Audio Modeling’s latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now available to pre-order at a reduced cost. PolySWAM has been built using the same engine as the company’s existing SWAM products, but has been designed specifically for polyphonic playing.
All of the existing SWAM instruments are monophonic, a choice which Audio Modeling say allows each instalment to focus on reproducing the detailed behaviour, phrasing and expression of an individual player. The new arrival, however, combines the underlying engine with a proprietary voice-allocation technology that makes it possible to play chords, melodic passages and layered textures.
PolySWAM comes loaded with a selection of ready-to-play presets that include intimate chamber ensembles, large symphonic layers, focused brass sections, funk big bands and an array of other instrument combinations. It responds to the way notes and chords are performed, producing the likes of legatos, staccatos, portamentos and dynamic transitions as part of the performance rather than relying on keyswitches, while a voice-allocation system distributes notes among individual virtual players, allowing the phrasing and movement of an ensemble to be controlled directly from the player’s input.
Audio Modeling say that the instrument has plenty to offer both in the studio and on stage. For composers, it can offer a great way to begin orchestral ’sketches’, offering a responsive ensemble sound rather than a placeholder piano and allowing melodies, harmonies, dynamics and transitions to be developed while the initial idea is still taking shape. Producers and arrangers are kitted out with a wide variety of orchestral sounds without needing to rely on large sample libraries and templates, and keyboard players get a practical way to take an array of orchestral sounds to the stage.
Pricing & Availability
PolySWAM is available to pre-order now for a reduced price of $€279 (usually $€399). It is currently expected to launch in mid-September 2026, and those who pre-order can take part in the company’s public beta programme.
