SWAM Strings sections iOS (and rooms ir thing)

Parthand

Omg when

Also do they intend on doing any other sections, brass, wind etc?

I know they have a world instruments thing in the pipeline. Don’t know if there’s been any more word on that

PapaBPoppin

Hadn't heard word about Sections coming to iOS, and don't see much chance

With no direct line, but an obsession of clicking anything SWAM related (that's why I'm typing this now! The most clickbaity four letters... lol), no word on when Ambiente for iOS releasing yet. Educated guess, it'll be ready when it's ready

I'm bummed it'll require a much beefier iPad than my 10th gen can provide

In the meantime (for Sections alternative) I'd like to recommend Iconica Sketch

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/iconica-sketch-orchestra-app/id6504404183

Pairs VERY nicely with SWAM for filling out larger ensembles (with SWAM first chairs and soloists 😅)

While I'm not overly versed in orchestral levels of sound design, my learning project of recreating Tank! from memory is sounding very nice to me without much tweaking (I tried Mini Orchestra prior and did NOT like the sounds it produced. Iconica Sketch is what I was looking for)

Though I yearn for iOS Sections

And I hadn't heard about any world music offerings, but I'm absolutely down! Any link to where you read that? I'm curious as hell

I double dipped and fell into GeoShred hard black Friday. SWAM'd myself there, and also auditioned some Naada

Maaaan I love those Naada sounds

(I also really need to get my mitts on a breath controller.... Crap. It really is 'just one more...just one more,' isn't it?)

Parthand

I’m pretty certain iOS swam sections has been confirmed in here, in fact I remember that it has. Someone emailed them and they confirmed that both it and their room ir thing (ambiente maybe, though I had the impression it was baked in) will be coming to iOS together iirc, I thought they said by the end of 2024 but may have just been very soon at the time.

I had a listen to iconica sketch, thanks for the recommendation but I found it a bit thin and metallic. I thought I was getting mixed up with mini orchestra but listened to YouTube and had that feeling too. Maybe I’ll try it if it goes on sale though. I saw one person feeling the same in comments but interested to hear others opinions.

For orchestral stuff k think the best sounds are to be found in XinematiX which is by far the fullest most realistic set of orchestral sounds for me, I just think the app is a bit of a mess, that was a godsend because I’m really picky and couldn’t stand pretty much anything beforehand.

There is also the spitfire and Berlin etc libraries on staffpad now incredibly cheap. They’re a bit more awkward but for such good sounds you can import your track from a door - screen record it - as video, then play strings parts with midi keyboard alongside it, then export the audio back to your daw. It’s like 6 grands worth of orchestral stuff for a few hundred quid really if that.

Yes! The info about audio modelling future projects came initially from the roadmap they published a few years ago. They fell behind but had always had swam sections as their next project after bringing stuff to iOS. Then bringing that to iOS. Then swam world instruments or ethnic or whatever they called it. Though the dates changed the outline didn’t, I emailed them about a year ago about the ethnic thing as I was looking for a suona - I’m even fussy about that - and they were positive about it and confirmed it was still coming though further down the line. It was then going to be a handful of world instruments, I have a feeling representing different places. I feel like it’s going to be a bit boring though and covered by naada because they were talking about erhus iirc. That’s not their fault because that’s what you do in a project like this it’s just that it would be far more useful to cover niche instruments, but then probably not what would inspire that app.

Yeah I love naada and that was the app I didn’t know I was waiting for for years, while looking out for the audio modelling one. So good. I have that tec voice controller. I haven’t used it much yet. I didn’t really find it very natural tbh but I haven’t used it enough to say.

Geoshred is amazing, I have that and all the swam apps. I use velocity kb but there’s always some bloody issue setting this stuff up, logic etc, and I prefer geoshred though there are issues with that too. I need to look up how to use geoshred to control stuff as it keeps playing teh default sound alongside what I’m midi controlling. I just haven’t got round to it.

I have for a long time been half in and out of MPE controllers having been through and disliked a lot for one reason or another. A bigger lightpad was what I wanted. Someone mentioned one coming out but I cannot find anything mentioning it and I don’t trust roli as their devices die if you leave them uncharged for a month or two and they don’t care.

The erae touch 2 is about to release. I’m waiting to hear feedback on that as the first was not successful for MPE control. They have dramatically upgraded it based on that though. Otherwise the linnstrument is the way to go. But I do this whole circle every time where I go back and play on geoshred and realise the iPad is more response than any of these devices and the vertical axis as z dimension is actually much more playable for me than I thought.

Edit:

Wanted to add that the strings in GarageBand are strangely expressive, the way they have you playing them with swells is lovely.

GeoTony

@Parthand if GeoShred is playing the default sound as well as the instrument you are controlling it sounds like you are loading it an audio slot rather than a midi slot (in AUM terms)