Cinematique Instruments – Balalaika 2

The balalaika is a small string instrument that most likely evolved from Central Asian lute instruments. However, balalaikas are now most closely associated with Eastern European, especially Russian music. First mentioned in the 17th century, it was primarily used for village and folk music, but in the 19th century, the balalaika began to be included in concert performances. This even led to the formation of balalaika orchestras. It was also during this time that the balalaika acquired its characteristic triangular shape. The balalaika we recorded is a three-stringed prima balalaika , usually tuned in EEA tuning.

In the history of our previously released string instruments, we once again focused on creating an instrument with a soft and warm sound that would give an organic and realistic feel. To focus on the main articulations of this instrument, we recorded the balalaika in a normal finger-plucked articulation with 8-fold circular repetition. This is well suited for playing melodies and offers many other applications. 

The instrument is equipped with a tremolo function controlled by the modulation wheel. This tremolo can create a tragic, dramatic and very natural sound, ideal for various musical styles and genres. Another articulation we captured is strumming . It is great for accompaniment and creating a background in your music.

Along with these samples, we also recorded strumming ghost notes . You can play them using our Strumming Engine , which allows you to create strokes in a simple and intuitive way. In addition, the balalaika is equipped with various options for enhancing the sound with eight types of reverb, some effects and editing options.

Overall, the balalaika is an easy-to-use instrument that offers a ton of options for enhancing your sound, with a pleasant, organic feel and extremely versatile applications.

In the 2.0 update we added presets, some new features (like arpeggios) and effects. We also updated the design of the instrument.