# Jam Synth > Monophonic guitar synthesizer and multi-FX for iOS with advanced pitch tracking. (iPhone/iPad app by Derek Mesecar.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jam-synth/id732618765 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Derek Mesecar](https://appshunter.io/developer/505825864) - Category: Music, Entertainment - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 5.00/5 from 28 App Store ratings · 19 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 5 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2013-11-02 - Data updated: 2026-08-22 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jam-synth/id732618765/reviews.md ## What is Jam Synth? Jam Synth is a fully featured monophonic guitar synthesizer / multi FX for iOS. It tracks the pitch and amplitude of an incoming guitar signal and uses this information to control digital oscillators, adding a unique guitar infused edge to your synth leads. Unlike typical pitch to MIDI converters, Jam Synth forgoes MIDI altogether when producing sounds internally because it is impossible to shoehorn the expressive pitch and dynamics of a stringed instrument into the MIDI standard. Jam Synth can accurately track string bends and vibrato with the extreme accuracy of a strobe tuner (1/10 of 1 cent) to produce much more organic synth sounds than other guitar to MIDI converters, including its own MIDI output (though its MIDI output still creates quite a unique guitar / synth hybrid sound because of its pitch bend abilities). It also features some of the most esoteric and unique FX you can get for your guitar. Features: • 3 Phase Distortion Oscillators (4 on iPad) with 8 different wave shapes: Saw, Square, Pulse, Double Sine, Saw-Pulse, Resonant 1, Resonant 2, and Resonant 3 • Filter can be set to track picking dynamics • Input section with Gate, Compressor, ADSR, and Input Filter • FX section - A fully featured LFO with 5 wave shapes and an invert switch for a wide range of pulsating effects - Stereo Delay with a stereo width control for ping pong effects and a filter for emulating analog delay - 3D Chorus, a classic "motionless" chorus that adds a stereo DIMENSION to the synth - Intelligent Harmonizer: This creates musically correct harmonies based on the key you are playing in. The harmonies can be altered by choosing a specific interval and one of the seven musical modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. It works on MIDI output using multi-channel pitch bending for synths that support such fancy things. It also works on your dry guitar output using high quality formant corrected pitch shift. It is just the best. - Rotary Vibe: This recreates the swirling psychedelic sounds of the 1960's by combining a thick 12-stage stereo phaser with a 3D rotary panning effect. Create anything from a slow stereo swirl to a futuristic synth organ with this. - Rainbows: Adds analog modeled auto rainbows to your sound. Adds extra rainbows when used with the harmonizer. - Time Stopper: Freezes time... • LFO / Stereo Delay / Rotary Vibe can be synced to tap tempo or incoming MIDI clock sync / Inter App Audio sync • Highly accurate pitch tracking and tuner, accurate to 1/10th of a cent • MIDI OUT and guitar to MIDI conversion for controlling other MIDI synths with your guitar through Core MIDI accessories and Virtual MIDI • string bends and vibrato are converted to MIDI pitch wheel data • picking dynamics are converted to MIDI volume expression data • compatible with guitar and audio interfaces made for iPhone and iPad • detailed user manual • Fat Bass • Super Chip Leads • Beagle Time • Little Cesars Jam Synth is designed to be easy to use even for users who don't have a lot of experience programming or playing synthesizers. When in doubt, just press buttons and turn knobs while plucking a string until you find a sound you like! J a m S y n t h 2 coming soon ---------------- http://www.facebook.com/PrimitiveDigitalSoftware ## Key features - Monophonic guitar synthesizer - Pitch and amplitude tracking - Multiple oscillator wave shapes - Dynamic filter tracking - Advanced FX section (LFO, Delay, Harmonizer, etc.) - MIDI output for external synths - High-accuracy pitch tuner ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Intelligent Harmonizer | Free | one-time | | Rotary Vibe | Free | one-time | | Rainbows | Free | one-time | | Time Stopper | Free | one-time | ## Recent user reviews (10 of 19) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jam-synth/id732618765/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Not seeing frequency numbers in Tuner? *2024-08-17, version 1.2.3* This is a great app but in the manual on the Tuner section it says it shows the exact frequencies. On my app all I see is the note and then a +/- cents number but no Hertz frequency numbers at all. Am I missing something or what? Please help ### 5/5 — For free? *2021-12-21, version 1.2.2* 15 years ago I wanted to experiment with guitar synthesis and purchased a Godin LXG-SA, and a Roland VG-99. $3,000. I haven’t fully dived into the harmony module, but would like to see the ability to chromatically alter the pitch of each string if that’s possible yet… Tracking is great with a bass too. ### 5/5 — Love this gem *2021-03-08, version 1.2.2* Please update! This is a gem and it needs to be updated. Make a pro version if necessary and charge more. I don’t play my guitars much (I do have a studio though) and I use this app for my bass and guitars to get some wild effects without a million pedals. This is a great app.. Love it still.. ### 5/5 — Restore purchases *2021-03-07, version 1.2.2* I can’t restore FX2 effects. Don’t know where to find IAP. Thanks,Michael. Sorry I don’t do face book or any of the other social media. Please help. Today 3-7-21 I received a email from the developer saying they got the issue taken care of. A great way to start the day. Perculator coffee and restored purchases. ### 1/5 — Was worth 5 stars, now app is dead *2020-10-22* I purchased EVERY IAP in this app. The app barely still works on iOS 12 on iPad Air 2, but the freezer, harmonizer, rainbows etc are now disabled. There is NO OPTION to restore purchases, so I can’t even access what I paid for. Miserable app support. **Developer response:** Crikey mate it’s been fixed for a while ### 5/5 — Never write these, but... *2018-10-14, version 1.2.2* With a careful touch, the dynamic response is quite amazing. Usual signal path is all tube with the a dynacomp as a boost for recording...recently switched to iPad as a recording platform. Just getting used to all the apps and keyboard adaptations, m-audio 49 great key feel, but missing that great feel from post effects on the board when processing guitar tracks. 500 later, basically replaced all but the art preamp, gt10 effects, which were separately tracked or amped that way on stage. This was easy to to use, with only my guitar volume to control response. Got very useable effects, great pick response rivaling tubes, this should be on every iPad arsenal. THANK YOU ### 5/5 — Well worth a try!!!! *2016-10-01, version 1.2.2* This free app is suprisingly flexible and powerful. I don't pay guitar at all, but have just used a microphone with the app to control the synth or access the effects loop. The synth tracks surprisingly well and the built-in effects capabilities are quite good. It's generally intuitive and if you have a basic understanding of analog synthesis and basic effects processing, I think you will love this. Did I mention it's free? ### 5/5 — Wow *2016-08-17, version 1.2.2* Excellent ### 5/5 — Quite Amazing *2015-10-28, version 1.2.2* Guitar to synth in no time, sounds excellent. Easy to use. ### 3/5 — Very good app for guitar synth *2015-04-29, version 1.2.2* Very good app to do experimental effects with guitar. It will be good to have more combinations to choice. ## Frequently asked questions about Jam Synth ### What makes Jam Synth's pitch tracking unique? Jam Synth tracks pitch with extreme accuracy, up to 1/10th of a cent, similar to a strobe tuner. This allows for more organic synth sounds and precise control over string bends and vibrato, surpassing typical pitch-to-MIDI converters. ### Can Jam Synth control other synthesizers? Yes, Jam Synth features MIDI OUT and guitar-to-MIDI conversion. It can control other MIDI synths through Core MIDI accessories and Virtual MIDI, converting string bends and vibrato to MIDI pitch wheel data. ### What kind of effects are available in Jam Synth? Jam Synth offers a variety of unique FX, including a fully featured LFO, stereo delay with ping pong capabilities, a 3D chorus for stereo dimension, an intelligent harmonizer for musically correct harmonies, and a rotary vibe for psychedelic sounds. ### Is Jam Synth compatible with different devices? Jam Synth is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It also works with guitar and audio interfaces made for iPhone and iPad. ### How often is Jam Synth updated? The latest version of Jam Synth is 1.2.3, which was last updated on February 22, 2023. This indicates a history of updates to improve functionality and add features. ### What is the age rating for Jam Synth? Jam Synth has an age rating of 4+. This suggests it is suitable for a wide range of users and does not contain mature content. ### Does Jam Synth offer different subscription tiers? The provided data indicates Jam Synth is free with in-app purchases, not a subscription-based model. Users can download and use the core features for free, with optional purchases available. ### How does Jam Synth handle picking dynamics? Jam Synth can set its filter to track picking dynamics, allowing for more expressive control over the synthesized sound. Picking dynamics are also converted to MIDI volume expression data when using MIDI output. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.2.3 — 2023-02-22 bugfixes ### 1.2.2 — 2014-11-04 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. v1.2.2 - better iOS 8 compatibility v1.2 - New IAP: Rainbows! Adds analog modeled auto rainbows to your sound. Adds extra rainbows when used with the harmonizer. - New IAP: Time Stopper! Freezes time... - Harmonizer now works on MIDI output - Harmonizer sends multi channel pitch bends to synths that support such fancy things - Dry guitar output is now passed through the app - Harmonizer also works on dry guitar output using high quality formant preserving pitch shift! Wow! - Transient detector added to enhance the triggering of note on events - Audiobus 2 w/ state saving - Audiobus filter slot. IMPORTANT: Jam Synth is designed to track the pure tone that comes from your guitar pickups. If you are going to send it a signal from another app you should use the input FILTER on the input page to filter out any extra harmonics or noise that may be present in an already-processed signal - Inter App Audio node / sync - Better sounding graphics - Audiophile quality fonts ### 1.2.1 — 2014-09-19 v1.2.1 - enhanced VoiceOver support for visually impaired users - MIDI learn for master mute on / off, time stopper freeze / unfreeze - fixed random crash when using time stopper - selectable audio inputs v1.2 - New IAP: Rainbows! Adds analog modeled auto rainbows to your sound. Adds extra rainbows when used with the harmonizer. - New IAP: Time Stopper! Freezes time... - Harmonizer now works on MIDI output - Harmonizer sends multi channel pitch bends to synths that support such fancy things - Dry guitar output is now passed through the app - Harmonizer also works on dry guitar output using high quality formant preserving pitch shift! Wow! - Transient detector added to enhance the triggering of note on events - Audiobus 2 w/ state saving - Audiobus filter slot. IMPORTANT: Jam Synth is designed to track the pure tone that comes from your guitar pickups. If you are going to send it a signal from another app you should use the input FILTER on the input page to filter out any extra harmonics or noise that may be present in an already-processed signal - Inter App Audio node / sync - Better sounding graphics - Audiophile quality fonts ### 1.2 — 2014-06-03 -New IAP: Rainbows! Adds analog modeled auto rainbows to your sound. Adds extra rainbows when used with the harmonizer. -New IAP: Time Stopper! Freezes time... -Harmonizer now works on MIDI output -Harmonizer sends multi channel pitch bends to synths that support such fancy things -Dry guitar output is now passed through the app -Harmonizer also works on dry guitar output using high quality formant preserving pitch shift! Wow! -Transient detector added to enhance the triggering of note on events -Audiobus 2 w/ state saving -Audiobus filter slot. IMPORTANT: Jam Synth is designed to track the pure tone that comes from your guitar pickups. If you are going to send it a signal from another app you should use the input FILTER on the input page to filter out any extra harmonics or noise that may be present in an already-processed signal -Inter App Audio node / sync -Better sounding graphics -Audiophile quality fonts ### 1.1 — 2013-12-26 - GREATLY IMPROVED MIDI OUTPUT: sends noteoffs, string bends work correctly (be sure to enable MIDI pitch bend in settings) -portamento knob to adjust glide time between notes - oscillators have more volume output - volume mute and MIDI switch added to toolbar and as Audiobus triggers - ADSR attack bugfix - Tuner graphics have been updated to show the extreme accuracy of the pitch tracking (accurate to 1/10th of a cent) - New IAP Intelligent Harmonizer: This creates musically correct harmonies based on the key you are playing in. The harmonies can be altered by choosing a specific interval and one of the seven musical modes: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. - New IAP Rotary Vibe: This recreates the swirling psychedelic sounds of the 1960's by combining a thick 12-stage stereo phaser with a 3D rotary panning effect. Create anything from a slow stereo swirl to a futuristic synth organ with this. - iOS 7 bugfixes ## Apps similar to Jam Synth | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [GSDSP MMM](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gsdsp-mmm/id6443846329) | 4.8 (34) | Free | Music | | [TriplexClassic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/triplexclassic/id6444733628) | 5.0 (15) | Free | Music | | [Roxsyn Guitar Synthesizer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roxsyn-guitar-synthesizer/id1472450599) | 4.7 (90) | $19.99 | Music | | [skippodisk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skippodisk/id6449685454) | 4.9 (10) | Free | Music | | [GSDSP MMMm](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gsdsp-mmmm/id6450306205) | 4.9 (14) | Free | Music | | [ChannelStrip LE](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/channelstrip-le/id6449458611) | 4.7 (12) | Free | Music | ## More apps by Derek Mesecar - [Beat-Machine](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-machine/id505825861) - [3D Chorus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-chorus/id1610943382) - [Rainbow Delay](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rainbow-delay/id1634495935) All apps by Derek Mesecar: https://appshunter.io/developer/505825864 ## Related topics [synthesizer guitar](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/synthesizer-guitar) · [gradient synth](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/gradient-synth) --- *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 2026-08-22.*