Granular
A downloadable app
Granular is an experimental grain sampler, it plays short samples from a recording creating an ambient texture with full controls and effects.
It should be easy to find your way around and experiment but there's more information and instuctions on my homepage. There's a couple of recordings built-in that generate nice ambient textures so you can start playing straight away.
Purchase
In order to download this app you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $8 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- Granular2_0_1_beta available nowMar 24, 2023
- Granular ui rewrite progress updateMar 23, 2023
- Improved ui for GranularMar 20, 2023
- Granular for Playdate 1.0.0 LaunchedMar 14, 2023
- Granular for Playdate demoMar 12, 2023
Comments
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What are your plans on this app? You mentioned you're thinking about moving it to Modular Play, will standalone version still be updated, or 2.0.1 beta is final release?
P.s. I bought Granular and beta works like a charm, just curious.
@Orllewin anything?
Sorry, I’ve been away in the highlands for a holiday. Yes, all this functionality is in Modular Play now, I’ll improve the sample handling over the next month - the Granular module is the last thing I implemented before burning out for a few months, it sounds fantastic, and can sync to a beat in Modular Play so is more versatile - freeform sounds are still there too just like this standalone version.
is there anyway to get back to the load sample and record sample screen? I want to load a sample but only saw that screen once on initial launch. thanks! lovely tool
Yes of course, from the main Granular screen just navigate to Open or Record.
Had some ambient/noise demos that needed something, but I couldn't figure out what- was able to make some loops with this that feel exciting and novel to me. This is such a cool tool- really happy that I found out about this, and congrats on its development!
thank you! It’s a good little tool for adding a little eztra something to a track.
just got my PD today and installed. Granular seems to freeze and crash frequently when using a sound I captured with the mic.
Also … global settings don’t seem to be certain when they are changed.
Looking forward to a new revision.
Panning would be a great feature!
I’ll try and replicate but it’s been pretty stabke for me. I’m tempted to move Granbular functionality into Modular Play.
I have seen some crashes in some of the stock games ... so maybe there is something deeper going on.
I'd love to see some control over the notes (maybe locked to scale).
I'll have to check out MP next. I make my own synth hardware and I'm considering making a music app for Playdate.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this - it's such a wonderful little creative tool. In future versions, if there was some way to play back or preview each of the 5 subsamples, each on its own, in isolation, that would be great - just so you can adjust the length and effects on each subsample to taste (it's quite hard sometimes to do this when the whole sample is playing away).
But that might actually be going against the whole spirit of randomness and experimentation and probability that makes Granular such a lovely surprising thing. So feel free to totally ignore!
No, thank you, that’s a good feature to add. I’m just getting Modular Play finished, then Tape Looper will have a small refresh/tidy up, then I’ll give some attention to Granular.
Fantastic, thank you! Looking forward to seeing Modular Play, and Tape Looper is great already, so can't wait for any updates. Cheers!
is it possible to, rewind and forward the sound? If not! Would be really useful to include.
I have worked with the application quite a bit now and I simply love it. It creates amazing sound textures for my music on Logic Pro. Easy to use but also quite powerful in creating ambient sounds and effects. Thank you :)
This looks great, almost a Pocket Operator!
hi - is granular stereo ? Thanks !
No, it samples in mono, the Playdate only has a mono condensor built in, and TRRS is mono too (when using an external mic: https://help.play.date/hardware/supported-inputs/)
Hey there. this is a lot of fun!
How do I change the playback rates in the global menu? I see the ratios there but nothing happens if I select them and try to turn the crank or use the D pad. they just stay as is. also, I see five channels of granular playback but only four rate settings... is one set to a fixed rate?
When you click the rates in the Global menu that sets the base rate that all 5 channels will play by default, but it only changes when they’re next triggered so there’s a smooth transition - there’s 4 rates, all an octave in difference to keep things in tune.
Each channel has a context menu popup (labelled ‘fx’), from there you can choose other rates which will randomly trigger:
1.0 is original sample 0.5 is half speed/pitch 0.25 is quarter speed/pitch 0.125 is 1/8 and not suitable for most things you’ll sample as it’s very low
the base rate should be greyed-out and unselectable.
I’m working on a new ui for this now which will hopefully be less cramped and easier to work with - with lots more features too.
Love to try this out. I’ve been playing around a bunch with your Tape looper and Field recorder and loving that’s your taking Playdate in this Audio tool direction. My dream is to have a tracker on the playdate, the crank would make short work of browsing channels, notes and timelines :)