Datamind Audio Refractalizer Multi sample granulator

[rj0]

Multi-sample granulator. Interesting. I recall TubeOhm's Pure Grain, which created some very musical results, using 2 samples.
Pure Grain also had some formant control. Might be an interesting add here, or is there already a way here to get similar results (through time stretching, maybe)?

[kraster]

New update coming soon. Currently in Beta and available on the Datamind discord.

It adds the ability to take live input via a rolling buffer from a send/sidechain. You can have multiple live buffers with different lengths/pitches at the same time and have the ability to scan through them using the sample scan function.

Like normal samples you can also interpolate between the different buffers

You can also commit at any time to save the currently selected buffer as a sample.

You can also freeze the live input so whatever is held in the buffer at the moment is treated like a sample.

Essentially all of this functionality turns refractalizer into one of the most elaborate Live loopers I've come across.

The update also adds a separate effect plugin. This takes audio directly from the track it's inserted on.

Also the UI is cleaned up a bit.

This is a free update for any owners of refractalizer

[berborker]

I’ve been on the fence since Refractalizer came out. Concatenator is overall the best concatenative plugin I’ve used (I’ve got several), by far, so I thought there would be something as ground breaking as that going on in Refrac. I can see several very cool features, which are definitely nice tweaks and expansions on standard granular functionality but I dunno if it’s enough for me. The thing that would really swing it is if the sample interpolation is actually doing something more interesting than just fading. In Simon’s videos, it does seem a little different but it’s hard to tell exactly what’s happening. I can’t hear anything that sounds like a spectral morph, but it keeps being referred to as sample morphing. Or is it morphing in some other way, other than just fading?

[davide37]

I've been trying out Refractalizer in various DAWs and I'm seeing a big hit on CPU and GPU temps/usage in Ableton Live in particular. I'm on Windows 11 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and 96 Gb RAM. Here are some figures:

With a single instance of Refractalizer in Ableton Live (12.4b10), using the SunnPulser preset, I get the following results:

Device panel open:
Live CPU meter 32%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 83 degrees, CPU usage 6-12%
GPU (Intel Arc) temp 71 degrees, GPU usage 40%

Device panel closed:
Live CPU meter 30%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 61 degrees, CPU usage 5-10%
GPU temp 53 degrees, GPU usage 20%

With a single instance of Refractalizer in Bitwig Studio (6.0.1), again using the SunnPulser preset, I get this:

Device panel open:
Bitwig DSP usage 40%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 58 degrees, CPU usage 4-11%
GPU temp 45 degrees, GPU usage 30%

Device panel closed:
DSP usage 30%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 60 degrees, CPU usage 2-8%
GPU temp 45 degrees, GPU usage 9%

The CPU and GPU usage in Ableton Live when the VST device panel is open is pretty alarming. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've reached out to Datamind for their comment, but nothing heard back yet.

For completeness sake, I also tried the stable version of Live (12.3.1), which returns the same CPU/GPU figures as the 12.4b10 beta. Worryingly, the latest beta (12.4b12) pushes the CPU temp up to 65 degrees with the device panel closed and 85 degrees when open.

I know Live has its idiosyncracies, but I'd question whether Refractalizer is really usable if you're using Live as a DAW. Deeply disappointing.

[c_voltage]

I've been trying out Refractalizer in various DAWs and I'm seeing a big hit on CPU and GPU temps/usage in Ableton Live in particular. I'm on Windows 11 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and 96 Gb RAM. Here are some figures:

With a single instance of Refractalizer in Ableton Live (12.4b10), using the SunnPulser preset, I get the following results:

Device panel open:
Live CPU meter 32%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 83 degrees, CPU usage 6-12%
GPU (Intel Arc) temp 71 degrees, GPU usage 40%

Device panel closed:
Live CPU meter 30%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 61 degrees, CPU usage 5-10%
GPU temp 53 degrees, GPU usage 20%

With a single instance of Refractalizer in Bitwig Studio (6.0.1), again using the SunnPulser preset, I get this:

Device panel open:
Bitwig DSP usage 40%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 58 degrees, CPU usage 4-11%
GPU temp 45 degrees, GPU usage 30%

Device panel closed:
DSP usage 30%
CPU speed 5 GHz, CPU temp 60 degrees, CPU usage 2-8%
GPU temp 45 degrees, GPU usage 9%

The CPU and GPU usage in Ableton Live when the VST device panel is open is pretty alarming. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've reached out to Datamind for their comment, but nothing heard back yet.

For completeness sake, I also tried the stable version of Live (12.3.1), which returns the same CPU/GPU figures as the 12.4b10 beta. Worryingly, the latest beta (12.4b12) pushes the CPU temp up to 65 degrees with the device panel closed and 85 degrees when open.

I know Live has its idiosyncracies, but I'd question whether Refractalizer is really usable if you're using Live as a DAW. Deeply disappointing.

Yes, you did choose very suitable exemplar, i mean preset Drone\SunnPulser, i noticed wild eating at him too.
This is 60% at my cpu meter in Studio One, and near the same in Ableton 12 (58-62%).
i7-8700 here
(Which btw once again confirms my theory that if there is a problem on such an relatively old CPU, then will also be questions with a new one. And viceversa)

In the same time, i can't say specially complaints regarding GPU eating \ temperature though.
My GPU side (GTX 1660) looks like that:
With open UI: 28-55% \ 50-54C
With closed: 2-5% \ 48C
So, seems not so critical here (again, for my card at least).

As well need note, i can't observe difference on DAW cpu meter between closed\open UI, but, can observe it (at cpu) in Windows task manager's cpu meter.
Seems Refractalizer uses some multithreading algo, so, whole (all cores) picture during that preset may looks differ in Task Manager vs DAW meter.
(That why i always advice to devs to make multithreading off-able optionally, otherwise this can be spoil the nerves for any near-to-perfectionist lol)

In general, yes - this is rather potentially heavy cpu beast. Than just middle.
And in this preset we can see that the eating cause by the Grain Length value, whereas Poly (#1 source by cpu eating) stay at 1.

Thus, we should keep in mind \ be carefull with this two values: Poly and Grain length.
Although this will be familiar for granular dudes.
(For example in Crusher-X case, the grain lenght is the main reason of cpu usage too, and the grains amount (poly) too).

At a positive note ending: if take default (not Init) eponymous preset (which we see after plugin load) - that can say, some average config for work, where we have one loaded sample and some amount of modulation, it eat 10% at my cpu.
Or
Init preset + add single sample, and little change in Grain Rate parameter, + add one\two modulations, such ready base for nice "clean scan" eat just 3% for me.

Ie i should admit that this definitely can call as useable, despite all perturbations\questions.

[collider]

Was there an intro price for this beauty?

[c_voltage]

Was there an intro price for this beauty?

Yes, by newsletter (28nov 2025) the launch offer was $99.

[collider]

Thanks! I hope there will be a sale for Refractalizer soon.

[c0nsilience]

It would be super cool if Datamind Audio would offer a discount to owners of Concatenator. Support suggested I purchase a bundle.

[c_voltage]

Refractalizer 1.2 released:

- Feature: Add Filter effect module
- Feature: Add Chorus effect module
- Feature: Add Flanger effect module
- Feature: Add Phaser effect module
- Feature: Add LPNotch filter
- Feature: Add keyboard
- Feature: Add max grain count parameter
- Feature: Add Unipolar/Bipolar modulation modes
- Feature: Add modulatable Reverse button
- Feature: Add Grain Length/Rate support for ms/hz/sync modes
- Improvement: Set changelog font size to 12pt
- Improvement: Increase Record Length range of parameter options
- Improvement: Replace mix with gain
- Fix: Update button clipping in settings page
- Fix: Sample pool buttons not displaying correct text
- Fix: Bounds of routing slider and frequency response curve
- Fix: Ping-Pong delay
- New presets and factory content included.