What is the problem?
These suggestions are to increase the values for the existing GRAIN engine. New options are unnecessary.
- An increase in the ‘Tune’ range
- An increase to the ‘Grain Size’
No new parameters need to be added, just a broader range of values.
For example, an increase in tuning range using a sample with high harmonic content can lead to some beautiful, gritty results when tuned even lower than an octave - the harmonic content becomes slightly lo-fi and opens up even more sound possibilities. A way to bypass this would be to increase the range between notes on the grid, but it would have greater effect to be able to simply tune the sample up/down 3 octaves.
An increase in grain size can make for some beautiful micro-loops - to reduce CPU usage, the longer the grain gets, the lower the audio resolution could become (within reason). Micro-loops can become a part of the sequence and create another illusion of massive polyphony. Reducing the amount of grains in this manner could also reduce CPU usage. One can only take so many micro-loops before it becomes a soupy mess. Maybe this could be a mode change instead?
What should this feature achieve?
Since we have a beautiful granular engine with nearly every parameter needed for amazing granular synthesis, these additional parameter value changes would just make a great synth even better.
Are there any workarounds?
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Any links to related discussions?
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Any references to other products?
For greater tuning range, nearly every granular synth can go beyond an octave. This would allow not only greater range in sound, but lead to more experimental usage of the GRAIN engine. High-pitched ticking sounds can become deeper wooden ‘tock’ sounds, higher harmonic tones can have lo-fi, yet pretty grit (listen to additive synthesis tones dragged down two or three octaves).
For greater grain size, imagine the Chase Bliss Audio MOOD pedal or Blooper pedal. Again, you’ll get more mileage out of a sound file, creating longer ‘micro-loops’ that can become part of a background using only one synth. Maybe the resolution of the GRAIN engine has to change being longer than a second, or maybe it doesn’t.