Granulator 3 as a DIY Delay & Reverb: Ned Rush Experiments Live in Ableton

By Darren E Cowley (Admin) · Published August 7, 2025A Max for Live workaround that turns Granulator 3 into a glitchy, granular echo machine What happens when you try to turn a granular synthesizer into a delay or reverb effect? That’s exactly what Ned Rush set out to explore in this delightfully chaotic video experiment. […]

A Max for Live workaround that turns Granulator 3 into a glitchy, granular echo machine

What happens when you try to turn a granular synthesizer into a delay or reverb effect? That’s exactly what Ned Rush set out to explore in this delightfully chaotic video experiment. Inspired by a technique from YouTuber Nicolas Thea, Ned uses Ableton Live’s Granulator 3—a Max for Live device by Robert Henke—not just as a texture generator, but as a live-input sampling delay with envelope-triggered recording.

Spoiler: it’s unpredictable, glitchy, and kind of brilliant.

(Watch the video below for the full demonstration, or read on for a breakdown of how Ned bends Granulator 3 to his will.)

Setting the Scene: A Simple Sparkle Loop

Ned begins with a minimal, twinkly synth line built using Ableton’s Electric instrument. He adds some chance and random modulation to generate a gentle, generative feel at 90 BPM—perfect for testing reactive effects.

The Core Idea: Live Sampling with Granulator 3

Granulator 3 has a unique feature—you can capture audio from any track or return directly into the device using the Source setting. Ned uses this to “record” snippets of his synth line live.

But unlike a traditional delay, this only captures a static moment. So how do you automate repeated capturing?

Step One: MIDI Envelope to Trigger Capture

By using the Envelope MIDI device from Max for Live, Ned maps MIDI notes to trigger the Granulator’s Capture button. He sets up a simple clip that triggers the envelope at precise rhythmic intervals (e.g., 1 bar, 1/8 notes, etc.), which causes Granulator to keep recording short audio snippets—just like a delay line might.

He then sends MIDI notes to Granulator to instantly play back what it just captured, effectively creating a glitchy echo that evolves with the incoming signal.

Step Two: Separating Capture from Playback

To refine things, Ned splits the MIDI triggering into two separate tracks: one triggers the capture, and the other triggers playback. This allows independent control over when to record and when to play, enabling stuttered echoes, dotted rhythms, or delayed grain responses.

He introduces probability (chance) to both the capture and playback notes, adding further randomness to when sounds are recorded and heard—very granular, very glitchy.

Creative Routing: Send-Based Granulation

Instead of hard-routing audio directly, Ned sends the signal from the synth track to a Return track, and then sets Granulator to source audio from that Return. This allows more complex routing setups, including muting the original source, effectively turning Granulator into a wet-only effect.

Bonus: he even feeds the Granulator output back into itself to create feedback-style effects. (Careful—this gets loud fast.)

Taming the Clicks (Sort Of)

Clicking artifacts are inevitable with this kind of real-time sampling. Ned explores shaping the grain envelope, using release times, and even routing both Granulators to another Return track with reverb to “blur out” the clicks—creating something closer to a granular shimmer reverb.

Final Explorations: Beats, Pads, Dub Delay

Ned eventually moves beyond melodic loops and tries the same technique on an 808 beat—resulting in stuttered, in-time loops. By adjusting grain size, scan speed, and pitch, he turns it into something between a real-time loop slicer and a textural delay.

The final result? A self-generating, reactive reverb/delay system that doesn’t really behave like either—but creates something unique.

Why This Works (Even When It Doesn’t)

This video isn’t a polished walkthrough—it’s a raw, in-the-moment experiment. But that’s the charm. Ned’s combination of happy accidents, deep Live routing, and clever MIDI hacks shows what’s possible when you bend devices beyond their intended purpose.

If you’re looking for a traditional delay plugin, this isn’t it. But if you’re into Max for Live sound design and pushing boundaries, Granulator 3 might just become your new favorite glitch tool.

Want to try this setup yourself? Ned’s full Ableton Live project is available to his Patreon supporters, where he shares sessions, experiments, and even offers private tuition.

Shout out to Nicolas Thea, whose video inspired this one—check out his channel for more experimental granular madness.