6 String Acoustic Guitar (43 programs) - The collection starts with the familiar acoustic guitar and we get a whole range of playing styles, the notes are singular, no riffs or loops. Very well recorded as you would expect and compared against your regular soundcard or synth preset you get lots more in variation and realism.

Over the whole range of programs quite a few are similar sounding, the main variations are nail played medium position, nail played bridge position, dynamic, pizzicato & flageolet. Lots of subtle variations that highlight rather the breadth of sounds that can be extracted from an acoustic instrument, and how a keyboard isn't the best method of playing these sorts of sounds. If you can't find the acoustic guitar sound you want here then you won't find it anywhere.

Whippet (41) - Not an instrument that I'm familiar with but closely related to the guitar by the sound of it, if not just a straight variation, and guitar experts out there please advise !. I notice that the back cover refers to a Portuguese fado guitar and a Spanish Flamenco guitar so maybe that's the difference. In any event we have more variations of sounds that can be made from a guitar, more flageolet,room's (presume the sound when you slap the box of an acoustic guitar to get a percussive effect), slides, scratches and some chords.

Again the differences in some cases are subtle, not sure if anyone will ever have the need for 18 guitar room variations for example. But if that's the sound your looking for it does at least easily allow you to introduce subtle nuances to a track.

Buzouki (41) - Not an instrument you'd come across too often, Greek in origin. Sounds a bit like a rich acoustic guitar, the dual samples in particular so. Again we have a whole host of subtle variations on the playing styles of the instrument, again all single sounds and hits. But very well recorded and makes an interesting variation to more traditional western instruments.

Saz (46) - Moving round to Turkey now we have their variation on the "guitar" theme, in addition to the usual large number of variations of single sounds we have an excellent collection of twenty or so riffs/loops. The single sounds come in flageolet, oriental and chromatic variations, again many of the variations in the programs are subtle. The riffs though are excellent, ideal for dropping into a track. Only wish that there was more in the collection overall.

Mandolin (31) - The mandolin will be more familiar a sound to many of us, and here we have the usual excellently recorded and sounding variations on playing styles. Normal, tremolo and bronze strings are represented here.

Dulcimer (79) - A native instrument of the Balkans, more variations than you could ever possible use I expect, soft, hard, repeat, plucked & glissando plus a whole range of "effects" scratches and scrapes sort of thing. There are a handful of nice little loops, but the large majority are of the usual single note variation. As always very faithful recordings of the instrument.

Energy Chimes (15) - After several hours of playing around with stringed instruments we start to move on to something different here. Simple xylophone/chime type tones, nothing terribly exciting.

Tone Cups (18) - Very nice clangy junk type metallic percussive sound, would make a nice variation to to a percussive loop.

Psalter (84) - A bowed instrument that produces a distinctive sweeping type sound. Quite distinct from the normal violin/viola type stringed sound we're familiar with. Lots of subtle variations in both bowed and picked forms together with a few effects, scrapes, glissando's and the like. Like much of this collection would make a nice subtle change from the norm.

C-Recorder (131) - Huge variety of recorder sounds, the range is quite amazing really when one compares to what your normal synth setup might be able to produce, lots of techniques used, duel, tuett, tongue, D-Sing, dynamic, trill, glissando, scales, slides, bilka's plus a few effects. To anyone who's children have ever tried to play one of these will know what this instrument sounds like (I know !), though one would have to say with nothing like the variation or skill of these samples.

Bar Chimes (8) - Exactly what it says !

Flutes/Recorders (127) - Another vast array of flute/recorder variations, all excellently recorded examples. As usual it's just single notes, lots of them, with a lot of subtle variation, more than normal here as the range of instruments varies quite a lot, we have here, two recorders, soprano recorder, alto, renaissance g-alto, noisy recorder, tenor, dynamic, bass,white noise and a few effects. About a definitive collection as your ever going to find.

Bongo (29) - Of course no "ethnic" type CD would be complete without a few bongo samples and loops ! Not as comprehensive as some of the other sections, but ok if not outstanding in any way.

Panflute (33) - Comes in regular and noisy tremolo variations, as accurate a representation of this small flute as your ever likely to find, plus apart from the usual single notes a small collection of simple phrases that you could drop into a track for a spot effect.

Accordion (44) - Again a familiar instrument to most people, we get a variety single sounds plus a larger collection of phrases. Running out of ways to say, excellent representation of the instrument with subtle variations !

Various Instruments & Environments (13) - The final part of the CD is taken up with a dozen or so very good long atmospheres, the only part of the collection not studio recorded. Very usable beach, city, nature and people backgrounds, maybe an ideal intro or outro to a track or unusual underpin to an ambient/trance type track perhaps. There are a couple of Oriental Orchestra samples, that are rather at odds with the rest of the collection, big rich string type pads with, as the name would suggest a slightly oriental feel. Finally we have 40 odd Darbuka hits and short loops, a sort of loose, drum/bongo type percussive instrument.

Summary & Overall...