New Granular Synthesizer, Borderlands, Coming To iPad

Chris Carlson’s  Borderlands is a new interface for composing and performing with granular synthesis, a technique that involves the superposition of small time fragments, or grains, of sound to create completely new textures and timbres.

Here’s what Carlson has to say about it:

Borderlands is a new interface for composing and performing with granular synthesis, a technique that involves the superposition of small time fragments, or grains, of sound to create completely new textures and timbres. This software enables flexible, real- time improvisation. It is designed to allow users to engage with sonic material on a fundamental level, breaking free of traditional interaction paradigms such as knobs and sliders.

The user is envisioned as an organizer of sound, simultaneously assuming the roles of curator, performer, and listener.

Here’s a video that captures a performance on a desktop version of Borderlands at CCRMA’s Winter Concert 2012:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVKRc9LRZTU

Chris is planning to have Borderlands Mobile in the app store by late spring 2012.

via modulationindex, Ronnie Rekkerd

25 thoughts on “New Granular Synthesizer, Borderlands, Coming To iPad”

  2. This captures some of the strengths of the touch screen interface in terms of connecting with and manipulating media. Does this provide a more rich listening experience for the user (i.e., deconstructing sound in an interesting way)? Will this develop into something an audience might appreciate? It’s value to the sound design world is clear, as it can create some evocative textures.

  3. I am definitely interested in this app. This perfectly suits the tablet and how sound can/should be manipulated via a touchscreen.

  4. I’m feeling this. I could have a drum loop going and 2 other funky wav forms and mash them up. Real cool interface. Hope to see it In the store soon.

  5. This looks sick! I checked his sight, though, and it looks like he’s still in college. I hope he actually releases this!

  7. It’s still got the potential to sound like scratchy-squeeky grain fiddling, but the cool thing about this approach is you get multiple sound files playing at once, and the interface provides a really cool way to blend between them. Listening to the demos I’m thinking it will all come down to the sound files you choose to use, and the FX chain you run it all through to blend it together. Overall, great stuff. It’s cool to see how this and GrainScience have both found ways to apply granular synthesis that stand out.

  8. I LOVE IT, really want to try it out, i would Love it if you could record your Movements around the screen to create a loop or an entire song.

  9. Why do people waste their and our time with all this vapourware pre-release nonsense? Late spring? That’s a euphemism for Summer I suppose, which probably means Autumn at best. Do they think people will watch iTiunes every day waiting for it come out? More likely, like I do, they lose interest and when it finally comes out (if ever) it all seems really stale like something you heard of ages ago.

    1. Building hype is a really important part of getting good sales for something. You should catch up with how things are done these days.

      1. Yes, and, hey, did you know Scarlett Johansson is going to play Black Widow in the new Marvel film, The Avengers?!

        (It’s just that before “hype” became meta-cool, hype was annoying and a hated mechanism used by ad companies. Everything is different now.)

    2. Can’t speak to timelines, but this hardly looks like vaporware. The video shows a rather beautifully designed product that can run continuously for several minutes with no obvious crashes, glitches, etc. If the cost is reasonable, I’ll certainly pick this up.

    3. Judging by the way this looks, people will buy it like crazy, name one other app that looks as good

      He is releasing it soon according to other sources

    4. I believe it is a good tool for a palette. At least for mine. And good tools don’t mind when they were first heard about. Plus, at least for how i treat music, it will save me ages without compromising creativity… I’m actually one of those who is checking iTunes everyday. Don’t like it, can’t help it.

  11. looks great but has nothing to do with (making) music.
    He should take his time to find out for himself that a real composer is able to make real music
    using a piece of paper and a mic, nothing else.

    1. dude that’s the dumbest comment!! if someones a ‘real composer’ they should be able to take a stick and some dog poop and make real music..we started out banging rocks and now we’re touching screen and turning knobs…..or whatever gets you’re creative juices going…………welcome to the future I’m happy to be hanging with the Jetsons.

    2. i don’t understand why there are so many luddites on a site called “synthtopia”. how does one make a synth out of a piece of paper and a mic and nothing else?

  13. Please, please, please make this for iOS. I’m just about to get one, and this would be an amazing must-have app. I’ll give you money!

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