PHYSICALLY MODELLED emulations of electric guitars and acoustic/electric basses

[BlackWinny]

Hello everybody!

I'm in search of a very good physically modelled emulation of an electric guitar and of bass guitars (acoustic as well as electric about the bass).

I insist: physically modelled emulation. It will be totally useless to mention sample based emulations in this thread!

And the price must be between €0/$0 min (less is very difficult to find) and €150/$200. Not even worth to mention prices above (except a momentary exceptionnal deal, of course).

I have a project of creating more than a dozen (maybe more at term) of instrumental tunes with very cool electric guitars and sometimes in conversation with synths (and real flutes passed through my synths) in alternate phrases, with string-synth pads in background, sometimes cool grooves of bass and presence of drums, in a style "new age" or "cosmic rock". Think a bit to (aka ) or some other "cosmic rock" bands of these years around 1975 or Blue Desires from One (his real name is ) around 1995 and Four September Sun also from him) and all this style widely known in cosmic rock but of course not at all in the usual tunes heard everywhere. Of course I don't pretend at all to reach the same quality, but I want to improve my styles in this direction.


1.
Here are some examples of physically modelled electric guitars and which are in my prices and for which I'd like to have comments based on personal experience:

• AAS Chromaphone
• AAS String Studio VS-1 or VS-2
• AAS Strum Electric GS-1
• CutterMusic Revitar 2
• Fsynthz PhybAce Pilot
• Keolab Spicy Guitar (added during the discussion, I didn't know that it emulates also an electric guitar!)
• Image Line Sakura
• reFX Slayer
• Simple-Media String Thing 2
• TobyBear Electric Cowboy 3000
• Xhun Audio IronAxe (I don't understand why, whilst it is mentioned by many KVR members as an excellent product this product has a rank of only two favorites! Would it seem that all these KVR members don't think to rank it as favorite? Or would it seem that in fact they have not it and don't express THEIR actual own experience???)

Or course if you know other physically modelled emulation of electric guitars or electric/acoustic bass, I'll be very happy to know them. But beware the price! Not beyond €150/$200!


2.
Here are some example of products which are in my prices but for which I don't know the type of synthesis, so if someone could help me to classify them in the right category above or below, you're welcome:

• Krakli Strat-A-Various
• M-Audio Drum & Bass Rig
• Steinberg VB-1

3.
Here are some examples of products which are immediately rejected because sample based, so don't even mention them in your advices, it's energy lost for absolutely nothing (and of course it's useless to mention also Kontakt, Halion, Sampletank, UVI, Wusi, wav, sfz, etc.) :

• Ample Sound AGF
• Ample Sound AGG
• Ample Sound AGP
• Bornemark Broomstick Bass
• Cakewalk Studio Instruments
• Iridium Iris Software Lethality (hybrids PM with samples)
• Iridium Iris Software Reality Bass (hybrids PM with samples)
• Manytone Music ManyBass
• Manytone Music ManyGuitar
• Mildon Studios Strummer S7
• MusicLab RealStrat
• Musicrow Magic Vox
• Rob Papen RG
• SONiVOX MI DVI Dynamic Acoustic Bass
• Steinberg Virtual Bassist
• Steinberg Virtual Guitarist
• Steinberg Virtual Guitarist Electric Edition
• Sugar Bytes Guitarist (moved here during the discussion, thanks to CC4 for the information)
• SuperRiff Bass
• SuperRiff Guitar

4.
I have also found a curious product which uses the phase distorsion synthesis. If you know it (and have at least used it) feel free to talk about it:

• SpearGear Raspier

And nuSofting products are here ruled out, because Luigi (whose I really like the products!) has huge personal problems currently (among them the health and I send him my warm thoughts) which prevent him to keep his business opened for the moment, perhaps for several months). But if you want to point the quality of his physically modelled emulations, you're welcome.

I insist: no sample at all! Exclusively electric guitars and acoustic/electric basses from physically modelled synthesis emulation!

And maximum price: €150/$200 (and knowing that the most expensive is not necessarily the best!)

My project is very precise, so I really need reliable recommandations which will match the question and at this maximum price because I'll have also other products to buy.

Thanks to all who will be ok to help me to make the right choice!

[drunken jesus]

Dunno why you are so against samples but MusicLabs Real Strat only uses small samples and sounds pretty realistic

Of the paid ones I've tried, the AAS ones are probably your best bet for realistic guitar sounds, Slayer is real synth sounding and only sounds guitarish when you use alot of its effects, & from limited experience from what I've seen Sakura is more geared towards pluck type sounds not electric guitar tones

I think Strat A Various and VB-1 use samples but I'm not 100% sure been forever since I've used either

That IronAxe plugin looks really interesting never heard of it before

For bass simulations you may not wanna limit yourself to just physically modelled synthesis, I've heard some really realistic sounding bass guitar sounds from both complex synths and pretty basic FM synths, & I think BooBass is physically modelled but I dunno if its available seperate from FL Studio, & resynthesis is another option as well I've just started to mess around with it and have gotten some pretty cool results

[kbaccki]

Dunno why you are so against samples but MusicLabs Real Strat only uses small samples and sounds pretty realistic

YOU ARE HEREBY BANISHED FROM THIS THREAD!!!!

Good day to you, sir!

[scook]

Cakewalk Studio Instruments are sample based using their sfz engine.

[RunBeerRun]

Revitar seems pretty crash prone, maybe a previous build is better, it's also high on cpu(30% in Savihost on single notes), but is pretty flexible.

Iron axe was ok, didn't like the amp sim, high on cpu.

Raspier is ok, high on cpu, lots of weird controls, not easy to tweak.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/347 ... Fidget.rar
-Fidget is an FM synth that does distorted guitar sounds, it was the 1st synth I made in Synthmaker

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/347 ... neZone.rar
-Sinezone is an FM synth using sine waves, a bass guitar emulation. Made in Synthedit, also has audio input

[electro]

[RunBeerRun]

Xoxos has pling3, does guitar and bass, very flexible, low on cpu. There's Boing also, which does bowed sounds.

[Slarti]

.
(kind of Physically Modelled)

Cycle from Amaranthaudio is (to my ears) very capable of producing a good (bass) guitar sound!

And absolutely NO samples used! . .

[UltraJv]

PM is great for producing wacky sounds or manipulating sounds. For realistic acoustic instruments though its pretty tough to get great results, as your already finding.

[RunBeerRun]

I agree, even if it was realistic, I don't see much to gain from using that method, but to improve on sounds otherwise inaccessible, there's something usable.

[BlackWinny]

Dunno why you are so against samples but MusicLabs Real Strat only uses small samples and sounds pretty realistic

Because it is a project that I don't conduct myself, I'm just one of the five keyboardist composers/players for a series of 16 sountracks of documentaries of 50 minutes each on sciences of life, earth and universe. And there will be perhaps a second series after the first. And one of the challenges (there are several in it) is: no sample at all. And it will be for several years, at least four years for the first series.

Of the paid ones I've tried, the AAS ones are probably your best bet for realistic guitar sounds

I have already from them Strum Acoustic Session, Lounge Lizard Session, Ultra Analog VA-2, and String Studio VS-2, so yes, I agree it is a great company for the physically modelled synthesis. But since I don't know their Strum Electric GS-1, it is the reason why I ask for experiences on it. But I can say that yes, it would be probably one of my favorites in lack of certitude about some others from the list.

Slayer is real synth sounding and only sounds guitarish when you use alot of its effects

Ok, so for the moment I downgrade it of one point in the ranks.

from limited experience from what I've seen Sakura is more geared towards pluck type sounds not electric guitar tones

Ok. So the same as Slayer. I downgrade it of one point in the ranks.

I think Strat A Various and VB-1 use samples but I'm not 100% sure been forever since I've used either

Concerning VB-1, yes, I would not be surprised that it uses the same method as the other Steinberg products which seem to be of the same collection and that I have rejected in the sample based products.

Concerning Strat-A-Various, if someone could confirm, it would be sure that I move it to the sample based products.

That IronAxe plugin looks really interesting never heard of it before

Yes. I'm really interested by it, since I see many good reviews of it in KVR. What looks really strange is this very, very little amount of persons having set it in their "favorite"s.

For bass simulations you may not wanna limit yourself to just physically modelled synthesis, I've heard some really realistic sounding bass guitar sounds from both complex synths and pretty basic FM synths, & I think BooBass is physically modelled but I dunno if its available seperate from FL Studio, & resynthesis is another option as well I've just started to mess around with it and have gotten some pretty cool results

It's an idea than I have never tried. A bass guitar in my FM8, yes.

BooBass, yes, I think so. Probably not available outside FL Studio.

The resynthesis, in fact... I have to confess that I don't know at all the principles of the resynthesis.

And... yes, I'm open to all the types of synthesis. One of the rules for this project at several musicians is "No samples". And for me it is a good challenge because I'm not so interested by the samples. The work on sound design to emulate sounds with the best accuracy is such an enthralling challenge!

[BlackWinny]

Cakewalk Studio Instruments are sample based using their sfz engine.

Ok. Thanks for this information! So I edit by now my OP to move it to the sample based.

[BlackWinny]

Revitar seems pretty crash prone, maybe a previous build is better, it's also high on cpu(30% in Savihost on single notes), but is pretty flexible.

Iron axe was ok, didn't like the amp sim, high on cpu.

Raspier is ok, high on cpu, lots of weird controls, not easy to tweak.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/347 ... Fidget.rar
-Fidget is an FM synth that does distorted guitar sounds, it was the 1st synth I made in Synthmaker

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/347 ... neZone.rar
-Sinezone is an FM synth using sine waves, a bass guitar emulation. Made in Synthedit, also has audio input

Thanks! I take in account your assessments for these products, and I'm currently downloading the two latters.

[RunBeerRun]

Lol ok you're welcome to use, Fidget is similar to my guitar in one of my amp sims, that's how I actually sound, but it's nowhere near mainstream.

Sinezone is pretty close to a bass guitar and has optional amp sim built in.

Definitely check the Xoxos ones-some of those in the original post aren't anywhere near anything you can get out of a real guitar.

[BlackWinny]

Xoxos has pling3, does guitar and bass, very flexible, low on cpu. There's Boing also, which does bowed sounds.

Yes, I have them (and I recently bought several payware from him, which are really nice!).

For bowed string instruments I really like Boing. For acoustic plucked string instruments Pling3 is really good (and some other of his very underestimated plug-ins are wonderful also for plucked strings, bowed strings, percussions, mallets, and even several kinds of ethnic flutes). And for the emulation of an electro-acoustic guitar I recommend to you all to listen these two demos made by xoxos with his Spring2...
http://www.xoxos.net/vst/mp3/spring2kalee.mp3
http://www.xoxos.net/vst/mp3/spring2pandashake.mp3 (starting at 0:30 it sounds awesome, really electro-acoustic with the resonance)

Wonderful sound of electro-acoustic guitar, isn't it?

I'll use Spring2 in other compositions, because it is really great! But for the "cosmic" style asked for this series of video, I haven't yet managed to get with them a sound which would fit.