Intellijel Multigrain sample management: a complete guide

The Intellijel Multigrain is a 14 HP granular sample player and texture synthesizer. The module gets a lot done in not much rack space: per-project sample sets, a shared global pool, on-board recording, and a granular engine that rewards specific kinds of source material. The flip side is that its file requirements are strict and its organizational model is unusual enough to be worth understanding before you start loading samples.

This guide walks through that organizational model: how the Multigrain thinks about projects and samples, the layout the SD card expects, the format rules that catch new users, the recording workflow, and the source material that works best with a granular engine.

The mental model

The Multigrain organizes samples into three buckets on the SD card: per-project folders, a global Wavs pool, and a Recs folder for on-device recordings. Each bucket has different rules and different uses.

A project is a numbered folder (Project01 through Project48) that holds up to 128 sample files specific to that project. Loading a project on the module gives you access to its samples and only its samples. Projects are how you compartmentalize: a separate project per piece, per source palette, per session.

The global Wavs folder sits at the SD root and holds samples that are available from any project. Up to 128 files. This is where the samples you reach for repeatedly live: signature drones, frequently-used field recordings, drum sounds you build kits from.

The Recs folder is where the module saves audio you record into it. Up to 1,024 files. Recordings are auto-saved here and become available like any other sample.

That three-tier split matters. Most samplers either give you one big pool of samples or force you to load files into per-project memory each time you switch. The Multigrain does both: project-scoped samples for the work in front of you, plus a global pool that’s always accessible.

The SD card layout

The Multigrain expects a specific folder structure at the root of the microSD card:

SD Card Root/
├── Wavs/           (global samples, up to 128 files)
├── Recs/           (on-device recordings, up to 1024 files)
├── Project01/      (up to 128 sample files)
├── Project02/
├── ...
└── Project48/      (up to 48 project folders)

A few rules to internalize:

The project folder names are fixed. Project01 through Project48, two-digit numbering, no variation. Anything outside that naming convention is ignored.
Each project folder holds up to 128 WAV files. The file names inside the project folder are up to you.
The Wavs/ folder is reserved for global samples. It also holds up to 128 files.
The Recs/ folder is reserved for the module’s own recordings. Don’t pre-fill it with content.
No subfolders inside Wavs/, Recs/, or any project folder. The Multigrain reads files at the root of each, not recursively.

That last rule is the one that trips people up. The Multigrain doesn’t browse a folder tree the way some samplers do. Each bucket is flat. If you have a folder of drums you want available globally, the WAV files themselves need to be at the root of Wavs/, not in a subfolder inside it.

Sample format

The Multigrain accepts a narrow band of formats. Files outside the window won’t load, or will load with unexpected truncation.

WAV only. No AIFF, no FLAC, no MP3.
48 kHz only. Files at 44.1 kHz won’t load correctly. Files at 96 kHz won’t load at all.
16-bit only. 24-bit, 32-bit integer, and 32-bit float aren’t supported.
Stereo only. Mono files need to be converted to stereo before loading.
32 seconds or shorter. Files longer than 32 seconds are truncated on import.

The 32-second limit is a soft truncation rather than a load failure. A 60-second file will load, but only the first 32 seconds end up playable. If you’re moving a long field recording onto the module and notice it ending earlier than expected, that’s the cause.

The mono-to-stereo requirement is also worth flagging. The Multigrain is a stereo module, and files need a stereo container even when the source material is mono. The standard fix is duplicating the mono channel to both sides of a stereo file.

Combined with the 48 kHz and 16-bit requirements, this means files from most modern DAW sessions (which typically default to 48 kHz, 24-bit) need a bit-depth conversion before they go on the card. The format itself stays WAV, but the bit depth has to come down.

When to use projects vs. the global Wavs folder

The split between project folders and Wavs/ is one of the things that distinguishes Multigrain workflow from samplers that have a single global pool.

Project folders are good for:

Source material specific to a piece. A drone you recorded for one track that probably won’t show up in another.
Themed palettes. A project full of bowed metal recordings, another full of cassette samples, another full of vocal fragments.
Performance sets. Each set of related material gets its own project.
Sketching. Loading new ideas into a project keeps the global pool clean.

The global Wavs folder is good for:

Sounds you use constantly. Foundational kick drums, signature drones, recurring textures.
Quick sketch material that should be available from every project.
Module recordings you’ve curated. Pull selected files from Recs/ into Wavs/ once you know they’re keepers.

A working approach: keep Wavs/ curated and small (10 to 40 samples), use projects for everything piece-specific, and treat Recs/ as raw material to be sorted later. The 128-file ceiling on Wavs/ is generous in absolute terms but cramped if you let everything you’ve ever liked spread into it.

Recording into the module

The Multigrain records audio directly into its Recs/ folder. The workflow is straightforward: arm the module to record, capture audio from the inputs, and the recording is auto-saved as a numbered file in Recs/. The recording becomes available immediately for use in the active project or for promotion into the global pool.

The 1,024-file ceiling on Recs/ is high enough that you’re unlikely to hit it in normal use, but worth knowing about. Recordings accumulate over time. Sorting through Recs/ periodically (keeping the takes you like, deleting the rest, promoting keepers into Wavs/ or specific projects) keeps the folder useful rather than overwhelming.

Recordings inherit the module’s format constraints: 16-bit, 48 kHz, stereo WAV. They drop into the system without conversion because the module records natively in the format it expects to play back.

Source material that works with the granular engine

The Multigrain is a granular module. Knowing what kinds of source material the granular engine handles well shapes what you should be putting on the card.

Long, slowly-evolving textures are the strongest material. Field recordings, instrument sustains, bowed metal, drones, weather sounds, machinery, vinyl noise. The granular engine breaks audio into small windows and scrubs through them, so source material that has internal movement at slow timescales gives the engine more to work with than short loops or hits.

Recorded acoustic spaces sit in a similar category. A 20-second recording of a reverberant room reads as evolving texture under granular processing, even if “nothing happens” in the conventional sense.

Voice and language fragments are interesting source material because the grain windows can land on specific phonemes, producing rhythmic or melodic results that feel artificial in productive ways.

Drum loops and rhythmic material can work, but require more care. The granular engine doesn’t preserve the original rhythm by default; it pulls out timbral content. A loop becomes a texture if you let the engine smear it, or stays rhythmic if you set grain parameters to align with the source tempo.

Short percussion hits and one-shots are weaker source material for granular work. They’re better suited to samplers like the Squid Salmple or Rample that play files back as discrete hits.

The 32-second per-sample limit shapes what you can load. It’s enough for long single phrases, ambient phrases, or short loops. It’s not enough for full tracks or long passages. The discipline the limit imposes (curating your source material into 30-second windows of usable texture) is part of how the module wants to be used.

Common workflow problems

A handful of things catch new Multigrain users:

“My sample isn’t playing the full length.” Almost always the 32-second truncation. A 45-second file will load and play back only the first 32 seconds without warning. Trim before transfer.

“My sample plays at the wrong pitch and speed.” Sample rate mismatch. The file is 44.1 kHz but the Multigrain plays at 48 kHz. Resample to 48 kHz before transfer.

“My sample is silent or sounds wrong.” Could be a bit-depth mismatch (24-bit or 32-bit float files don’t load correctly). Convert to 16-bit. Could also be a mono file in a stereo container with the wrong channel layout; duplicate to both channels.

“The module doesn’t see my new project.” Project folder is named wrong. The name must be exactly Project01, Project02, etc. Two-digit numbering, no spaces, no variations.

“The module doesn’t see samples I dropped in Wavs/.” Subfolder issue. Files must be at the root of Wavs/, not inside a subfolder you created.

“My recording isn’t showing up.” Recording wasn’t completed cleanly (interrupted by ejecting the card or removing power before save), or the Recs/ folder is at its 1,024-file ceiling.

A workflow that scales

Once you have a few dozen projects and a working global pool, a few habits keep the system manageable:

Curate Wavs/ aggressively. The 128-file ceiling is more than enough for the samples you actually reach for. If Wavs/ starts filling with stuff you might use someday, move the someday-files into a project that holds them as a queue.

Use projects as containers, not playlists. A project doesn’t have to be a piece. It can be a thematic collection of material you’ll dip into across multiple pieces.

Recycle Recs/ regularly. On-device recordings accumulate quickly. A weekly pass to keep the takes you like, delete the rest, and promote keepers into Wavs/ or specific projects keeps the recording folder useful.

Name project files descriptively. Within a project folder, the file names are up to you. A flat folder of 100 samples named 1.wav, 2.wav, 3.wav is not findable on the module. bowed-bass-low.wav, bowed-bass-high.wav, bowed-bass-attack.wav is.

Back up the card. SD cards fail. Drag a copy of the card contents to your computer every so often. Project folders are just folders of WAV files; restoring is straightforward if the card ever dies.

Where SampleStack fits

Most of the workflow above happens once you’re playing the module. The part that happens before, the prep step, is where source files get into the format and structure the Multigrain wants.

For a small library prepared by hand, manual conversion in your DAW is fine. Set the project rate to 48 kHz, export as 16-bit stereo WAV, trim to under 32 seconds, drop into the right project folder. For a library coming from mixed sources at mixed sample rates and bit depths, that workflow stops being fun fast. SampleStack reads files in any format, validates them against the Multigrain’s specs, converts what needs converting, enforces the 32-second limit, and writes to the project folder layout the module expects.

For the format side of things, the compare formats guide has the Multigrain alongside every other supported instrument. The WAV vs AIFF vs FLAC article covers the container differences in more depth. And the Multigrain instrument page has the full spec sheet.

FAQ

What’s the difference between the Multigrain and the Morphagene?

Both are sample-based Eurorack modules from the Make Noise / Intellijel side of the world, but with different design ideas. The Morphagene is a tape-and-microsound module with splice-based navigation across long reels (up to 174 seconds per reel). The Multigrain is a granular synthesizer with per-project sample sets, oriented toward texture synthesis from many short samples rather than splice navigation across long ones. Different musical goals, different file workflows.

Can the Multigrain play 44.1 kHz files?

Not correctly. The module’s playback engine assumes 48 kHz. A 44.1 kHz file will load but play back at the wrong pitch and speed. Resample to 48 kHz before transfer.

Why is my sample being truncated?

The 32-second soft limit. Any sample longer than 32 seconds loads only the first 32 seconds, without an error or warning. Trim your source files before transfer.

Can I use stereo samples?

You have to. The Multigrain is a stereo module and won’t play mono files. If your source is mono, duplicate it to both channels before loading.

Do project folders share samples?

No. Each project (Project01 through Project48) is independent. To share samples across projects, put them in the global Wavs/ folder at the SD root.

How do I back up my Multigrain library?

The card is just a FAT-formatted microSD with folders of WAV files. Pull it out, plug it into a card reader, and copy the contents to your computer. Restoring is the reverse: drop everything back at the SD root.