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User guide

Balani

Balani is a 2 1/2 octave balafon (or balaphon) with small calabash resonators from Guinea.

acousticsamples.net/balani October 2026
01

Overview

A BALAFON FROM GUINEA

Balani is a 2 1/2 octave balafon (or balaphon) from Guinea, with small calabash resonators. We sampled it because its "noise generators" are still in good condition: most players remove them because they dislike the buzzing effect, but listen carefully to a traditional balafon and you will hear them - and we wanted them in the library.

It is sampled in depth: around 967 samples, with 12 velocity layers for the sustain, 4 takes per note to avoid the machine-gun effect, and about 13 velocities for the releases.

02

Interface

Default interface
Default interface
Double settings
Double settings
03

Features

Original or corrected tuning

Original or corrected tuning

Balafon scales are usually very different from European ones. This one originally plays a B major scale over 20 notes; for the library it was extended to 33 notes, and both the original and a corrected tuning are available, for a traditional or a contemporary sound.

A tuning table lets you retune each note separately, up to one semitone up or down, and MIDI select shows which key you are pressing so you tune the right note.

More about this

Tuning panel

Tuning: a table with one bar per note; each note can be tuned up to one semitone up or down

MIDI select: highlights the key you are pressing, to find the note you want to tune

Two balafons at once

The Double button duplicates the instrument with an inverted stereo image, for the feel of two balafons playing together. Each duplicate triggers different samples and can have its own tuning.

Spread sets how far apart the two versions sit in the stereo field, and, as always, the Sensitivity adapts the library to your preference and your keyboard.

More about this

Double settings

Double: duplicates the instrument and inverts the stereo image of the copy; each copy triggers different samples and can be tuned separately

Spread: the stereo separation between the two versions

Sensitivity: adjusts the velocity response to your preference and your keyboard

04

Technical specifications

230Mb uncompressed, 125Mb compressed in lossless flac format, around 967 samples.
12 Velocity layers for the sustain.
4 takes per note to avoid the machine gun effect (round robins).
about 13 Velocities for the release.
Both original and corrected tunings are available for a traditional or contemporary sound.
Advanced UVI scripting giving you access to a simple yet powerfull interface and advanced features.

Sample player

VSTVST3AUAAXStandalone

Balani plays in UVI Player (formerly UVI Workstation), UVI's free sample player. We provide it with every library you buy, so you don't need an expensive sampler to use our products. It works on Mac (macOS 10.14 or later, Intel or Apple silicon) and Windows (10 or later), standalone or as a plug-in (VST / VST3 / AU / AAX), in 64-bit only. More about it here.

Copy protection

We use the iLok system to protect our products and you can choose to register your license to your computer or to an iLok dongle. If you decide to use an iLok dongle, both V1 and V2 are compatible with our products. You can activate your license on up to 3 computers or iLok dongles at the same time and you can deactivate one and activate another as many times as you want.

Registration

Once your order is complete, you will be provided with a serial number. You will then be able to register it to your iLok account from our website on this page (you need to be logged in to access this page). The whole process is described in the FAQ (instructions + screencast).

05

Video tutorials