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Physical modelling synths
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  • This is a really interesting topic. In time there was lot of research about physical modeling. But then came NoardLead and Rebirth. After huge succes of Those, every one start to do va synths. That was a kind of drawback. Sametime others consentrate doing smple librarys like VSL, EWQL and others, and physical modeling was a kind forgot. There was some atepts like Yamaha VL1 and Yamaha EX5, but Pianoteque is in my oppinion only real succes. Now There Is More to come like
    http://www.xhun-audio.com/site/xhun.php?page=welcome
  • I think that tablets will return some sanity to the synth development.
    As for analog synths. It is easy to understand.
    First, all managers, etc used to hear real things, so for them it is hot still :-)
    They are easy to make.
    Same with sample libraries.
    In the last years it became "competition of gigabytes".
    As you have almost unlooped samples, without any compression, for each semitone sample is different (add here 4-17 velocity layers) and with every possible articulation.
  • Btw about Synful.
    It is good example of programmer doing design, making manual, setting price and doing all the marketing.
    Never ever do it such.
  • I have forgot that totlay, must give it a try again.
  • I made separate topic for Synful - http://www.personal-view.com/talks/discussion/1884/synful-orchestra#Item_1
    As it is not phisically modelled thing, but also interesting.
    Can be used on existing Windows tablets with very high number of voices.
  • @VK
    >Btw about Synful.
    It is good example of programmer doing design, making manual, setting price and doing all the marketing.
    Never ever do it such.

    From day 1 my reaction to Synful was... great idea... great sound... but... WTF? The interface is almost unusable... but at the end of the day- people only 'hear' sound... :-D
  • All the Synful comments are making me smile: for the most part, I couldn't agree more.

    Do you guys remember when Creative Labs added limited physical modeling to Awe Sound Blaster series in the 90s? I remember really wanting to try it but never getting the chance.
  • @thepalalias

    As I remember it was Yamaha, with their sound cards.
  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev No, this was distinct from Yamaha's work (though what nerd could help but be intrigued by their wind controllers somewhere around that time). Look up the AWE 64 Gold to see what physical modeling they briefly included. I think they discontinued it by the time they introduced SBLive! so my first exposure to physical modeling ended up being some of the generators in Jeskola Buzz in 1999 or 2000 instead.
  • I tried their soft modeller on their sound card. Long ago.
    Do not remember anything from Creative.
  • Pianoteq 4

    From Pianoteq 3 to 4, three years of research were necessary to refine the physical model that describes the hammers, the strings, the soundboard and their interaction. A grand piano Steinway D from Hamburg has served as reference. Its main characteristics have been used for feeding the physical model from which the new grand piano D4 is born.

    The secret of its sound quality lies in the refinement of the soundboard model and its acoustic radiation field computed via a structural analysis model coupled to integral equations. Moreover, each note has been carefully adjusted in its finest detail, just like in a real factory.

    A new and exciting convolution reverb unit simulates acoustic surroundings ranging from Studio up to very long reverbs like Cathedral and Taj Mahal. It includes other types of reverbs as for example Plate, Spring, Broceliande… You can also load reverb impulses to set your own environment. In conjunction with these reverbs, the new D4 offers a sound quality that is comparable to a real recording of an acoustic piano with the best audio equipment.

    New effects that benefit the electric pianos but also other Pianoteq instrument are included, such as delay, chorus, flanger, amplifier and compressor. Also included is a mallet bounce effect, especially adapted for the chromatic percussion add-on instruments (vibes, xylophone, marimba, cimbalom…).

    Pianoteq 4 new features:

    • Improved sound with the new grand piano D4
    • Improved physical model
    • New effects:
    • Convolution reverb
    • Delay, Chorus, Flanger
    • Amp, Compressor
    • Mallet bounce

    http://www.pianoteq.com/pianoteq4

  • Just discovered Pianoteq 4 tonight. Amazing.

  • Xhun Audio IronAxe

    • Physical Modeling simulation of real electronic and acoustic components
    • Get all the best of Physical Modeling with no compromises :
    • Sound manipulation at the source core. Sound is actually generated, not sampled
    • True-to-life sound realism and articulations playability
    • Super smooth dynamics - no velocity layers
    • Instrument and Presets load in a flash
    • Small memory footprint ( for both RAM and Hard Disk )
    • Installs in less than a minute
    • An all-in-one complete Electric Guitar + FX / Stompboxes + Amp / Cabinets setup
    • Make in your productions complete and realistic Electric Guitar tracks with ease
    • Choose your Guitar model : Solidbody with 2 or 3 Pickups (more will follow)
    • Excitation modeling : select the Plectrum hardness or pluck a String with fingers at any point along its lenght
    • Strings modeling : independent simulation of each of the 6 (different) strings, with the possibility to choose strings material, set tension values and other
    • Pickups modeling : select Pickups type (single-coil, humbucker, steelplate), number and place them into Guitar's body
    • Performer's modeling, allowing real-time multi-techniques playability (Palm Muting, Tapping Harmonics, Strumming, etc...) using a standard MIDI Keyboard
    • Native Guitar Control : in addition to the classic MIDI Keyboard control system, IronAxe is designed to be the ultimate tool for Guitarists - build your custom and physically accurate Electric Guitar and play it through a real MIDI Guitar for an unparalleled realism
    • Master Compressor and Equalizer
    • Four insert effects slots, featuring 10 analogue modeled Stompboxes (more will follow)
    • Amp/Cabinet simulation, featuring 6 legendary Cabinets (more will follow)
    • Full MIDI CC#s mapping
    • Supported Sample Rates : 44.1 / 48 / 88.1 / 96 / 192 kHz

    http://www.xhun-audio.com/site/xhun.php?page=ironaxe

  • Anckorage Spring is a physical modelling audio synthesiser based on the simulation of a set of connected mass- spring, integrating non-linearities, fluid and static friction, mechanical limits, gravity and bouncing. It is designed to be controlled by a continuous controller (like the Haken Continuum www.hakenaudio.com) but can be used with a regular keyboard or directly from the device screen or from other core midi apps. Of course a continuous controller will provide a much more accurate control of the model.

    Features:

    • Real physical modeling sound engine
    • Fully editable physical model
    • 88 200 Hz internal sampling rate
    • Special Haken Continuum compliance
    • Playable by any midi device
    • Core midi base (therefore including virtual midi and network midi compliance)
    • On device touch control
    • Rich preset management
    • Preset exchange mechanism (through iTunes Share)
    • All parameters controllable by MIDI CC
    • Audiobus compliant

    See more at https://itunes.apple.com/app/anckorage-spring/id647714831

  • To my ears, the most interesting, most expressive, and most usable applications to date have come from Sample Modeling.

    They've focused on wind instruments up until now. Here is their clarinet:

  • Pianoteq 5

    We have devoted two years of research to developing and refining the award-winning Pianoteq physical model. Pianoteq 5 brings a new clarity and authenticity to the piano sound. Moreover, it offers no less than 9 new piano models, and sound recording is taken to a higher level of control with the addition of directional microphones, letting you choose from a range of well-known microphone brands.

    Here’s what’s new in Pianoteq 5:

    • All instruments brought up-to-date with latest model improvements, D4 and YC5 re-built from scratch.
    • Nine new instruments: Grand K2 and the Kremsegg Collection.
    • Directional microphones support, which can be rotated in all directions.
    • Many microphone models, with various directivity patterns, are available.
    • Microphones can be linked together, and then moved or rotated together.
    • The polarity of a microphone can be reversed (for M/S recording situations, typically).
    • The four pedals of the interface can be re-assigned to a few parameters such as Rattle, Lute Stop, Celeste, Super Sostenuto.
    • Improved key noises, with an optional humanization of the parameters.
    • Pianoteq presets (FXP files) can now embed a short MIDI excerpt.
    • Dithering added to the audio export in Pianoteq Standalone.
    • Small metronome improvements.

    https://www.pianoteq.com/pianoteq5

  • Applied Acoustics Systems announced String Studio VS-2 for Mac OS X and Windows.

    https://www.applied-acoustics.com/string-studio-vs-2/#buy