Looking for a drag and drop granular synth with grain size sync to tempo

Luc_Veermeer

Hey guys!

Not sure if anybody knows any ensembles that have these features? Or at the very least drag and drop?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks !

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/38718/looking-for-a-drag-and-drop-granular-synth-with-grain-size-sync-to-tempo

I am not sure that Blocks qualify as ensembles. But otherwise then for a quick answer then this Granular Sampler + Player (is at least it's name)(exists as both Sampler and as Sample Player) runs in Reaktor and is sold by ToyBoxAudio in at least this pack .

The Granular Sampler + Player supports the drag and drop but I have no idea with respect to the 'Grain size sync to tempo'.

ToyBoxAudio might have better 'Granular' stuff , dunno as of yet

P.S.

Your question is placed in the Reaktor sub-forum and specifically use the expression "any ensembles" so intentionally I have left out another brand product. If you want non-Reaktor not N.I. suggestions then please say so as I have at least one other other suggestion regarding Granular Sample player supporting drag and drop.

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/38718/looking-for-a-drag-and-drop-granular-synth-with-grain-size-sync-to-tempo

what do you mean specifically by 'grain size sync to tempo'

(granular has so many potential parameters that this could be interpreted in many ways)

Luc_Veermeer

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/191869#Comment_191869

Hi!

Sorry if that was amibigous. So I'd like to use a granular sampler that sync the grain rate to tempo. So the grains can scan at say 1/16 or 1/8th of the tempo etc. I hope that makes more sense?

PoorFellow

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/192351#Comment_192351

You didn't respond to if you were interested in something other than for use with N.I. Reaktor. But I will point you to it anyway , there is this 'Granular Synth' (this extra not included) that definitely can do the Tempo Sync by trigger input , it is for use in this free host , (version with internal VST host often %50 off at sales). For tempo sync then please see section Seeding Parameters here. and section Tempo synced seeding here (other stuff here)

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/192351#Comment_192351

I think I understand what you mean.

Seems like an interesting, just not how granular is usually configured (in my limited experience anyway).

Most granular stuff uses short grains in the ms range, so maybe ranging from 50 to 300ms, but with more extreme setting possible. And they are usually (not always) played back overlapping each other. If you sync the grain playback to some tempo division, you would either have short clicks with lots of empty space, or very long grains to the point where it ceases to be a granular process and starts to be more like a regular sampler with some sort of envelope system and modulation of playback position.

Some granulators (like morphagene) allow you to split the audio up into slices that are then granulated.. so the grains are still very short, but you also have a higher level mechanism to chop up the audio in bigger chunks that can be synced in various ways. Not sure if there is anything like that publicly available for Reaktor.

KoaN

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/192488#Comment_192488

I have seen many commercial granular Vsts have the sync option.You are right that it does sound a bit more like a normal sampler but can be interesting depending on what is possible,different parts being read here and there with a bit of overlapping,short or long envelopes,usually with random option too,can create interesting textures and rythm.If you also have a pitch scale option every grain can be played at a different pitch.

colB

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/192611#Comment_192611

different parts being read here and there with a bit of overlapping,short or long envelopes,usually with random option too,can create interesting textures and rythm

This sounds more familiar to me, longer grains, with overlapping, some randomness in playback position and/or timing… but I must still be missing something because surely syncing to the tempo would force grains to start together rather than allowing the overlapping offsets that provide that textural effect?

I suppose it is like what Mutuable Instruments Beads does in hardware form (with limited success IMO). In order to keep the GUI to a sane control count, user control over the way sync happens is quite heavily restricted. As as a result, what might have been a fantastically powerful granular processer turned out to be an OK granular processor and an OK delay type effect and real time sampler. Great for exploring what it can do, but not great for exploring ones own creative ideas about how to use granular synthesis.

Makes more sense in the context of a commercial VSTi - no massive penalty to complex code, more features = more sales… but not so much in Reaktor - big performance penalty for complex systems, no penalty for streamlined feature set, because just make two versions :)

It is interesting that the graincloud core engine in the Grain Sampler from the factory library doesn't provide any option that would make this feature possible.

KoaN

https://community.native-instruments.com/discussion/comment/192622#Comment_192622

I think some offer like a sync on different parameters,like one on offset,you have your main play cursor and then you can quantize where the grain appears behind it,1/4,1/8/1/16 behind the play head,this would like create a delay…and then another sync option on the size of the grain so it loops sync the the tempo,creating micro loops.I also see some have the option on the density parameter,so the rate at which grains are generated are synced to the tempo too. I guess if you only use it like that it wouldn't be that interesting but combined with random options,reversing some grains,pitch them differently it becomes interesting. But yah i guess it becomes like a polyphonic sample slicer.