crusher-X granular synthesizer effect plug-in for Windows (VST) and macOS (AU, VST)

Its powerful live, polyphonic, multichannel granular synthesis algorithm creates very complex sounds, drones and outstanding surround effects. Since 1999, the crusher-X trademark has been "the" granular effect standard. crusher-X is used by famous sound-designers, composers, musicians and film-makers all over the world. It comes with GCOs, an Autotune and Pitch tracking system, up to 10-channel surround outputs, up to 199 individual grain streams, unique 3D grain visualization, over 3000 LFOs, over 340 real-time parameters and more than 170 presets. 

Download crusher-X-DEMO.dmg

Download crusher-X-DEMO.zip

Key features:

• Real-time live and static, polyphonic and multichannel granular synthesis engine that creates grains from live input signals or sound files
• Real-time modulation of all Grain Modulations: Delay, Length, Birth, Offset, GCO Mix, GCO Pitch, Speed, Sweep, WaveShaper, X-Crush, Bit-Crush, Filter,  Diffuse, Volume and Pan
• MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support
• Grain Controlled Oscillator (GCO) system - crusher-X has Oscillator and Sample grain print-ins that can be mixed with the live-input
• Autotune and Pitch tracking system 
• Up to 10-channel surround outputs (e.g. 5.1, 6.1, 7.1, 8.2, 9.1)
• Microtonal tuning. Tuned Speed, GCO Pitch and Filter-Cut modulations (Grain-Arpeggiator). Comes with hundreds of different tuning scales and MIDI keyboard control
• Up to 199 individual grain streams (generators) that have multi-core CPU support
• Physical modeling sliders and an unique physical modeling X/Y controller.
• Unique 3D grain visualization
• Over 160 preset patches
• Over 330 assignable real-time plug-in parameters, real-time MIDI control, totally free
• Contains a morph system for all parameters and between patches 
• Unlimited undo/redo and randomize functionalities
• Over 3000 LFOs. Each Grain Modulation has their own individual set of LFOs for each Generator plus a Global set of LFOs.
• LFO phase and frequency spread modulations (you can spread modulations over several grain stream generators)
• LFOs, Live Triggers and Grain creation can be bound to the tempo of the DAW (beats / second)
• Free editable Envelope Follower for additional Grain modulations
• Grain lengths up to 60 seconds
• Shadow programs
• Meta modifications with 13 adore parameters
• Several granulation live-buffer and freeze modes: Can easily switch between live processing to file processing
• Can save from the live buffer at any time
• DCO generator with sample-player
• Offline rendering
• Automatic triggered grain buffer filling modes
• Free editable multi-channel Compressor/Expander/Limiter stabilizes feedback and output level behavior
• Smart latency compensation system

Join a world beyond music

For this purpose the qualification „beautiful“ or „ugly“ makes no sense for sound, nor for the music that derives from it; the quantity of intelligence carried by the sounds must be the true criterion of the validity of a particular music.
Iannis Xenakis in "Formalized music: Thought and mathematics in composition.", 1963-1992

The crusher-X algorithm is based on the traditional granular synthesis algorithm (Xenakis, Roads, Wilkins), which was invented in the early 1950s. In granular synthesis, short sound fragments (e.g. 50 milliseconds), "the grains," come from a fixed file buffer. The starting time, length and silence between the grains can be modulated. Working with more than one grain at a time is possible, thus you can create complex sound "clouds" from any sound signal. 

When experimenting with those (length of grains), I have discovered a certain confusion as to what effect one can expect when setting parameters to certain values. Not only it seemed that length and density each had an impact of its own on the character of the granulated sound, but it also appeared that their relational value was highly important.
Leon Zadorin "Composing with Granular Synthesis"

A "window function" blends in and out the grains at the beginnings and endings of their life cycles. This function determines the character of the continuum and thus the different perceptions. Xenakis recommended the Gaussian window because of its theoretical considerations.

All sound is an integration of grains, of elementary sonic particles, of sonic quanta. Each of these elementary grains has a threefold nature: duration, frequency, and intensity. All sound, even all continuous sonic variation, is conceived as an assemblage of a large number of elementary adequately disposed in time. (...) Hecatombs of pure sounds are necessary for the creation of a complex sound.
Iannis Xenakis in "Formalized music: Thought and mathematics in composition.", 1963-1992

Instead of the “classic” file-based approach, the crusher-X algorithm provides a floating grain buffer which allows real-time input and output. In this floating buffer, the grains are created by several generators routed to several outputs (surround modes) or combined to become single outputs (mono and stereo modes). You are able to apply many unusual modulations to the grains such as pitch, filter, pan, reverse, X-Crush, waveshape as you like - all modulated by independent modulation sources and modulation phases, either synchronized or not synchronized to the host. The X-Crush parameter is unique in the world of granular synthesis: It applies a ring modulation between the overlapping areas of the grains that follow each other.  A feedback loop from the output towards the input is capable of generating extremely complex and non-linear sounds. 

A complex sound may be imagined as a multi-colored firework in which each point of light appears and instantaneously disappears against a black sky. But in this firework there would be such a quantity of points of light organized in such a way that their rapid and teeming succession would create forms and spirals, slowly unfolding, or conversely, brief explosions setting the whole sky aflame. A line of light would be created by a sufficiently large multitude of points appearing and disappearing instantaneously.
Iannis Xenakis in "Formalized music: Thought and mathematics in composition.", 1963-1992

Now its up to you! Try the free demo and dive in...

Download crusher-X-DEMO.dmg

Download crusher-X-DEMO.zip