hey everyone! We haven't posted in a while but we have good news - the library is now finished, went through beta testing and sounds awesome to our ears. The other news is that we decided this library will benefit from NKS support so (fingers crossed) this will be our first Kontakt powered instrument. This will increase our production time a bit but we believe it will be for the greater good.
> 
> Would you be interested in me doing a live stream demonstration of the library?


 
Oh yeah. Of course we all want great walkthroughs and live Streams. It is the only way for us to decide wether or not we buy a Library. For this one, we all know we must buy it... Fresh and inspiring ethnic vst. Thanks a lot for the infos. There are so many libraries coming these days... each one is better and better and....better... Great for us. Great time. won't wait till black friday.....
Thanks also for the NKS support. Great idea.


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## JonSolo (Oct 30, 2017)

Awesome. Been waiting for news! ETA?


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## midiman (Oct 30, 2017)

Strezov said:


> Hey everyone! We haven't posted in a while but we have good news - the library is now finished, went through beta testing and sounds awesome to our ears. The other news is that we decided this library will benefit from NKS support so (fingers crossed) this will be our first Kontakt powered instrument. This will increase our production time a bit but we believe it will be for the greater good.
> 
> Would you be interested in me doing a live stream demonstration of the library?



That would be nice!


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## desert (Oct 30, 2017)

Strezov said:


> Hey everyone! We haven't posted in a while but we have good news - the library is now finished, went through beta testing and sounds awesome to our ears. The other news is that we decided this library will benefit from NKS support so (fingers crossed) this will be our first Kontakt powered instrument. This will increase our production time a bit but we believe it will be for the greater good.
> 
> Would you be interested in me doing a live stream demonstration of the library?


Awesome news! Looking forward to watching the stream


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## devonuk (Oct 31, 2017)

Sounds very nice. I do find the Strezov libraries a bit hit and miss though. I have the Tresor Male Choir library which is stunning, but I also have CORNUCOPIA String Ensembles 2 which sounds horribly out of tune in places :(


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## Strezov (Nov 1, 2017)

devonuk said:


> Sounds very nice. I do find the Strezov libraries a bit hit and miss though. I have the Tresor Male Choir library which is stunning, but I also have CORNUCOPIA String Ensembles 2 which sounds horribly out of tune in places :(


I guess you mean "Tropar", correct?  I'll be honest - the problem with some of the older products is that they were made by many talented individuals around the world but the problem in this case is that it is sometimes really hard to fix things and work on things post-release. We had major struggles with Cornucopia V1 with the programming - it was causing CPU bursts on Mac for some reason (still unknown), so when we updated to Cornucopia V2 our major concern was to get the samples working and not crashing your computer. We didn't have the resources to fix mapping errors unfortunately - we always leave a tiny bit of imperfection (that's our company philosophy) but all individual notes and legato intervals are thoroughly checked out before release; I think you can see this in Freyja or Arva. 

Anyway, now I need to find a way to get this YouTube stream to work so that you could laugh at me in real time


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## zimm83 (Nov 1, 2017)

Hy, just make a rough walthrough if you have streaming problems. We all just need to hear the content before buying. Thanks.


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## Fever Phoenix (Nov 1, 2017)

wow, I am hyped for this! the more choir vocal content, the better!


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## zimm83 (Nov 4, 2017)




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## StrezovSampling (Nov 9, 2017)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

we are happy to inform you that we are almost ready for the release of BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra. It will be our first Kontakt Player and NKS powered library and by far the biggest and most ambitious project we have ever done. Meanwhile we have a new demo for your ears by the amazing Piotr Musial.



And one more time 100% BALKAN only



Stay tuned for more demos and walkthrough videos!


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## JonSolo (Nov 9, 2017)

Whoa! Fantastic! (holding breath a little longer)


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## Fever Phoenix (Nov 9, 2017)

wooha! looking forward to learn more!


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## Sid Francis (Nov 9, 2017)

Now thats what I call a demo!


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## mmjohan (Nov 9, 2017)

Amazing!


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## rottoy (Nov 10, 2017)

Wouldn't expect nothing less from Piotr Musial. 
That man will forever have my love for his work on The Witcher 3.


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## J-M (Nov 10, 2017)

After hearing the demo I'm definitely getting this at some point...the things I could do!


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## Sid Francis (Nov 10, 2017)

So Finally I probably know who is responsible for that terrible earworm in The witcher 1: the background bagpipe music of "Gwent". I was searching in my game folder for the music files to put it on my mp3 player because I loved the melody so much..  Or was it composed by someone else? ....anyway. Fantastic sounds in this new library and a fantastic way to show them.


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## J-M (Nov 10, 2017)

Sid Francis said:


> So Finally I probably know who is responsible for that terrible earworm in The witcher 1: the background bagpipe music of "Gwent". I was searching in my game folder for the music files to put it on my mp3 player because I loved the melody so much..  Or was it composed by someone else? ....anyway. Fantastic sounds in this new library and a fantastic way to show them.



Well, since you asked.  The music in Witcher 1 was composed by Adam Skorupa and Pawel Blaszczak...and there was no Gwent in Witcher 1, only in the third game, and the background music for Gwent was composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz and the band Percival. Nevertheless, Piotr did write some great tracks for the last expansion...


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## StrezovSampling (Nov 16, 2017)

Today we are happy to share some more demos with you showcasing the different styles of music BALKAN is capable of performing.

The first demo by the talented Jean-Gabriel Raynaud consists of 95% BALKAN. The other 5% are a jazz drumkit, which also is layered with the drums from BALKAN.



The second demo by Nathan Einhorn shows BALKAN in a contextual setting together with orchestra. Nathan also sent us a naked version of the track just featuring the BALKAN instruments he used.





Stay tuned for more demos and of course a veeeeery long and detailed walkthrough video by George himself!


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## JonSolo (Nov 16, 2017)

Date? Surely we are close! Ha ha, my patience grows thin with you sample maker!


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## StrezovSampling (Nov 16, 2017)

JonSolo said:


> Date? Surely we are close! Ha ha, my patience grows thin with you sample maker!



Indeed we are very close!


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## mac (Nov 16, 2017)

This should come in handy if Guy Ritchie calls me to take care of the next Sherlock movie


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## zimm83 (Nov 16, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Indeed we are very close!



Since september 13..........


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## jononotbono (Nov 17, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> We did a small teaser featuring some of the instruments from the Balkan Band section. Let us know what you think!




Love this. What an amazing Library this is going to be!


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## StrezovSampling (Dec 8, 2017)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

the time has come to show you a complete walkthrough video of BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra.



BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra features over 40 different Eastern European instruments (Gypsy Band, Ethnic Folk, Ethnic Vocal Quartet, Pads and Percussion) and will be released on Monday Dec 11 at an attractive Intro Price of $329 ($399 RRP). 

This library will be our first collection available for Kontakt Player and in addition to that NKS powered.

Enjoy!


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## JonSolo (Dec 8, 2017)

Lovely instrument!


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## zimm83 (Dec 8, 2017)

Fantastic library. And the sound !!!! A MUST HAVE !!!


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## J-M (Dec 8, 2017)

Yes...A must have for sure!


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## StrezovSampling (Dec 8, 2017)

Thanks a lot for your nice comments! Means a lot to us. We've been working on this collection the whole year. We even started recording the Kavals in 2016 already and spend as much time as needed to get them right. The library has tons of unheard and fresh sounds in it, which inspire you to write music you couldn't imagine before. Really looking forward to hear the music everyone of you will come up with!


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## zimm83 (Dec 8, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Thanks a lot for your nice comments! Means a lot to us. We've been working on this collection the whole year. We even started recording the Kavals in 2016 already and spend as much time as needed to get them right. The library has tons of unheard and fresh sounds in it, which inspire you to write music you couldn't imagine before. Really looking forward to hear the music everyone of you will come up with!



Waouh ! So much work for a library ! Can't imagine the work behind this one. But the sound is so fresh and inspiring. And so much articulations and instruments and pads and VOICES and percs ..... This is for ME !!! Thanks so much !!!


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## Lode_Runner (Dec 8, 2017)

Gorgeous library - can't wait to see it released. I'm guessing with that much content it won't be cheap, so I may have to wait a while, but still looking forward to it. 

Just one suggestion for a future update - a lot of the instruments (or their close relatives) are found in other regions of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. I think a micro-tuning option would really increase the versatility of this library (not that it's not incredibly versatile already).


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## VinRice (Dec 8, 2017)

This is very impressive and more versatile than the name would suggest.


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## galactic orange (Dec 8, 2017)

VinRice said:


> This is very impressive and more versatile than the name would suggest.


I agree. I can see this being useful for loads of different styles of music in huge numbers of combinations.


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## StrezovSampling (Dec 9, 2017)

Thanks everyone for your nice comments. 

@Lode_Runner considering its content BALKAN is veeeeeeeery affordable. $329 Intro Price ($399 RRP). Try and find another collection featuring choir, percussion, band, folk instruments all sampled with different mic positions, true polyphonic legato with those instruments out there. We did some research before we started to work on this beast of a project and couldn't find any. 

BALKAN is designed to be a all in one solution for Eastern European (Balkan region) instruments and playing techniques. Here's a rough overview of the instruments. Almost all of those instruments have true legato, phrases, ornamented and regular shorts and longs and are designed to be inspirational and playable out of the box. No extensive keyswitching needed. It was very important for us to capture the soul of these incredible soloists rather than sample normal straight, lifeless articulations, which need lots of scripting or programming to make them shine in your music.
In addition to that BALKAN also features every major under the hood technique we've developed over the years, Syllabuilder Version 3, Distort Guitar Engine and X3M Percussion layout and to make it as affordable as possible for everyone of you we decided to go down the Kontakt Player and NKS route. It's also a great entry library into our world of creating virtual instruments which feel as lively as possible.

Once again here's a rough overview of what's included:

*CATEGORY: ETHNIC CHOIR *
_Fully compatible with Freyja/Wotan/Arva/Rhodope! Unique recordings of a vocal quartet that feature the same content as Rhodope 2_
Quartet: Eh Polyphonic True Legato
Quartet: Ah Polyphonic True Legato
Quartet: Syllabuilder Patch (Sustains & Staccatos)

*CATEGORY: ETHNIC*
Gadulka Ensemble
Solo Gadulka
Duduk Alto
Duduk Bass
Duduk Tenor
Bulgarian Duduk High
Bulgarian Duduk Low
Gaida (Traditional bagpipe)
Gypsy Clarinet 
Gypsy Romantic Violin
Gypsy Violin 
Kaval 1
Kaval 2
Tamboura
Zourna
Macedonian Kemane

*CATEGORY: BALKAN BAND*
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Tuba
Euphonium
Trumpet
Flugelhorn
Gypsy Trumpet
Gypsy Guitar
Gypsy Bayan
Double Basse

*CATEGORY: PADS*
Fantasy pad soundscapes
Futuristic pad soundscapes

*CATEGORY: PERCUSSION*
Solo Tupan 
- Beater
- Beater (dampened) 
- Beater (rimshot)
- Clack
- Stick
- Stick (hit)
- Stick (dampened)

Single Chans (_cowbells)_
- 11 different types of "chans"

Multiple Chans (_cowbells)_
- 9 different combinations of chans

Klepalo (_monastery wooden block)_
_-_ Klepalo - Big - Edge
- Klepalo - Big - Flat
- Klepalo - Big - played with "kiak" - wooden stick
_-_ Klepalo - Small - Edge
- Klepalo - Small - Flat
- Klepalo - Small - played with "kiak" - wooden stick

Tarambuka (_darbuka_)
- Brass (Low)
- Brass (High)
- Brass (Side)
- Brass (Flam)
- Brass (Triplet) 

- Clay (Low)
- Clay (High)
- Clay (Side) 
- Clay (Flam)
- Clay (Triplet)

- Gypsy (Low) 
- Gypsy (High)
- Gypsy (Side) 
- Gypsy (Stick)
- Gypsy (Stick dampened)
- Gypsy (Flam)
- Gypsy (Triplet) 

Balkan Band
- Bass Drum (muted)
- Bass Drum (open)
- Hihat Muted (_by tradition these are actually performed like piatti_) 
- Hihat Open (_by tradition these are actually performed like piatti_) 
- Hihat Stick 
- Snare Single hit
- Snare Double hit
- Whistling
- Shouts "Hey"
- Shouts 'Oy"


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## StrezovSampling (Dec 9, 2017)

Lode_Runner said:


> Gorgeous library - can't wait to see it released. I'm guessing with that much content it won't be cheap, so I may have to wait a while, but still looking forward to it.
> 
> Just one suggestion for a future update - a lot of the instruments (or their close relatives) are found in other regions of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. I think a micro-tuning option would really increase the versatility of this library (not that it's not incredibly versatile already).



Indeed you are right, that would be a perfect addition, but also a very elaborate process to get it right, since our soloists all brought in their own unique nuances. Something we have to discuss for an update, if enough people want it to happen we are definitely not againts that idea at all.


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## zimm83 (Dec 10, 2017)

StrezovSampling said:


> Indeed you are right, that would be a perfect addition, but also a very elaborate process to get it right, since our soloists all brought in their own unique nuances. Something we have to discuss for an update, if enough people want it to happen we are definitely not againts that idea at all.



Really good price... Really. I thought it would cost the double so..........because of the multi content.....


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## galactic orange (Dec 10, 2017)

zimm83 said:


> Really good price... Really. I thought it would cost the double so..........because of the multi content.....


Fantastic value, and I've only watched half of the walkthrough. I don't know if I can get this during the intro period but I absolutely will get it.


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## shakuman (Dec 10, 2017)

It sounds awesome! is it possible to keep the intro price running until the end of this month?

Shakuman.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Dec 10, 2017)

More demos are up here: 
https://www.strezov-sampling.com/article/beo.html

@StrezovSampling How long is it available at the intro price?


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## StrezovSampling (Dec 11, 2017)

We are happy to release BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra powered by Native Instruments Kontakt Player today at an attractive Intro Price of $329 ($399 RRP). Additional crossgrade discounts for owners of Tupans X3M and Rhodope 2 Ethnic Bulgarian Choir are available upon login on our website. http://bit.ly/2jMU0LV

Intro Pricing offer ends Jan 8 2018.

BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra is a highly unique and fresh sounding collection giving you access to a huge amount of Eastern European soloists. Balkan Ethnic Orchestra includes everything you need to write authentic eastern european Balkan music. From expressively playable folklore instruments and the infamous balkan brass sound to an ethnic vocal quartet and solo percussion. It's all right at your fingertips.

Every instrument inside this collection was recorded with the same attention to detail than our other libraries, featuring multiple mic positions, different short and long articulations, expressive phrases, true polyphonic legato and various ensemble sizes. Recorded at Sofia Session Studio using high-end recording equipement and the same approach towards liveliness and realism as our Next Generation Choir Series, Balkan Ethnic Orchestra provides inspiration from the roots. For a complete and detailed overview we highly recommend watching the official walkthrough video as well as checking out the manual

*Overview:*


*Authentic Ethnic Orchestra from the Balkan region recorded in Sofia Session Studio*
*Two microphone positions close and hall recorded through high-end recording equipement + custom convolution reverb*
*All performances combined in playable and easy to use patches with special attention towards the natural expression of the soloist*
*Over 40 of the finest Ethnic Folklore Soloists from the Balkans (Wind, Bowed and Plucked String and Brass Instruments, Vocal Quartet and Percussion Soloists) with various ornamented short and long articulations including multiple True Legato recordings*
*True Polyphonic Legato Ethnic Quartet Choir featuring* *Agile Legato for 10 syllables in three different speeds, special layer of 'shake' sustain singing for all patches and the Syllabuilder Version 3 from the Next Generation Choir Series*
*Full deeply sampled Balkan Brass Band *
*Special percussion section featuring Ethnic Percussion Players using the X3M Percussion Engine*
*Organic Futuristic and Fantasy Pads created from the recordings of BALKAN*
*Powered by Native Instrument's free Kontakt Player and NKS compatible*


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## ghandizilla (Dec 11, 2017)

Incredible, most interesting library I've heard this year!


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## JonSolo (Dec 11, 2017)

First of all, congratulations! Incredible. 

Second...you guys. I mean really. Above and beyond. Not just a great library, not just a great intro price, but offering a cross-grade on top? Just splendid, and thank you.

Insta-buy!


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## Rasmus Hartvig (Dec 11, 2017)

Amazing stuff! I love this kind of library. It sounds awesome for its intended purpose, but looks to be an all-round great inspiration booster that will find its way into a lot of my music.


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## The Darris (Dec 11, 2017)

Here is my review of it. This library is a lot of fun to play and has so much going for it in terms of originality. By that, I mean there just isn't a lot of this content on the market that's this well put together. The Vocal Quartet is among my favorite patches as well as the wind instruments like the Duduks and Kavals. Enjoy the review. 

​
_*NOTE: This review is not sponsored. All thoughts and views expressed in this review are honest and 100% based on my own experience with this product. This library was kindly sent to me by the developers for review. _


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## Iskra (Dec 12, 2017)

Just played with it for a few minutes and the library is wonderful (specially for someone like me that happens to love balkan music). And there's a lot (and I mean really a LOT) of content there.


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## desert (Dec 12, 2017)

Damn, the Mountain Glee demo is amazing. 

Well done with the launch of your new library, George


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## Rasmus Hartvig (Dec 13, 2017)

Bought, downloaded and just made a short piece with this. It's absolutely amazing! Versatile, lots of inspiring patches, and oozing personality. This is sure to be my new Swing! (that is, a library meant primarily for one thing, that somehow ends up in most of the stuff I do


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## shakuman (Dec 13, 2017)

Hi.
Is it possible to add the microtuning option?


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## The Darris (Dec 14, 2017)

shakuman said:


> Hi.
> Is it possible to add the microtuning option?


I hope Strezov Sampling doesn't mind me sharing this here but Greg over at Orange Tree Samples has made a nice script for microtuning which does exactly what you need it to for any instrument. Oh yeah, it's free!! (link below)

Cheers,

C

Free Pro Microtuning Script for Kontakt


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## shakuman (Dec 14, 2017)

The Darris said:


> I hope Strezov Sampling doesn't mind me sharing this here but Greg over at Orange Tree Samples has made a nice script for microtuning which does exactly what you need it to for any instrument. Oh yeah, it's free!! (link below)
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> ...



Many thanks Chris! hope the microtuning script will be part of Balkan library (0 to 50, 0 to -50)..


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## Tekkera (Dec 14, 2017)

What is the major difference between Rhodope 2 and this mini choir in this?


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## The Darris (Dec 14, 2017)

Tekkera said:


> What is the major difference between Rhodope 2 and this mini choir in this?


The type of syllables they used, the number of singers, and the overall vocal style. It has the mega vibrato but not the overall type of throat singing the Rhodope choir does. This quartet offers a much more intimate sound because of the size and like I demonstrated in my review, the soft dynamics are amazing. I like the intense vibrato in the upper dynamics but there is just something about those soft layers that get me. 

In terms of functionality and features, it's pretty much the same. It runs on the same engine and legato scripting so if you own Rhodope, Wotan, Arva, or Freyja, you will feel right at home with this one. 

Best,

Chris


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## reutunes (Dec 15, 2017)

I have to agree with @The Darris - I really enjoyed this library's content and functionality. Due to the unusual nature of some of the instruments the playing is slightly different for each one, but a quick glance at the manual will answer any questions. I also loved the soft vocals. Full review in this week's Samplecast show:


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## zimm83 (Dec 16, 2017)

The Darris said:


> The type of syllables they used, the number of singers, and the overall vocal style. It has the mega vibrato but not the overall type of throat singing the Rhodope choir does. This quartet offers a much more intimate sound because of the size and like I demonstrated in my review, the soft dynamics are amazing. I like the intense vibrato in the upper dynamics but there is just something about those soft layers that get me.
> 
> In terms of functionality and features, it's pretty much the same. It runs on the same engine and legato scripting so if you own Rhodope, Wotan, Arva, or Freyja, you will feel right at home with this one.
> 
> ...



Just bought it from Bestservice... Fantastic ethnic ensemble . Fantastic choir. Superb. Really good price. and it sounds so good with other libraries... Fabulous. Thanks Strezov Sampling.


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## Thorsten Meyer (Dec 16, 2017)

The Darris said:


> Here is my review of it. This library is a lot of fun to play and has so much going for it in terms of originality. By that, I mean there just isn't a lot of this content on the market that's this well put together. The Vocal Quartet is among my favorite patches as well as the wind instruments like the Duduks and Kavals. Enjoy the review.
> 
> ​
> _*NOTE: This review is not sponsored. All thoughts and views expressed in this review are honest and 100% based on my own experience with this product. This library was kindly sent to me by the developers for review. _




Good that you are back Chris with your Videos.


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## JonSolo (Dec 16, 2017)

Loving this library!


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## Reid Rosefelt (Dec 16, 2017)

Here's Dirk Ehlert's "Hands On"


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## Strezov (Dec 18, 2017)

Hey everyone, 

first of all, thank you so much for your really, really kind words. We've all been blown up by the amount of positive feedback about Balkan... this couldn't make us happier! Again, this has also been our first NKS library so making it compatible with the keyboards was something completely new for us; thankfully the guys over at NI were really helpful and walked us through the process. 
Regarding future updates - as you guys know we always try to get new things in the pipeline; right now we're trying to get some ideas for Syllabuilder v3.5 out there for Storm Choir 3 which means that all our previous libraries will get the engine update as well (Wotan, Freyja, etc.). Microtuning will be definitely an addition that try doing in the future! Also, if you've read this message, we have some other stuff coming down the pipeline...

Those of you who are still hesitant about Balkan - head over to our website for a special anniversary gift - the tenor duduk from Balkan which we decided to release freely for our fifth birthday! Thanks again! G.


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## shakuman (Dec 20, 2017)

Bought it! and it sounds really awesome, especially the secret felling with Gypsy and Romantic solo violin! what I missed is the microtuning script..


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## Iskra (Dec 20, 2017)

Microtuning would be a nice addition, as many of the instruments are "close cousins" of middle eastern/ Maghreb instruments, so Balkan could be used also to perform pretty authentic arab-oriented music. Actually all those instruments are used as well in Otoman music (but with slightly different tunings in the melodic instruments). 
Strezov already stated that microtuning is a possibility for a future update, so all is good. And til then, we can (finally!) make really wonderful balkan, tzigane and even klezmer music


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## StrezovSampling (Jan 2, 2018)

*Only 6 days left to take advantage of our Intro Special for BALKAN Ethnic Orchestra. Also don't forget to download your free Tenor Duduk if you missed our Anniversary Special two weeks ago.*


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## StrezovSampling (Jan 2, 2018)

Iskra said:


> Microtuning would be a nice addition, as many of the instruments are "close cousins" of middle eastern/ Maghreb instruments, so Balkan could be used also to perform pretty authentic arab-oriented music. Actually all those instruments are used as well in Otoman music (but with slightly different tunings in the melodic instruments).
> Strezov already stated that microtuning is a possibility for a future update, so all is good. And til then, we can (finally!) make really wonderful balkan, tzigane and even klezmer music



We will certainly have a look into that, but first there are some free updates in the pipeline for our choirs.


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## Brendon Williams (Jan 3, 2018)

Just wanted to chime in and say I had a blast writing with this library! Such a unique collection of instruments.

Here’s the official demo I created for Strezov:


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## StrezovSampling (Jan 8, 2018)

Last chance to grab BALKAN before the Intro pricing offer ends!! www.strezov-sampling.com


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## Reid Rosefelt (Jan 10, 2018)

To any of you Balkan music fans who live in the NY area...
You might be interested in the Zlate Uste Golden Festival going on Friday and Saturday, 1/12 & 1/13 in Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn. I'm going!
http://goldenfest.org/


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## MillsMixx (Jan 10, 2018)

Brendon Williams said:


> Just wanted to chime in and say I had a blast writing with this library! Such a unique collection of instruments.
> 
> Here’s the official demo I created for Strezov:




I picked this up too before price offering ends plus extra saving for owning other Strezov libraries and I have to say it's one of the best libraries I've ever heard and played. It's a very special set of instruments! I'm blown away by how good it is and glad I got it :--)


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## tim727 (Dec 1, 2018)

I bought Balkan earlier this week and have already composed two pieces with it. On the whole I like it a lot but I've noticed some weirdness with the choir.

So certain notes are clearly panned to one side ... while others are panned to the other. Furthermore, some seem to sort of go back and forth almost pulsating from left to right. For instance, F2 clearly sounds like it's panned to the right while E4 clearly sounds panned to the left. This ends up sounding IMO really strange when you're playing a line and you can clearly hear that the position in the soundstage that the sound is emanating from skips back and forth from note to note. Does anyone know if this is a known issue? Or was this an intentional design choice?

Edit: After messing around with it a little more it seems that this is probably intentional. The panning goes from left to right as you start from the highest note and go all the way down to the lowest.


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## Strezov (Dec 1, 2018)

Yes, the four women are positioned in situ in the hall and due to the nature of ethnic singing they have a very limited range of throat singing, so the extreme ranges (low vs. high) will only have one or two singers (thus going from right-to-left or from alto-to-soprano (in ethnic music those are called voice 3, 2 and 1).


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## tim727 (Dec 2, 2018)

Strezov said:


> Yes, the four women are positioned in situ in the hall and due to the nature of ethnic singing they have a very limited range of throat singing, so the extreme ranges (low vs. high) will only have one or two singers (thus going from right-to-left or from alto-to-soprano (in ethnic music those are called voice 3, 2 and 1).



Understood, thank you for the explanation George. Out of curiosity, is the same type of thing present in Rhodope? Or in Rhodope are all the singers centered?


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## Strezov (Dec 2, 2018)

tim727 said:


> Understood, thank you for the explanation George. Out of curiosity, is the same type of thing present in Rhodope? Or in Rhodope are all the singers centered?


By memory they are 21 singers so they basically cover the entire hall in a slight semi-circle. Again, highest notes are only sung by voice #1, which were (again by memory) 4-5 girls. The quartet features 4 soloists from Rhodope 2 and is recorded in the same position as the library - the sessions were consecutive in two long weekends and it's the same studio setup.


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## Strezov (Dec 2, 2018)

Strezov said:


> By memory they are 21 singers so they basically cover the entire hall in a slight semi-circle/line. Again, highest notes are only sung by voice #1, which were (again by memory) 4-5 girls. The quartet features 4 soloists from Rhodope 2 and is recorded in the same position as the library - the sessions were consecutive in two long weekends and it's the same studio setup.


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## tim727 (Dec 2, 2018)

Strezov said:


> By memory they are 21 singers so they basically cover the entire hall in a slight semi-circle. Again, highest notes are only sung by voice #1, which were (again by memory) 4-5 girls. The quartet features 4 soloists from Rhodope 2 and is recorded in the same position as the library - the sessions were consecutive in two long weekends and it's the same studio setup.



Ah ok, that clears it up. I think I need to get used to the in situ recording ... once I do I might end up picking up Rhodope if it goes on sale as I do really like the tone and functionality of these choirs 

I have an unrelated question for you as well. As I mentioned above I do really like the library as a whole. That being said, I think that the decision to include a lot of "performance" in some of the instruments can be a bit problematic. I don't see this so much of an issue with the clarinet or the gaida where I think it comes off really well as it feels a bit more restrained. In some of the other instruments though (the legato trumpet is the first that comes to mind, but I'd say the kaval as well) there is so much ornamentation built into the samples that it makes it a bit hard to actually use the instrument, particularly for fast lines, because then the melody gets so over-saturated with ornamentation that it sounds a bit excessive. For slow lines it's less of an issue to be sure. I think for some people this feature is one of the best aspects of the library. For me it doesn't happen to suit my style as much. So I'm curious, is there any plan to maybe update the library in the future to provide alternative patches for some of these instruments that don't have the ornamentation built in ... and instead maybe assign ornaments to key switches (similar to what Eduardo Tarilonte does in his libs)? I think this is a great lib and for my personal needs I'd probably rate it an 8/10, but if this aspect were changed it would go to 10/10 for me for sure.


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## Strezov (Dec 3, 2018)

The whole idea was to record with all traditional and 'weird' ornaments and at this point we don't plan on re-recording Balkan's material. However, I have something in mind that could help your case - but this will have to wait for the current updates we're doing (we're a small team), so maybe Q2 2019. 

In the meantime what you can do for the trumpet and kaval would be to just switch the legato off and you'll lose the ornaments. I'll think and discuss my legato idea with our scripter Alex - fingers crossed and it might sound just fab without so much ornaments. 

Kindest regards,
George


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## tim727 (Dec 3, 2018)

Sounds great, I'll give that a shot! Also I know I've mentioned a few critical things here ... but I do want to stress that I do really love the library. It's probably the most inspirational one I've bought in a while. Right off the bat I composed two new gypsy style songs in a couple days ... and I'm already almost done with a third! I think my favorite part is the brass staccatos. They all sound incredible. And I reallllly love the double bass as well. Congrats on a great release 

Edit: 

Oh and in case you have the time or inclination, here's the first piece I composed with Balkan. With the exception of the Turkish Oud (which is from a different library), *everything *is from Balkan!


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## Ben H (Mar 1, 2019)

That Kaval <3


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