Minimal Audio is a Minnesota-based developer behind a growing catalogue of plugins that includes popular tools like Rift, a versatile distortion effect, and Current, a powerhouse virtual instrument we described as “one of the most powerful synths on the market” in our 2024 review.
The latest release from Minimal Audio is Lucid, a granular multi-effects plugin and sound design tool that the company says can “turn any sound into musical textures, harmonies, and rhythmic effects that stay in key, in time, and under control”, combining a flexible granular engine with scale locking, tempo sync, deep modulation and a host of additional effects.
At the heart of Lucid is its granular engine. Like other granular effects, Lucid captures audio in real time and chops it up into tiny fragments called grains that can be manipulated and rearranged to create new sounds and textures.
Alongside the typical controls for grain size, rate and shape, Lucid features two playback modes that determine how Lucid moves through captured audio over time: Stretch Mode time-stretches, reverses or freezes audio in sync with your DAW and Scrub Mode allows you to set the playback position manually, or via modulation, automation or randomization.
What makes Lucid different from many other granular processors is its ability to retune each grain independently
On top of this, Lucid features three Grain Effects that run each grain through independent filter, delay and stereo imaging modules: the Grain Filter has 10 different filter modes and built-in saturation, the Grain Delay module is equipped with its own pitch-shifter, filter and diffusion reverb and the Grain Imager can be used to create complex spatial patterns through its six Spread Modes, which determine how grains are positioned in the stereo field.
What makes Lucid different from many other granular processors is its ability to detect the pitch of each grain and retune it independently, making it possible to produce creative tonal and harmonic effects while ensuring that Lucid’s output always remains in tune with your project.
Enter the key of your track on the right-hand side of Lucid’s interface and the plugin will analyse and retune each grain in real time. There’s plenty of potential for pitch-based experimentation here, with multiple Retune Modes, a Chord Mode that creates layered harmonies from each grain, and an arpeggiator that cycles through retuned grains.
Lucid also features a sophisticated modulation engine, equipped with six swappable modulators that can function as LFOs, envelope followers and “curve sequencers” (freely drawable envelopes) that can be assigned to any parameter via the modulation matrix to introduce movement and depth. Each preset also has two macro knobs that can also be controlled via Lucid’s Animator Pad, an XY pad that also has multiple modulation controls.
As if that wasn’t already enough to keep all but the most adventurous sound designers busy, Minimal Audio have added an Effects Rack to Lucid with eight effects that can be chained together in 12 slots. The rack includes delay, reverb, chorus, compression, distortion, EQ, filter, ring mod and frequency shifting, and each effect has a surprising amount of tweakability on board.
As is the case with every Minimal Audio plugin, Lucid is stocked with a diverse array of presets (more than 350) with searchable tags, each of which has two preassigned macros, so you can quickly introduce variation with the Animator Pad without having to dig into any of the deeper controls.
We spent some time Lucid prior to release and were very impressed – it’s a clear rival to time-tested granular tools like Output’s Portal. There’s a vast amount of scope for creative sound design here that goes well beyond the abilities of many granular processors.
Lucid can transform your audio into everything from pointillist ambient soundscapes and chaotic time-stretched textures to complex harmonic patterns and glitchy rhythmic fragments, and the deep modulation system and bolt-on effects give it an edge over the growing number of similar plugins in this space. Check out the preset demo and walkthrough below to get a sense of what it can do.
Available now in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats for macOS and Windows, Lucid is currently priced at an introductory discount of $79.
Find out more on Minimal Audio’s website.
