Dombra

Have you ever found a rhythm kontakt library that you liked, only to find out that the engine only uses one-shots? Did you have to play billions of notes to make it work properly? Maybe the library is difficult to use, lacks a real rhythm engine, or the engine is too basic for complex or custom grooves. Do these libraries use pre-recorded chords? These chords can’t be easily edited. As composers, we understand how frustrating that can be, so we wanted to create something new.

The main idea behind Flow & Motion – Dombra is to create a powerful rhythm instrument that is easy to use. You don’t need to know how the engine works. Just press a few keys, and the instrument will automatically choose the right string and fret. The instrument performs with the same natural feel, timing, and dynamics as a real player.

If you want to play melodies with single notes in a classical style, simply turn off the rhythm engine and switch to fully playable mode.

Dombra uses a simple, custom machine learning algorithm to generate natural, human-like rhythms. We developed a basic smart system and trained it using thousands of rhythms. The library uses this knowledge to randomly generate good-sounding patterns.

Even better, the engine doesn’t stop there. It also checks how users interact with the library, which rhythms are triggered, how they are played, and which patterns are preferred. The engine slowly adapts and keeps learning. Over time, it gets better at choosing patterns.

We included a wide range of built-in effects to provide more creative options. Although the Dombra is a nylon instrument, it responds well to processing. Apply delays, reverbs, distortions, modulations, and more to create unique sounds and interesting effect chains that go far beyond the traditional tone.

We created several categories of snapshots to speed up the workflow, simplify sound selection, and demonstrate the capabilities of the engine. Each snapshot includes all four rhythm patterns, making the structure feel complete.

The instrument was sampled with a limited range of two strings. But we also captured the tone and playing style of other instruments such as the koto, mandolin, bass, guitars, and synths, and recreated them directly inside the engine with impressive precision.

Dombra is fully sampled. By default, the engine intelligently selects the appropriate string to produce the best sound. However, if more control is needed, the string can be manually chosen using velocity. This shapes the sound and provides additional control, as it is well known that the same note played on different strings can have a slightly different tone and character.

Dombra offers several play modes. In Normal mode, it plays like a real two-string instrument with natural string behavior. Solo mode is designed for playing melodic or lead parts with full expression. Polyphonic mode is useful for playing full chords and harmonies. It surpasses the original instrument’s physical limitations and allows for maximum freedom.

Presets window with Factory and User presets for Performance and Mixer & Mics.