Quanta 2 is a granular synthesizer plugin by Audio Damage for macOS, Windows, Linux, and iOS. At its core is a grain engine that loads any audio sample (WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, Ogg) and pulls up to 100 simultaneous grains per voice out of it, with control over grain rate, pitch, direction, shape, length, panning, source position, and level. Two virtual analog oscillators and a noise source feed alongside the grain engine, all running through dual multi-mode filters that can be routed in serial or parallel. Modulation comes from four Flexible Envelope Generators (up to 99 steps each), two Flexible LFOs, sample and hold, and four assignable Macros. Quanta 2 supports MPE controllers, MTS-ESP microtuning, and ships with Designer Presets from Richard Devine, Chris Carter, Joseph Fraioli, Marcus Fisher, Red Means Recording, and Red Sky Lullaby. Available as VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP for desktop, and AUv3 for iPhone and iPad. Priced at $129 USD (currently 25% off at $96.75, $19.99 on iOS) with no DRM, no subscription, and a perpetual license.

$129 USD  $96.75  25% Off

Video Overview

Platforms & Downloads

Fully functional demo. 20-minute session timer, save disabled.

Features

• Multi-Format Sample Loader — Quanta 2 can load AIFF, WAV, Broadcast WAV, FLAC, MP3, and Ogg in any sample rate, bit depth, and channel configuration. It automatically converts the sample to the session's sample rate, and attempts to find the root note.
• Grain Engine — Up to 100 simultaneous grains per voice, of up to 1 second long, with control over grain rate, pitch, direction, shape, length, panning, source position, and level.
• Two Virtual Analog Oscillators — Continuously variable wave shape, with pulse width modulation, and independent control over pitch (separate from grain engine). Can be injected directly into grain engine.
• Noise Source — Noise source features a "color" control that affects tonal characteristics of the noise. Can be injected directly into grain engine.
• Dual Multi-Mode Filters — Filters can be used in serial or parallel modes, and include lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and notch in 2-pole and 4-pole configurations.
• Flexible Envelope Generator (FEG) x 4 — The four FEGs are arbitrary function generators, with up to 99 steps, curve and step level control, arbitrary loop points, and host tempo sync.
• Flexible Low-Frequency Oscillator (FLFO) x 2 — The pair of bipolar FLFOs utilize five controls (amplitude, phase, shape, skew, and warp) to access a virtually limitless palette of waveforms, and feature host tempo sync and retrigger.
• Sample And Hold — The S&H mod source can sample noise (random) or any of the other mod sources, at either a user-defined rate or a musical division.
• Modulation Menu — Every mod and MIDI source can be easily and simply assigned to any destination with the right-click context menu. Just right click, and add and remove all mod sources.
• Grain Pitch Quantization — Limit grain pitches to particular notes. Quantizing is post-modulation, so any randomization or mod applied to grain tuning will be quantized to the scale of your choosing. Quantizing respects the tuning table or MTS-ESP tuning as well.
• Effects — Chorus, stereo dual delay, and reverb taken from the Audio Damage library of studio effects.
• Macros — Four Macro knobs in the modulation panel can receive a global MIDI CC assignment, allowing you to control the macros from the MIDI controller of your choice, no matter what the author of the preset chose.
• Microtuning With Tuning Tables And Global Tuning Offset — Re-tune Quanta 2 to new intonations and temperaments with native support for ODDSound's MTS-ESP session-wide tuning system. Alternatively, load tuning tables in the open-source and easy-to-use TUN file format. A global tuning offset (default to A=440) allows you to easily retune the entire synth to match a different A frequency without using a tuning table.
• MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) — Quanta 2 understands both "legacy" MIDI and MPE. Use your Linnstrument, Roli Seaboard, Haken Continuum, or Madrona Labs Soundplane (among others) to directly access per-note pressure, pitch bend, and modulation.
• Per-Instance Settings — Quanta 2 utilizes a per-instance customization method: set MPE mode, aftertouch smoothing, pitch bend range override, tuning table, and global tuning offset for each instance in your DAW.
• Factory Presets — Quanta 2 comes with a substantial collection of factory content, including Designer Presets from Marcus Fisher, Joseph Fraioli, Chris Carter, Red Means Recording, Red Sky Lullaby, and Richard Devine.
• Cross-Platform Preset Format — Quanta 2 utilizes an XML-based preset manager, and stores the sample within the preset for easy asset management. Work between multiple systems without troubles, and easily share your creations with your friends, or make a preset bundle to sell, no asset management required.
• Fully Resizable Hi-Dpi/Retina GUI — Quanta 2's vector-based GUI is resolution-agnostic, and displays the same on every system and resolution. Easily resize the UI (per instance) to match your visual needs, from postage stamp to poster-sized, and save your preferred size in the global settings.

Frequently Asked Questions