Here are the best free granular VST plugins to use with your favorite DAW. I’ve included granular plugins that work with Windows and Mac.
Here’s a comprehensive roundup of free granular plugins featuring lists of their features, images, and YouTube videos.
What Is A Granular VST Plugin? A granular VST plugin is software that helps you create and manipulate sound files. It splits a sound file into small fragments called “grains” and then lets you play with them, changing their pitch, duration, and volume.
Best Granular VST Plugins
- Ribs
- PolyGAS
- Caster
- Emergence
- Harvester
- Argotlunar
- Smear
- GVST GGrain
- Lagrange
- PTS
- Hadron Particle
- Boids
- Thesis 2
- Gressor
- sg-grainbot
- Minerva
- Scylla
- R_Mem
- FLoscPLoSkan
- Sonix
This can create some really cool effects, like making a voice sound like it’s talking backward or turning a piano recording into a bunch of tinkling bells.
Having downloaded and tried hundreds of free VST plugins, I recommend these great free granular VST plugins.
Instructions: Click the links below to visit each granular VST plugin. Look around each website for the download link or button. Do not install any suspicious software.
1. Ribs
Ribs is a powerful granular VST plugin that can glitch, scratch, filter, destroy, and reconstruct sounds in many different ways. It provides granular synthesis software in real time with low CPU usage.
This granular VST plugin is a top choice of mine, offering a clean interface and a broad range of features.
Features:
- Granular synthesis software
- Real-time sound manipulation
- Low CPU usage
- Clean user interface
Pros:
- Glitches and scratch sounds
- Can filter, destroy, reconstruct
- Versatile with broad features
- Detailed granular control
- Works in real-time
- Compatible with multiple formats
Cons:
- No .wav file support
- Limited by host routing
- Works best in FX mode
Ribs | PC & Mac
2. PolyGAS
PolyGAS is a granular synth that provides an abundance of possibilities for sound design. It can be used as a plugin with various DAWs, granulating the sound of other instruments or samples.
The sound quality is quite good, and most users are satisfied with its work.
- 32 Part Polyphony
- Advanced Granular Synthesis Engine
- MIDI Controller Support
- 18 Envelopes
PolyGAS | PC
3. Caster
If you want an impressive granular synthesizer that offers plenty of control and flexibility, look no further than Caster. This plugin allows you to adjust the grain cloud, length, start positions, and pitch offset of each grain.
You can also use a scanner to modulate the grains, giving you even more control over the sound. Caster is a great granular synth that will provide you with plenty of options to create unique sounds.
- ADSR Envelopes
- Includes Presets
Caster | PC
4. Emergence
Emergence is a granular VST plugin with 600 grains, 4-grain streams, a modulation system, and high-quality pitch transposition. It’s perfect for granular synthesis and sound design.
Features
- Up to 600 Grains
- Grain Pitch Transposition
- 4 Grain Generation Streams
- Modulation LFO Systems
- Resizable UI
Emergence | PC & Mac
5. Harvester
Harvester is one of the best granular plugins available. It can take any sound clip as a wav file and create modified or completely new sounds. You can then play these sounds on your MIDI keyboard.
The plugin has a wide range of granular synth parameters to get very creative with your sounds.
You can control the pitch, Grain size, density, and envelope of the granules. You can also apply modulation to the granules.
Harvester | PC
6. Argotlunar
Argotlunar is a granular VST plugin designed to create surreal audio transformations. Argotlunar can be used to create a wide range of granular sound effects, from subtle textures to dramatic pitch and tempo shifts.
You can also use Argotlunar to create granular rhythms and pulses by syncing the time-related parameters to the host tempo.
Argotlunar | PC / Mac / Linux
7. Smear
Smear is a free granulation effect plugin for use in professional audio recording. The plugin’s primary function is to provide the essential aspects of sample-based granular synthesis and does not require any form of installation or licensing.
It features individual control over grains and effect panning options, providing flexibility without influencing productivity. This makes it an ideal tool for those new to granular synthesis or who want to quickly add a touch of texture to their recordings.
Smear | PC & AU Plugin
8. GVST GGrain
This is a powerful granular synthesizer plugin for your DAW. It has a very intuitive user interface, making it easy to create the sounds you want.
You can control the grains’ length, density, pitch, and other parameters. It also has a built-in effects section, including delay, reverb, and EQ.
Features
- Pitch
- Grains
- Unique Granular Engine
GVST GGrain | PC / Mac / Linux
9. Lagrange
Lagrange is a unique stereo delay system with otherworldly echoes. Each grain is from a different point in the delay buffer, creating oscillating organic and otherworldly echoes.
Lagrange | PC & Mac
10. PTS
PTS is a unique granular synth that allows you to explore the world of Pulsar Train Synthesis. It’s inspired by Hamburg Audio’s Nuklear synth used on numerous dance tracks in the 90s.
The plugin includes two preset banks that you can use to create your own sound or explore granular synthesis possibilities.
PTS | PC
11. Hadron Particle Synthesizer
The Hadron plugin is your ultimate granular synthesis tool. It is such a complete implementation of granular synthesis that you will be hard-pressed to find a better free plugin.
Hadron Particle Synthesizer | PC / Mac / AU
12. Boids
This plugin is a unique hybrid of Granular and Delay that allows you to create a beautiful, flowing ambiance with subtle variations.
Using the 2D “Boid” swarm as a set of modulators, you can create a delay-based ambiance that is both organic and flowing.
Boids is one of the best granular synth VST plugins because it is a unique and powerful tool for creating grain delay ambiance. It will help you create beautiful, flowing sounds with subtle variations.
- Delay Effects
Boids | PC
13. Thesis 2
Thesis 2 is a granular delay that supports pitch-shifting, time-stretching, panning options, and LFO modulation. It is fully MIDI integrated and tempo synchronized, along with a preset system that supports real-time preset changes.
Thesis 2 | PC
14. GRESSOR
GRESSOR is a granular processing plugin that features a simplistic interface and offers easy-to-use controls. You can record your sounds, use a live stream, or load up any short WAV file to fool around with.
The plugin is one of the most user-friendly granular processors out there. You can use it to add texture and grain to your sounds or create complex soundscapes.
GRESSOR | PC
15. sg-grainbot
This is a granular sampler plugin that allows you to create complex, organic sounds by manipulating small audio particles.
It has a very intuitive interface with all the controls you need right at your fingertips.
Many modulation options are available to add movement and interest to your sounds.
You will be able to create everything from lush pads to evolving soundscapes with this plugin.
sg-grainbot | PC
16. Minerva
Minerva is a granular generator for creating percussive sounds. It features 80 source wavelets for each channel, with separate granular processors for each one.
These processors have the pitch, size, rate parameters, and a random adjustor.
Additionally, a bit crush rounds each channel off. This makes Minerva perfect for creating glitchy and distorted percussion sounds.
Minerva | PC
17. Scylla
Scylla is a synthesizer that combines multi-layered sound with the ability to playback custom samples and waves.
It wraps these features into an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, allowing you to create complex sounds easily.
Scylla has three main layers, each with its own oscillator, filter, and amp envelope.
The oscillators can generate saw, square, triangle, and sine waves that can be detuned, phase-shifted, and ring-modulated. You can also add two modulation sources to each layer.
Scylla | PC
18. R_Mem
R_Mem is a granular VST plugin with an additional ring modulator, multimode filter, and delay. It can create various sound effects, such as atmospheres, drones, and soundscapes.
The plugin comes with 50 royalty-free samples, 4 LFOs, and state randomizers.
R_Mem | PC & AU Plugin Formats
19. FLoscPLoSkan
FLoscPLoSkan is a granular wave player. It has six waveform types in the LFO and can be adjusted using the ADSR Amp. You can use it to create a wide range of sounds, from pads to percussion.
FLoscPLoSkan | PC
20. Sonix
Sonix is a granular synthesizer that can create a wide variety of rhythmic textures, transients, and sound effects.
It features an analog-style filter to further manipulate the sound with smooth lowpass and highpass formant hybrid settings.
Sonix | PC
Additional Granular Plugins
Now that I’ve gone over the best granular plugins, a few more are worth checking out.
- Granch – This is a granular chorus with 8 grains, a range of play rates, stereo width control, feedback levels, and effects.
- Pitchshifting Gran Effect – A real-time pitch-shifting granular sampling effect.
- Dropout – Samples are played through granular pitch shifting and sample cutting.
- Grecho – An echo device that exhibits unusual behavior and sounds.
- Sideslip – An effect that shifts pitches granularly with a variable-length internal step sequencer.
These free bit crusher plugins offer a range of grain and granular parameters that give music producers, sound designers, and audio engineers precise control over granular textures and unexpected sound design possibilities.
With a modulation matrix and granular effects, users can create granulated signals that are perfect for adding depth and character to any track.
Various features are available with these plugins, including step sequencers, feedback control, and modulation settings, and these granular effects are perfect for creating modern electronic music and futuristic sound design.
The granular engine and grain engine of these plugins allow for the creation of mind-boggling granular sounds that can be used by music producers, sound designers, and film composers alike.
Each plugin’s interface and built-in presets make it easy for anyone to experiment with granular algorithms in real time, unlocking endless audio possibilities.
These free plugins provide the tools necessary for creating granular textures, making them a valuable asset for any music producer or sound designer.
These granulizer plugins are great free alternatives to paid plugins, such as The Mangle by Sound Guru, Fruity Granulizer, Output PORTAL, Arturia Efx Fragments, Audio Damage Quanta, Graindad by Sugar Bytes, and other Native Instruments granular synth plugins.
I hope you found this list of free granular VST plugins helpful. These plugins can be used with popular digital audio workstations such as FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase, and more.
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