Quanta 2 vs sfizz

Quanta 2 is a granular synthesizer plugin for shaping imported audio samples into playable sounds. Its grain engine can produce up to 100 simultaneous grains per voice and works with AIFF, WAV, Broadcast WAV, FLAC, MP3, and Ogg files in any sample rate, bit depth, or channel configuration. Two virtual analog oscillators and a noise source add other sound sources, with dual filters that can run in series or parallel. Modulation includes four envelope generators of up to 99 steps each, two LFOs, sample and hold, and four assignable macros. Chorus, stereo dual delay, and reverb are built in. Quanta 2 supports MPE controllers, MTS-ESP microtuning, and TUN-format tuning tables. Desktop plugin formats are VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP; the iPhone and iPad version is AUv3 and is sold separately. A fully functional demo has a 20-minute session timer and disables saving. The listed desktop license is $99 as a one-time purchase, with no subscription or DRM. A 2026 update added real-time recording and additional filter modes.

sfizz is a sample-based musical synthesizer built around the SFZ instrument format. It can load existing SFZ libraries or support the creation of personal instruments. The software supports SFZv1 and has partial compatibility with SFZv2, so some features of the newer format may not work fully. sfizz is available as VST3i, Audio Unit and LV2 plugins, as well as a standalone JACK client. Instrument makers can use hot reload to revise custom instruments and check changes without manually operating the software. Its streaming system loads sounds when needed and reclaims memory once sounds are no longer in use. Developers can integrate the engine into other programs with C and C++ API bindings; it accepts an SFZ file and MIDI-type events and renders audio through successive callbacks. Downloads include Linux packages, Windows 32-bit and 64-bit installers, and a universal macOS package for Intel and Apple Silicon. The project requires no payment to use, with optional donations. Its repository was archived on June 21, 2026 and is read-only.