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[Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound

Date2026-09-13 15:20
FromHlöðver Sigurðsson
Subject[Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound

Hi all,

I've been working on naviergrain, a Csound 7 opcode and visual app that connects granular synthesis with a Navier–Stokes fluid simulation.

I was exploring if there was anything interesting if you made many enough grain particles and moved them like fluid in space. Also got inspired by the recent millennium problem solution announced by OpenAI which piqued my interest.

Each visible particle is a sounding grain. The app uses cosine carriers with Hann envelopes, with height setting frequency, horizontal position setting stereo pan, and speed affecting grain duration. The solver runs on a periodic 2D grid. An artistic mapping places the particles in 3D space.

You can try it in your browser. There's also a standalone osx binary, plus native plugin and a WASM build of the Csound plugin. The opcode can granulate sample tables too.

There's also GPU support (only mac atm) so in realtime the grain count can be pushed higher without buffer underruns.

Try the web app
Source, documentation and Csound examples
Downloads
Continuum Study 03, an offline audiovisual piece using higher grain counts

I welcome feedback, and may decide to change it inside out entirely if I notice more interesting sound mapping options.

Best,
Hlöðver Sigurðsson

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Date2026-09-13 15:57
FromVictor Lazzarini <000010b17ddd988e-dmarc-request@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>
SubjectRe: [Csnd] [EXTERNAL] [Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound
Sounds really interesting stuff. I will have a look.
========================================
Prof. Victor Lazzarini
Director
Maynooth University Arts and Humanities Institute

From: A discussion list for users of Csound <CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE> on behalf of Hlöðver Sigurðsson <hlolli@GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Sunday 13 September 2026 15:20
To: CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE <CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound
 

*Warning*

This email originated from outside of Maynooth University's Mail System. Do not reply, click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe.

Hi all,

I've been working on naviergrain, a Csound 7 opcode and visual app that connects granular synthesis with a Navier–Stokes fluid simulation.

I was exploring if there was anything interesting if you made many enough grain particles and moved them like fluid in space. Also got inspired by the recent millennium problem solution announced by OpenAI which piqued my interest.

Each visible particle is a sounding grain. The app uses cosine carriers with Hann envelopes, with height setting frequency, horizontal position setting stereo pan, and speed affecting grain duration. The solver runs on a periodic 2D grid. An artistic mapping places the particles in 3D space.

You can try it in your browser. There's also a standalone osx binary, plus native plugin and a WASM build of the Csound plugin. The opcode can granulate sample tables too.

There's also GPU support (only mac atm) so in realtime the grain count can be pushed higher without buffer underruns.

Try the web app
Source, documentation and Csound examples
Downloads
Continuum Study 03, an offline audiovisual piece using higher grain counts

I welcome feedback, and may decide to change it inside out entirely if I notice more interesting sound mapping options.

Best,
Hlöðver Sigurðsson

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

The information contained in this email may be confidential and privileged. It is intended only for the addressee(s) stated above. If you are not an addressee any use, dissemination, distribution, publication or copying of the information contained in this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by email at dataprotection@mu.ie and delete this email from your system.

Please note that Maynooth University is subject to Freedom of Information and Data Protection laws. We may be required to disclose the content of emails under the FOI Act 2014, the Data Protection Act 2018 or GDPR.

Is don seolaí / do na seolaithe thuasluaite amháin an ríomhphost seo. D’fhéadfadh an t-eolas atá ann a bheith rúnda agus faoi phribhléid. Mura seolaí tú, tá cosc iomlán ar aon eolas atá sa ríomhphost seo a úsáid, a scaipeadh, a dháileadh, a fhoilsiú nó a chóipeáil. Má fuair tú an ríomhphost seo trí thimpiste, cuir sin in iúl dúinn láithreach trí ríomhphost a chur chuig  dataprotection@mu.ie  agus scrios an ríomhphost seo ó do chóras.

Tabhair faoi deara go bhfuil Ollscoil Mhá Nuad faoi réir dhlíthe um Shaoráil Faisnéise agus um Chosaint Sonraí. D’fhéadfadh ceangal a bheith orainn ábhar ríomhphoist a nochtadh faoin Acht um Shaoráil Faisnéise 2014, faoin Acht um Chosaint Sonraí 2018 nó faoi GDPR.

Registered charity number 20037130

 


Date2026-09-14 08:32
FromLovre Bogdanić
SubjectRe: [Csnd] [EXTERNAL] [Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound
Really cool Hlöðver!! 

Best,
Lovre 

On Sun, Sep 13, 2026 at 4:57 PM Victor Lazzarini <000010b17ddd988e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:
Sounds really interesting stuff. I will have a look.
========================================
Prof. Victor Lazzarini
Director
Maynooth University Arts and Humanities Institute

From: A discussion list for users of Csound <CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE> on behalf of Hlöðver Sigurðsson <hlolli@GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Sunday 13 September 2026 15:20
To: CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE <CSOUND@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Csnd] naviergrain: fluid-driven granular synthesis for Csound
 

*Warning*

This email originated from outside of Maynooth University's Mail System. Do not reply, click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe.

Hi all,

I've been working on naviergrain, a Csound 7 opcode and visual app that connects granular synthesis with a Navier–Stokes fluid simulation.

I was exploring if there was anything interesting if you made many enough grain particles and moved them like fluid in space. Also got inspired by the recent millennium problem solution announced by OpenAI which piqued my interest.

Each visible particle is a sounding grain. The app uses cosine carriers with Hann envelopes, with height setting frequency, horizontal position setting stereo pan, and speed affecting grain duration. The solver runs on a periodic 2D grid. An artistic mapping places the particles in 3D space.

You can try it in your browser. There's also a standalone osx binary, plus native plugin and a WASM build of the Csound plugin. The opcode can granulate sample tables too.

There's also GPU support (only mac atm) so in realtime the grain count can be pushed higher without buffer underruns.

Try the web app
Source, documentation and Csound examples
Downloads
Continuum Study 03, an offline audiovisual piece using higher grain counts

I welcome feedback, and may decide to change it inside out entirely if I notice more interesting sound mapping options.

Best,
Hlöðver Sigurðsson

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

The information contained in this email may be confidential and privileged. It is intended only for the addressee(s) stated above. If you are not an addressee any use, dissemination, distribution, publication or copying of the information contained in this email is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by email at dataprotection@mu.ie and delete this email from your system.

Please note that Maynooth University is subject to Freedom of Information and Data Protection laws. We may be required to disclose the content of emails under the FOI Act 2014, the Data Protection Act 2018 or GDPR.

Is don seolaí / do na seolaithe thuasluaite amháin an ríomhphost seo. D’fhéadfadh an t-eolas atá ann a bheith rúnda agus faoi phribhléid. Mura seolaí tú, tá cosc iomlán ar aon eolas atá sa ríomhphost seo a úsáid, a scaipeadh, a dháileadh, a fhoilsiú nó a chóipeáil. Má fuair tú an ríomhphost seo trí thimpiste, cuir sin in iúl dúinn láithreach trí ríomhphost a chur chuig  dataprotection@mu.ie  agus scrios an ríomhphost seo ó do chóras.

Tabhair faoi deara go bhfuil Ollscoil Mhá Nuad faoi réir dhlíthe um Shaoráil Faisnéise agus um Chosaint Sonraí. D’fhéadfadh ceangal a bheith orainn ábhar ríomhphoist a nochtadh faoin Acht um Shaoráil Faisnéise 2014, faoin Acht um Chosaint Sonraí 2018 nó faoi GDPR.

Registered charity number 20037130

 

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here
Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here