KVR Audio

gExpectations · Post by **gExpectations** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 3:53 pm

Hi,

are there any physical modelling synth vsts around? I'm sure there have to be. I only know about Noisy, which looks good but I don't want to buy it, even on sale price, since it has no demo. I also found Plasmonic by the Abysnth designer, which I am gonna test. The last thing I know is a Reaktor instrument called Steampipe. Its still pretty fun in its own right. (I'm not looking for physically modeled instruments like MODO drum/bass).

Anything I missed? Whats your favorite?

edit: i just realized expressive e released a second PM vst recently, called imagine. ngl, it looks very good.

experimental.crow · Post by **experimental.crow** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:00 pm

kaivo

Scotty · Post by **Scotty** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:12 pm

experimental.crow wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:00 pm kaivo

Check out AAS. They have the Chromaphone, String Studio, Strum and Lounge Lizard. Arturia has the Piano V2 which is physically modelled. There is Modartt, Swam, Plasmonic, Modrana labs - Kaivo . Those come to mind.

jackoo · Post by **jackoo** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:16 pm

experimental.crow wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:00 pm kaivo

thanks for bringing this up

Didn't know about it

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 5:16 pm

Yes, the AAS stuff is amazing, especially Chromaphone!

zachy9 · Post by **zachy9** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:35 pm

If you could provide some more info on what sort of instrument you're looking for that would help narrow it down.

AAS Chromaphone, AAS String Studio, NI Prism = provide familiar, musically "useful" sounds like plucks and bowed string and mallets/percussion and so forth.

Sculpture (included with Logic) = good for the above types of sounds, but more difficult to "tame", can produce some wild stuff and takes more work to use in a traditional context.

Madrona Labs Kaivo = even more so, this one is nuts but capable of some quite unique sounds (combines phys modelling with granular synthesis). Cover your ears!

U-he Zebra, Arturia Pigments, NI Massive X, many many others = a lot of the more general-purpose "power synths" have features (comb filters, exciter modules) that can produce excellent physical sounds. Depending on your interests you may not need a dedicated modelling instrument.

Physical Audio Derailer = I haven't used this one myself so not sure what niche it falls into. PA has another one, "Preparation", coming out soon.

Reaktor ensembles = if you have the full version of Reaktor, the user library is full of interesting modelling instruments. Steampipe which you mentioned is the best known, but there's also the Silverwood wind instruments, Serenade, Resovative, etc etc

simmo75 · Post by **simmo75** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:38 pm

Plasmonic!
It’s the tits!

https://rhizomatic.fr/

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Tue Feb 08, 2022 11:57 pm

Plasmonic and Chomaphone get my vote

syntonica · Post by **syntonica** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 4:00 am

For general weirdness, Modelonia gets my vote.

plexuss · Post by **plexuss** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 4:41 am

The instruments from Acoustic Modelling are excellent physically modelled acoustic instruments.

RobertH2 · Post by **RobertH2** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 5:48 am

Plasmonic creates some truly amazing sounds, it will keep you going for hours! My favorite synth by far.

crickey13 · Post by **crickey13** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 7:16 am

NUSofting Modelonia or Sinmad perhaps. Sinmad is a tad CPU-heavy, but pretty great if you want overall weirdness and unpredictability.

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 11:10 am

The Korg Prophecy is pretty good.
The presets are a bit weak sounding, and switching from mono to poly is like a hidden feature, but it has a demo. So check that one out. If you’re on a Mac, then try sculpture in logic. AAS are the best for physical modeling.

Cinebient · Post by **Cinebient** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 11:18 am

Plasmonic is the king for me!!

gExpectations · Post by **gExpectations** » Wed Feb 09, 2022 3:19 pm

zachy9 wrote: Tue Feb 08, 2022 10:35 pm If you could provide some more info on what sort of instrument you're looking for that would help narrow it down.

I just like the general sound characteristics you can hear from modelling synths. I realize now that most of them model a specific type of actual (mostly instrument) thing that gets hit and that's why my question was unspecific (the alternative would be to just provide the general structure of modelling with adjusted parameter spaces to enable more sweet spots, which might happen in Plasmonic -- didn't look at it yet). All the wind, string, bell tones sound super pleasant to me, they remind me of FM. I was looking for a general purpose device that's why I wrote "synth", which was also misleading, as they are all synths

. In short, Expressive Es "Imagine" is basically the exact thing im looking for -- physical modelling with some options instead of a specific focus and 'broader' sweet spot ranges. I think I'll wait for the next sale and then pick it up (and maybe also get a Touché SE, they seem interesting). Too bad I missed the recent sale.

Physical Modelling Synth VSTs