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Your favourite AUv3 granular FX in 2023
Title says it all. What is your favourite FX for granular effects right now (and why, if you are willing to explain) ?
I'm just talking about granular FX, not synths with granular features (like Samplewiz 2 or Buttersynth).
Comments
Fluss and Silo. Fluss is fun to play, Silo is comprehensive
(I do love Portal on desktop and I haven't coaxed quite as beautiful results from either Fluss or Silo as I have from Portal, but that could be more on me than them)
MI rack Clouds just because I’m so used to it but Borderlands is really amazing
I think I have found that I'm not all that mad about granular. I do like spacecraft (especially version 2, which is currently in beta and has been for ages so God knows when it will be released), Tardigrain and - to some extent - Fluss. Don't like the envelopes in Fluss, don't like the xy pad but love the sliders.
FRMS is great in terms of control and modulation, I do wish the presets weren't all so in-your-face. I can barely think of a single FRMS preset that could actually be easily used in a mix. Of course, you can make your own, and it's very handy that it can record while loaded in the fx slot. In terms of presets, the Audio Damage granular synth, forget its name, is great, to my taste.
Silo for sure. Combined with its Spacialiser and its unique and kooky reverb, a wide array of effects can be generated e.g. making a live audio stream sound like it's being played at the other end of an underground maintenance tunnel. It has an excellent randomiser, which can do small tweaks up to complete mayhem - I've discovered quite a few creative and usable patches that way.
NB: It's not good for audio-synced FX though as the Plugin Delay Compensation doesn't work (in AUM anyway). It introduces a 40ms latency (with my settings anyway) and this is clearly audible with audio-synced grains. Might just be user error but I've tried everything I know how!
Spacecraft 2 (currently in beta) is a strong contender, but much of it can be done with Spacecraft 1 as well. This can be played as a performance granular effect too. Wide range of ways to mess with your live audio, both for special FX and also musically e.g. with chorded pitch effects
Borderlands Granular isn't AUv3 but it has to be considered here as it's a powerhouse for granular effects and like nothing else out there.
FRMS is really powerful and flexible, but the way it works it's not possble to have your grains pitched the same as incoming audio, due to the way that spawning grains, and the pitch of those grains require incoming MIDI notes, but I've never worked out what MIDI note gives grains the same pitch as incoming audio, unless I'm missing something. But if that's not important, it's in the field too.
All of these process live audio streams, which I think is what you're after?
Oh FRMS can be used as FX? Never tried this. I have this one and I love it, it is hard to nail your sound but when you do, it's beautiful.
I'm definitely keeping an eye on Silo and Tardigrain, they look interesting.
About Spacecraft 2, is there a way to join the beta?
As for Spacecraft 2, contact the dev and see if he has any slots going.
Tardigrain is excellent, but it doesn't take live audio. You can load it into an FX slot, and then hit record to fill its buffer with live audio, but I'm fairly sure it can't process a live audio stream.
Silo is the winner here, imho...although I think BLEASS Granulizer is great for more subtle granular effects...
As an FX is also the only way you can use FRMS (also Samplewiz, and also Tardigrain) with a live input for practically real time sample to granular synth features. Whether or not you record or you constantly process the buffer is probably the classifying factor as to whether or not its an effect or synth. Blurred distinction really. Load FRMS as an FX and hit the Waveform text rectangle to toggle between loaded/recordable waveform or live buffer. As live buffer then choose size of buffer, continue to modify granular settings and trigger midi.
Edit: As @craftycurate said, samplewiz and tardigrain don't actually do the continuous live buffer processing so sorry if the above was misleading. They do allow for live recording not constant effecting. FRMS has that extra function.
Nice, thank you. Going to test it when I have some time.
Besides the ones mentioned, There’s an app I always wanted but never grabbed called MonoGranulator, I think it’s only $1 or $2, I believe it’s by Anthony Di Furia.
Update - just checked and it is Au, it’s $1.99 and it’s by Anthony. I never tried it, but it’s one I’ve always been curious about.
MonoGranulator
The Spectrum App by Burns Audio is free and has several AU’s inside. One is an audio FX called Granular.
Spectrum Synthesizer Bundle
Indeed, auv3 and so cheap-cheap! The UI seems to have been updated, the vid seems the older version.
Here’s something, if I’m allowed to mention it here? Grainstorm, which is…shock, horror…Android only! Really extraordinary app though.
Fluss is top of my list - really good fun to play with, can sound amazing fed the right stuff. My advice is go for slow modulations and where possible restricting the range of them as well.
iDensity is great, too, though it can sound harsh. Which can be exactly what you want, natch.
I’ve used Silo less, but it’s definitely on my list.
Not sure it counts, but I’d also add Cascade.
Also there is Quanta
I haven’t had a chance to test in a few weeks or message the dev but as of about a month ago it didn’t work in AUM but worked fine in Audiobus. I know it was originally an Audiobus only app so I’m not sure if that’s part of why. But something to be wary about. I’ll try and test it again tonight or tomorrow to verify.
iDensity is an oldie but goodie.
For granular processing, Silo is my goto. The granular section alone is super deep, but then you add the spatializer and reverb and it becomes so versatile.
Tried FRMS with live input but when triggering notes it’s out of tube, or better said sounds as if it’s quarter tone scale instead of 12 tones. I asked the developers in main FRMS thread but no reply:
Trying the live input mode and had strange problems… :
AUM session: Audio oscillator from miRack to FRMS in a Fx slot, live audio input. When playing the keyboard I can’t get a chromatic scale, more that a quarter tone scale… tried everything with no luck… any clue @sinosoidal ?
Did you managed to had it working fine?
We need to rewrite the way we do live granulation in FRMS. Maybe for FRMS 2.0.
BLEASS Granulizer is so solid and excellent, can’t recommend it enough!
My personal favourite.
iDensity
Spacecraft 2
Silo
Since apparently FRMS, which I own, has problems with live input mode, which of the other referred apps does have this feature working well? Cheers!
I just noticed with FRMS that the speed of the grains increases with the pitch. I know this happens with samplers since the way they raise the pitch is to speed up the sample. I thought this wasn’t supposed to happen with granular though. Can anyone confirm if any of the afore mentioned granular synths do not change speed based on pitch?
Silo and Bleass Granular are great for live input if you haven't already found something.
WaveCloud is out now and highly worthy of a play through. Doesn't do live, but wow it's great for everything else. Shockingly low CPU use too.
Just tested WaveCloud and I believe it does change speed on the grains to change pitch too.
I'm no expert, but I imagine the CPU overhead of using a pitch correction algorithm on every grain would get unmanageable pretty fast 🤷🏽♂️
Just updated, too!
Yeah the 3 simultaneous Waveglides ability pushes it firmly into FRMS territory, but with way less CPU use.
Wavecloud is officially a granular beast IMO. Best in class.
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