Still, it sounded amazing - and probably the closest approximation of a cello played by keys I've ever heard! But the second videos you posted, where it was Bach and the GOT theme alone. the first demo videos you posted, I was like - if I close my eyes, I could probably not discern whether or not this was a real cello or modeled/synthetic. But I can use Garagband for that, as it has support. The only downside is Reason doesn't have multitimbral/MPE support so doing things like applying different pressure on individual strings or bending notes independently of one another using a single instance of an instrument isn't possible. I'm pretty sold on it at the moment and could really put it to use for a current project. And from what I understand, the approach to pitch shift is unique and more natural sounding than other string libraries with sample-based engines.
#Swam engine instruments mod
Smith, exploiting a complex friction model and adding several elements taken from the SWAM technology created for the Woodwinds instruments.įolks control this with breath controllers, mod wheels, Roli Seaboards, etc. SWAM-S bowed strings model this complex system using the Digital Waveguide Synthesis conceived by prof. Helmholtz motion is the name given to the idealised motion of the string during stick and slip cycles. This means that any inharmonic effects of the string are reduced by bowing, which is not the case when the string is plucked. When this happens the motion of the string is nearly exactly periodic, and it therefore makes a sound with an almost exactly harmonic spectrum.
Over a limited range of pressure applied by the player, the cycle of stick and slip is governed by the standing wave in the string. The bow string interaction is important for another aspect. This involves some interesting properties of friction, the force that makes things difficult to slide.
The action of the bow which drives the strings is a regular cycle of stick-slip-stick-slip. This affects the timbre, too: after a pluck, the high harmonics fade away quickly, leaving only the fundamental and some weak lower harmonics, while bowing maintains the rich harmonic spectrum. The bow allows the player to continuously input energy and so to maintain a note.
Using this technique, adding new elements and performing an unceasing fine-tuning, we have built the best modeled Bowed Strings virtual instruments on the market, allowing the real-time control of bow speed, bow pressure, bow position, vibrato, portamento, harmonics, tremolo, pizzicato, and many other parameters in a realistic way, almost indistinguishable from the real instrument. We have performed an in-depth study of the Physical Modeling techniques, especially the Digital Waveguides Synthesis by prof. SWAM-S stands for Synchronous Waves Acoustic Modeling – Strings.ĭifferently from SWAM, sound is generated by pure Physical Modeling, so there are no samples at all.