Comparison

Theremin Synth vs Year One

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

Head to head
About

Theremin Synth

Create unique soundscapes with this multitouch synthesizer. Record, loop, and overdub your creations, then export them as WAV files to share. Experiment with various waveforms and effects for endless sonic possibilities.

Highlights
  • Multitouch synthesis
  • Record, loop, and overdub
  • Adjustable delay, feedback, and scuzz effects
  • Four waveform options
  • Export recordings as WAV files
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

This is a multitouch synth instrument. Play it by touching and swiping the screen, changing the waveforms and sliding the effects to create anything from traditional sci-fi theremin sounds to deep scuzzy soundscapes. Use the looper controls to record, loop and overdub layers. Then if you wish to save or share your recording, hit the download button to send your wav file to other compatible apps like Messages, Email, Dropbox etc. The original Theremin went live in 2014 on the web at femurdesign.com/theremin. Over a million hits later and hundreds of requests for a record button, I have redesigned it. Now the Theremin is ready for you to experiment with. Happy playing! -- SPECIFICATIONS -- • Record, loop and overdub options. • Multitouch allows up to 8 tones to be played simultaneously with your fingers • 3 sliders: delay, feedback and scuzz • 4 waveforms: sine, square, triangle and saw • No internet needed, works both online and offline • Download the loop as a .wav file • Loops can be shared with other apps like Mail, Message and more. • 1000+ installs • Compatible with iOS versions 8 - 10 • Optimized for iPhone, iPad & iPad Pro -- REVIEWS -- Gizmodo "Just mess around! Twiddle those faders! Swipe and click with reckless abandon! Turn the volume all the way up, give the dog a panic fit, and make your neighbours think the street's being invaded by giant cabbage people from planet Zok. Trust me, this will never get old.” Dangerous Minds “New online theremin simulator kind of sounds cooler than the real thing. Check it out and annoy your co-workers.” Mashable “Messing around with this virtual theremin is completely addicting” -- CONTACT -- To find out about my other musical app projects, please go to femurdesign.com and share your loops with me on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook: facebook.com/femurdesign Twitter: @femurdesign For any queries and support contact me here: femurdesign.com/support

About

Year One

Experience music in a new dimension with augmented reality. Move around your space to uncover hidden sounds, build melodies, and create unique listening experiences by interacting with spatial audio arrangements.

Highlights
  • Spatial album listening
  • Augmented reality soundscapes
  • Interactive music exploration
  • Build melodies and chords
  • Dynamic audio effects
  • Create unique listening experiences
Read full description

Hear different lyrics in the corners of your room; build melodies as you walk around your couch; hear hidden parts and build your own chords just by walking through the space around you. Year One is the first spatial album, utilizing the possibilities of augmented reality technology, by D.C. group and label TCW. Upon launching the Year One app, the different sounds and instruments of the songs will populate and begin moving through the space around you. Your movement, tracked by your smartphone, will affect which sounds you hear and change how individual effects are applied to them, making for a different listening experience each time. This final release of the album contains all eight spatial arrangements from TCW, Wall of Trophies, and N.E. Hertzberg. TCW has released a how-to guide for any musician to build their own similar app independently. Alongside the guide, TCW has begun cataloging spatial composition techniques for other musicians to use and contribute to. This guide and techniques can all be found on tcwav.com. TCW released their first spatial album, Inauguration, in early 2017 using smartphone GPS positional tracking, and released a similar guide for building spatial applications. Contact the group at tcw@tcwav.com Headphones required for proper audio spatialization.

Screenshots

Theremin Synth4 screens
Year One4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Theremin Synth at 64% against Year One's 0%. Theremin Synth also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.0). Year One's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and rating (4.3 vs 3.2). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Year One is free to download; Theremin Synth costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Year One holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Theremin Synth's written reviews are positive against 0% of Year One's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theremin Synth ships an update every 2 months, Year One every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Theremin Synth versus Year One: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheremin SynthYear One
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.2 (6 ratings)4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB407 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuke PhillipsTCW

Customer experience

Theremin Synth

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.4%

Year One

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Theremin Synth

No in-app purchases

None

Year One

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Theremin Synth free?
Theremin Synth costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Year One free?
Year One is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Theremin Synth or Year One?
Year One is rated higher. Theremin Synth averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Year One averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Theremin Synth or Year One have ads?
Neither Theremin Synth nor Year One shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Theremin Synth or Year One?
Theremin Synth ships an update every 2 months, and Year One every 7 months. Most recently, Theremin Synth was updated on October 16, 2026 and Year One on October 5, 2026.

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