"The program is vastly praised by its users, but in order to
feel the love you've had to run a Windows machine or a Mac box.
Until now, that is. The latest release introduces various new
attractions, and the one that interests me the most is support for
a native Linux version. Check it out, commercial music software's
finest virtual keyboard instrument is now available for Linux.
"Physical Modeling
By the early 1990s the established traditional methods of
subtractive, additive, and FM audio synthesis were well-represented
in a variety of hardware implementations. Sound samplers were
becoming increasingly sophisticated, and computer capabilities were
advancing towards realtime audio synthesis and sample playback.
Synthesizer manufacturers began to explore new approaches to audio
synthesis, eventually finding marketable results in vector
synthesis, granular synthesis, and physical modeling.
"Physical modeling represents a radical departure from
traditional synthesis methods. Instead of setting values for
waveforms, filters, and amplifiers physical modeling presents the
user with parameters based on the material and structural
characteristics of an instrument."