Arché collections vs SWAM

[ChromeGhost]

I have the Expressive e Touché and I’m thinking about getting the Arché collection. SWAM is considered the best physical modeling software for strings, and i was curious how it compares. The main thing I like about the Arché collection is how well it works together with the touché articulations. I’m not sure if SWAM mappings can be as detailed. Does anyone have both?

[electro]

Reason Studios recently released Friktion

[jamcat]

Friktion can't compare to the others. It sounds very synthetic and bad. It's on the level of the AAS stuff that was cutting edge 20 years ago.

I have Arché. I'd recommend getting it while it's on sale for 40% off with the coupon code "sound" through the end of the year.

I don't have SWAM, but may get it in the future, because Arché doesn't have a double bass. It is $360 for SWAM though, compared to only $71 for Arché during the sale (I paid full price for it a couple years ago.)

I also don't have a Touché. I actually just draw the bowing in by hand, which works quite well once you become familiar with how the Arché instruments respond.

[electro]

A little synthetic but not bad for 100% modelling and with the right modulation can be very powerful.

[jamcat]

A little synthetic but not bad for 100% modelling and with the right modulation can be very powerful.

No, it’s definitely bad, considering SWAM and Arché Collection are both also 100% modeling and are worlds better than Fricktion.

[ChromeGhost]

Ok I’ll probably get Arché then

[Blaster]

There's a thread with some sound demo's over at VI-Control (https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... urt.97633/).

Consensus seems to be that it can be quite good in some cases.

[Tj Shredder]

I just got the Arché collection for the sale price and I am very happy. Especially playing it with my LinnStrument. It also has a duophonic mode, and with a little split over the 3 instruments I can play a complete string quartet directly... All the character of such an instrument is in the expression. I get close enough to a violin which I learned and very occasionally still play...
I don’t know if SWAM has in addition other articulations like pizzicato or flageolets, I would love to see that in an update...

[jamcat]

I don’t know if SWAM has in addition other articulations like pizzicato or flageolets, I would love to see that in an update...

I believe SWAM Strings has pizzicato and col legno.

With Arché, you can do pizzicato with a very short explosive bow strike combined with a staccato MIDI note. The bow automation should look like a square wave for a pizzicato passage.

[jamcat]

There's a thread with some sound demo's over at VI-Control (https://vi-control.net/community/thread ... urt.97633/).

Consensus seems to be that it can be quite good in some cases.

Yes, but not for realistic strings.

[Tj Shredder]

A little synthetic but not bad for 100% modelling and with the right modulation can be very powerful.

No, it’s definitely bad, considering SWAM and Arché Collection are both also 100% modeling and are worlds better than Fricktion.

But Fricktion can model other instruments and you can modify the models. The demo tracks are convincing, but without MPE its pretty pointless...

[jamcat]

A little synthetic but not bad for 100% modelling and with the right modulation can be very powerful.

No, it’s definitely bad, considering SWAM and Arché Collection are both also 100% modeling and are worlds better than Friktion.

But Fricktion can model other instruments and you can modify the models. The demo tracks are convincing, but without MPE its pretty pointless...

Right, Friktion is not without merit. It just can’t compete with Arché and SWAM for realistic strings. If you buy Friktion over Aché or SWAM for the express purpose of doing real strings, you are going to be disappointed. But it will make some cool other sounds that have never been heard before.