GranuLab

News
(sept 2018): GranuLab.VST is under development.
 
(sept 2012): Granny 8-stream is now the freeware version.
Gestures can be recorded and played back in a loop.
 
(march 2012): MIDI Note-off does not stop sound if there are multiple notes. (Esp useful in 8-stream version.)
(dec 2011): Fixed several bugs in sound output. Support ASIO.
(may 2010): Support 24/32-bit files. Fixed clicks starting/stopping. (version "T10" and free 1.2)
(may 2008): Granny 8: Record separate soundfile from each stream - jam now remix later (version "T9")
(march 2008): Interpolation choices for much cleaner sound. Faster engine. (version "T8" and free 1.1)
(may 2003): Granny 8: MIDI update. Each stream has its own MIDI channel. Better crude/fine control for sliders ("waggle" mode - see help file)

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What is it?
GranuLab is a real-time granular synthesizer.
Originally (1998-2018) for Windows, now as VST 2 plugin for MacOS and Windows.

What: Granulation means chopping the sound into small overlapping segments and playing back just like the original, or twisted, or another time.
Howto: Load a soundfile and warp it -- time stretch, pitch shift, chorus or turn into static. Smooth transition to anything and back.
Control: Random, LFO, Soundfile amp/noisiness, from MIDI input, or by internal params.
Effects: Fold, overdrive, bitcrush (smoothed), dual filters (SVF), delay.

Links: Wikipedia on Granular Synthesis | A brief explanation by Barry Truax. | Another article, by Eric Küehln
 

If you like GranuLab (and you're on Windows) you might want to try Coagula. (on MacOS MetaSynth is the original, and much more advanced)

by rasmus.ekman@abc.se

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VST 2 version
Under development.

The latest version for testing:
GranuLab.VST Windows (2018-12-16)
GranuLab.VST MacOS (2018-12-16) (64-bit only, OSX 10.9 or later)

2018-12-16 and recently: Bugfixes; Graphics - added sound play position cursor and grain stream sketch;
MacOS: Works in Cubase now. If you tried before 2018-11, Go to VST Settings, click Blacklist tab and rescan if you see Granny there.
 
Some new features:

• Hip and colorful interface. Rotary knobs to save space, keyboard allows fine-tuning.
• More control possibilities for each parameter:
  Random spread and "walk". LFO multishape. Sound amp and noisiness. MIDI. Internal param=>param connections.
• Patch sequencer. (to be done)
• Text patch file format, easy drag-drop.

PDF docs included in download file.

An unfinished version was entered into the KVR 2018 competition.
Product page at KVR
 

The finished version will be open source freeware.
by rasmus.ekman@abc.se

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Old Standalone Windows Versions

GranuLab 1.x is freeware.
(Granny 8 was $20 for many years, then renamed to 1.5 and let free.)

Download GranuLab 1.5.zip
Download GranuLab 1.0 (April 24, 2000)

GranuLab 8-stream
Use 8 grain streams simultaneously.
The streams are independent -- like using 8 Granny 1's at the same time. Streams can be muted and soloed.
Each stream can be controlled by MIDI notes and sliders to its own channel (channels 1-8).

As of Sept 1, 2012, GranuLab 8 is the basic freeware version.


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NOTE: These plans are from about 2002. And look what happened only 16 years later!

GranuLab^2 plans.
Preliminary and subject to changes. No time schedule.

• New interface - rotation knob sliders and pretty picture of soundfile.
• Live input - Capture phrases and/or use a buffer of N last seconds of input sound.
• More control options - LFO's, automation, connect sliders across streams, support BMP units etc.
• Support OSC.
• N-band filter on input sound, each outputs a grain stream. Another sound can control N-band filter; this allows granular vocoder effects.

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