SWAM String Sections
by Audio Modeling · Instrument · Physically modeled string ensembles
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SWAM String Sections is Audio Modeling's physically modeled string ensemble, with violin, viola, cello and double bass sections.
It can scale from a small chamber group to a full symphonic section, with real-time control over staccato, legato and expression. It costs $499 with a 15-day trial.
Best for: Acoustic Instruments. Genres: Ambient & Cinematic, Jazz, Acoustic & Classical, Pop.
Keywords: strings, monophonic, ensemble, physical modelling, sample-based, bass instrument, clean.
What it does
SWAM String Sections takes Audio Modeling's SWAM physical modeling, known from its solo instruments, and applies it to whole string sections. Nothing is sampled: the sound is generated as you play, which the developer pitches as a way past "the limitations of traditional sampling".
- Four instruments: separate plugins for Violins, Violas, Cellos and Double Basses.
- Ensemble size: each section can be set from a small chamber group up to a full symphonic section, with movement between the players built into the model.
- Articulation: real-time control over staccato, legato and expression, with smooth transitions between playing techniques rather than switched sample sets.
- Portamento and legato: a threshold decides when a connected note slides or changes cleanly, and it can be tuned to your playing.
- Tone shaping: detailed parameters for expressivity and timbre, plus a sordino (mute) option.
- Room Simulator: places each section in a virtual acoustic space, so several instances can be seated like an orchestra.
It has NKS support. A 15-day trial is available.
Source: Audio Modeling product page
When to use it
SWAM String Sections works the other way round from BBC Symphony Orchestra Core and Berlin Strings, the rated orchestral sample libraries, which give you a recorded hall and players that sound finished the moment you load them, at the cost of many gigabytes and keyswitched articulations. It is tiny on disk and you shape every note live with a fader, breath controller or expressive keyboard, which gives smoother legato and dynamics than switching samples. The trade-off is time: it rewards players who practise and know how string sections behave, and it does not hand you a polished film-score sound by default. It is also pricier than Augmented STRINGS, which is a better fit for hybrid pads than for realistic section writing.
- Best for: string section parts that need fluid legato and natural crescendos, played in real time from a controller.
- Genres: film and game scoring, classical and chamber writing, and pop string arrangements.
- Look elsewhere if: you want the sound of a famous hall and players out of the box (BBC Symphony Orchestra Core, Berlin Strings) or you only program strings with a mouse.
- Tip: map the Expression parameter to a fader or breath controller before you start; Sound On Sound found it hard to play convincingly without one.
What producers say
Reviewers see it as a deep, playable tool that pays off for composers willing to learn it.
- Sound On Sound (Sonal D'Silva, May 2024) praised real-time playability, the detailed controls, the clear interface, the Room Simulator and the small footprint, and called it "a great tool" in the right hands.
- Synth and Software (Nick Batzdorf, January 2025) found the sections convincing and very light on RAM, but said they can sound small, "even with five cellos and big ambience", and suggested blending them with sampled strings.
- Criticisms: Sound On Sound noted a steep learning curve, some shrillness in high violin notes on long tones, a heavy CPU load with many instances, and a sordino that "barely makes a difference".
- KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from one review, from a group that uses SWAM with players with severe disabilities and praised the realism and developer support.
Where to buy
- AudioDeluxe: $334.33
- Best Service: $422.14
- PluginFox: $479
- Audio Modeling: $499
Tutorials and reviews
- SWAM String Sections Explained
- The most EXPRESSIVE Strings EVER? SWAM String Sections first look!
- SWAM Physical Modeled String Sections with Ambiente Room Modeling
- Trying out the new SWAM String Sections Library
- SWAM String Sections Demo: Classic Pop Orchestral Arrangement
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