Pitch Settings

In granular synthesis, you have two different approaches to define the pitch of a sound: It can either be the pitch of the original sample or be defined by the grain oscillator.

  • To use the pitch of the original sample, raise the Duration value until you can clearly hear the sample’s own pitch.

  • To define the pitch using the grain oscillator, set Duration to very low values, preferably 1 or 2.

Pitch Interval

Allows you to specify an interval between -12 and +12 semitones. The grains are played randomly at their original pitch, or are transposed according to the pitch interval. This parameter is suitable for longer grain durations.

Pitch Random

Sets the random pitch range in semitones and cents. At a setting of +12, the random pitch values lie between -12 and +12 semitones. The random pitch is calculated separately for each channel of the sample, at the start of a new grain. This parameter can be used to enrich the sound.

Pitch Spread

This parameter is available if Number of Grains is set to a value higher than 1. It detunes the pitch of the grains in semitones and cents. The first grain keeps its pitch, and the other grains are detuned evenly to values within the specified range. The last grain is detuned to the maximum value.

Note

For shorter grains, this is perceived as a change in the spectrum and for longer grains, as a detuning of the sample.