# SpaceCraft Granular Synth — Musical Instrument

> Granular synthesis app for transforming audio into playable musical instruments. (iPhone/iPad app by Mark Watt.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacecraft-granular-synth/id1391256308 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Mark Watt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1391256307)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 151 App Store ratings · 131 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.3 · 103 MB
- Released: 2018-07-02
- Data updated: 2026-09-05
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacecraft-granular-synth/id1391256308/reviews.md

## What is SpaceCraft Granular Synth?

With SpaceCraft (MIDI, MPE, AUv3, IAA) you can transform any sound into a playable musical instrument via Granular Synthesis. You can create textures, soundscapes and arpeggiated rhythms from sounds such as your voice, ambient noise or the high quality built-in audio samples. 

Tap the 'Input' button (top left) to record audio via your device's microphone or load a file from your device (access* to iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, Audioshare*** etc.). Experiment with turning everyday sounds into unusual instruments. 

Save your creations and corresponding samples via presets. Also, tap the 'rec' button (top right) to record your performance (maximum 20 minutes). This is used in standalone only as the AUv3 host can be used to record the output. 

Supports AUv3 and IAA (recommended to use in the effects slot to allow live input audio recording).

* NOT COMPATIBLE with GarageBand as AUv3 (but can be loaded as Inter App Audio (IAA) or via an effects insert in the GarageBand sampler, with no MIDI capability)
** iOS11 and above provides equivalent folder access to the built-in iOS 'Files' app. Note that iOS10 and below has limited access to folders (no Audioshare folder access for iOS10 and below)
*** Access to Audioshare files is done via the iOS files app

## Key features

- Granular synthesis engine
- Record audio via microphone
- Load audio files from storage
- Create textures and soundscapes
- Arpeggiated rhythm generation
- Save and recall presets
- MIDI and MPE support

## Chart rankings

- #196 in Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

## What do users think of SpaceCraft Granular Synth?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🎨 Intuitive and beautiful user interface design
- 🎵 Exceptional sound quality and musical output
- 👐 Excellent XY pad control system for expressive playing
- 💰 Extremely affordable price point
- 🎹 Easy to use for beginners and professionals alike
- 🔧 Versatile granular synthesis capabilities
- 📱 Works across multiple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
- 🎯 Instantly rewarding results with minimal learning curve
- 🎼 Great for ambient and experimental music creation
- 👨‍💻 Responsive and engaged developer with regular updates
- 🎛️ Well-designed melodic sequencer implementation
- ✨ Capable of creating unique, otherworldly soundscapes
- 🎧 Excellent reverb and effects processing
- 📂 Good file import/export functionality via iCloud and Files app

**Cons**

- 🔇 No background audio playback capability
- 💾 Cannot save presets or project states
- 🎚️ Limited LFO options and control range
- 🎛️ Small control windows make precise adjustments difficult
- ⚙️ Limited reverb and filter customization options
- 📊 Lacks envelope controls and advanced modulation
- 🔌 Odd IAA/AU implementation (only works as effect, not instrument)
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and audio glitches on older devices
- 🔗 Inconsistent AudioShare integration across iOS versions
- ⏱️ Latency issues in live sampling mode
- 🎯 Cannot load multiple instances simultaneously
- 📱 Performance issues on older iPad models

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes when loading files from nested Dropbox folders
- Audio glitches and heavy crackling on older iPad models
- Unexpected background audio drone when app not in use
- AudioShare compatibility issues across different iOS versions
- App resets to factory settings on reopening
- Live sampling mode latency and unintuitive behavior
- Red playhead sometimes extends beyond range selector
- Inconsistent audio input behavior in live sampling
- No audio output in DAW hosts on some iOS versions
- Crashes when multiple instances launched simultaneously
- File import failures on iOS 9 and 10
- Dropbox access limited to iCloud only on some devices
- Recording duration limitations on iPhone (1 minute vs advertised 20 minutes)

**Most requested features**

- Background audio playback support
- Preset and project state saving functionality
- Faster and more flexible LFO with additional waveforms
- Wider grain selection windows for precise control
- Built-in delay effect
- Amplitude envelopes for each oscillator
- Panning and multi-channel routing options
- Sample name display in UI
- Ableton Link support
- Rest notes in sequencer via double-tap
- Ability to feed synth output to another synth in real-time
- More reverb length options
- CC automation recording in DAWs
- Bluetooth MIDI support
- Custom color scheme options
- Broader grain readout curve options
- Wider parameter control ranges
- True IAA instrument support (not just effect)
- Streamlined file import and management
- More included presets

## Recent user reviews (10 of 131)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spacecraft-granular-synth/id1391256308/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Absolutely amazing

*2026-03-05, version 1.2.2*

The best imho granular playground

### 5/5 — Continues to impress

*2025-10-18*

Spacecraft may have simple engineering on the back. It’s 2 granular elements. One is green and the other is purple. What continues to make it fascinating to play with is how so many parameters are mapped out as X/Y pads. This very intentional choice makes playing with your whole hand (or both hands on the iPad) possible where every finger tip is controlling 2 things at once. I can’t say that about any other granular synth. I’ve shared it with friends a lot over the years: they’re always first impressed with how wild it looks, and then taken back by how good it sounds.

### 5/5 — Excellent!

*2025-05-14, version 1.2.2*

Thank you for creating this wonderful Synth.  It works on very old iOS devices to the M1 Mac Mini and beyond.  I love the versatilty, sound, MIDI Control.

### 5/5 — Great

*2025-01-06, version 1.2.2*

Unique and beautiful design, and wonderful sound manipulation make this a perfect app.

### 5/5 — Still granular after all these tears

*2024-01-20*

If I am looking for something  a little bit left field in a composition then Space craft  is my go to app . It is easy to use, well supported and very very versatile. Thanks for the last five years of  support Dev.👍🙏🙏🏿👏👏

### 5/5 — My Go-To Granular

*2023-11-13*

After a rocky start years ago with the Wooji Juice abandonware granulars (great UIs, less great UX) I was spooked by ios granular synths for a while, thinking they’d all be hampered by limited real estate on an iPhone.

Then came Spacecraft.

It’s just fun to play with from the get-go. Plug in any old sound and take a bath in the shimmery glissandos, dance down dreamy arps… need a drone or ambience? No problem. Play it with a key controller and prepare for hyperspace rhapsodies!

Few apps are totally perfect, and I think file import & management could probably be streamlined a bit; these are relatively minor though, especially using Audioshare in conjunction with the general workflow. But i use this app quite a lot for adding interest to tracks in the zone between a melodic element and a background fill kinda way. Also plays nice with downstream processing like gates and automated filter curves.

😘 Love it!

### 5/5 — ❤️

*2023-04-06*

favourite ipad synth

### 4/5 — Cool app

*2023-01-10*

Love the sound and the look but weird glitch where I hadn’t opened the app in about a week and all of a sudden it started droning while my iPad was off and locked at 3 in the morning, gave me a bit of a spook

### 5/5 — My favorite app and I have a ton of music apps

*2023-01-06*

Much thanks to the developer for such a unique and musical granular synth. I know there is a version 2 on the way and am looking forward to it. Is there any way we could see another new app based on granular synthesis in the future? Granular is my preferred method of creating and there are only a couple apps out there. But you are the master Mark and wonder what else you could create. Thanks and please consider

### 5/5 — Update iPhone 13 Pro

*2022-12-22*

Issue has been fixed concerning the AudioShare not being available for access through SpaceCraft, thanks!

## Frequently asked questions about SpaceCraft Granular Synth

### What is SpaceCraft Granular Synth?

SpaceCraft Granular Synth is a musical instrument app that uses granular synthesis to transform any sound into a playable instrument. You can create complex textures, ambient soundscapes, and rhythmic patterns from sources like your voice, environmental noise, or pre-loaded audio samples.

### What are the key features of SpaceCraft Granular Synth?

Key features include a powerful granular synthesis engine, the ability to record audio directly from your device's microphone, load audio files from various cloud storage services and file management apps, save your creations as presets, and record performances up to 20 minutes long. It also supports MIDI, MPE, AUv3, and IAA.

### How much does SpaceCraft Granular Synth cost?

Based on the provided information, the application is a paid app. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or a subscription model, indicating a one-time purchase for the full functionality.

### What devices is SpaceCraft Granular Synth compatible with?

The app requires iOS 11 and above for full folder access. It supports AUv3 and IAA, and is recommended to be used in the effects slot for live input audio recording. It is not compatible with GarageBand as AUv3 but can be used via IAA or as an effect insert.

### What are some common use cases for SpaceCraft Granular Synth?

Common use cases include transforming everyday sounds into unique musical instruments, creating atmospheric soundscapes for film or games, generating experimental textures for electronic music, and developing complex arpeggiated rhythms. It's ideal for sound designers and experimental musicians.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.2 — 2021-02-08

Changes in this version:
- Eliminated error 701 in AUM (note that this was a false error, SC is working fine and the error could be removed by tapping anywhere on the the screen)
- Updated the App Store description regarding compatibility with GarageBand	

Changes in previous version:
- Infinite mode: continuous and uninterrupted granularisation of incoming audio in real-time. Grains are processed on the left of the crosshairs to allow practically zero-latency granularisation of incoming audio
- New LFO types: saw, inverted saw, triangle, square, random & smooth random 
- Stereo phase: creates stereo effect by delaying left and right channels with respect to each other. Essentially converts mono input to stereo output (and can make stereo samples slightly more stereo)
- Course and fine tuning: allows full control of the pitch of the synthesis to compensate for any pitch discrepancy in the source sample
- Grain attack: allows grains to have slower attack response
- Reverb damping and reverb size controls
- Improved sound quality of DSP 
- removed transparent filter as it was causing audio dropouts in some cases (transparent filter will be reintroduced once I can figure out how to fix it)

New Global Settings options:
- Option of Hann grain amplitude envelope (in global settings) giving smoother sound, especially when using higher frequency grains
- Option of Hermite interpolation in DSP algorithms resulting in better quality of lower-pitched grains
- Option of higher quality filter: smoother sounding filter when changing crosshairs
- Option to normalise audio input: automatically sets input audio recorded to maximum peak volume
- Option of transparent vs legacy filter: the transparent filter is a new feature (default) which removes the effect of the filter completely when the crosshairs is at the center. The previous (legacy) filter (slightly duller sounding when crosshairs are in centre) is included in case you want existing projects to sound completely unchanged
- Option to set MPE pitch bend range: select the appropriate setting depending on MPE hardware used (I.e. Seaboard, Linnstrument etc.)
- Optional MPE y-axis scaling multiplier: scales MPE y-axis to cover different range of the sample
- Option to disable channel pressure: disables channel pressure input when using MPE (can be useful for certain types of MIDI hardware)

### 1.2.1 — 2021-01-02

Changes in this version:
- removed transparent filter as it was causing audio dropouts in some cases (transparent filter will be reintroduced once I can figure out how to fix it)

Changes in previous version:
- Infinite mode: continuous and uninterrupted granularisation of incoming audio in real-time. Grains are processed on the left of the crosshairs to allow practically zero-latency granularisation of incoming audio
- New LFO types: saw, inverted saw, triangle, square, random & smooth random 
- Stereo phase: creates stereo effect by delaying left and right channels with respect to each other. Essentially converts mono input to stereo output (and can make stereo samples slightly more stereo)
- Course and fine tuning: allows full control of the pitch of the synthesis to compensate for any pitch discrepancy in the source sample
- Grain attack: allows grains to have slower attack response
- Reverb damping and reverb size controls
- Improved sound quality of DSP 

New Global Settings options:
- Option of Hann grain amplitude envelope (in global settings) giving smoother sound, especially when using higher frequency grains
- Option of Hermite interpolation in DSP algorithms resulting in better quality of lower-pitched grains
- Option of higher quality filter: smoother sounding filter when changing crosshairs
- Option to normalise audio input: automatically sets input audio recorded to maximum peak volume
- Option of transparent vs legacy filter: the transparent filter is a new feature (default) which removes the effect of the filter completely when the crosshairs is at the center. The previous (legacy) filter (slightly duller sounding when crosshairs are in centre) is included in case you want existing projects to sound completely unchanged
- Option to set MPE pitch bend range: select the appropriate setting depending on MPE hardware used (I.e. Seaboard, Linnstrument etc.)
- Optional MPE y-axis scaling multiplier: scales MPE y-axis to cover different range of the sample
- Option to disable channel pressure: disables channel pressure input when using MPE (can be useful for certain types of MIDI hardware)

### 1.2.0 — 2021-01-01

- Infinite mode: continuous and uninterrupted granularisation of incoming audio in real-time. Grains are processed on the left of the crosshairs to allow practically zero-latency granularisation of incoming audio
- New LFO types: saw, inverted saw, triangle, square, random & smooth random 
- Stereo phase: creates stereo effect by delaying left and right channels with respect to each other. Essentially converts mono input to stereo output (and can make stereo samples slightly more stereo)
- Course and fine tuning: allows full control of the pitch of the synthesis to compensate for any pitch discrepancy in the source sample
- Grain attack: allows grains to have slower attack response
- Reverb damping and reverb size controls
- Improved sound quality of DSP 

New Global Settings options:
- Option of Hann grain amplitude envelope (in global settings) giving smoother sound, especially when using higher frequency grains
- Option of Hermite interpolation in DSP algorithms resulting in better quality of lower-pitched grains
- Option of higher quality filter: smoother sounding filter when changing crosshairs
- Option to normalise audio input: automatically sets input audio recorded to maximum peak volume
- Option of transparent vs legacy filter: the transparent filter is a new feature (default) which removes the effect of the filter completely when the crosshairs is at the center. The previous (legacy) filter (slightly duller sounding when crosshairs are in centre) is included in case you want existing projects to sound completely unchanged
- Option to set MPE pitch bend range: select the appropriate setting depending on MPE hardware used (I.e. Seaboard, Linnstrument etc.)
- Optional MPE y-axis scaling multiplier: scales MPE y-axis to cover different range of the sample
- Option to disable channel pressure: disables channel pressure input when using MPE (can be useful for certain types of MIDI hardware)

### 1.1.1 — 2019-03-24

v1.1.1
- new CC mapping options in advanced settings: Disable, Default and Legacy (see www.deltavaudio.com/about for mappings)
    - 'Disable' disables all mappings except sustain (CC64), seaboard reserved CCs and all notes off (CC123)
    - 'Default' is a NEW* mapping (see below)
    - 'Legacy' is the previous mapping from v1.1.0
- option to select 'no channels' for midi notes in
- ability to select midi channel for CC in
- added *.m4a audio file compatibility
- added feature in advanced settings to change scaling of Y-axis/Slide (grain position modulation) for MPE
- fixed bug where notes sometimes didn’t load when opening a preset which included a scale change
- fixed bug where visualisation of waveform would not appear in the edge case where an audio file is loaded via the preset panel when in live sampling mode

* the CC mapping added recently in V1.0.0 on the App Store unfortunately clashes with some midi standard CC mappings. The new ‘default’ mapping is designed to avoid such clashes, improving compatibility with other apps/devices.  For existing users who have used the old CC mapping in their recent projects, you can select ‘legacy mapping’ in advanced settings. However, it is recommended to switch the default mapping to avoid issues in future. Note that this does not in any way impact parameters mapped to CC via an AUv3 host.

See website for a list of the default/legacy mappings
https://www.deltavaudio.com/about

### 1.1.0 — 2019-02-09

v1.1.0 (the playability update!)
- New MPE functionality (Roli Seaboard, Roli Light Block, Linnstrument and AUv3 apps with MPE-out):
      — New!! MPE mode "MPE Pitch": X-axis = pitch bend, Y-axis = fine grain position modulation, Z-axis = volume
      — Visualisation showing grain position modulation in real-time
      — Option to set pitch bend amount (in advanced settings panel)
      — MPE presets added (start with these and add your own sounds!)
- MIDI and MPE are now active at all times (no need to change modes)
      — Amplitude envelope is now a dedicated option (envelope can now be used with a non-chromatic grid, MIDI/MPE can now be used without the envelope if desired)
      — MIDI channel selection option (advanced settings)
- Scales improvements:
      — Loads of scales added (34 in total!) including the modes and pentatonic scales
      — Scales can now be used with MIDI and MPE  
      — Sequencer note grid auto resizes with scale
- Option to transpose sample pitch per-sequencer in range +/- 1 Octave with resolution of 1 semitone 
- When saving project in AU host, the loaded sample will be automatically saved (like with presets)
- Parameter automation now fully functional in AUv3 hosts including Cubasis and NS2 
- Factory presets can now be selected via host GUI
- Fixed bug where the ‘all notes off’ button sometimes wouldn’t terminate notes as expected
- Now always starts with default state when in standalone mode (presets should be used in standalone)
- All parameters controllable via MIDI CC-in (CC channel can be selected via Advanced Settings)
      — CC 6 thru CC 41 =  all parameters (XY controls + ‘actions’ such as record and monitor), see website for details
      — CC 64 = sustain pedal (both sequencers)
      — CC 123 = all notes off (both sequencers)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-05.*