# LayR-Multi Timbral Synthesizer — user reviews > 104 indexed App Store user reviews of LayR by Living Memory Software, rated 4.50/5 from 95 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/layr-multi-timbral-synthesizer/id1155825562/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/layr-multi-timbral-synthesizer/id1155825562.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 77 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 7 · 2★ 7 · 1★ 3 ## What do users think of LayR? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🎵 Exceptional sound quality and rich audio output - 🧩 Powerful layering system for complex sound design - 🎹 Versatile synthesis engine with unlimited creative potential - 📚 Comprehensive preset library with inspiring sounds - 🎛️ Intuitive interface for deep functionality - 🔗 Excellent MIDI control and integration capabilities - ⚡ Efficient CPU usage despite complexity - 📱 Works seamlessly on both iPad and iPhone - 🎼 Advanced arpeggiator and sequencer features - 👨‍💻 Responsive developer with consistent updates - 💰 Excellent value for price - 🎨 Beautiful and elegant UI design **Cons** - 🐛 Audio crackling and popping on newer iPad Pro models - 🔥 High CPU usage causing performance issues - 🎹 Small keyboard keys difficult to play on mobile - 🌑 Dark interface hard to read and navigate - 📵 Crashes when used as Audio Unit in DAWs - ⚠️ Steep learning curve for beginners - 🔋 Battery drain when app is backgrounded - 🎛️ MIDI assignment dialog pops up unexpectedly - 🔌 Latency issues when multiple instances used - ❌ Missing preset content in recent updates - 🖥️ No Mac/VST version available - ⏱️ Arpeggiator gets stuck on hold function **Commonly reported bugs** - Audio crackling and popping on iPad Pro 2018 and newer - App crashes when used as Audio Unit in DAWs - Unable to exit app on newer iPad models without workaround - Arpeggiator gets stuck on notes in hold mode - Contact support link not functional - Apple's status bar overlays control labels - Preset content disappeared after reload - Stuck notes when using step arp with other AUs - App freezes and stutters on some devices - Inter-app audio crashes immediately - Velocity switch setting not saved between sessions - MIDI assignment dialog pops up during parameter editing **Most requested features** - Built-in sampler with pitch and time shift - Mac version or VST/AU plugin - Preset tagging and favorites system - Rearrangeable preset slots - More presets and sound banks - Song mode to link sequences together - 32 or 64-step sequencer instead of 16 - Additional effects as in-app purchases - Better preset management and organization - Ability to adjust LFO rates with other mod sources - Global toolbar for better navigation - Wavetable generator ## Newest reviews (12 of 104) ### 3/5 — As always, my reliable go-to instrument *2026-02-12* Update: Contact for Support does not seem to work saying Please Wait indefinitely . Update now causes Apple’s Idiot bar to persist, overlaying control labels and making it difficult to put Layr in the background ‘cleanly’. —- This, the Moog Model 15 and Audio Existence (AE) is at my beckoning. —— Layer (and Moog Music’s Model 15 with everything) is what time has shown to be all I need (I have all decent synths on iOS). Add imagination and an aural infinity is heard and begins an unWorldly creation. Thank you! ### 4/5 — Presets for Mac? *2025-10-23, version 1.5* oneof my fav Ipad synths...but where are the presets for Mac? exported a bank from my Ipad but I still canr seem to load them on my M3 MBP...i love this synth but im not prepared to start from nothing as far as presets go...especially since Ive alreadsy made a lot on my Ipad ### 3/5 — I wish I loved it *2024-03-07* The interface is too dark and dingy to make heads or tails out of. And the app does not lend itself to quick and easy use. Maybe I’m the wrong person for this app or this is the wrong app for me. ### 5/5 — Great app, imagine if it also had a built in sampler!!!! *2021-10-23* This app is great, one of my favs, got it when it first came out when I had an Air 2. I bought an IPad Pro 2020 last year and now I can use it to its full potential and I love it even more. Just a thought....but imagine if it had a built in sampler too with pitch and Time shift....🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯....it would be the one ring to rule them all!!!! **Developer response:** This issue was resolved a long time ago. Anyone who experiences crashes or bugs should write to us and let us know via our support links. We will fix all bugs as soon as we know about them! ### 4/5 — Great sounds, endless layers... one small problem *2021-07-06, version 1.45* The keys are too small!!! Great when you're hooked up to midi but when you're on the go and want to write… These tiny keys are impossible and I have small hands. or is there a way to stretch them in length? Widening helps, but they are just way too short. otherwise, great sounds ### 5/5 — A very musical app *2021-06-08, version 1.45* I still have a long way to go to fully explore what LayR has to offer, so other reviews will give you a more detailed sense of what it is. But, what I want to emphasise is how musically inspiring this is - everything I make (however good it is) has a musical character that is very different to what I create using other tools. Much of this is down to its clever sequencer, but is also aided by a great sound library. I’d love it if it had some kind of song mode structure to link sequences together, but really I do have other tools to do that, and to expect more is just me being greedy. Thoroughly recommended. ### 5/5 — Exellent ! *2021-05-19, version 1.45* Je viens de l acheter j ais eu peur car je n arrivais pas à lintegrer dans garage band mais c est bon j ais trouvé je vien de tester ça en midi avec mon microfreak et ma drumbrute j ais pris comme une claque deriere la tete le son est enorme. ### 5/5 — Wow! What a synth! *2021-05-17* Just buy this synth. I have tons of iOS synths and as others have said this is probably the best sounding. Developer is still updating it. Sure it’s cpu hungry but you can run on the older engine on older systems and knowing this there are many workarounds. Best $25 I’ve ever spent on a synth. ### 5/5 — wish it had favorites tagging for presets *2021-02-24* I love this synth's sound and programming capabilities, 5 stars no doubt. The one thing missing is to be able to tag presets. Right now I am saving my favorites in a dedicated folder. Works but is tedious. ### 5/5 — Sehr schön! *2021-01-19, version 1.45* Das Teil hat wirklich einen mega Sound! Die anfängliche Probleme mit der falschen Tonart als AudioUnit scheinen nun behoben zu sein. Jetzt freue ich mich über die unendlichen Möglichkeiten!! ### 4/5 — Superb Sounding but Poor Latency *2020-12-27, version 1.44* This synth sounds amazing but on my iPad 7 I can only get two instances of it into Cubasis and three into AUM before the crackling and popping starts. Author, Please test this yourself. ### 5/5 — Shocking! *2020-08-08* V. 1.2 is utterly shocking. I hooked my iPad Pro up to my audio system and dug in. As I poked around the new features and presets, I found myself slack-jawed with the old “deer in the headlights” look hanging on my face. The audio quality is so good (even when generating massively dense and complex sounds) it will make you consider going celibate just to spend more time with this instrument. I was so stunned that I just had to put it away (for a few minutes, anyway). Once I caught my breath I got right back into it. Imagine having something like 24 (or more) Yamaha CS-80s all stacked up and under your direct control. Yeah ...that’s about what its like. Did I mention the sound quality ...oh ...yeah. I did. In one way, this is a complex beast. But in another, it is fairly simple. The complexity comes largely from the duplication of basic synthesizers into layers and layers into performances. It is easy to get overwhelmed with what happens when you begin combining all of these elements. But ultimately the synth voice architecture and the way LayR manages its various levels is eminently logical and clear. The new performance features are fantastic. Patch management is easy and logical. Modulation matrix adds new flexabilty. The arpegiator was already great; now it’s better. The new manual is a great addition and finally, labeling the individual synthesizer controls was a feature that was badly needed. With all of these new additions, LayR is basically uh ...well, I guess I have to say it: a perfect keyboard synthesizer. Is there a way to award 10 stars on the ap store? ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Was ist los..... *2025-10-30, version 1.5* Wo sind die Sounds? ### 1/5 — Drained my battery while iPad was “sleeping” *2023-11-01, version 1.46* This things sucks…all the life out of your battery. Refunding. ### 1/5 — 5 stars when… *2023-03-15, version 1.45* Guys, the app is fascinating and thought through… but it misses something. First: no midi control over technical things like arp(latch/hold on off ), save/load ( still doable in AUM but then I can’t use it stand alone ), mute instruments, general reverb and delay parameters. Second: it crashes pretty often and the arpeggiator gets easily stuck on notes when on hold function, not something you can allow to happen live. It would be, for now, a 3 star app. But I REALLY want you to read this cause the potential is HUGE! Pleeeeease help us love you guys ### 1/5 — Totally useless *2021-09-19, version 1.45* …and a huge waste of money. Doesn’t do anything but make a sine wave. That’s it. That’s all. Utterly worthless. ### 1/5 — Ridiculous *2020-12-25, version 1.44* Ha! Do you want people to make music? Or click and play? This is awful ### 1/5 — Lags Wayy Too Much *2020-12-23, version 1.44* I have and iPad Pro 2020 and the app is nearly unusable due to the fact that the app freezes and stutters so much, I can’t even do anything. ### 1/5 — Waist of money *2017-07-15, version 1.0.5* Most nobs don't change nothing at all to any sound???? ### 2/5 — What happened? *2026-05-10, version 1.52* I reloaded Layr and it’s empty! What happened to all samples/examples/performances? Well it was fun while it lasted. Deleted. ### 2/5 — Never really been able to use it much.. *2020-09-23, version 1.43* Sounds good but the interface just confuses me more than anything else.. I get on better with other apps.. ### 2/5 — Needs a lot of work *2019-03-24, version 1.3.1* It took me several minutes to end the arp that looped endlessly while eating more than half of my iPhone XS Max resources with all the crackling in the background from 1 midi out and one channel! After trying to fix the crackle by reducing resources, I could not simply stop the playback! The user interface has no flow or gravity... So far I've noticed there is no global toolbar... If there is one... There is nothing that suggests there is one... I love opening apps like this that are "powerful" with "features" and "5 star reviews" to find myself doing anything I can at whatever cost to stop the playback and get out of the app! In short, terrible app because you failed to keep the user engaged and more importantly, lost the possibility of fixing the issue because this is beyond issue... Someone spent too much time on eye-candy and much less time on UX flow. One other thing. Whoever is handling the code should revisit "for loop" and "loop" statements. They also should learn how to think like an engineer and study how to write good strong code and paradigms because this app has so much potential yet so poorly written. Sorry, honest reviews help make us all better. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Like Dark Souls of synths—-very hard *2026-05-17* There’s lots of good reviews so it seems like people like this kind of high effort way to make a sound. ### 5/5 — Good very good *2026-01-21, version 1.51* Good very good ### 5/5 — Super cinematic !! Thanks *2025-01-01, version 1.47* More presets ? Please ### 5/5 — Incredible! *2024-04-18* It’s true that this is an incredibly complex instrument, but once you finally figure out just a fraction of what it’s capable of… no doubt you’ll be in awe of its rich, sophisticated power. I sure hope this is still being developed. It’s a true diamond gem ### 5/5 — Phenomenal *2023-06-21, version 1.46* A seriously great Synth, I love it! A soundscape creator’s dream. ### 5/5 — As always, my reliable go-to instrument *2023-06-03* Layer (and Moog Music’s Model 15 with everything) is what time has shown to be all I need (I have all decent synths on iOS). Add imagination and an aural infinity is heard and begins an unWorldly creation. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Il Synth pìù profondo che potrete trovate nello store *2023-04-05, version 1.45* La sua versatilità è letteralmente illimitata. Un castello fatto di strati ampli fino all’esplosione del tuo device. Comprarlo è un dovere. 10 non 5 stelle. Potenza allo stato puro. È il Synth infinito. ### 5/5 — Top of ALL Must-Have *2023-01-06, version 1.45* Some people say: „Best synth on iOS.“ And YES, it IS. The resulting output of a „simple“ single instance of LAYR can be complex and evolving like x tracks on a DAW. It‘s taking over the job of a DAW, but as a synth... Absolutely remarkable superclean sounding engine. An absolute bargain on iOS. NO-one regrets buying THIS! ### 5/5 — Insanely Sick 5⭐️ Are To Little !!!!!!! *2022-11-12, version 1.45* Unlimited Multi Layers CPU Friendly Out Of 5⭐️ I Give It 7⭐️ ### 5/5 — Thank you! *2022-07-11, version 1.45* My 12.9” iPad died and just now I about had a heart attack thinking I couldn’t, realistically, ‘actually play’ LayR on my iPhone 12 and how wrong I was! Thank you for actually making LayR an iPhone app too and not just a shrunk down iPad display. I love the triple zoom level and the multiple ways that you can activate zoom so you can use whichever is most comfortable at that moment. I have LayR in the background playing a drone. --- *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 2026-07-04.*