Beetlecrab Audio has released firmware version 2.1 for Tempera, their innovative hardware granular synthesizer. This January 2025 update transforms the already versatile instrument into a more powerful sound design tool, with the standout addition of live granular processing capabilities.
Live Granular Processing Takes Center Stage
The most significant enhancement in version 2.1 is Tempera’s new ability to function as a live granular effects processor. Rather than moving a playhead across a static waveform, the track itself scrolls under your fingers as audio is continuously recorded into memory. This approach enables dynamic beat slicing and real-time sound manipulation, making Tempera considerably more versatile for live performances.
This feature addresses what some users considered a limitation compared to competitors like the Sonicware Texture Lab, which already offered live processing capabilities.
Enhanced Sound Shaping Tools
The update introduces the “Rake” filter, a custom-designed comb filter with an amplitude-modulated feedback path. Both the modulation rate and comb feedback frequency can be key-tracked, offering everything from subtle resonances to aggressive, harmonically rich textures.
Modulation capabilities have been expanded with new sources and destinations including note velocity, note tracking, and grain pan. Each modulator now displays a plotter-scope visualization, providing clearer feedback about modulation behavior. The user interface has also been refined with new filter visualizations for better understanding of signal processing.
Refined Effects and Performance Features
The onboard reverb and delay effects have received significant improvements. The reverb now delivers smoother, more lush reflections, while the delay features a more pronounced bandpass filter for richer spatial textures.
A new “Attack” option for grain emission ensures that the first emitted grain has a sharp onset, allowing users to create crisp percussive textures within otherwise smooth grain clouds. Additional performance enhancements include:
- Tap tempo and internal clock control for intuitive synchronization
- MIDI clock improvements with built-in tempo corrections
- MIDI Program Change support for quick canvas switching
- New exotic and pentatonic scales for expanded melodic possibilities
- Overlay Keyboard with MIDI note output capability
- Automatic track tuning based on BPM/Hz indicated in filenames
Workflow Refinements
Version 2.1 introduces several workflow improvements that enhance Tempera’s usability:
- A new “Align X=off” option allows grains to be emitted between tracks, creating a weighted sum of neighboring tracks for smooth cross-fading when moving across tracks
- Filter send options to toggle whether each emitter routes to the main per-voice filter, providing better separation between processed and unprocessed sounds
- A QR code in the settings menu linking directly to the online manual
Competitive Position
With these enhancements, Tempera now stands more competitively against other established granular synthesis devices in the market, including the Tasty Chips GR-1 with its massive polyphony, the multi-synthesis Waldorf Iridium, the portable Sonicware Texture Lab, the compact 1010music Lemondrop, and the Torso Electronics S-4 “sculpting sampler.”
User reactions have been enthusiastic, with one commenting that Tempera is “easily the most inspiring piece of hardware I’ve bought. Ever… It’s such a cool device with so much potential.”
Availability
The Tempera 2.1 firmware update is available now as a free download for all existing users through Beetlecrab’s official website. For those interested in purchasing the hardware, Tempera is priced at €670 plus tax (approximately €804 including VAT within the EU, or around $720 USD plus shipping and import taxes to the US).
Visit Beetlecrab’s official product page for more information and to download the update.
