Intellijel Multigrain 1.4: Firmware Tweaks, Choke Tricks and Modular Mayhem

Firmware 1.4 introduces two new sound options—choke and gate—that fundamentally change how grains interact. Previously, grains from different sounds could overlap freely, creating dense textures but sometimes muddying the sonic picture. Now, with choke enabled on a sound, triggering it will immediately silence all other active grains, resulting in sharper, more percussive transitions. Gate mode, on the other hand, ties grain playback to the length of a gate signal, so grains are silenced as soon as the gate drops, whether that’s from a button, gate input, or latch.

These options are accessed via the alt page, with clear LED feedback for each mode. The video demonstrates how choke and gate can be applied per sound, or quickly set across all sounds for global changes. By mixing and matching these options, users can sculpt everything from tightly controlled rhythmic stabs to evolving, overlapping clouds. The flexibility to combine modes across sounds opens up a palette of textures not previously possible, and the demonstration makes it clear that these aren’t just menu features—they’re performance tools for real-time patching.

The addition of independent mod outputs A and B in firmware 1.4 is a major expansion of Multigrain’s utility as a modular hub. These outputs can now be set to emit triggers or gates based on sampling activity or input thresholds, making it possible to control other modules in sync with Multigrain’s internal processes. For instance, the sampling trigger sends a pulse when recording starts, perfect for capturing sounds from other modules like Plonk and instantly assigning them to Multigrain’s sound slots.

The threshold gate mode is equally versatile, going high when incoming audio crosses a user-defined threshold. The video shows how these outputs can be patched to modulate parameters such as sample start, pitch, or even external sequencers, with threshold settings now independently adjustable for both the sample and looping recorders. This level of control means Multigrain isn’t just a granular voice—it becomes a reactive part of a larger modular conversation, responding to and shaping the flow of a patch in real time.

Grain size scaling is the answer to a classic granular problem: what happens when you crank up the rate and size independently, flooding the output with overlapping grains? With scaling off (the default), Multigrain fades out older grains early if things get too crowded, which can truncate grain shapes and reduce output level at high rates. The video walks through this behaviour, showing how long attack shapes get cut short and quieter as the rate increases.

Switching scaling on changes the rules—now, as rate increases, the maximum grain size is automatically reduced, ensuring grains always play out in full but never get too long at high rates. This keeps the output level consistent and preserves the integrity of each grain’s envelope. The choice between these modes is left to the user, with the update making it a simple toggle in the system settings. For those who want to balance lush density with precise articulation, this feature is a welcome addition.