We’ve had a deluge of superb VCV Rack modules, carrying straight over into the first days of the new year. But let’s skip to this one: Jeremy Wentworth’s free Grains is the granular sampler you’ve been waiting for, now available for VCV Rack and 4ms MetaModule. Bonus: my guide to other granular modules in Rack… and a surprise teaser.
Free Grains
Jeremy’s entire catalog is essential, all of it free and BSD-licensed. But even among other choices in granular modules — more on that below — Grains hits the spot:
- Plays sounds and samples — both! (a lot of the modules are either/or)
- Record toggle with gate input
- Set position via CV input
- Set pitch, size, grain density, spread, random pan via knob and CV input
- Multiple window type
- Set a WAV file individually
- Choose a random sample in the same directory
- Stereo output (ideal with random pan)
All of this, and you get a nice visualization of the grains atop a waveform.
There are some wrinkles. I wouldn’t mind a manual position knob, and it’d be great to sent a trigger to the randomization, though those are minor points. Mainly you’ll notice that you need files to be WAV-format — no AIFF, no MP3, WAV only.
But this pairs perfectly with something like Jeremy’s own XYPAD. Listen:
Speaking as someone teaching VCV Rack and granular synthesis on a regular basis, this is also the perfect answer to getting someone started with granular work in Rack; it just has the right combination of features and intuitive interface.
I’m also a big fan of Buffer, another new module (2.0.20/December 20), which just records audio into a buffer (as you’d guess), with start and end controls, freeze, and a freeze trigger. That has a dry/wet, so you can just insert one of these into your signal chain (or two for stereo) and go. Plus there’s a clever “wet on freeze” toggle that switches to the wet signal when triggered.
There’s more new stuff in the recent World of Jeremy:
- Subtract5 – utility module to subtract 5 volts
- Stereo Switch, Stereo Switch Inverted
- Random Sound — just spits out a random FM or additive synthesis sound, entirely random — oddly hugely useful
- Shift Register Random
And we’re about to get something new — SampleGrid, a 16-sample player with random loading, shuffling, and slicing.
Check out JW-Modules and install in the VCV Rack Library:
https://library.vcvrack.com/JW-Modules
Code is on GitHub:
https://github.com/jeremywen/JW-Modules
And more from Jeremy:
Get more stuff and support Jeremy’s work if you can (a free tier is also available) on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/jeremywen
These are a few of my favorite grains
Granular processing alone is a reason to use VCV Rack (or even pony up for the Pro version so you can run as a plug-in). Here are my favorites:
The Strange Agency – HexaGrain
Audible Instruments – Texture Synthesizer (based on Mutable Instruments’ Clouds)
Grayscale – Supercell (Clouds, but expanded)
Voxglitch – Grain Fx (sampler and FX)
Voxglitch – Grain Engine MK2 and its expander — though this may be edged out by Jeremy’s now, thanks to the visualization!
I missed this upload — thanks, newnumbertwo — but there’s a major chapter of granular synthesis history now available as a free module (released in November):
Granular synthesis module based on Barry Truax’s GSX system (1985-86), with real-time control over temporal, spectral, and spatial parameters. This one is pure granular synthesis, too — no samples in sight. That’s gotten oddly rare, so it’s great to go back to the classic:
Here’s what it sounds like, with some comb filtering added:
Now, Jeremy and Voxglitch? That would be a dream team. But wait — it’s on!
Sneak peak – PatchSeq!
Yo, dawg! If it isn’t a sequence-able, patchable modular inside a Rack module. (Holy inception, Batman!)
This looks like the kind of thing you’ll want to invent a residency for yourself to play around with. I’m in.
I do covet this hardware module
You can run Rack modules like Jeremy’s on the awesome 4ms Meta Module.
If you buy something from a CDM link, we may earn a commission.
Available from Thomann: 4ms Meta Module
Available from Perfect Circuit: 4ms Meta Module
