SWAM String Sections

SWAM String Sections is a physically modeled string instrument plugin suite (VST/AU/AAX) featuring Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses. Based on Audio Modeling’s advanced technology, it enables expressive, real-time performance across a wide range of musical contexts, from detailed ensemble writing and film scoring to modern production, hybrid scoring, and experimental sound design.

No samples. Continuous control over every aspect of string performance.

Physical Modeling and Real-Time Control

New in version 1.1

Improved CPU efficiency, enhanced controls, and an upgraded Ambiente room simulator system further refine performance and responsiveness. For composers and producers accustomed to working with sample libraries, SWAM String Sections offers a different approach to shaping and performing string parts.

SWAM technology provides instant access to natural articulations, with sections placed together in a virtual room to achieve a cohesive, blended result. With real-time control over staccato, legato, expression, and more, it enables seamless transitions between playing styles without interrupting the creative flow.

Ambiente: Room Modeling and Section Integration

The room plays a crucial role in how string sections blend and interact. With Ambiente, Audio Modeling’s room modeling system, you can precisely position each section within a shared acoustic space, creating a natural and cohesive spatial image.

Choose the room’s size and absorption characteristics to move from controlled, intimate environments to larger, more resonant spaces. Fine-tune microphone distance to shape presence and depth, from close and detailed to more diffuse and ambient. Rather than applying a traditional reverb, Ambiente models how sound behaves within the space, resulting in a more realistic and unified sound.

Ambiente can be controlled from any SWAM String Sections plugin in your setup. All instances communicate seamlessly within your DAW, allowing multiple sections to exist within the same acoustic environment while maintaining consistent spatial relationships. With the separate Ambiente plugin, this same modeled space can also be extended to external audio sources and other VSTs, allowing other virtual instruments and audio sources in your session to share the same acoustic environment with SWAM.

Whether adjusting section placement, room size, or absorption characteristics, control remains consistent across all SWAM String Sections plugins, supported by seamless communication between instances.

A More Natural Way to Play Strings

Realistic: Individual section plug-ins provide detailed control over dynamics, vibrato, bow pressure, bow position, tremolo, and articulation.

Efficient: Stay focused on creating without interrupting your flow to search for articulations or manage samples.

Fast: Physical modeling responds directly to your playing, allowing you to shape phrasing, dynamics, and articulation in real time.

Smart: Ambiente connects all sections within a shared acoustic space, with centralized control over placement and spatial relationships across your DAW.

Key Features of SWAM String Sections

• Four-section plugin suite: Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses as individual, fully controllable string sections.
• Physical and behavioral modeling: Continuous control over articulation, dynamics, and playing style without relying on samples.
• Expressive performance control: Shape phrasing, vibrato, bow pressure, and articulation directly as you play.
• Ambiente room modeling: Position all sections within a shared acoustic space for a cohesive and natural blend.
• Cross-instance communication: All sections interact within the same environment, maintaining consistent spatial relationships across your DAW.
• Flexible ensemble building: Create anything from intimate textures to larger section sizes with intelligent interaction between parts.

Easily map your favorite MIDI controller to any parameter for real-time expression.

A Different Approach to String Performance

SWAM String Sections shifts the focus from triggering articulations to shaping performance. Instead of selecting from pre-defined samples, you control phrasing, dynamics, and expression continuously, allowing the instrument to respond naturally to your playing.

It offers a more direct and flexible way to work with strings across scoring, production, and experimental contexts.

FAQ

What is SWAM String Sections?

SWAM String Sections is a physically modeled string instrument plugin suite featuring Violins, Violas, Cellos, and Double Basses, designed for expressive, real-time performance and continuous control over articulation and dynamics.

How is SWAM String Sections different from traditional string libraries?

SWAM uses physical and behavioral modeling rather than samples, allowing continuous control over phrasing, dynamics, and articulation without switching between pre-recorded articulations.

What is Ambiente?

Ambiente is Audio Modeling’s room modeling system that places all sections within a shared acoustic space, creating a cohesive and natural blend with consistent spatial relationships.

Can I use Ambiente with external audio or other virtual instruments using SWAM String Sections alone?

No. The Ambiente system included with SWAM String Sections is designed specifically to create a shared acoustic space between SWAM instruments. To apply the same modeled acoustic environment to external audio sources or other virtual instruments, the separate Ambiente plugin is required.

Can SWAM String Sections work with other virtual instruments?

Yes. With the separate Ambiente plugin, the same modeled acoustic space can be extended to other virtual instruments, VSTs, and audio sources within your DAW.

Who is SWAM String Sections for?

It is designed for composers, producers, and performers working in film scoring, modern production, hybrid scoring, and experimental music.

Is SWAM String Sections suitable for real-time performance?

Yes. SWAM String Sections is designed for responsive, real-time control, allowing performers to shape articulation, dynamics, and expression directly as they play.

Do I need to manage articulations manually?

No. Articulation and expression are controlled continuously through performance, allowing for fluid transitions without switching between samples.