Comparison

Sonic Synth vs JAX ESSENTIALS

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

Head to head
About

Sonic Synth

Create a wide variety of sounds with this FM synthesizer app. It features three independent oscillators, each capable of generating four unique waveforms, and offers a responsive touch keyboard for real-time performance. Enjoy high-quality audio with a 44100 Hz sample rate.

Highlights
  • 3 independent oscillators
  • 4 waveform types per oscillator
  • Volume, modulation, tone, and detune controls
  • Envelope filters (attack, sustain, release)
  • Multitouch support
  • Responsive piano keyboard
  • Core MIDI support
Features
Read full description

Sonic Synth is very capable FM Synthesizer app with 3 oscillators. Every oscillator is independent and can generate 4 wave forms. The app works with 44100 Hz sample rate so the sound quality is great. Core MIDI - support for MIDI keyboards via USB The touch keyboard is also very responsive and dynamic - feels like a real instrument. Keys are big enough. The last wave form is our secret algorithm for string sound also generated by the oscillators. Variety of sounds can be created and even changed real time while you are playing using the setting of the 3 oscillators of the synthesizer. Sonic Synth main features:
- 3 oscillators
- 4 wave form types for every oscillator
- volume, modulation, tone and detune for every oscillator
- envelope filters (attack sustain release)
- multitouch
- fast and usable piano keyboard 
You can now use your phone or tablet as a recording instrument.

About

JAX ESSENTIALS

This audio effect plugin offers a multi-stage phaser modulation with allpass filters for dynamic soundscapes. It's compatible across Apple devices and integrates with popular music production software.

Highlights
  • Multi-stage phaser modulation
  • Allpass filter design
  • LFO for depth and speed modulation
  • Cross-device preset sharing
  • Includes ~200 factory presets
  • Resizable and adaptive interface
Features
Read full description

( THIS IS AN AUDIOUNIT. AudioUnits are app extensions, requiring any audio host application to perform. ) Use the same AudioUnits across all modern Apple devices, including the iPhone and the Mac (Apple Silicon). Native MacOS apps like GarageBand, MainStage 3 and Logic Pro X are fully supported. Any 3rd-party AUv3 supporting host should be able to host the plugin too. The JAX ESSENTIAL SERIES Phaser is a multi stage phaser modulation effect that uses multiple allpass filters, to produce all kinds of the famous phaser effect. A low frequency oscillator modulates depth and speed of the filter modulation on both stereo channels for various living and moving sound nuances. Make static sounding voices more interesting or create sweaping special effects. You may share the presets for this effect across all your supported devices. Around 200 factory presets are included, you can make and export/import your own. The complete manual is included and can be previewed on our support website: https://audio.digitster.com For advanced usage (i.e. mastering and exciting), we recommend to select the phaser from our SELECTIVE RANGE SERIES, which allows to limit the frequency range for processing. This build is truly 'universal', meaning, the audio unit is available for: - iOS (all actual iPhones) - iPadOS (all actual iPads) - macOS (Apple Silicon) - visionOS (Apple Vision Pro) Requirements: MacOS 11.0++ iOS 14.0++ Behaviour on all devices is identical. The parametric interface is resizeble and adopts to any screen size and orientation. This especially applies to Logic Pro X and all hosts with adjustable window sizes on all platforms. Display contrast can be adjusted freely and is now saved with each preset.

Screenshots

Sonic Synth3 screens
JAX ESSENTIALS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: JAX ESSENTIALS at 5.0 against Sonic Synth's 3.0. JAX ESSENTIALS also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). Sonic Synth's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Sonic Synth costs $1.99 and JAX ESSENTIALS $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

JAX ESSENTIALS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sonic Synth ships an update every 6 months, JAX ESSENTIALS every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Sonic Synth versus JAX ESSENTIALS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSonic SynthJAX ESSENTIALS
Price$1.99 — better$4.99
Rating3.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandar MlazevJens Guell

Customer experience

Sonic Synth

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

JAX ESSENTIALS

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Sonic Synth

No in-app purchases

None

JAX ESSENTIALS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sonic Synth free?
Sonic Synth costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is JAX ESSENTIALS free?
JAX ESSENTIALS costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sonic Synth or JAX ESSENTIALS?
JAX ESSENTIALS is rated higher. Sonic Synth averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while JAX ESSENTIALS averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Sonic Synth or JAX ESSENTIALS have ads?
Neither Sonic Synth nor JAX ESSENTIALS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sonic Synth or JAX ESSENTIALS?
Sonic Synth ships an update every 6 months, and JAX ESSENTIALS every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sonic Synth was updated on October 7, 2026 and JAX ESSENTIALS on October 12, 2026.

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