Unique sounds, elegant design, effects can be shaped over time – Grain Science Review

I have purchased most of the synthesizer apps for iPad and iPod, and this is one of my favorites. Three things make Grain Science stand out: 1. First is the type of synthesis. Most iOS synth apps simulate subtractive synthesis, shaping basic wave forms (sawtooth, square, sine, triangle) with a filter. Grain Science takes a different approach, blending sound samples. These samples can be simple (sine waves again) or complex. If you're looking for a new sound, this app can help you find it. At this price, it doesn't have to replace your other synths either. In fact, you can very easily sample your other synths and use their sounds to build new ones in Grain Science. There are several ways to get samples in, too: audiopaste; iTunes file sharing; and -- this is a really useful one -- DropBox. 2. Grain Science has a full suite of powerful effects. But so do other synth apps. What makes these effects different? In one word: TIME. The strength and texture of Grain Science's effects can be shaped over the course of a single note, so that (for example) the effect starts out soft and then builds...or...wobbles...or softens. This makes the sounds more interesting to listen to. 3. The Grain Science interface is intuitive and elegant. Unlike most synths, it shows what you are doing graphically as well as numerically. And you can change the parameters by touching the graph, as well as the dials. It's also the most elegant-looking synth on my iPod and iPad. One last note about the iPod/iPhone version: it's wonderful to have this much synth power in my coat pocket, where I can whip it out during my lunch break. To get started, though, you need to swipe the mini keyboard down and out of the way. This will reveal the app's control panels. The latest version has a toggled sustain mode that is particularly useful for the iPod/iPhone version, because you can set notes to play while you tinker with the sounds.
Review by David Wilson-Okamura on Grain Science.