SoundGrain

SoundGrain is a resourceful software application that provides you with a graphical interface to control granular sound synthesis. Backed by advanced options, it's geared toward seasoned users.

The setup operation doesn't take a long time to finish. As for the interface, the app adopts a large window with a neatly organized interface that invites you to create trajectories using the mouse.

You can draw freely, create circles or lines, as well as oscillate lines. The lowpass cutoff and Q factor, along with the oscillation period and scaling can be adjusted, in addition to the global amplitude.

Moreover, you can change the audio sample rate and channel mode, configure record settings regarding the file format (WAV, AIFF) and sample rate, or tinker with playback trajectory settings concerning the timer speed, point step and amplitude.

SoundGrain also lets you specify the edition levels, reinitialize the counters, switch to a different audio driver, memorize the trajectory, configure Midi settings when it comes to the interface, add/remove method, transposition and X axis position, as well as apply various effects, like reverb, delay, distort and chorus. The project can be saved to file and later resumed.

We haven't come across any stability issues in our tests, thanks to the fact that SoundGrain didn't hang, crash or display error messages. It had a good response time and minimal impact on computer performance, running on low CPU and memory.

Although it's not user-friendly for novices, SoundGrain comes loaded with powerful settings for experienced users who want to find out more about granular sound synthesis. Unfortunately, it hasn't been updated for a long time.