I think it's important to consider the dynamics involved when playing certain real instruments vs trying to capture and recreate it using a sample based solution.
Although things like the use of layered multisamples, the amount of sample memory actually used, and the rate of sampling used in an actual finished recording will have an effect on how realistic a sample based instrument sounds, there are other dynamics that are harder and in some cases, at least with the technology available right now, not entirely possible to simulate or control using a normal midi controller and samples.
Yamaha and Tassman are examples of two companies that have tried to address the other dynamics I speak of using modeled technology. The VL technology from Yamaha for example, uses different simulations of cylinder shapes, wind strength, reed size, mouthpiece type, etc to emulate Horn / reed instruments. This technology is over 10 yrs old now, but I still think it provides the most realistic or accurate sounding horns, saxes, etc, if not the most pleasing in actual tonal quality. Problem is, you can only incorporate some of the technolgy into your playing technique with a standard KB controller. A breathe controller along with playing notes on the keys ( I have one ) seems to get me a little closer, but I think the best way I've heard it done is with a wind controller, which actually simulates a horn or reed instrument. Trouble with that is you need to have at least some skill or ability to play the actual instrument to take full advantage of it, because the activation of the controller notes is set up in a similar fashion.
Tassman is a software version that tries to do the same thing as VL. Their earlier efforts included more parameters than VL, but the results seemed less than spectacular. I think today they may be better as they have tried to combine the use of samples and the use of modeling.
Musiclabs Real Guitar seems to be the standard right now for combining modeling with high quality samples. Nothing I've heard to date gets as close to a real acoustic guitar, yet some will say it still falls a tad short. Still, they are going in the right direction and I think more spophisticated modeling and sampling combinations will continue to get us ever closer. B4 is another good example of excellent modeling technolgy resulting in a good end result, but also remember an advantage is that it's tring to emulate a kb based instrument in the first place.
The bottom line I think being that slowly but surely these technolgies will more and more find there way into our hardware boards. I think software, is inherently the easier medium to use in trying to experiment with and advance these technologies though, simply because it's open ended nature allows for more radical and faster adjustments and additions to the operating systems.
AJ
[This message has been edited by Bluezplayer (edited 01-10-2006).]
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AJ
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