Physical modelling synthesis done right since 1998 by Ph.D. level researchers originating from IRCAM. Their first product as AAS was Tassman (why not TAASman?) – a virtual modular system. Apparently too complex for the market and so here we have simplified versions for The Average Musician.
You may recognise these as more advanced versions of the instruments licensed in Ableton Live Studio. The new version 3s stack an extra voice and enlarge the interface – which makes them load slower and use a lot more CPU than the old ones. Such is progress. The presets are all bulky, put them on a diet.
To be honest there’s only one (well maybe one and a half) tools sold by AAS that I would use in serious battle. I’ll start this page on the good and keep bad news up the end.
Chromaphone 3 Acoustic Object Synthesiser
Of the numerous tools that emulate hitting something with a stick or bowing it or blowing through it, Chromaphone has long strutted around the block. There might now be fancier, or faster, but this has the development history. Its range of sounds is much wider than you thought – you can add it to your orchestration not just as a special effect but a reliable and versatile instrument. It has all the basic sounds of an analogue synthesiser, but with the extra twang you get from banging something with malice through an amplifier.
Hell Yes!
Strum GS-2
Again you have a wide choice of fake guitar VSTs these days, but this has been around long enough to do it just right. There’s some fuss involved in translating chords on a keyboard to a guitar fret – despite the macros provided it’s never going to be realistic. But a little here and there can add melodies not commonly formed on keyboards, even if you don’t like guitars. (Note that this one is still in the 2nd version.)
Yes
String Studio VS-3
This is a bit like Chromaphone, except you’re only twanging strings. Perhaps this is more authentic than Strum but I find the result more muddy and less useful in a mix. It’s not quite a realistic string section or string machine. Not excited.
I Guess
Ultra Analogue VA-3
There is nothing particularly bad about Ultra Analogue. There’s just nothing particularly good either. If you already have a preferred analogue device it’s not going to move you to change. I run out of things to say about virtual analogues.
No
Lounge Lizard EP-4 Electric Piano
I had a bad dream once where I was a member of Supertramp and I was on stage with an electric piano but I didn’t know what to play and I had no pants on. I write this to have something to say about this electric piano VST.
Fuck No