GeoShred Play vs SynthMaster 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GeoShred Play
This app offers a unique musical playing surface that allows anyone to create music without hitting a wrong note. It features a diatonic keyboard and supports backing tracks, with options for purchasing additional instruments and upgrading to advanced features.
- Diatonic playing surface
- Physically modeled guitar
- Support for backing tracks
- Inter-App Audio and Audiobus support
- Optional instrument purchases
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GeoShred Play Version 7 With In-App Purchases for GeoSWAM and Naada instruments on devices running iOS 13 or later. With GeoShred Play, everyone can shred. Play with confidence on GeoShred’s innovative diatonic playing surface, where every key can fit the scale. Slide your finger in any direction and let the music flow with expressive vibrato, seamless fretless playing, and GeoShred’s groundbreaking intelligent pitch rounding. GeoShred Play is the play-only version of the award-winning GeoShred musical instrument for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. It is a great way to get started with GeoShred, giving you access to the expressive GeoShred performance surface and the ability to play GeoShred Pro presets. GeoShred Play can also be upgraded** to the functionality of GeoShred Pro, adding powerful features including preset editing, AUv3 plug-in support, MIDI/MPE, and setlist editing. GeoSWAM and Naada instruments are also available as In-App Purchases. GeoShred’s expressive performance surface with “almost magic” pitch-rounding algorithms is coupled with physics-based models of musical instruments. It is a fusion of Jordan Rudess’ performance concepts and moForte’s powerful modeled guitar and effects technology, based on the physical modeling research of Dr. Julius O. Smith III of Stanford/CCRMA. Awards • 2nd Place Winner, 2022/2025 MIDI Innovation Award for Software • Gold Medal Winner, 2019 Denny Award • Winner, 2019 Guthman New Musical Instrument Award • Winner, 2017 Electronic Musician Editor’s Choice Award GeoShred Play Features • Fluidly expressive playing surface • Built-in physically modeled guitar • Diatonic keyboard mode where every key is in the scale • Backing track support • 3D Touch on supported devices • Inter-App Audio and Audiobus support • Play GeoShred Pro presets • In-App Purchases for GeoSWAM and Naada instruments • Upgrade path to the functionality of GeoShred Pro GeoSWAM and Naada instruments can be performed from the GeoShred keyboard, MPE controllers, conventional MIDI controllers, and wind controllers. Praise for the GeoShred family of apps “GeoShred is brilliant - it’s a real instrument.” — Eddie Jobson “A fantastic new invention which is going to revolutionize the way music is played, expressed and learned!” — Patrick Moraz “That’s just nuts. You’re the best guitarist-without-a-guitar of all time.” — Joe Satriani “GeoShred is a breakthrough musical instrument for the iPad.” — Craig Anderton, Harmony Central We are dedicated to delivering the highest level of musical instrument experience for our customers worldwide. If you enjoy GeoShred Play, please leave a review on the App Store. Questions? Contact us at support@moforte.com Minimum Requirements iOS 13 or later is required for the GeoSWAM and Naada instruments. * Due to App Store limitations, previously purchased individual instrument IAPs cannot be applied to the purchase of a collection IAP. ** The Pro upgrade is to the functionality of GeoShred Pro. The app remains GeoShred Play, but gains all Pro features and becomes functionally identical to GeoShred Pro
SynthMaster 2
This powerful software synthesizer offers a vast array of sound design capabilities, including multiple oscillator modes, extensive modulation options, and a wide selection of filters. Explore over 1000 factory presets or create your own unique sounds. Available as a standalone app or AUv3 plugin.
- Multiple oscillator modes (Basic, Additive, Wavetable, Vector)
- Extensive modulation architecture
- 6 filter categories
- Import custom wave files
- 1000+ factory presets
- Standalone app and AUv3 plugin
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KV331 Audio is proud to announce the availability of their award winning software synthesizer SynthMaster 2.9 on iOS platform. As being the first app developed using KV331 Audio’s new cross-platform UI framework, SynthMaster 2 runs as a standalone app or AUv3 plugin on iPads with iOS 11 and above. SynthMaster 2 supports native resolutions of various iPad devices. User interfaces are provided for 9.7, 11 and 12.9 inch iPads in 4 different skins (Blue, White, Dark, Proto). Separate interfaces are provided for the AudioUnit plugin as well. SynthMaster 2 comes with 1000 factory presets designed by world class sound designers such as BigTone, Nori Ubukata, NatLife and Yuli Yolo. Thanks to the comprehensive preset browsing features, users can easily filter presets by author name, bank name, instrument type or preset name and find the sounds that they are looking for. There’s also an IAP Shop, which lets users purchase additional sounds: 1. "Desktop Presets Upgrade": This IAP adds all factory presets in SynthMaster 2.9, increasing the total preset count to 2000. 2. "All Expansions Bundle": This IAP adds all current 38 SynthMaster preset expansion banks. Sound Engine: At the heart of SynthMaster 2’s powerful sound engine lies its oscillators, modulators, and filters. Oscillators: The oscillators can operate in 4 different modes to generate sound: 1. In Basic mode, the oscillator plays single cycle waveforms or samples. With the Oscillator Unison turned on, up to 8 voices per oscillator can be played. 2. In Additive mode, 8 Basic oscillators can be stacked up to create richer tones. 3. In Wavetable mode, the oscillator can play wavetables with up to 256 frames. 4. In Vector mode, 4 Basic oscillators are mixed in 2 dimensions. Modulators: Modulators are simply basic oscillators that can be added to other oscillators or modulate other oscillators’ or modulators’ phases. By connecting modulators to other oscillators or modulators, complex FM tones can be synthesized. Importing Wave Files into SynthMaster: While designing sounds, users can easily import wave files into SynthMaster 2. SynthMaster 2 can categorize those files into waveforms, wavetables or multi samples and import them accordingly. Filters: Once the sound is generated by the oscillators it goes through SynthMaster’s filters, which can operate in 6 different categories: Digital, VAnalog, Ladder, Diode Ladder, State Variable and Bite. Custom distortion can be applied before or after the filters as well. Modulation Architecture: SynthMaster 2 features a comprehensive modulation architecture with a wide range of modulation sources: 1. MIDI controls 2. Macros controls 3. 4 ADSR envelopes per layer 4. 4 Multisegmented envelopes per payer 5. 4 LFOs per layer 6. 4 Sequencers per layer 7. 4 Keyscalers per layer There’s real-time visual feedback that lets users see how modulation sources and targets are changing when a note is being played. This is extremely helpful when designing sounds with SynthMaster 2. New modulations can be created easily by dragging and dropping a modulation source onto a knob or slider control. Users can easily see which controls are modulated by a modulation source by clicking on that source. Controls that are being modulated by that source will display modulation amounts. By long pressing a control, the modulation amount can be edited without the need to go through the mod matrix. Arp/Sequencer: SynthMaster features a comprehensive arpeggiator / sequencer with 32 steps. Users can easily create sequences by recording steps one by one. Effects: Each of the 2 layers in SynthMaster has 5 insert effect slots. 13 different types of effects can be instantiated in any of those slots. There are also 2 global effect send busses which can be used to create more complex effect routings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: GeoShred Play at none against SynthMaster 2's shown. GeoShred Play also leads on price ($9.99 vs $14.99) and review sentiment (91% vs 68%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence 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
GeoShred Play costs $9.99 and SynthMaster 2 $14.99 up front. GeoShred Play sells 32 one-off in-app purchases and SynthMaster 2 sells 32 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for GeoShred Play against 4.8 for SynthMaster 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 516 and 451 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of GeoShred Play's written reviews are positive against 68% of SynthMaster 2's.
GeoShred Play ships an update every 2 weeks, SynthMaster 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GeoShred Play | SynthMaster 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (516 ratings) — better | 4.8 (451 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.5% of reviews — better | 68.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 516 — better | 451 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 777 MB | 918 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wizdom Music LLC | KV331 Audio |
Customer experience
GeoShred Play
SynthMaster 2
User reviews
GeoShred Play
From 516 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Incredibly expressive and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use interface
- 🎨 Vast sound library and customization options
- 💡 Useful for both beginners and professionals
- 🎸 Realistic and high-quality instrument emulation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption on mobile devices
- 💰 Some users find the pricing a bit high
SynthMaster 2
From 451 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Best synth on iPad
- 👍 Delicious sound
- 👍 Tremendously powerful synth
- 👍 Great synth with complex possibilities and great sound(s)
- 👍 Perfeito
Room to improve
- 🐛 Auswahl der Modulationsquellen funktioniert nicht richtig
- 🐛 Echt schlecht
- 🐛 Broken Preset System for a powerful synth
- 🐛 Please fix the OSC behavior on Square and Saw
- 🐛 Preset issues
Bugs and requests
GeoShred Play
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when playing multiple simultaneous notes
- Compatibility issues with certain iOS devices
- Inconsistent behavior when using the app with other DAWs
Requested features
4 requests- More tutorial and learning resources
- Improved MIDI integration and compatibility
- Expanded sound library with more instrument types
- Ability to save and share custom presets
SynthMaster 2
Reported bugs
4 issues- Presets not loading correctly
- Modulation not working after loading project
- Skin resets to default
- App crashes frequently
Requested features
2 requests- Pitch bend/glide for imported samples
- Integration with AUM audio mixer
In-app purchases
GeoShred Play
- GeoBassTrombone$10.00
- GeoClarinet$10.00
- Naada Dizi$10.00
Show 29 moreShow fewer
- Naada Nadaswaram$10.00
- GeoOboe$14.99
- Naada Saraswati Veena$14.99
- GeoTrumpet$14.99
- GeoBassFlute$14.99
- Pro Features Upgrade$14.99
- GeoCello$14.99
- GeoTenorSax$14.99
- GeoFlute$14.99
- GeoViolin$14.99
- Naada Carnatic Violin$14.99
- Naada Cello$14.99
- Naada Acoustic Guitar$14.99
- Naada Bansuri$14.99
- Naada Rudra Veena$14.99
- Naada Erhu$14.99
- Naada Bass$14.99
- GeoViola$14.99
- GeoPizzBass$14.99
- Naada Pan Flute$14.99
- Naada Duduk$14.99
- Naada Viola$14.99
- GeoSWAM Collection II$40.00
- Naada Collection III$50.00
- GeoSWAM Collection I$74.99
- Naada Collection 1$74.99
- Naada Collection I & II$80.00
- GeoSWAM Collection I & II$119.99
- Naada Collection I & II & III$179.99
SynthMaster 2
- BigTone Tableworks Vol.2$1.99
- Burak Yeter Synth Sounds Vol1$1.99
- Aiyn Zahev Expansion 1$1.99
Show 29 moreShow fewer
- BigTone Tableworks Vol.1$1.99
- Michael Kastrup Expansion$1.99
- EDM Stars Volume 1$1.99
- Nori Ubukata Pop Hits Vol.4$1.99
- Rob Lee EDM Expansion Vol.2$1.99
- Alonso Sound Future Rave$1.99
- Nori Ubukata Pop Hits Vol.1$1.99
- BigTone Techno Bits Vol.1$1.99
- Club Sequences Vol.1$2.99
- Historical Synth Giants Vol.3$2.99
- Dawn of Electronic Music Vol.2$2.99
- Nori Ubukata Art Rock Basics$2.99
- BigTone Analog Basics 02$4.99
- BigTone Analog Basics$4.99
- BigTone Signature Sounds Vol.1$4.99
- NU Sounds of the World$4.99
- Historical Synth Giants Vol.4$4.99
- Historical Synth Giants Vol.1$4.99
- Historical Synth Giants Vol.2$4.99
- Japan Vintage$4.99
- NatLife Future Bass Sounds$4.99
- Danyella EDM Expansion Vol.1$4.99
- Dawn of Electronic Music Vol.1$4.99
- Dawn of Electronic Music Vol.3$4.99
- Rob Lee EDM Expansion Vol.3$4.99
- Natlife Disco Funk$4.99
- Insigne Essentials 4 Clubbin$4.99
- Desktop Presets Upgrade$9.99
- All Expansions Bundle$49.99








