What can PolySWAM do?

PolySWAM allows you to play Orchestral Ensembles polyphonically, bringing the power and expressiveness of SWAM physical modeling into a multi-voice environment. Designed to bridge the gap between solo instrument realism and polyphonic composition, it offers a range of powerful features for sketching and live performance.

Key Features

• Polyphonic Orchestral Performance: PolySWAM enables you to play complex orchestral parts polyphonically, moving beyond the traditional limitations of solo SWAM instruments.

• Ensemble Management: Once you select a preset, the relevant instruments are automatically loaded and arranged in a virtual room to create a realistic ensemble sound. Instruments can be layered on top of each other or split across different key ranges on your controller.

• Room and Positioning: You can visually move instruments within the virtual space on your screen to manually adjust the ensemble layout.

• Intelligent Voice Allocation & Legato Logic: PolySWAM’s engine is built on sophisticated algorithms that prioritize both ensemble density and melodic fluidity.

  • Dynamic Polyphonic Legato: A standout feature of PolySWAM is its native polyphonic legato handling. The engine constantly monitors the timing of your performance; when notes are played in an overlapping or closely timed manner, the system triggers the native legato transitions of the SWAM physical modeling engines. This maintains the routing on the exact same virtual instrument, ensuring seamless acoustic transitions without the need for manual keyswitches.

  • Intelligent Allocation: Depending on the chosen preset, the engine distinguishes between single-note melodic lines—where it preserves the legato—and polyphonic chords, where it intelligently distributes notes across different instruments to maintain optimal Voice Leading and prevent chaotic instrument crossings.

  • Real-time Analysis: This complex process is handled through a "capture buffer," a micro-latency window that compensates for human execution jitter, allowing the engine to analyze your input as a unified block before assigning voices perfectly.

• Control and Expression: * Conductor Section: This is the heart of your expressive control. It provides access to Macros (both continuous knobs and discrete state buttons) that shape the overall performance.

• Human Touch: This section allows you to adjust the humanization of the performance across three areas: pitch intonation, timing precision, and dynamic expression alignment.

Customization and Setup (Coming in Beta 2 & beyond)

• Keyboard Ranges: You will be able to modify key ranges and overlap intervals between instruments via the dedicated KBD Range screen.

• Audio Mixer: Adjust individual instrument or group balances and apply dedicated equalization using a multi-band EQ to refine the final sound.

How it Works

When you play, PolySWAM uses advanced algorithms to translate your performance into a fully realized orchestral ensemble. It handles voice allocation and legato behavior automatically based on your playing style, while giving you the ability to manipulate the performance in real-time through the Conductor macros and expression controls.

Note: Because PolySWAM is built to be a high-performance workflow tool, it manages the orchestration and articulation changes for you. This allows you to focus purely on the creative act of playing and directing the ensemble rather than managing tedious keyswitches or searching through individual articulation templates.