Recommend a granular synth

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BioTek 2 Granite MuLab App MuLab Plugin Padshop Pro Quanta 2 The Mangle

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Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:40 am
Dirtgrain wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:12 am Ah, I'm more concerned with the parameters themselves, and what sort of control is offered. The granular synths I have that work with samples have felt limited so far, but I just got Padshop Pro and will give it a go. Biotek, Glitchmachines, Granulator II, Iota, Granny--all have cool elements, but I keep thinking there could be more.
What parameters are you looking for exactly? They are usually pretty similar at the sampler level. something like position/speed, grain window size (which has various names) and sometimes a grain window shape (more shquared to more rounded etc.). Aside from the grain size/shape and playback position, other controls would basically be effects.
I would like it if the grain length would be increased. Waldorf with the Quantum just increased theirs from 350ms to 1 second. It makes a difference for long smooth ambient washes. Bitwig's Sampler module is 300ms max. I would like it if it were also increased to 1 second.

The Quantum also has envelope parameters (A and D) for grain shape. Bitwig's sampler module could use a way to smooth the initial grain attack like that.

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Iota allows selections from a spectral image, similar to box select mode in Iris 2, with each box playing per some controls. Some granular synths allow one to work with several samples--the Glitchmachines ones, for example, but they don't have nearly as many granular controls as Granulator 2. I gather that the Bitwig one is nothing out of the ordinary here--it's just the bitwig modular element that is nice (I have never seen it).

I want a granular synth that could maybe also be used as an effect (like Crusher X); that can pull selections out of a spectral image, like Iota or maybe Iris 2; that can have those selection boxes automated to shift position in the spectral image (I can do this with Iota for cool effects with delays); that has effective controls on grain size, positioning, spray/spread/offset, filtering, delay, play direction, playback speed, warp modes, pitch, randomization with maybe some template patterns for grain selection too; that can work with multiple sample with an X-Y cross fading option (like Palindrome) or maybe with some morphing algorithm like Morph 2 or Mmorph (I don't know how these work--they might be granular in nature) where one combines selected aspects of several sounds and blends them together in a way that doesn't sound granular in the end; that can be played as an instrument (Iota, for example, is limited to pad making, unless you convert the output into a sample and run it through a sampler).
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UnbalancedBeats wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2019 2:06 pm Audio Damage Quanta +1
New Sonic Arts Granite
Would you say Quanta would be redundant if I already own Granite?

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pdxindy wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:34 am
Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:40 am
Dirtgrain wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:12 am Ah, I'm more concerned with the parameters themselves, and what sort of control is offered. The granular synths I have that work with samples have felt limited so far, but I just got Padshop Pro and will give it a go. Biotek, Glitchmachines, Granulator II, Iota, Granny--all have cool elements, but I keep thinking there could be more.
What parameters are you looking for exactly? They are usually pretty similar at the sampler level. something like position/speed, grain window size (which has various names) and sometimes a grain window shape (more shquared to more rounded etc.). Aside from the grain size/shape and playback position, other controls would basically be effects.
I would like it if the grain length would be increased. Waldorf with the Quantum just increased theirs from 350ms to 1 second. It makes a difference for long smooth ambient washes. Bitwig's Sampler module is 300ms max. I would like it if it were also increased to 1 second.

The Quantum also has envelope parameters (A and D) for grain shape. Bitwig's sampler module could use a way to smooth the initial grain attack like that.
I was actually a little perplexed by the Quantum’s max grain time being increased to 1 second. I typically use a lot of very short grains in a dense cloud to produce the effects I associate with granular. Having such long grains seems like it’s taking a step back towards traditional sample playback.

Speaking of the Quantum, I wish it allowed a lot more grains to play at once, like at least 32 short grains.

Quanta is pretty decent. Before I got the Quantum, that had become my go-to both as a VST and on the iPad. Also, I never really tried it that I can recall, but doesn’t Reason 10 have a pretty good granular module included?
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DigiPour wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 5:02 am
UnbalancedBeats wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2019 2:06 pm Audio Damage Quanta +1
New Sonic Arts Granite
Would you say Quanta would be redundant if I already own Granite?
Different beasts, in my humble opinion. Quanta has more modulation capabilities as well as signal generators, as other kvr member mentioned above. I would say that both plugins complements to each other very well.

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I just noticed you’re on ableton live. Apesoft’s Pulsaret (m4l) might be worth a look too. I’m familiar with the iOS version, which is fantastic for the more academic (eg Curtis Roads) side of granular. The m4l UI seems to have an even better workflow - less reliance on sub menus.

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deastman wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 6:08 amI was actually a little perplexed by the Quantum’s max grain time being increased to 1 second. I typically use a lot of very short grains in a dense cloud to produce the effects I associate with granular. Having such long grains seems like it’s taking a step back towards traditional sample playback.

Speaking of the Quantum, I wish it allowed a lot more grains to play at once, like at least 32 short grains.

Quanta is pretty decent. Before I got the Quantum, that had become my go-to both as a VST and on the iPad. Also, I never really tried it that I can recall, but doesn’t Reason 10 have a pretty good granular module included?
Yeah... 8 is a bit low... you can use 2 Osc's though...

I like the longer grain time for making really smooth washes.

Granular is not my favorite synthesis type... it often sounds too much like granular. On the Quantum you can mix it with other synthesis types so that the granular osc is adding some body or character to another sound.

I rather like the granular mode in Bitwig sampler module in the Grid as it has some many other tools that can shape the sound so that it is sounding more unidentifiable as granular.

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pdxindy wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:34 am
Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:40 am
Dirtgrain wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:12 am Ah, I'm more concerned with the parameters themselves, and what sort of control is offered. The granular synths I have that work with samples have felt limited so far, but I just got Padshop Pro and will give it a go. Biotek, Glitchmachines, Granulator II, Iota, Granny--all have cool elements, but I keep thinking there could be more.
What parameters are you looking for exactly? They are usually pretty similar at the sampler level. something like position/speed, grain window size (which has various names) and sometimes a grain window shape (more shquared to more rounded etc.). Aside from the grain size/shape and playback position, other controls would basically be effects.
I would like it if the grain length would be increased. Waldorf with the Quantum just increased theirs from 350ms to 1 second. It makes a difference for long smooth ambient washes. Bitwig's Sampler module is 300ms max. I would like it if it were also increased to 1 second.

The Quantum also has envelope parameters (A and D) for grain shape. Bitwig's sampler module could use a way to smooth the initial grain attack like that.
Once you start to get up towards half a second, then it seems like you might as well just use the normal playback mode with a loop, and modulate the loop playback position. I agree though about having separate attack and decay curves for the grain window, this would be useful.

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Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 3:59 pm
pdxindy wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 1:34 am
Echoes in the Attic wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:40 am
Dirtgrain wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:12 am Ah, I'm more concerned with the parameters themselves, and what sort of control is offered. The granular synths I have that work with samples have felt limited so far, but I just got Padshop Pro and will give it a go. Biotek, Glitchmachines, Granulator II, Iota, Granny--all have cool elements, but I keep thinking there could be more.
What parameters are you looking for exactly? They are usually pretty similar at the sampler level. something like position/speed, grain window size (which has various names) and sometimes a grain window shape (more shquared to more rounded etc.). Aside from the grain size/shape and playback position, other controls would basically be effects.
I would like it if the grain length would be increased. Waldorf with the Quantum just increased theirs from 350ms to 1 second. It makes a difference for long smooth ambient washes. Bitwig's Sampler module is 300ms max. I would like it if it were also increased to 1 second.

The Quantum also has envelope parameters (A and D) for grain shape. Bitwig's sampler module could use a way to smooth the initial grain attack like that.
Once you start to get up towards half a second, then it seems like you might as well just use the normal playback mode with a loop, and modulate the loop playback position. I agree though about having separate attack and decay curves for the grain window, this would be useful.
Then there are not multiple grains...

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Shit, why do ya want a granular for? wha-sor-of-musik do you make dat needs a granular?

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Kinh wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:20 pm Shit, why do ya want a granular for? wha-sor-of-musik do you make dat needs a granular?
I'm a synth freak and new techniques turn me on :ud: We're on KVR, you know.

I mean, how many times can you use saw bass, saw lead and supersaw pad? Granular is great for organic textures and evolving pads, and I always miss these.
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This program is quite archaic but it can produce some excellent granular synthesis sounds. I use it on Linux.

https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~carlsonc/256a/Borderlands/

Tracktion has SpaceCraft which is available for MacOSX and Windows only (they say a Linux version is coming)

https://www.tracktion.com/products/spacecraft

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Kinh wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:20 pm Shit, why do ya want a granular for? wha-sor-of-musik do you make dat needs a granular?
For your information not everyone make edm. For ambient stuff e. g granular synths are great tools for something like soundscapes and drone sounds.

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Daimonicon wrote: Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:34 pm
Kinh wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 2:20 pm Shit, why do ya want a granular for? wha-sor-of-musik do you make dat needs a granular?
For your information not everyone make edm. For ambient stuff e. g granular synths are great tools for something like soundscapes and drone sounds.
they're actually great for all manner of genres, provided the user has some imagination.
sadly some people are locked in tiny boxes and wont try anything new. ever. poor kinh.

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At the moment, Quanta. But if you wait a bit, apparently Melda will introduce a granular module for MSF in the future. Also, Kilohearts Phase Plant will probably receive a granular module too in a future update.

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