FRCTL Audio GRNi is a new granular Synthesizer/sampler plugin for macOS, Linux, and Windows based on its GRN granular FX plugin.
At the beginning of the year, FRCTL Audio released the GRN granular processor plugin, which has become increasingly powerful over the past few months. For example, it got a complete multi-FX engine via a free update.
Now FRCTL Audio has turned the engine into a granular Synthesizer/sampler called GRNi.
FRCTL Audio GRNi
GRNi is a new granular Synthesizer/sampler for macOS, Linux, and Windows. It turns any samples you drop in into a MIDI-playable granular instrument in monophonic, legato, or polyphonic mode with up to 16 voices.
Unlike the GRN FX plugin, you have to drop a sample (60 seconds per layer at 48 kHz) into the FRCTL Audio GRN plugin to make it sound. The plugin has two layers (A and B), each with its own selection and dedicated level, pan, and tune controls.
Once imported, the plugin shows you the full-width waveform with layer tabs. You can zoom into it and edit different sections.
The granular engine comes with classic controls, including grain size, tempo-synceable density, drift, and stereo width. Plus, you can tweak grain shape and filter individual grains with three controls: cutoff, resonance, and drive.
The pitch control is scalable to chromatic and then other scales. You also get a harmony function with scatter and direction controls.
Next to this, you have a random section that lets you bring an organic vibe to pitch, size, level, shape, reverse, and per-grain cutoff. The pitch also has a Q toggle that keeps pitch jitty in key and musically.
The granular engine reads from one sample at a time in the processor. With the blend knob, however, you can decide for every new grain which layer it reads from, so the mix breathes instead of simply crossfading.
Each GRNi voice also has its own resonant LP/HP filter with a live spectrum and built-in feedback with three types (warm, tube, and crunch), plus its own ADSR envelope with velocity control. These sections also benefit from a root note option.
Full Modulation & Effects
FRCL Audio GRNi also features a comprehensive modulation engine with three multi-wave LFOs, three ADSR envelopes, and four macro controls. You can assign them to almost any parameter.
The second UI page also houses s a multi-FX processor with 10 effects that sits after the grain engine. You can select from a bit-crusher, chorus, delay, phaser, reverb, flanger, distortion, tremolo, widener, and filter. Each FX has its own engine and mix controls.
Furthermore, GRNi is fully MPE compatible, so you can play it expressively with per-note bending, pressure, and slide on any MPE controller.
First Impression
A step I expected sooner or later, since FRCTL Audio already has the engine that makes this possible. It’s not part of the GRN FX plugin but in a standalone, very hands-on granular Synthesizer plugin.
FRCTL Audio GRNi is available now for an introductory price of $34,99 instead of $44,99. It runs as a VST3, AU, and CLAP plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel), Linux, and Windows.
More information here: FRCTL Audio
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