An advanced physical modeling technology by Audio Modeling which has attracted some people. Do you really use their products in your projects? Some of them don't sound bad, but some are unreal.

 

Some instruments sound great but you need wind or expression controllers and the skills to use them convincingly.
I heard a string section demo that sounded like a cross between samples and Wendy Carlos' Switched On Bach???

 

that probably sounds way more amazing in my head than it does in reality

 

The issues I have with SWAM is that the tech is supposed to be less system invasive and easier to use than regular sample libraries. They have toned down the RAM usage with the tech, but sacrificed extreme CPU usage in the process. Extreme CPU usage in many cases to the deal-breaker stages where there isn't enough CPU power to play even one instrument.

Personally, I find the sounds of the instruments plasticky and contrived. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of using realistic synthetic sound technology in the first place. If I am using sampled (or algo) synthetic (or sampled real world instruments) instruments in a project my general intent is to sound as realistic as possible to the real thing without having to print scores, hire, and pay actual players to record the piece. I find the SWAM tech lacking in this department. Just MHO...

 

there's no magics or trick to achive the best result in orchestral emulation: mix everything you have at disposaal

I mean SWAM, then different libraries of samples or even live musicians in certain cases.It depends on the production and the budget obviously. In a small budget situation you go for the quick solution so basic libraries or SWAM. More money? Ok, you can start working with complex keyswitches and realize a 4 trombones section with 4 different libraries to achive that "mixed sound" of the real thing. Even more money? Record 1 live musician playing trombone and the result will be very very good*

I used trombones as example, but it works for any situations, even for a small strings ensamble, like a 4tet or 6tet: use swam+a couple of different libraries+1 real violin AND/OR 1 real cello or whatever and the result will be good

SWAM alone is only for basic situation or for "sketches" of the composition, to render the first midi file coming out of Dorico/Sibelius, or only for solo instruments but that needs a special ambience. Example: you need a trumpet or a solo cello playing a distant, slow melody full of reverb, delay in an unreal space, well in that situation SWAM alone can do the thing. But if you need a chamber ambient, emulation a live situation, like a concert or whatever then SWAM alone it is not enough. But definitely something to have ready to go.

*NOTE: here talking for "modern cinematic sound", not for "pure classical emulation".

 

The brass needs work to stand alone, if they could at all, but the reeds sound excellent IMO. Bass Clarinet and Bassoon being stand outs.

 

I've had good results with the saxes but it takes a lot of work.

 

I could never tell the flute and violin here aren't acoustic and live if I was caught off-guard.

 

I think it’s subjective… there are people using these stuffs like if they don’t tell, you wouldn’t know. Even sample libraries when not used well sound horrible. I guess we just look at these as tools and tools on their own are not enough. They are not meant to sound fantastic right out of the box. To me they are close especially when u tweak the settings.

 

SWAM stuff is great quality but I've only ever really used them for the sketching of ideas. I would have just a Cubase template that only has Spitfire Audio's free BBCSO and SOundiron's EMotional Piano Kontakt libraries and the SWAM stuff loaded up, and that would be more than plenty to keep things simple and sketch ideas with, before then expanding to fuller projects using allsorts of Kontakt libraries.

 

These kinds of threads tend to... foster... debate.

 

Probably not really gonna use them, but I think their "Ambience" plugin might find a way into my productions.

 

SWAM...using these plugins isn't like actually swimming, it's more like just treading water to me. If I were contracted to writing a soundtrack with these tools I would imagine my future tense.

 

you need a suitable expression controller to make them sound believable, or they are a lot of work. After that, in a mix; they sound realistic. By themselves playing solo, not so much. Without the extra effort, Kontakt results work better for me. Last I checked, their prices are lunacy.

 

yes, legit user,
works amazing with Seaboard RISE49,
I'd say even better than real instruments because you can really mess with spatial audio, automation etc...
that said, it's a lot of work once you go beyond solo compositions

 

Because I use real instruments more than not, their Ambiente I find the more useful of all because they've modelled acoustic environments instead of using pure IR's in convolution mode. Their plugins are as good as anyone's but pianoteq still is ahead in pure realism recreation for me, if I had to choose a modelled instrument. That's not true for everyone but for my environment it is.