Granular Synthesis

[Ian A. Vine (phone UK 0171-419-3450)]

	I read a paper (well at least some of it) about
	implementing granular synthesis back in 1987. Karl has got it
	pretty spot on. The "grains" are supposed to be small
	packets of waveforms with a gaussian amplitude envelope. 
	Controlling the density of the "grains" gives control
	of the sound timbre. 

	From what I remember the guys who wrote the paper put 
	some hardware together. They managed to get good brass
	sounds out of it. Whether they were only trying to
	get brass sounds or not I don't know.

	Any info on the Mac software?

Ian
	

On Fri, 25 Jul 1997, Karl Helmer Torvmark wrote:

> 
> 
> On Thu, 24 Jul 1997 03sjbrown at bsuvc.bsu.edu wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > I'm familiar with FM, wavetable, and waveguide synthesis but what
> > is GRANULAR SYNTHESIS?
> > 
> > - Shawn
> > 
> 
> As far as I could understand it from the article in last month's Keyboard,
> it is a synthesis method that deals with "grains", something akin to
> "sound molecules". These grains are short sound events (some
> milliseconds), with parameters like envelope, pitch and waveform. By using
> "clouds" of these particles and spreading them out in time, you can create
> sounds.
> 
> You can also chop up samples and apply this method. Sounds interesting to
> me.
> 
> The Keyboard article mentioned some Mac software that demonstrates this
> synthesis method. I haven't got a Mac, so I haven't tried it out.
> 
> -------
> Karl H.
> 
>