GranSample - Granular Sampler
iOS Universel / Musique
A 16-pad sampler with a granular engine underneath. Standalone app + AUv3 plugin for GarageBand / Logic / AUM / Drambo / Loopy Pro. Tap pads, sculpt textures, sequence patterns. Same instrument either way.
Free to try. GranSample Pro ($3.99, one-time) unlocks all 16 pads and WAV/M4A export. No subscription, no ads, no telemetry.
■ AUv3 PLUGIN — NEW IN 1.2
Load "GranSample" under AU Instruments in any AUv3 host. Same 4×4 grid, same 10 factory Kits, same engine. 420 host-automatable parameters cover master + every per-pad slider. Sequencer locks to host transport; tempo changes propagate. MIDI in routes through the host; MIDI out emits NoteOn so pad taps can drive other instruments. Kit + pattern + sliders persist in the host project.
■ LIBRARY — NEW IN 1.2
Tap the project name in the top bar to open the Library. Ten factory Kits + your own saved Projects in one place. Load, tweak, save as your own. Red dot tells you when work is unsaved; loading another Kit prompts to save first.
■ GRANULAR ENGINE
Eight knobs per pad. Position scans through the sample. Grain size + density set the texture from pebbles to glass. Pitch + jitter, spray + stereo spread, four window shapes, Freeze for infinite sustain. Up to 128 grains per voice; lock-free render so it stays musical when you push it.
■ CHROMATIC MODE
Pick any pad as the root and the grid plays as a chromatic keyboard. Every pad shows its note.
■ STEP SEQUENCER
Per-pad patterns at 16, 32, or 64 steps with per-step velocity, drag-to-paint. Standalone runs its own clock; the AUv3 plugin syncs to host transport.
■ SAMPLE EDITOR
Waveform view, drag the grain region, trim playback range. LINEAR or GRAN preview at the top bar. Loop, reverse, normalize per pad. Inside the AUv3 plugin too — handles bound to host-automatable parameters.
■ ADSR ENVELOPE (PRO)
Per-pad attack/decay/sustain/release. Drag the live chart.
■ EFFECTS — REWORKED IN 1.2
Per-pad AND master bus. Reverb, Delay, Distortion, EQ, Compressor, Chorus, Filter. Master FX is now one tap from the top toolbar. Each effect ships ~5 hand-tuned factory presets (Plate / Hall / Slap / Punchy Drum / Bass Boost / LP Sweep…); save your own and recall per pad or master. EQ and Filter draw their transfer curve in real time — drag the handle to set frequency + gain together. iPad pinches the curve for bandwidth. Up to 8 effects per chain, automatable from any DAW.
■ MIDI
USB or Lightning MIDI keyboard, Bluetooth MIDI via the built-in browser, or virtual MIDI from other apps. Inside the AUv3 plugin, MIDI in routes through the host; the plugin emits MIDI out for taps + future sequencer triggers. MIDI Learn on every knob standalone. Per-pad channel routing.
■ RECORDING
60 seconds from the built-in mic straight into a pad (standalone). Full master bounces to WAV/M4A (Pro).
■ 10 FACTORY KITS, 16 SAMPLES
Late Night Room, Outer Space, Neon City, Forest Stream, Toy Factory, Midnight Dub, Tape Machine, Crystal Cave, Sunrise Choir, Dark Matter. Each Kit wires drums / melodic / textural samples with bespoke granular settings. Browse from the Library; reload, fork, save your own.
■ UNDER THE HOOD
AVAudioEngine. Lock-free atomic parameter bridge. Hermite pitch interpolation. Per-voice declick. Cross-pad RMS compensation. BT-aware IO buffer negotiation. Zero-allocation render path. AUv3 sample-accurate trigger, host-clock sync, full state preset.
■ FREE TIER
Pads 1–4 (Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat, Sub Bass) — same restriction in standalone and AUv3 plugin. Full granular engine, effects, sequencer, mixer, MIDI in/out.
GRANSAMPLE PRO — $3.99, one-time
All 16 pads unlocked everywhere (Bass, Piano, Rhodes, Guitar, Synth Pad, Vocal, Strings, Rain, Bowl, more) — standalone AND AUv3 plugin
Per-pad ADSR envelope editor
WAV / M4A export
Made by one person who wanted a granular beat pad that fit on a phone — and now in their DAW too.
Quoi de neuf dans la dernière version ?
1.2.1 — small but useful, mostly thanks to your emails.
IPAD LANDSCAPE
Most-asked-for feature since 1.2 shipped. Pads stretch larger than a hardware MPC; recorder, properties panel, and sequencer sit in a dedicated right column instead of stacking. Same engine, same Pro tier — just spread out for the way iPad musicians actually hold the thing. Portrait still works exactly as before.
AUv3 FIXES
— Pro purchases made in the standalone app now propagate to the plugin without needing to relaunch your DAW. (Previously the extension only checked entitlements at instantiation, so freshly-bought pads stayed locked until the host restarted.)
— MIDI Settings is now reachable from inside the AUv3 extension — pitch-bend range, per-pad channels, sustain behavior all editable without leaving the host.
SMALL FIXES
— Onboarding now scrolls correctly on iPhone 8 / SE 3rd gen instead of clipping the Get Started button.
— Master FX guide step now points at the actual Master FX icon instead of the entire top bar.
— Sample editor's GRAN preview is properly disabled with an overlay when granular isn't on for the pad.
— GRAN knobs in the iPad Pad Properties panel fill the panel width instead of crowding to the left.
— FX editor opens as a half-sheet so you can see what you're tweaking while it's open.
NEXT
Still working on sample chop-to-pads (slice a long sample across the grid, transient-aligned). Per-pad effects parameters into the AUParameter tree. More factory Kits.
If 1.2.1 made the app better for you, an App Store review goes a long way — same with bug reports and feature ideas. Email's open.
— zhi
