Fake real instrument sounds

[Drew Stephenson]

The oxymoron in the title is deliberate. After reading the review in this month's magazine of the Expressive E Imagine VST (https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ex ... -e-imagine) I went onto their website to have a listen and was very tempted by the 'organic' nature of the sounds (as highlighted in the review).

My question to the assembled experts is whether there is anything else that I should be considering instead?
To be clear, it's that ability to have a sound that almost sounds like a recorded, acoustic instrument, just one that hasn't been invented yet.
Any thoughts?

[Martin Walker]

Wow - just listened to those sounds myself, and I see what you mean!

I've used plenty of the AAS Instruments (and created preset banks for them), but Expressive E Imagine truly lives up to its name, particularly with the repeated/strum styles.

I suspect you could create similar sounds with existing AAS instruments (after all, it's AAS physical modeling expertise that creates these sounds), but they would be significantly more difficult to make as expressive without a fair amount of MIDI controller activity/mapping.

Martin

[The Elf]

Maybe this kind of processing will appear in the upcoming Osmose.

[Folderol]

It's a very capable synth, and those are nice sounds, but I wonder how much work was needed to set it up for each variation.

[BJG145]

I've used plenty of the AAS Instruments (and created preset banks for them)

Tassman was great wasn't it. Will have to check this out.

Maybe this kind of processing will appear in the upcoming Osmose.

EagenMatrix includes physical modelling among other things; probably not on this level though.

[RichardT]

Pianoteq is supposed to be able to generate new modelled instruments, but I’ve not tried it.

[Martin Walker]

It's a very capable synth, and those are nice sounds, but I wonder how much work was needed to set it up for each variation.

A very good question Will - in my experience, physical modeling synths tend to be divided into:

1. Those that can create sounds that sound remarkably similar to some acoustic sounds, but have their parameters carefully restricted to avoid any possibility of unexpected loud sounds, breakup or continuous feedback.

2. Those that can create genuinely new sounds with no real limitation on parameter values, but at the expense of sometimes becoming unstable with more extreme parameter values. In other words, caveat emptor!

Without using Expressive E Imagine myself I don't know which category it falls into, although given the huge breadth and impressiveness of its sound palette I suspect that a huge amount of work has gone into its presets, which are indeed most expressive and impressive.

Martin

[ManFromGlass]

I got excited for second and then realised my 2010 Mac tower probably couldn’t even run the plug in “eco” mode.
Yes saving up for the replacement computer as the article suggests.

[Drew Stephenson]

Thanks for the thoughts so far, I'm thinking this might be this year's bonus-money present to myself so there's plenty of time for other suggestions.
And there's always the possibility of no bonus so that would leave even more time!

[IAA]

It does sound impressive and expressive. Sculpture in Logic

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... -sculpture

is a modelling synth, I’ve (embarrassed shuffle )not really used it although I recall it is better at percussive and glassy timbres when I did. Maybe I might look again.

[Rich Hanson]

I might have to look into this. My current philosophy is that if I'm using an electronic or software instrument then I am not allowed to use samples, but I can use realistic sounding physical models, so this might very well fit into that.

[Drew Stephenson]

Anyone tried Audiomodern's Atom?

[Drew Stephenson]

Just giving this a bump again as it's burbled back up into my consciousness and desire and I note that it's also currently on sale: https://www.expressivee.com/63-imagine

Anyone had any direct experience in the interim?

(wish they did a trial!)

[sonics]

Interesting synth and sounds very nice, but I was underwhelmed.

Apart from most of the sounds swimming in effects and reverb (which seems to be standard these days) I didn't hear anything on the demo https://youtu.be/Y6HnP5MfSsU that I can't already do using my AAS products and Kontakt instruments from the likes of 8Dio, Rigid Audio etc.

The use of the controller was the best thing, but that can be used with any software I think.

[resistorman]

Interesting synth and sounds very nice, but I was underwhelmed.

Apart from most of the sounds swimming in effects and reverb (which seems to be standard these days) I didn't hear anything on the demo https://youtu.be/Y6HnP5MfSsU that I can't already do using my AAS products and Kontakt instruments from the likes of 8Dio, Rigid Audio etc.

The use of the controller was the best thing, but that can be used with any software I think.

Concur.

[Drew Stephenson]

I don't have the controller, but I also don't have any other, similar, instruments.

[Guest]

There is Chromaphone as well: https://www.applied-acoustics.com/chromaphone-3/

Also from Plasmonic: https://rhizomatic.fr

[Guest]

As I just realised that there was a Chromaphone 3 I went to the AAS website for an upgrade price: got upgrades to v3 for Chromaphone, String Studio and Ultra Analog and also something called Multiphonics CV-1 all for 30 quid in total.

Can't argue with that!

[Drew Stephenson]

Thanks Bob, will give them a look.

[ManFromGlass]

I think fake real instruments trick the ear best when they aren’t overly quantized and have mistakes inserted. A microtone pitchbend on a note here and there so it is a bit out of tune. A note played too soft or loud. Anything that can imply humanity. The biggest problem I think is that designers strive for sonic perfection in their products.

[resistorman]

My biggest issue with AAS is that they don't support MPE. I have earlier versions that I still use on occasion, but I won't upgrade until my LinnStrument gets full use out of them.

[Martin Walker]

There is Chromaphone as well: https://www.applied-acoustics.com/chromaphone-3/

When watching the above Imagine video I was actually taken aback by one of the demoed sounds being almost exactly like one I contributed to a Chromaphone library for AAS some years ago.

I get the impression that the strength of Imagine is its upfront emphasis on real time modulation - you may well be able to do the same with other products, but it might take a little more thought.

[Guest]

My Chromaphone 3 installation has one of your packs KitNetix.

It is also does not support MPE while I guess Imagine definitely would do.

Also it is amazingly CPU intensive, especially it you are using pitchbend!

[Arpangel]

What is this endless search for new sounds? Shouldn’t we be in search of new music?