Baby Audio Grainferno is a new two-layer granular Synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows that grains your audio at audio-rate speed.
Over the last two years, we have been literally overwhelmed with granular tools in hardware, plugins, or even iOS. Most share the basic concept of granular synthesis but differ in the finest details. The same applies to the next one.
Baby Audio has today unveiled Grainferno, a new granular Synthesizer plugin that offers some unique twists not available in other plugins.
Baby Audio Grainferno
Grainferno is a new granular Synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows. Baby Audio promises that they redefine granular synthesis with Grainferno, which turns samples into playable sounds.
At its core is a granular engine that breaks any sample apart and rebuilds it into entirely new textures. It lets you layer two independent sample-based source files.
Grains are generated for both simultaneously. However, unique is the ability to morph between them in real time with a dedicated slider.
The granular engine is fully tweakable with a grains and movement section. Grains offers control over the rate, size, gain, pan, shape, and pitch, while movement lets you manipulate the scan, scatter, and two positions.
Also special is the speed at which the grainstorm flies across your audio sources. Grainferno can generate grains that go into the audio range, so yes, at very high speeds. I haven’t seen that on other granular synths before, and it gives you unique behaviours.
At these rates, grains stop behaving like textures and start acting like oscillators, turning any audio file into a playable synth voice with the original audio’s sonic fingerprint.
Granular Shaping & Modulation
Then, you shape the granular processor even further with granular effects, including a multimode filter, a compressor, and a blur processor.
To create granular instruments that are dynamic and moving, there is also a drag-and-drop modulation engine. It features three ADSR envelopes, three retriggerable syncable LFOs, two randomizers, an envelope follower, and more.
Alongside this, you have modulators that focus more on playability, including note, velocity, mod-wheel, and pitch.
To beautifully package and polish the granular soundscapes, Baby Audio has embedded many of its well-known FX algorithms in a flexible multi-FX processor within Grainferno. You can find filters, compressors, delays, distortion, chorus, reverb, and more.
Neat, there are also four preset macro controls, allowing you to tweak and explore sounds in a very performative way.
Grainferno launches with over 300 custom presets from top producers and sound designers, including Virtual Riot, dnksaus, and Francis Preve. Further, it includes six quickstart templates for newcomers to granular synthesis.
First Impression
There are an absurd number of granular plugins available. While they can be compared, each has its own unique features. The new Baby Audio granular synth’s highlights are certainly the high-speed grains and the two-layer sample morphing capabilities.
At first glance, a very exciting granular synth that I will certainly take a closer look and explore at at some point.
Baby Audio Grainferno is available now at an introductory price of $79, down from $129. Alternatively, you can rent-to-own on the official website for 13,99€ per month.
It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.
More information here: Baby Audio
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