Described as “your dream granular effect”, Minimal Audio’s latest creation is capable of turning any sound into a musical texture or rhythmic effect, with the results always remaining locked to the user’s chosen key and tempo.
Once Lucid has been inserted onto an audio track, it will instantly begin granulating incoming signals in real time. Users can set the plug-ins scale to match their project, ensuring that everything produced will remain in key with their session, and the option of synchronising the plug-in to the DAW’s tempo means that any rhythmic effects stay perfectly in time. Controls are provided for setting the size and rate of grains, while Stretch and Scrub modes offer both time-stretching and loop-based playback modes.
The plug-in also boasts a selection of built-in processors that can be used for subtle enhancement or more obvious creative effects. a set of eight modules are included, providing users with onboard multi-band compression, reverb, frequency shifting, distortion and more. Modulation is handled by the same system that powers Minimal Audio’s flagship Current and Rift instruments, which allows any parameter to be targeted by sequencers, envelope followers and LFOs.
Key Features
- Real-Time Granular Engine: Rebuild any incoming sound grain by grain into vivid, musical textures.
- Grain Scale-Lock: Automatically retunes every grain to your chosen key and scale in real time.
- Granular Timeline Sync: Stretch, freeze, snap and scrub through audio while staying locked to your timeline.
- Preset Library: Explore 350 presets with searchable tags and performance-ready macros.
- Harmonic Grain Delay: Create scale-locked shimmer, harmonies and arpeggiated spaces.
- Multi-Mode Grain Filter: Shape each grain independently with filtering, drive and modulation.
- Dynamic Grain Imager: Generate wide, controlled stereo movement directly from the grains.
- Grain Chord And Arp Modes: Turn any sound into rich chords, harmonies and evolving arpeggios.
- Animator Pad: Control multiple parameters at once with an animated X-Y performance pad.
Compatibility
Lucid is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or later, and Macs running macOS 10.11 and above. VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in versions are available.
Pricing & Availability
Lucid is available now, and is currently (19 August 2026) being offered at an introductory price of $79, reduced from its full cost of $129.