40 thoughts on “The 10 Best iOS Synths Of 2014”

1. iVCS3….without doubt to me is the most interesting and sonically challenging of 2014….just my opinion….and the other no less …and as equal Arturia’s ISEM…..again just my opinion ….

   1. Yup

2. people who attack apple have brand prestige envy.

   1. No need to be defensive about iOS – it already completely dominates mobile music making, so this ‘brand envy’ trash talk is as annoying as the Android ‘fanboy’ attacks.

      Just appreciate what the technology can do for the money and decide if it works for you!

      1. Chill iMan….chill

   2. Was just joking. I have hardware these things are rubbish, and apple suck.

      1. I have hardware too and I still love my iPad synths.

      2. I was confused, because usually people attempt to be funny when they are joking….

      3. yes – comparing hardware to apps, what is the point really? hardware is better, BUT a lot more expensive and takes space in your living room, so your girl will complain. apps are dead cheap, you just buy. come on!

      4. You misspelled “trolling”….

3. Waldorf Nave tops my list. Love the way it sounds.

   1. The imini is nice but some of these synths need the full screen for me, my eyes and fingers need that

4. Only just got my iPad Mini, but iSem is gorgeous.

5. I’d put Audulus on the list every year!

6. Yeah iSEM for me. Sounds great and makes me want the real thing!

7. still love the animoog

8. The deepest app with the most bang for the buck is SUNVOX. Barnone

   1. cannot find this one… 🙁

      1. found it – looks interesting but a bit strange to me…

   2. Yeah but the UI is fucking awful! Like driving a Lada with a Lamborghini engine.

   3. Sunvox is indeed deep, and beautifully designed. But a dedicated synth it is not. Not the easiest app to master. Requires alot of hands on experience to really get in there, as apposed to something like gadget, where the learning curve is short and far less intimidating. Alex Zolotov of sunvox is a genius though, and continues to amaze with his apps.

9. It’s hard to take the list seriously when whoever is playing the synths obviously has little to no playing skills. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Showcase those strengths, and work on your weaknesses in private.

10. Other than the zmor Modular, these all sounded like the same synth with different patches. No character at all. OK, the VCS3 was good too. And I also have yet to hear anything close to Animoog and Nave. Now THOSE are great.

    1. It’s the programming and the playing, not the synths 🙂

       1. If it was just the programming, but not the characteristic sound of the synths, we would all only need one synth. These Apps have no character. For example- You cannot program the sound of an over-driven Moog LPF. The iProphet doesn’t sound ANYTHING like a Sequential Circuits Prophet. Nothing like it. Not even close. It may be useable, and in fact Arturia’s computer-based soft synths sound pretty damn good, but not these iOS Apps.

          1. i really think you’re missing the point of his comment… he’s not talking about the programming of the apps, he’s talking about the “programmer,” that is, the person making the video. of course they are all going to sound the same if the person making the video just pulls up the basic presets and doesn’t do any kind of tweaking. if you pull up 10 hardware synths and dial them all in with similar settings, they’re all going to sound the same too!

             this is truly one of the worst demo videos I’ve ever seen.

          2. The iPad versions have been shown to be pretty much identical to Arturia’s VSTs.

11. The i-Prophet, zMors modular & the i-VCS 3 are my favorites. They seem either really faithful or just plan interesting. I’d like to team up the zMors with a Teenage engineering op-lab, i’d be very keen indeed. The i-Prophet sounded really like a VS to my ears too. All these apps need a decent i-Pad i suspect & a good controller to get the most out of them.

12. I’d have to say Korg Gadget. I just got the Korg Module, and although I am by no stretch of the imagination a competent ivory tickler, the Module has inspired my imagination when I tweak the EP particularly. I can get some killer sounds out of it! The Zeta synth is quite nice too but the interface is admittedly cramped.

13. IOS synths are fun but desktops/laptops will always be a step ahead in power so the most cutting edge and powerful synths will be developed for the desktop. I think it’s unfair that IOS musicians are treated like 2nd rate musicians. But on the other hand I can understand it. iOS music is like chicken mc nuggets of the fast food world. Cheap and shallow. You can almost picture the finger being slimed across the screen. I would be surprised if someone has made more than 10 bucks from an IOS album.

    1. “The Fall” by Gorillaz. Surprised yet?

    2. Clueless!

14. this video is garbage. my six-year-old knows how to work a synth better than this.

15. “The best synth is the one you have with you.” Or was that “the best camera”? No, it was pudding. Definitely. “The best pudding is the one you have with you.”

16. Worst video ever.

17. Seems odd to not even include Waldorfs Nav on the list. That is an incredible synth.

    1. Nave was released in 2013.

18. Arturia’s iProphet is a total winner for me. I just used it in a live show on NYE. Responsive and was the only synth/app I took with me for the show (besides my other gear, which was a laptop-don’t judge me, it was 20 degrees outside and I wasn’t taking any of my other gear out!)

    Since buying my iPad, I’ve been IMPRESSED with its ability to be used as a ‘real instrument.’ Even when they obsolete my iPad, I’ll probably be rather happy with it.

19. The best synths are the ones you use to make great music or just have fun. I have hardware and looking to purchase more but there is something to be said for the unique interface ideas that iPad presents. Plus the sound is starting to get really good particularly with interapp audio. I would Love to have a Moog Sub 37 but you can’t take it with you to the beach but Animoog, iSEM and iProphet you can.

20. List with best Synth 2015..?????????????????????