This segment of Ableton's Learn Live series walks through the Grain tab in Emit, focusing on how the Y axis setting shapes particle playback in two distinct ways. When set to Filter mode, a particle's vertical position determines the center frequency of its bandpass filter, so particles at the top play back high-frequency content while those at the bottom play back low frequencies. The Width parameter controls how broad that frequency range is, and Q boosts filter resonance to make the filtering more audible.
Switching the Y axis to Panning mode changes what vertical position controls: particles at the top pan slightly right, and those at the bottom pan slightly left. The Center parameter then lets you set the filter frequency manually, and the Pan section's Width dial scales how dramatically vertical position affects the stereo spread, from zero influence to a wide, position-driven field.
The Fade section shapes each particle's volume over its lifetime. Turning up Amount causes particles to fade in and out, and the Center parameter shifts that envelope shape, letting you dial in a fade-in, a fade-out, or a symmetrical swell.