Comparison

Viking Synth vs Black Distortion

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Viking Synth

This app emulates a classic monophonic analog synthesizer with advanced DSP technology. It features three variable wave oscillators, dual ladder filters, an LFO, and two modulation busses for versatile sound design. An intuitive interface and extensive preset library make it ideal for creating thick bass and rich lead sounds.

Highlights
  • Three continuously variable wave oscillators
  • Dual ladder filters (Lowpass/Highpass)
  • Multi-wave LFO
  • Two modulation busses
  • Intuitive user interface with expandable controls
  • 228 presets including Bass, Lead, and Synthwave
  • State-of-the-art DSP for authentic sound
Read full description

Viking Synth is an authentic emulation of a classic monophonic analog synthesizer. It has three continuously variable wave oscillators, two ladder filters with a Dual Lowpass or Highpass/Lowpass configuration, a multi-wave LFO, and two modulation busses. Viking Synth uses state of the art DSP technology to accurately reproduce the sound of the hardware. You get a desktop quality plug-in at an iOS friendly price. Viking Synth is an Audio Unit Extension Instrument (AUv3) that works as a plug-in inside host apps. Just open up your favorite host that supports Audio Unit Instruments and select it from the list of available Audio Units. Compatible with GarageBand, Cubasis, Auria, BeatMaker, AudioBus, AUM, Modstep, and more. The user interface of Viking Synth is designed for quick and intuitive control. Knobs and sliders expand during tweaking and are designed so the current value isn't hidden below your finger. The six pages divide the synth into logical sections that can be accessed quickly. The filter display acts as an XY pad for controlling cutoff and resonance. Simply double tap a knob or slider to reset it to its default value. Presets Viking Synth comes with 228 presets in the categories Bass, Bright Lead, Electro Bass, FX, Percussive Lead, Soft Lead, and Synthwave. The synth excels at thick bass and rich lead sounds. The 50 Electro Bass and 50 Synthwave presets were designed by renowned sound designer eXode. Presets work perfectly with GarageBand, Cubasis, and AUM. Oscillators At the heart of Viking are three adjustable wave oscillators. The continuously variable waveform knob gives the oscillators a unique sound that can’t be achieved with the fixed waveforms found in most synths. A noise oscillator provides three types of noise, one specifically modeled after the hardware. Modulation Two modulation busses and an LFO provide flexible modulation capabilities. All of the options hidden deep in menus on the hardware are immediately accessible with one tap. Filters The filters are classic transistor ladder filters modeled meticulously. Two DSP varieties are available allowing for either reduced CPU load or soft clipping plus three additional overdriven modes. The number of poles is adjustable for a wider range of filter sounds. Compare Viking to other synths: – Viking’s oscillators are free running, not sampled, wavetable based, or generated from a zero point – Viking’s oscillators use advanced techniques to avoid aliasing – Viking’s oscillators have instability, which is controllable through the tuning drift control – Viking’s nonlinear filter uses circuit modeling and provides soft clipping

About

Black Distortion

This audio plugin emulates a classic distortion pedal, offering versatile gain levels from mild overdrive to fuzzy tones. It features a unique filter control to shape high-end frequencies and a volume control for perfect integration with your existing sound. Use it as a primary distortion, a dirty channel for amplifiers, or a boost for solos.

Highlights
  • RAT2 distortion pedal emulation
  • Adjustable gain from overdrive to fuzz
  • Legendary filter control for treble shaping
  • Volume control for clean tone matching
  • Standalone, AudioUnit v3, and Inter-App Audio support
Features
Read full description

The Black Distortion plugin modeled on RAT2* distortion pedal will be your go-to distortion plugin for every recording, whether it’s rock, blues, punk, or jazz. The beauty of the Black Distortion plugin lies in its versatility. Used as a primary distortion, it excels at arena rock rhythm tones and soaring leads. Do you have an amplifier plugin with too much headroom? Let the Black Distortion plugin be your dirty channel. Maybe you already love your amplifier plugin distortion. Use the Black Distortion plugin as a boost for solos and get the extra kick you need. The Black Distortion plugin features the legendary filter control. Turn it to the right to roll off brittle high-end frequencies. Having trouble cutting through the mix? Turn it to the left and allow the natural brightness of your instrument to shine through. Black Distortion plugin dials in the perfect amount of gain, from mild overdrive to full out fuzzy assault, and the volume control lets you dial it in just perfectly against your bypassed clean tone. Legal Disclaimer: *All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Nembrini Audio SRL. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Nembrini Audio’s sound design process. Works as a standalone app, AudioUnit v3 effect, or Inter-App Audio effect

Screenshots

Viking Synth4 screens
Black Distortion1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Black Distortion at Free against Viking Synth's $3.99. Black Distortion also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 12.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Black Distortion is free to download; Viking Synth costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Black Distortion holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 23 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Viking Synth's written reviews are positive against 67% of Black Distortion's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Viking Synth versus Black Distortion: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViking SynthBlack Distortion
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (42 ratings)5.0 (23 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.4% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings42 — better23
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlamsoft, Inc.Nembrini Audio

Customer experience

Viking Synth

All ratings42 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral11.3%
Negative19.4%

Black Distortion

All ratings23 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Viking Synth

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Presets not showing up
  • Presets disappear
  • App not showing in AUv3 menu
  • Settings not saving after iOS 14 update
  • Crashes when opening presets browser
Show 1 more
  • Saved presets not loading

Requested features

5 requests
  • More subtle drive mode
  • Categorized preset browser
  • Polyphony option
  • Dark mode
  • More apps from developer

Black Distortion

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Viking Synth

No in-app purchases

None

Black Distortion

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Viking Synth free?
Viking Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Black Distortion free?
Black Distortion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Viking Synth or Black Distortion?
Black Distortion is rated higher. Viking Synth averages 4.7 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Black Distortion averages 5.0 from 23 ratings.
Do Viking Synth or Black Distortion have ads?
Neither Viking Synth nor Black Distortion shows ads.

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