Best Physical Modeling VST Plugins

Yeah, that’s one of my main annoyances with sample libraries, especially the more expressive ones. It’s always a delicate balance between “bland and neutral” and “Hey, there’s that one sample again!”

Indeed - and while I’m still trying to wash the synth off of the winds and strings, Pianoteq 6 was perfectly fine to my ears, and my impression so far is that 7 hands down improves upon it.

Well, yeah; like I said, I didn’t even bother with that, and went directly for my Precedence/Breeze/Spaces II setup instead. (And another Breeze after Spaces II in one case, where I usually put TC VSS3. It’s easier to use, and at least as good at creating that smooth tail with lots of motion that I want for breathing life into the IR tail.)

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Got a notification about this First Look on Pianoteq 7, but then it got lost in handling here:

The SWAM bundles are also on sale now; 20…30% off. (Just grabbed the woodwinds, completing my set. Loving Infinite, but I need more jazz for what I’m trying to do right now…)
https://audiomodeling.com/

Hi Mike. I was wondering if you knew anything about Synful Orchestra - a synthesized / physically modelled full orchestral instrument plugin, which from the examples of its use in composition on the website www.synful.com is frankly quite amazing. However, I am perplexed! It is impossible to find any reviews of it on YouTube, as if it never existed, and, it is impossible to download the plugin from the website. It’s like the company has ceased trading. Legal dispute perhaps? Or was the company bought out and the software then taken off the market because it was too damned good, threatening the sampling software market? The strange thing is that there’s not even a mention of it in Wikipedia! Would love to know if you can explain what happened to this great software.

I have never heard of that plugin to be honest =/

Hi there Mike

At last - I have just found Synful Orchestra’s website with a download link that works: https://synfulauth.com/ There are three very impressive examples of Synful being used to emulate real orchestral pieces!

Their old website contains a lot more examples of Synful orchestra in full flow (especially by Alain Mayland) so you might like to go there too: https://synful.com/
I haven’t purchased Synful yet but I may well do as there are some things that synthesised instruments can do that e.g. EastWest and Spitfire’s sampled orchestral instruments can’t do so well at times e.g. more nuanced vibrato and tremolo, extended/held notes, legatos etc.
The questions remain: Why is Synful so difficult to track down? Why does it have no YouTube presence?! Why does Synful have one derelict website in which download is not possible promoting an earlier version of the software, while there’s a separate one that is up to date and works? I’d love to know what’s actually going on. Perhaps there’s been a copyright/trademark issue re the use of name “Synful”?

Cheers Vaughan Stone

Have you already tried SWAM solo strings? At least that developer company is still very much alive, and keep updating their product range.

I’ve used the Modartt Pianoteq for quite some time. I get mixed reactions to it. Some people don’t even notice that it’s not a recording of a real piano and others think it doesn’t sound like a real piano. I myself like it very much, and think it does a great job of simulating the piano, down to even the sound of the player releasing the sustain pedal.