# Agonizer — It's a badman thing

> Monophonic bass synthesizer with MPE support and stereo effects. (iPhone/iPad app by Kai Aras.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/agonizer/id1499426175 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Kai Aras](https://appshunter.io/developer/370820899)
- Category: Music
- Price: $19.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 203 App Store ratings · 80 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 362 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-11-11
- Data updated: 2026-09-08
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/agonizer/id1499426175/reviews.md

## What is Agonizer?

Agonizer is a monophonic synthesizer designed in collaboration with YouTuber and synth bass expert Jakob Haq of haQ attaQ

Overview:
* Monophonic Synth Engine with focus on Bass
* Built-in stereo effects 
* 140+ fine tuned factory presets designed by Jakob Haq 
* Supports ROLI Seaboard and other MPE controllers out of the box 
* Standalone operation with support for USB audio interfaces, wired, network & bluetooth MIDI
* Audio Unit v3 Extension 
* Inter App Audio support
* Audiobus support
* Ableton Link

Synth Voice:
* Dual Wavetable Oscillators with 40+ Wavetables, Morphing & X-Mod 
* Dedicated sub osc & noise source
* Mangle Section with pre-filter Drive, Bitcrush, Lift and Push controls 
* VA Ladder filter
* Wobulator (Highly tweak-able Sequenced LFO) 
* LFO with Key and BPM Sync
* Variable Slope AD & ADSR Envelopes 
* Tube based master drive 

Effects:
* 2x stereo effect units 
* Vintage Chorus
* Digital Delay

Presets:
* Factory bank including 140+ presets designed by Jakob Haq 
* Preset Management with Templates & Categories 
* Shared User Presets between Standalone and AUv3 versions
* Preset Export & Import 

Connectivity:
* Standalone 
* AUv3 Instrument
* Inter-App Audio Instrument
* Audiobus Instrument

Requirements:
* iOS12+ 
* iPad Air 2 or newer

## Key features

- Monophonic synth engine for bass
- Dual wavetable oscillators
- Built-in stereo effects
- MPE controller support
- Standalone and AUv3 operation
- 140+ factory presets

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $19.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Neon Nightmare Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chrome Oasis Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Circuit Bender Pack | $1.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Agonizer?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🎵 Excellent sound quality and unique bass tones
- 🎨 Intuitive and well-designed user interface
- ⚙️ Powerful modulation and sound design capabilities
- 🎛️ Wobulator feature for creative bass manipulation
- 📦 Great presets included with the app
- 🔧 Flexible and versatile sound creation options
- 💪 Capable of producing professional-quality bass sounds
- 🎯 Simple yet deep synthesis engine
- 🌟 Unique waveforms and modulation sources

**Cons**

- 🐛 Keyboard legato/mono-synth behavior inconsistent
- 🐛 Frequent crashes in host applications (AUM, Cubasis, Audiobus)
- 🐛 No sound output in GarageBand and some AU hosts
- 🐛 App freezes on splash screen with iOS 18.3
- 🐛 UI responsiveness issues and knob lag
- 🐛 Scream button glitches when changing presets
- ❌ Strict monophonic limitation without polyphony option
- 😕 Preset browser lacks search and filter functionality
- 😕 Limited automation control for knobs
- 😕 Difficult sound design workflow with cycling menus
- 😕 No arpeggiator function
- 😕 CPU intensive
- 👁️ UI aesthetics could be improved
- 🎹 Difficult keyboard integration and legato handling

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Keyboard does not properly handle legato/mono-synth note priority
- Crashes in Audiobus, AUM, and Cubasis host applications
- No sound output when used as AUv3 plugin in hosts
- No sound in GarageBand integration
- App freezes on splash screen with iOS 18.3
- Stuck notes and failed note triggering
- Scream button malfunction when switching presets
- Cutoff knob lag in AUv3 scenarios
- UI jitter and text cutoff on iPhone
- Favorite preset feature not working on iPhone
- Program change not working properly in hosts
- Always opens with init preset in host applications
- Modulation matrix sensitivity too high (2% movement = large range)
- Audio output peaks in red with no sound
- Permanent clipping/damaged audio output
- Misleading IAP pricing display (showing 'FREE' for paid content)

**Most requested features**

- Polyphony mode or toggle between mono and poly
- Envelope drawing capability instead of preset selection
- Menu-based waveform selection instead of cycling
- Arpeggiator function
- Preset browser search and favorites filter
- Extended automation control for all knobs
- Keytracking for filter
- Reverb effect
- Accelerometer/gyroscopic velocity sensitivity
- Customizable number of keyboard keys

## Recent user reviews (10 of 80)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/agonizer/id1499426175/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Such a good-sounding synth!

*2026-05-30*

I love it!
Sounds great. Accessible, the knobs do things, the set-up is worth trying to understand because it reveals itself to you (at least for me it did) pretty easily. The presets are good and the dials are still worth turning!
Playable, musical, gnarly. I love it.

### 3/5 — sounds great but serious;y lacks in polish

*2025-10-20*

the freaking keyboard is not working like a typical mono-synth keyboard should, very frustrating, sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t, what are you guys thinking, any keyboard if you hold a key down and you play an other note will play the last note pushed, not this one! 🤦🏻‍♂️ even of you set this in the setting still not doing it in many cases, the wobbulater is also kind of a disappointment, a great idea poorly executed that limits it’s usefulness and locks you in into a weird button pushing slow workflow, why can’t we draw an envelope, why do we have to choose from preset envelopes and why not a menu, why do I have to cycle though the choices? makes no sense too me… also, why do I have to push buttons to go from one waveform to an other, why not a menu where I see what is available and choose without cycling through all of them, you can keep the buttons if you like that and give a menu too!  An other thing, why keep it strictly a monosynth and cut out a whole world of creative opportunity, why don’t you just put a button to switch from mono the poly like any other synth does, after all this is not a hardware synth, it’s a freaking digital synth, why limit it in such a drastic way?  It’s just many weird choices in UX and logic that makes 0 sense to me… really guys, did you think this through? I don’t think so. If you fix these weird choices it could be a great synth, right now it is a bunch of frustrations bundled together that slows down the workflow down and some makes you want to ditch the whole thing… what a pity since the sounds it can make is actually good. Fix this please!

### 1/5 — Uhmmmmmm

*2025-05-25, version 1.3*

If haq attack actually used this app for more than a video tutorial, there’s no way he would think this is somehow flawless and good?

### 3/5 — No sound in GarageBand

*2025-05-24, version 1.3*

When i opening this synth in garageband, it disables all sound in GB and it recovering after deleting Agonizer’s track. 100% repro, iphone 12

### 5/5 — One of my favorites

*2025-01-31*

Just a note. It seems iOS 18.3 has caused some problems with Agonizer. It gets stuck on the splash screen. I’ve tried resetting the iPad and re-downloading the app. Hope an update is in the works. I’ll revise my review.

### 5/5 — Quit Hunting for a Bass App!

*2024-12-30, version 1.3*

Speechless! Great work and an excellent product! Thanks dudes! Worth every dime!

### 3/5 — No sound as Auv3

*2024-08-28, version 1.3*

Same thing here, excellent synth in standalone, but impossible to have sound in a host like AUM or AuV3.
Is it possible to fix it, because the synth is great, and it is a pity not being able to use in tracks
Thanks

### 5/5 — Fat bass

*2024-08-05*

Fat bass

### 2/5 — Crash Bang Wallop

*2024-05-27*

As a standalone it’s very nice and in the short time it runs in Audiobus I’m impressed.
Unfortunately after a couple of minutes it crashes which is pretty frustrating seeing as a paid almost £8 for it.
Uninstalled and tried again with the same result. Any advice would be most welcome.

### 5/5 — Unique and Deep

*2024-05-18*

But what I love most about Agonizer is how it is clearly a labor of love, and how it continues to grow and develop. Worth a bit of effort to get to know this one, but there are tons of great presets for the impatient too!

## Frequently asked questions about Agonizer

### What is Agonizer?

Agonizer is a monophonic synthesizer specifically designed for bass sounds. It was developed in collaboration with synth bass expert Jakob Haq. The app offers a robust synth engine with dual wavetable oscillators, a mangle section, and built-in stereo effects, making it suitable for a wide range of bass sound design.

### What are the key features of Agonizer?

Key features include a monophonic synth engine focused on bass, dual wavetable oscillators with morphing and X-Mod, a mangle section for sound manipulation, a VA ladder filter, and a Wobulator for sequenced LFO effects. It also boasts 140+ factory presets, stereo effects like vintage chorus and digital delay, and extensive connectivity options.

### How much does Agonizer cost?

The application is available for free with in-app purchases. This model allows users to explore the app's core functionality before deciding to invest in additional features or content.

### What are the compatibility requirements for Agonizer?

Agonizer requires iOS 12 or newer and is compatible with iPad Air 2 or newer devices. It supports standalone operation, Audio Unit v3 Extension, Inter App Audio, and Audiobus, providing flexibility for integration into various mobile music workflows.

### Who is Agonizer designed for?

This app is ideal for electronic music producers, sound designers, and synth enthusiasts who are looking for a powerful and versatile monophonic synthesizer. Its focus on bass sounds, MPE controller support, and extensive connectivity options make it a valuable tool for creating deep and complex basslines.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.1 — 2026-05-21

- Fixed an issue where the plugin would randomly crash when loading large host sessions
- Fixed an issue where MIDI mapping parameters in AUM would not work properly

### 1.3 — 2024-05-14

- Upgraded mod matrix adds second layer of modulation via modifiers  
- Added Highpass and Bandpass filter modes
- Envelope controls are now modulation destinations 
- Wobulator Rate is now a modulation destination 
- OSC Detune and Sub are now modulation destinations
- Added X-Ray mode
- Minor bug fixes and visual tweaks

### 1.2.4 — 2022-08-04

- New Chrome Oasis Preset Pack!
- Minor Visual tweaks and bug fixes

### 1.2.3 — 2022-01-04

- Fixed UI Layout issues on 9.7 and 11 inch devices 
- Fixed an issue where the IAP store would display wrong prices in some cases

### 1.2.2 — 2021-10-30

- Fixed an issue where the audio engine would stop working after changing patches in some cases

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## More apps by Kai Aras

- [MIDIBrute](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midibrute/id1010753735)
- [RP-1 Delay](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rp-1-delay/id1079530569)
- [RF-1 Reverb](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rf-1-reverb/id1097763239)
- [VC-1 Chorus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vc-1-chorus/id1130683829)
- [Italizer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/italizer/id1133091743)
- [VOLT Synth](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volt-synth/id1185984394)

All apps by Kai Aras: https://appshunter.io/developer/370820899

## Related topics

[agonizer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/agonizer) · [agones](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/agones)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*