@Aleksandar Stojceski Thanks for asking. I checked the Cubase project settings from 2020. Sample Modeling Trombone, instrument controller settings (Virtual Soundstage): Early Reflections CC29: 80, Pre-Delay CC31: 1, Distance CC14: 0. Insert FX: FabFilter Pro-R, Default preset Tr=2.5 s, distance 13%, wet/dry: 39%. Today I would use a Valhalla Room Insert (depth setting), plus a post-fader send to both FF Pro-R and LiquidSonics Cinematic Rooms. Since the SWAM instruments have been updated considerably, a new comparison would be appropriate. Hopefully this answers your question.
Thank you for having done such detailed comparison between the two products Frans! I just wonder whether you "overuse" the Legato parameter, or lets rephrase this as a question: is it a On/Off-Parameter with the Audiomodeling or does it have 128 possible values? In that case maybe it is "just" overused as it seems you have applied it to the Glide Strip which can just send On/Off Messages. Furthermore I wonder how all those phrases sound without the Legato Parameter with the Audiomodeling...
@Christopher Hutt. I'm glad you asked about the Legato command; the video probably is too short to explain the details. It is not the EWI Glide Plate that sends the Legato On-Off CC68 command. The instrument generates CC68 autonomously when a sequence of connected notes is played (I assume the EWI monitors the time interval); that feature is not documented in the EWI5000 manual, but I found it in a firmware update log for the EWI4000 (from 2006). Neither SWAM nor Sample Modeling are responding to CC68 (according to the Midi mapping); I verified that fact by deleting CC68 from earlier Midi recordings and listening to the difference. In the Cubase video I might have hidden this controller lane. My Glide Plate sends CC1 values between 0-127 for vibrato control of the woodwind instruments (I changed the default setup with EWI Bite Sensor for CC1; I find it hard to control due to stiffness). I control brass instrument vibrato with diaphragmatic breathing, i.e., CC11 fluctuations, since I find the constant rate vibrato as produced by the instruments with CC1 too artificial (sometimes I add both controllers CC1 and CC19 for rate variation, which yields a more natural vibrato effect). Maybe a long reply, but it hopefully answers your question.
@@FransAbsil Thanks for the detailed response! Automatic Legato complicates things...is it still adjustable in the settings though? (Intensity of the Legato parameter?) I hope that they improve it, because apart from that I am really blown away by the direct response and sound the Audio Modeling SWAM Engine produces. Right now I'm using freeware physical modeling approaches by Chet Singer (Native Instruments Reaktor based instruments), I also turn to diaphragmatic breathing paired with bite sensor set to Volume changes rather then pitch bending to get a more realistic vibrato sound as I also think the constant rate vibrato is too artificial!
Thanks for sharing your experience with EWI control of physical modeling virtual instruments. I think we agree on the direct response and vibrato aspect. Regarding legato; I appreciate the interpretation of the legato playing style (or overlap editing in the piano roll), it is the portamento component in legato that is bothering me. Although I turned it off in the preset settings, there is still an audible pitch transition/phasing effect, that needs improvement since it sounds unnatural.
@@FransAbsil I've decided to go for Sample Modelings Brass now and I'm very happy about that decision, thank you! It seems like the mixed approach (samples attack, physical modeling the instrument) is the way to go :-)
@Christopher Hutt. Pleased to hear that you made a choice; let's hope that also for brass the physical model approach will match or beat the hybrid instruments in the near future. In the meantime, let's use them to our best ability.
@alleyway3215 As I replied to your comment on the Horn comparison: these videos are becoming outdated as SWAM has been releasing updates. AKAI EWI playing does affect the results. Today I find the SWAM trombone sound still significantly weaker than the SM instrument, in particular legato phrasing. But the Kontakt scripting does slow down the response of the latter. Thanks for the comment.
You put the SM in room first? How long is the tail verb?
@Aleksandar Stojceski Thanks for asking. I checked the Cubase project settings from 2020. Sample Modeling Trombone, instrument controller settings (Virtual Soundstage): Early Reflections CC29: 80, Pre-Delay CC31: 1, Distance CC14: 0. Insert FX: FabFilter Pro-R, Default preset Tr=2.5 s, distance 13%, wet/dry: 39%. Today I would use a Valhalla Room Insert (depth setting), plus a post-fader send to both FF Pro-R and LiquidSonics Cinematic Rooms. Since the SWAM instruments have been updated considerably, a new comparison would be appropriate. Hopefully this answers your question.
Thank you for having done such detailed comparison between the two products Frans! I just wonder whether you "overuse" the Legato parameter, or lets rephrase this as a question: is it a On/Off-Parameter with the Audiomodeling or does it have 128 possible values? In that case maybe it is "just" overused as it seems you have applied it to the Glide Strip which can just send On/Off Messages. Furthermore I wonder how all those phrases sound without the Legato Parameter with the Audiomodeling...
@Christopher Hutt. I'm glad you asked about the Legato command; the video probably is too short to explain the details. It is not the EWI Glide Plate that sends the Legato On-Off CC68 command. The instrument generates CC68 autonomously when a sequence of connected notes is played (I assume the EWI monitors the time interval); that feature is not documented in the EWI5000 manual, but I found it in a firmware update log for the EWI4000 (from 2006).
Neither SWAM nor Sample Modeling are responding to CC68 (according to the Midi mapping); I verified that fact by deleting CC68 from earlier Midi recordings and listening to the difference. In the Cubase video I might have hidden this controller lane. My Glide Plate sends CC1 values between 0-127 for vibrato control of the woodwind instruments (I changed the default setup with EWI Bite Sensor for CC1; I find it hard to control due to stiffness). I control brass instrument vibrato with diaphragmatic breathing, i.e., CC11 fluctuations, since I find the constant rate vibrato as produced by the instruments with CC1 too artificial (sometimes I add both controllers CC1 and CC19 for rate variation, which yields a more natural vibrato effect). Maybe a long reply, but it hopefully answers your question.
@@FransAbsil Thanks for the detailed response! Automatic Legato complicates things...is it still adjustable in the settings though? (Intensity of the Legato parameter?) I hope that they improve it, because apart from that I am really blown away by the direct response and sound the Audio Modeling SWAM Engine produces. Right now I'm using freeware physical modeling approaches by Chet Singer (Native Instruments Reaktor based instruments), I also turn to diaphragmatic breathing paired with bite sensor set to Volume changes rather then pitch bending to get a more realistic vibrato sound as I also think the constant rate vibrato is too artificial!
Thanks for sharing your experience with EWI control of physical modeling virtual instruments.
I think we agree on the direct response and vibrato aspect. Regarding legato; I appreciate the interpretation of the legato playing style (or overlap editing in the piano roll), it is the portamento component in legato that is bothering me. Although I turned it off in the preset settings, there is still an audible pitch transition/phasing effect, that needs improvement since it sounds unnatural.
@@FransAbsil I've decided to go for Sample Modelings Brass now and I'm very happy about that decision, thank you! It seems like the mixed approach (samples attack, physical modeling the instrument) is the way to go :-)
@Christopher Hutt. Pleased to hear that you made a choice; let's hope that also for brass the physical model approach will match or beat the hybrid instruments in the near future. In the meantime, let's use them to our best ability.
Sample Modeling wins again.
@alleyway3215 As I replied to your comment on the Horn comparison: these videos are becoming outdated as SWAM has been releasing updates. AKAI EWI playing does affect the results. Today I find the SWAM trombone sound still significantly weaker than the SM instrument, in particular legato phrasing. But the Kontakt scripting does slow down the response of the latter. Thanks for the comment.