Synths or FX?

For the past 2 months I've mostly used only granular and these are my current faves

Quanta and it's successor Quanta 2 are really great.
Imaginando FRMS with 4 layers that can all be granular or can be combined with VA oscillators, and has some basic FM
Bleass SampleWiz 2, easy on the eye GUI
Spacecraft, crazy interface, amazing on iOS particularly.
Unfiltered Audio Silo
Bram Bos and Hainbach's Fluss on iOS

Pigments and Phase Plant both have granular methods these days.

I like all of the above, and yes Output Portal.

 

Probably because they have extremely bad customer support, rarely ever update the thing, it's expensive and the expansion packs are also crazy expensive. It's probably a great synth with some unique features, but I will not invest my money in a synth that seems like it will be abandonware in a couple of years time.

 

me likes BLEASS Samplewiz 2, you can actually import .wav files and grain it to death

 

I normally go for Reaktor with it's myriad of granular synths and processors. Quanta is nice and quick though, not to mention lighter.

There's also "Oi, grandad!" at https://github.com/publicsamples/Oi-Grandad , it was a bit glitchy(!) the last time I tried it, but it's great fun with the provided samples.

 

Grain.
It's one of the few absolutely fantatic modules that force me to keep my reason license.

 

I only have used an older version of Phase Plant but bought it based on the new granular engine that puts it in my opinion further up the food chain as apex preditor of the soft synth world. It's not installed yet on my new computer (haven't even plugged it in yet), but here's a bit of a maniacle fanboy rant about it.

 

Three suggestions to the granular plugins pool

Ina-GRM Freeze

HvoyaAudio Ribs https://hvoyaaudio.itch.io/ribs





TAL Sampler has a new grain engine too

 

Thanks for that, a lack of support is concerning, if it's buggy.. What's your experience with them in that regard?

I would watch out for sales if I was going to purchase. I've no need of "expansions" either as I mostly design patches from scratch.

In the thousands of VSTi out there I find relatively few that are suitable to my needs/desires. For me, flexibility is key, along with simplicity and speed of workflow; which is why I find this instrument attractive. Wobbly cable modulars and restrictive single filter one trick ponies tend to go unused with me; I get particularly annoyed with the artificially enforced "authentic" limitations of "classic" analog emulations for example...

Updates aren't a concern for me either, if the software is stable. I more or less freeze my machine in time and only update if something is causing issues, or there's a major feature update that I really think is worth the hassle.

 

Unfortunately, and surprisingly, given their prior additions to Phase Plant, their granular "oscillator" is poor. It's just a sampler with some granular trick.
There are not enough grains / millisecond to make it really oscillate to begin with.
Also, the grain envelope is not flexible enough, etc ... It's very deceiving from Kilohearts from whom I was expecting they would do one of the best granular oscillator on the market, given their other functions in Phase Plant...

 

Check this post.
https://audiosex.pro/threads/list-of-granular-delays.64213/

 

Yes, it sucks in a very big way. I'm totally disappointed, and so many times that I have pulled up the instrument and have a sound in my head that I wish to create that would utilize a granular effect I feel a little sad. Everything else is fantastic but for soon reason it sours the whole experience for me after supporting the company and buying the bundle. It's a throwaway effect and it is a granular oscillator in name only. I've been hoping for an update since they released it. I'm going to write again to them and press my point to step it up. Thanks for reminding me. It's more a toy than a tool right now as it stands.

 

I guess if you're an Ableton user try the Granulator 2 by Monolake. It's a pretty great tool imo nothing super fancy but it's free with Ableton and M4L. I think it's easier to understand than other granular plugins. It feels more like I can use it achieve more specific or precise results that are more reproduceable. With some other granular plugins I feel like Im only feeding the engine something but the outcome is luck and no matter what parameters I tweak I never feel like I really control the plugin it feels like playing around hoping to achieve lucky accidents.

There is also Granulator 3 now but I think you need Ableton 12 to use it (12 Beta is available on the sister site)

 

Exactly same situation here. I bought the whole pack with a strong confidence in the company, and when I saw the granular toy, I was so disappointed that I stopped using phase plant for several weeks.
I tried to speak with them but there was no way.
I have closer to granular result using a Multipass preset + Samplers with modulating the read head , that I created, than with the granular "oscillator".
Check pm, I'll send you this preset.

 

I've created a similar thing using Bitwig's Sampler, and I find it preferable over PP's granular toy as well.