MXR M310 Textures Granular Synth Engine

An MXR Pedal Focused on Creation, in the Spirit of Modern Textures

The Textures Granular Synth Engine belongs to the "soundscape" effects family: it operates on a principle similar to a delay or looper (recording then playback), but the output is in the form of "grains" that can be stretched, reversed, transposed, and densified. MXR takes this idea further with dynamic processing that feeds the Auto-Freeze and Layers modes, along with built-in effects (reverb, filter, vibrato) to immediately add depth.
Its Layers mode revisits the harmonic stacking approach popularized by the MXR Layers, here reimagined in a granular style: up to four independent buffers, with attack and release fades that transform a simple chord progression into a small floating orchestra.

For Which Musicians and Styles?

This pedal is aimed both at curious guitarists wanting to explore ambient textures and at seasoned musicians seeking a full-fledged composition tool. It excels in ambient, post-rock, shoegaze, noise, experimental electronic music, but also finds its place in modern pop whenever you want to "dress" a verse with a moving harmonic bed.
In the studio, it becomes an atmosphere generator (pads, transitions, intro/outro effects) and an idea machine for sound design. Live, it remains surprisingly usable thanks to presets, freeze, and stereo routing options: perfect for a creative pedalboard, upstream of a long reverb, or in an effects loop to sculpt an already amplified signal.

Controls, Modes, and Advanced Functions: Everything to Sculpt Your "Grains"

The heart of the pedal relies on very straightforward controls: Size (grain length), Overlap (density and layering), Pitch (transposition), Reverse (reverse playback), Time, Regen (regeneration), and Mix (blend). Depending on the mode, these controls change their musical role: the same setting can shift from a granular delay to a frozen cloud, then to polyphonic layers with near-synth behavior.
For deeper exploration, the pedal offers a second layer of parameters accessible via the Reverse and Mode buttons: randomization (time, size, overlap, pitch, reverse), pitch interval quantization, fine reverb adjustment, low-pass/high-pass dual filter, vibrato (rate and depth), and tap tempo to lock textures to the tempo. This allows precise control over the "organic" degree (subtle movement, micro-variations) or, conversely, to provoke unpredictable glitch-like behaviors.
For performance, you can connect an expression pedal for continuous morphing between two states (heel/toe), or an MXR Split + Tap to scroll through presets, tap tempo, or control freeze without taking your hands off the instrument.

Sound Character

The Textures Granular Synth Engine can remain subtle (slightly blurred repeats, stereo halos, granular shimmer) or become radical (rhythmic slicing, random reversals, chords stretched into drones). Its signature is the sensation of moving material: the sound does not merely "repeat," it recomposes and densifies, with responsiveness highly dependent on attack and playing style.
In Auto-Freeze, you get lush pads that breathe and evolve, ideal for carrying a theme or filling space without masking the playing. In Layers, the pedal becomes a harmonic instrument: overlays, small synthetic choirs, and polyphonic pads that give the impression of adding voices to your guitar. In stereo, the diffusion and panning of grains create a particularly immersive width, perfect on headphones, in recording, or on a PA with two amplifiers.

Technical specifications

Effects	Synthesizer	Format	Pedal
Technology	Analog & Digital

Category	granular synthesis and texture processing	Reverse Random	probability of reversed grains from 10% to 100% (active when Reverse is engaged)
Processing	buffer recording and playback in grain form	Quantize Pitch	pitch quantization on intervals (fourth, fifth, octave)
Built-in effects	reverb, filter, vibrato	Reverb	mix and decay adjustment
Modes	Delay, Auto-Freeze, Layers	Filter	dual 4-pole low-pass and high-pass filter (cutoff)
Layers	sampling and sustain of up to 4 notes or chords in independent buffers	Vibrato	rate and depth
Presets	8 presets accessible via Presets button	Tap tempo	parameter synchronization to tapped tempo
Preset names	Crystal Cave, Melodic Kaleidoscope, Sea Synth, Obligatory Shimmer, Stutter Pad, Slow Attack Soundtrack, Sub Octave Ripple, Mellow Cello	Trails	option to maintain tails during bypass (buffer bypass when enabled)
Reverse	reverse playback of grains (activated by button)	Output Gain	adjustable from -12 dB to +12 dB (0 dB at noon)
Size	grain length (Delay and Auto-Freeze: 60 ms to 2 s; Layers: 60 to 500 ms)	Input	6.35mm TRS jack (stereo compatible)
Time	(Delay) 50 ms to 2 s; (Auto-Freeze) also sets recording duration before freeze; (Layers) attack time of layers	Output	6.35mm TRS jack (stereo compatible)
Regen	feedback and regeneration (in Layers: release time of layers)	CTR jack	expression/tap input or right channel output
Overlap	1 to 30 grains played simultaneously	Output routing (Output Mode)	Mono, Wet/Dry, Stereo
Mix	dry/wet blend (mix applied before reverb)	In Wet/Dry mode	wet on left channel (tip) and dry on right channel (ring)
Pitch	transposition from 2 octaves down to 2 octaves up	In Stereo mode	stereo image creation with random grain panning and stereo reverb
Randomization	Time, Size, Overlap, Pitch, Reverse	Compatibility	expression pedal and MXR Split + Tap