fbpx

News

Stop listening, start playing 800 450 Audio Modeling

Stop listening, start playing

SWAM Instruments provide the control every musician needs.

Have you ever composed or played with a sample library? The way a sax or violin sound evolves is the result of studio recording. It’s a kind of “picture”, taken from another musician playing a sax or a violin for you. You can combine it with other sounds, tweak it, and get inspired from it, but because someone else has recorded it for you (even if very well), can you really express yourself totally with it?

SWAM is not just a great technology for modeling acoustic instruments: it is a philosophy of making music with digital instruments. Our aim at Audio Modeling is not only to replicate accurately the sound of an acoustic instrument. We also want to provide its behaviour – how the instrument reacts under the hands of the musician – and to recreate the bidirectional feeling and link between the artist and the instrument.

Now that you have the power of the SWAM acoustic instrument model, how can you interact with it?  How can you best express your musical ideas on the digital instrument? You need one or more controllers.

Using the MIDI protocol, controllers communicate with computers and digital instruments. They are able to tweak the instruments’ parameters that affect the sound generation. There are a huge number of MIDI controllers on the market but we would like to focus especially on continuous controllers.

A continuous controller is the hero of the SWAM engine instruments story because it is capable of sending real-time messages, for example, to set the expression (dynamic) level, the bow or breath pressure, or the speed of the vibrato. The result of this is that the musician gets the natural behaviour he or she has in mind.

Here are the controllers we will describe in more detail over the coming weeks:

  • Expression Pedal
  • After touch & Pressure
  • Breath & Wind Controller with “Bite” feature option
  • Knobs and Faders
  • Ribbon and Pads
  • Modulation Wheel
  • Pitch Bend Joystick
  • Accelerometers on Rings shape controllers and other devices
Ready to change history? 1000 667 Audio Modeling

Ready to change history?

Meet Audio Modeling, the almost-futuristic project based on the talents of Stefano Lucato and Emanuele Parravicini, two men described by ROLI as “the maestros of virtual acoustic instruments”. In order to understand why Audio Modeling and its solutions are ultimately always one step forward, first we need to move a step back, and explore its origins.

The Beginning

Although Audio Modeling was founded on March 17, 2017, and began selling its own products on November 22, 2017, its real inception dates back to 2003, when Stefano Lucato began his collaboration with Giorgio Tommasini. The project “Stradivari Violin” was the milestone that generated the butterfly effect, ending with Audio Modeling itself.

“Stradivari Violin” was a revolutionary, virtual violin based both on an innovative technological process created by Giorgio Tommasini and on a series of techniques (created by Lucato) that allowed a real-time control of the instrument. The enjoyed

immediate success.

The Next Steps

While Giorgio Tommasini and Peter Siedlaczek, through their Samplemodeling project, began  work on developing “The Trumpet”, Lucato began his own work on a series of Saxophones, “The Sax Brothers”: a sample library for Kontakt with an extensive scripting and sample processing.

“The Sax Brothers” was a unique project based on proprietary technology called SWT – Synchronous Wave Triggering, which is able to model efficiently the samples both in dynamics and pitch. Yet, the platform did not support the implementation of specific techniques that would allow Lucato to achieve exactly what he had in mind: complete realism.

Time to Move On

In 2009, Lucato decided to create his own platform, and got in touch with Emanuele Parravicini. It was the beginning of a solid, long-lasting collaboration and friendship. It was also the root of SWAM – Synchronous Waves Acoustic Modeling, born from Lucato’s idea and Parravicini’s active contribution.

What is SWAM? Simply put, SWAM is a new way not only to conceive virtual instruments but also to process samples and implement Physical models. SWAM is not “just” a technology, but more like a philosophy: a modus operandi aiming at the overall coherence of any musician-instrument. SWAM offers versatility, flexibility, and a more natural playing experience: in one word, realism.

Toward Audio Modeling

After years of fruitful collaboration and the implementation of a new series of saxophones, clarinets, flutes, double reeds, solo strings, it was time to push the envelope even further. It would then take more than two years before the ideas and vision became what we know now as Audio Modeling: the leading brand in the technological evolution of the music industry.

Partnerships

Talent loves company. Good products and groundbreaking technologies not only find their place in this world of constant progression, but also in the audience’s widespread appreciation. It may not surprise you to learn that, in just over a year of activity, Audio Modeling has already established several international partnerships with renowned brands such as ROLI, Fatar, Yamaha, Enhancia, Aodyo, and many others. The company is also an active member of the MMA (Midi Manufacturers Association) and boasts a network of resellers all over the world.

Camelot

For Audio Modeling, being the reference point in the expressive acoustic instruments field is not enough. In 2015, Lucato and Parravicini met with Simone Capitani, a talented UX designer.  Camelot, born as a result of Simone Capitani’s innovative vision and the contributions by Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater keyboardist), is the multi-platform software designed for live performance management, allowing the interconnection of hardware and software tools in a simple, immediate way that has never developed before. Camelot is developed and marketed by Audio Modeling, in partnership with and Fatar, world leader in keyboard manufacturing.

Education

Being talented is great. However, sharing your know-how is even better. That’s why Audio Modeling is especially dedicated to Music Education. We collaborate with different educational institutes and universities, and with foundations whose goal is to help people with disabilities find absolute joy through musical expression.

All students and teachers can benefit from a 50% discount on all Audio Modeling products.

The team

Audio Modeling is its people. Our team is constantly growing, to the point that we will soon inaugurate a new headquarters. We will celebrate, together!

A new online platform

Audio Modeling’s new website aims to express the peculiarities and complexities, the vision and mission of the brand. Also available in its mobile version, is a more complete, clearer and interactive platform that will allow users to understand fully what the entire project is about.

Our new online Community is a place for sharing your ideas, opinions, presets, and demos. Our Customer Portal allows you to download the latest version of our software along with manuals and tutorials and also offers complete management of your license keys and product activations.

The future? It starts today

Tomorrow begins now, and Audio Modeling is already on board. We are constantly working to design and create new products, and our next project is to complete the main orchestral instruments within the entirety of the Brass family. We also are very much aware of the importance of deploying solutions for mobile devices, and are therefore moving in that direction.

But what about Camelot? Well, we expect to release it very soon, and it will propel us to another, wider, industry. Just wait and see.

We are already writing the new chapter of our history. Are you with us?

SWAM for iPhone is out now