Granular Glitch FX

Sounds like: A fast, chopped-up, stuttering texture, like sound being shredded.

Sound type: fx · Genre: IDM, Experimental · Style: stuttering, fragmented granular-adjacent glitch texture

A fast, stuttering, fragmented texture — a more extreme, faster relative of Granular Texture Pad, built to sound broken and glitchy rather than merely textural.

Open this patch in the interactive Patchpad

Digitone II

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

SYN page 1

• ALGO: 8
• RATIO C: 1.00
• RATIO A: 3.00
• MIX: -64

SYN page 2 · Operator A

• LEV: 70
• ATK: 0
• DEC: 0
• END: 127

FLTR page 1 · Multi-mode

• FREQ: 76
• RESO: 25
• TYPE: 0 (LP)
• DEC: 50
• SUS: 64

AMP page

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 50
• SUS: 76
• REL: 25
• MODE: ADSR

MOD page 1

• SPD: 55
• DEST: AMP: Volume
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FREE
• DEP: 50

MOD page 2

• SPD: 55
• DEST: SYN: Data entry knob D, page 2 (LEV (A))
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FREE
• DEP: 45

FX page

• OVER: 100

ALGO 8 with MIX -64 selects the X output (Operator A modulating Operator C, plus B2 as a plain carrier) for a bright, edgy carrier. Two separate MOD pages both use the Random waveform (Digitone II's real sample-and-hold-style bipolar LFO shape) at a fast SPD -- MOD page 1 chops AMP Volume, MOD page 2 chops the modulator's own level (Operator A LEV), so both loudness and FM brightness stutter together for the fragmented, granular-adjacent texture. FX page's OVER is pushed hard for extra digital grit.

Syntakt

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

SYN — SY RAW

• WAV1: Square
• TUNE: 0
• DET: 0
• OVER: 100

FLTR PAGE 1

• FREQ: 76
• RESO: 25
• TYPE: Lowpass
• DEC: 50
• SUS: 64

AMP PAGE 1

• ATK: 0
• DEC: 50
• SUS: 76
• REL: 25

LFO PAGE 1

• SPD: 55
• DEST: AMPLIFIER: Volume
• WAVE: Random
• MODE: FRE
• DEP: 50

LFO PAGE 1 uses the Random waveform at a fast SPD, routed to AMP Volume, for the stutter -- Syntakt's audio tracks genuinely have two independent LFOs (LFO PAGE 1 and LFO PAGE 2), so a second page could chop a filter or pitch parameter too if an even busier texture is wanted.

Compared with other synths: SY RAW's own OVER parameter is pushed hard as a real machine-level grit source, echoing the Digitone II sibling's pushed FX-page Overdrive since Syntakt's digital tracks have no separate per-track distortion send.

Novation Summit

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

OSCILLATOR 1

• WAVE: Sawtooth
• RANGE: 8'

FILTER

• SHAPE: LP
• FREQUENCY: 76
• RESONANCE: 25

AMP ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 50
• SUSTAIN: 76
• RELEASE: 25

LFO 3

• WAVEFORM: Rand S/H
• RATE: 115

MODULATION MATRIX

• Slot 1 sA: Lfo3+/-
• Slot 1 sB: AmpEnv
• Slot 1 Destin: VcaLevel
• Slot 1 Depth: +50

EFFECTS

• DISTORTION LEVEL: 110

LFO 1/2's destinations are hardwired to filter cutoff and oscillator pitch, not amplitude, so the fast Random (sample-and-hold-style) stutter here uses LFO 3 (one of the two global, post-mix LFOs) routed to Amplitude via the Mod Matrix instead -- Summit's exact Mod Matrix menu wording isn't fully detailed in this project's reference material yet, so confirm the precise on-screen label against the hardware.

Compared with other synths: EFFECTS' Distortion LEVEL is pushed hard for extra grit, echoing the Digitone II sibling's pushed Overdrive.

Arturia MiniFreak

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

OSCILLATOR

• TYPE: Two Op. FM
• WAVE (Ratio): 65
• TIMBRE (Amount: modulation index): 60
• VOLUME: 100

ANALOG FILTER

• TYPE: Low Pass
• CUTOFF: 60
• RESONANCE: 20
• ENV/VELO: 0

ENVELOPE

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 40
• SUSTAIN: 60
• RELEASE: 20

LFO

• SELECT/EDIT: LFO 1
• WAVE/LOAD: SnH
• RATE/TRIG: 30 Hz

DIGITAL EFFECTS · FX1

• TYPE: Distortion
• AMOUNT: 70

MODULATION MATRIX

• Source (row) 1: LFO 1
• Destination (column) 1: Assign 1: VCA
• Amount 1: +70
• Source (row) 2: LFO 1
• Destination (column) 2: Timbre 1
• Amount 2: +70

Osc 1 is Two Op. FM: Wave sets the ratio between the two operators (non-integer ratios are inharmonic and bell-like), Timbre is the modulation index and Shape is the feedback. LFO 1 runs a SnH wave at 30 Hz. Mod Matrix: the LFO 1 row to the Assign 1: VCA column (hold an Assign button and turn that control to assign it) at +70. Mod Matrix: the LFO 1 row to the Timbre 1 column at +70. Values are on MiniFreak's native 0-100 scale.

Compared with other synths: FM engine gives a bright, edgy 2-operator FM tone that mirrors the carrier+modulator relationship used on the Digitone II sibling. Distortion is pushed hard, echoing the Digitone II sibling's pushed Overdrive.

Dreadbox Typhon

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

FRONT PANEL

• WAVE: ~12 o'clock (plain VCO1 square, no VCO2 blend)
• CUTOFF: ~1 o'clock
• RESON: ~11 o'clock
• EG LEVEL: ~10 o'clock
• FILTER TIME: ~12 o'clock (medium)
• AMP TIME: ~1 o'clock (fairly fast)
• VOLUME: ~12 o'clock

FILTER ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 20
• SUSTAIN: 50
• RELEASE: 15

AMP ADSR

• ATTACK: 0
• DECAY: 15
• SUSTAIN: 70
• RELEASE: 15

M1

• MODE: Random
• RATE: 90
• LAG: 0
• PROB: 90
• DEST: VCA
• LVL: 80

FX1

• TYPE: Hard Clipping
• GAIN: 80
• LVL: 70
• MIX: 60

M1's real Random mode (RATE/LAG/PROB) is a true sample-and-hold-style source, and its DEST list includes VCA directly. LAG at 0 gives hard, unsmoothed jumps between random values rather than a slewed glide, and high PROB means new values land often, for a chopped, glitchy amplitude stutter close to the other synths' fast S&H LFOs. FX1's Hard Clipping adds the extra digital grit the sibling synths get from Overdrive/Distortion.

ASM Hydrasynth Desktop

Exact match: Fast, stuttering, fragmented texture

OSCILLATOR 1

• MODE: WaveScan
• WAVESCAN: 5.0
• SEMI: 0
• CENTS: 0
• KEYTRACK: 100%

FILTER 1

• TYPE: LP Ldr12
• CUTOFF: 76.0
• RESONANCE: 25.0
• LFO 1 AMOUNT: 60

LFO 1

• WAVE: Random
• RATE: 18.0 Hz

AMP

• LFO 2 AMOUNT: 49
• AMP LEVEL: 110.0

LFO 2

• WAVE: Random
• RATE: 18.0 Hz

ENVELOPE 2

• ATTACK: 0 ms
• DECAY: 400 ms
• SUSTAIN: 76.0
• RELEASE: 200 ms

Both LFOs use the Random waveform at a fast RATE for the sample-and-hold-style chop.

Compared with other synths: Both the filter and amplitude stutter here use Hydrasynth's real pre-wired routes -- LFO 1 into Filter 1's own LFO 1 AMOUNT knob, and LFO 2 into the Amp section's own LFO 2 AMOUNT knob -- so no Mod Matrix entry is needed for either, unlike the other synths in this patch that had to route through a matrix.

How the synths compare

A more extreme relative of Granular Texture Pad — faster S&H rate, higher depth, and (where available) a bitcrush/lofi effect for added digital fragmentation.

Patchpad is a free reference of drum patterns and synth patches written for real hardware: Digitakt II, Digitone II, Syntakt, Novation Summit, Arturia MiniFreak, Dreadbox Typhon and ASM Hydrasynth Desktop.