SWAM Bass Clarinet

What it does

The bass clarinet in Audio Modeling’s SWAM woodwind line, physically modelled rather than sampled, with a deep and reedy low register. Expression, velocity, vibrato, growl, breath noise and key noise shape the note live and all take MIDI learn, a timbre page moves between warmer and brighter versions, and effects, master tuning and transpose pages are built in. Standalone and AUv3.

In the demo

Jade opens the show with a track in progress that uses it for a snake charmer line under brass and drums, then plays it from a keyboard and expression pedal over a jazz backing and works through the variations. She later loads it into GarageBand as an external track, records MIDI with the expression intact, and shows the fall down on a sustained note.

Worth knowing

Sold separately, with a Clarinets bundle covering it and the standard clarinet. Like the rest of the range it needs a pedal, breath controller or touch surface before the low end does anything interesting.