Macedonian Epic Orkestra is a collection of high quality NI Kontakt instruments created by professional musicians, sound editors and music producers. The collection contains 7 instruments, that originate from the Macedonian part of the Balkans and have a characteristic sound that reflects the soul of the Macedonian people.
The process of creating these instruments involved a number of musicians who contributed their creativity and performance to create a sound that is very similar to the original sound of the live instruments themselves.
Sampling was performed and recorded in a professional acoustic studio equipped with the latest high quality music recording and mastering equipment. We used Neumann and Sennheiser microphones. We had specially designed acoustic panels to get the right color and sound from each instrument. All samples are recorded in 24 bit at 96khz.
The Macedonian tambura has 4 steel strings in 2 doubled courses. It is tuned A A , D D (or at the same relative intervals of a fourth in another pitch) when playing melodies based on A tonic upon A drone. It also may be tuned G G , D D (or another pitch at the same relative intervals of a fifth) when playing melodies based on G tonic upon G drone. Octave strings are sometimes used on the lower course. It has a floating bridge and a metal tailpiece.
ТАМБУРА
This is a good-size drum. What sets it apart is that the musicians of Macedonia play it with two specially designed drumsticks – known as a kukuda and a prachka. The kukuda is a narrow pipe made of wood, while the prachka is more like a thin switch. Each one strikes a different side of the drum and the difference in sound is remarkable; together they produce an impression that something big is about to happen. The tapan is the traditional accompaniment for most folk bands playing at special occasions. You will find it at the Galicnik wedding.