A must have music production plugin for sound design is granular synthesis. It gives any audio engineer or music producer a variety of fresh and intriguing ways to modify any sound. In granulation, audio is divided into tiny chunks, or “grains,” that range in size from 1 to 100 ms. To provide us with the original sample, several grains are played. Individual grains can be altered in a variety of ways when making music.
Imagine it as an animation film where the “moving picture” is created by taking numerous frames of action and playing them back to back at a certain speed. Grain manipulation options include layering, removing, looping, changing the playing order, and more for any sound designer. The final stage is blending the grains together after modifying and positioning them as needed by the granulation algorithm. Volume cross-fades are used to help merge the grains during the “smoothing” process, which is how this is accomplished. The form and duration of the crossfades have a significant impact on the final tone and sound.
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Output Portal
Output Portal is a crucial tool for sound design is granular synths. It gives you a variety of fresh and intriguing ways to modify any sound. In granulation, audio is divided into tiny chunks, or “grains,” that range in size from 1 to 100 ms. To provide us with the original sample, several grains are played. Individual grains can be altered in a variety of ways when making music.
Imagine it as an animation film where the “moving picture” is created by taking numerous frames of action and playing them back to back at a certain speed. Grain manipulation options include layering, removing, looping, changing the playing order, and more. The final stage is blending the grains together after modifying and positioning them as needed across audio plugins. Volume cross-fades are used to help merge the grains during the “smoothing” process on source material, which is how this is accomplished. The form and duration of the crossfades have a significant impact on the final tone and sound.
Overall, the Portal plugin by Output is highly powerful and is one of the most successful demonstrations of granular synthesis. We highly recommend it as a long-term use plugin. It’s pretty expensive and a major setback for many users, but it’s worth it when you realize how this plugin sounds and looks. This is quite possibly the best Granulizer Plugin in 2023.
Inertia Sound Systems Granulizer 2
A granular synthesis software synthesizer designed for original sound design is called Granulizer 2. It has a very flexible DSP engine that can produce a wide range of tones, from smooth reverb-like tones to metallic crunch and gritty fuzziness to smooth spectral widening or chaotic soundscapes.
This fruity granulizer release, which is Inertia Sound Systems’ biggest update yet, has been in the works for more than a year. It was built from the ground up with musicians, sound designers, and artists in mind. When you’re in the flow of your creativity, Inertia Sound Systems wants you to feel as free as possible. A brand-new, top-notch granular engine with controls over grain size, density, speed, grain envelope shape, pitch, and time randomization was implemented by Inertia Sound Systems. Both the grain speed and the delay effects time parameter now include a sync to host option. Zoom in/out and loop selection options are available in the Interactive Waveform Viewer.
The grain warping module in Granulizer 2 has parameters for smear, smooth, and depth, and it has a feedback modulation mechanism like a polyphonic granular advanced synthesizer. It offers atonal variants or perceptually functions as a second oscillator for pitch tracking system. The grain sharpness/shape, spread, and frequency shift can all be adjusted individually with the Grain FX module’s spectral processing for cpu usage.
Briefly put, Granulizer 2 is an improved and crisper plugin than Granular synth. It has every functionality needed for granular synthesis and sound creation. Unfortunately, given that it doesn’t really offer any distinctive features in comparison to the other plugins mentioned on this list, its pricing is a little bit too high. This among the best Granulizer VST Plugins in 2023.
Audio Damage Quanta
The variety of vibrant and chaotic effects offered by Audio Damage are well known. Their fourth hybrid plugin and virtual instrument, Quanta, offers granular synthesis with an analog vibe.
The granular synthesis notion is notoriously difficult, but Quanta’s distinctive approach seeks to make it simpler. For experienced sound designers who specialize in pads, ambiences, drones, and other sounds linked to granular synthesis, it does not compromise on its synth controls and adaptability. Quanta is a fully functional subtractive synth in and of itself, and will function as a granular or subtractive (or both) synth without any samples at all. It has two multi-mode filters (with LP, HP, BP, and notch in 2-pole and 4-pole topologies), a “sidecar” virtual-analog oscillator, and a noise generator.
Numerous sample formats, rates, channel configurations, and bit depths are supported by Quanta. Supported sample formats include MP3, AIFF, WAV, FLAC, and a few more. A potent grain engine on Quanta can produce up to 100 grains per voice for a maximum length of one second. It can also regulate the sound position, grain pitch modulation options, panning, direction, rate, length, level, and form.
All things considered, Audio Damage’s Quanta is a superb granular synthesis plugin that is loaded with capabilities. Due to its reduced cost and comparable sound, it can be used as a substitute for the Portal by Output plugin. You would need to compare them after using their free trial to try it out for yourself. This is quite possibly the best Granular Plugin in 2023.
Melda Production MGranularMB
We have already covered a few of Melda’s other plugins. Melda is a well-known music producer plugin developer. Another effective attempt by them to implement granulizers using the MGranularMB that is consistent with the other Melda plugins. A resynthesis effect plugin called MGranularMB may add several granular modulation system to audio recordings.
Dual user interface – With two graphical user interfaces, the plugin is not only incredibly adaptable but also quick and simple to use. First, there is a basic default one that has a number of preset modes but few controls, allowing you to get started quickly and easily without any prior expertise. Simply choose what you want and operate a few knobs is all that is required for grain sizes. Additionally, the plugin has an advanced mode that gives all of its most advanced functions. Based on three completely transparent crossover algorithms (analog with slopes from 12dB/oct to 120dB/oct, linear-phase, and hybrid) with fully adjustable limits and input gains, 1-6 totally programmable discrete bands were created. has peak meters for the master and all bands.
Resynthesis is the process of employing sinusoidal tones to synthesize an audio sample and audio tracks. This granular synthesizers plugin has many bands, giving you complete control over the derived grain texture across 20 layers, various band parameters, and modulation settings. Overall, MeldaProductions’ MGranularMB is another outstanding plugin that provides a sophisticated yet user-friendly tool for granulation synthesis.