Graindad: Real-Time Granular Effect by Sugar Bytes Free Download

The core of Graindad is its Grain Engine. Audio is recorded and played back through as many as 64 grains at the same time, and the engine organizes those grains to produce effects such as freezing, stuttering, glitching and texturizing. The 12 main parameters are the primary way to shape the result.

Recording is as important as playback. Graindad can record in sync with your host clock, be triggered directly by MIDI, or start recording when a transient appears in the audio. A multiband transient detector and a host sync and transient clock give you timing control over those triggers.

The effects section adds filters in lowpass, bandpass, band reject and highpass types, plus HQ reverb, spring reverb, shimmer, delay, flanger and chorus. Dry/wet controls, including a complex dry/wet envelope, let you blend these effects into the signal.

Graindad offers two modulation approaches. The classic system uses an envelope, an LFO and a step sequencer with step repeat, along with a 16-step trigger sequencer. The Harvester is a visual system that modulates all 12 main controls at once. The distance between the Harvester and each parameter sets the modulation depth.

Randomization is built into most parameters. You can apply varying amounts of randomness and choose when it is generated, for example when a transient triggers a randomizer. The Modmix control crossfades between Harvester and main-page modulation, and the Auto-Pilot Page lets the Harvester move between 12 breakpoints that can also be triggered by MIDI notes.

The developer describes the Harvester as a playful way to explore sound, and the modulation options are wide enough to suit both controlled sound design and more unpredictable results.