Comparison

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth vs Poly 2

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

Head to head
About

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

This app is a virtual analog and PCM synthesizer for iPad, inspired by the digital synthesizers of the 80s and 90s. It offers a vast library of presets, advanced synthesis features, and built-in effects for creating rich, retro-inspired sounds.

Highlights
  • 64-voice hybrid digital poly synthesis
  • 1GB+ of original samples
  • Stand-alone, IAA, and AUv3 support
  • Vintage-style arp/step sequencer
  • 3 LFOs with fun routings
  • Dual independent per-layer filters
  • Built-in FX suite
Read full description

Epic 64-voice Virtual Analog / PCM iPad Synth Inspired by the Digital Synths of the 80s and 90s - ** TOP 3 iOS MUSIC APPS OF 2018 *** - Music Radar Awards (Computer Music & Future Music Magazine) - * Featured By Apple in "New Apps We Love!" ** "Fans of the D-50, JD-990, 01/W, Wavestation... Rejoice!" - Music Radar FULLY LOADED w/ 500+ presets by Brice Beasley, Matthew Fecher, Red Sky Lullaby, Jakob Haq, Dean Daughters (Electronisounds), Sound of Izrael, Brian Funk, and more DIGITAL D1 is AWESOME: - 64-voice Hybrid Digital Poly Synthesis. - Full 1+ Gigabyte of original samples recorded from analog & fm synths over 30+ years old - Stand-alone iPad Synth, plus IAA & Audiobus - Basic AUv3 Plugin support. Works best with AUM. We're working on upgrading Audio Unit support. - Space-saving Compression - The whole app is under 200mb! - Dual layers per voice. Keyboard splits. Velocity Scaling. - Vintage-style Arp/Step Sequencer that can be routed to specific layers. - 3 LFOs. Fun Routings. LFOs can modify other LFOs. - Dual Independent per-Layer filters - Plus, per-voice Harmonic key-tracked Envelope filters. "Digital D1 Sounds and plays AMAZING!" - The Sound Test Room "Rad retro synth sounds" - Cult of Mac, App of the Week "AudioKit Digital D1 is a beautiful Synthesizer app that recreates the spirit of legendary synths" - Synth Anatomy ADDITIONAL FEATURES: - FX: Glorious Reverb, Phaser, Digital Delay, Distortion, Flanger, Chorus, Crush, and more. - Perfect with a MIDI Keyboard - Ableton Link - All kinds of awesome stuff - The Sound. Oh, the sound. You won't believe it. "Digital D1 synth is pure ‘80s and ‘90s digital lushness" - Computer Music/Music Radar "Beautiful. Lush. Modern and Amazing… An Instant Classic." REQUIREMENTS: Requires newer iPads for best performance. May be slow on iPad 4. IAA is being deprecated by Apple in iOS 13. We're moving to AUv3 as well. Please replace IAA with AUv3 in your projects. GarageBand Audio Unit (AUv3): You can run one instance of D1 as an AUv3 in GarageBand. With a host like AUM, you can run 3 or more instances at once. TROUBLESHOOTING: For iPad 4 - Open the "Settings" button (to the upper left above the keyboard). Turn the buffer to 512 or above. And turn the "CPU Efficient" toggle to on. If still having trouble, try closing other music apps and/or rebooting your iPad. Thanks! - * NOMINATED: Best iOS Music Apps of 2018 ** by Computer Music & Future Music magazine. Subscribe to access to premium app features; subscription details are the following: - Length: weekly or yearly - Free trial: only on selected subscriptions - Your payment will be charged to your iTunes Account as soon as you confirm your purchase - You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal from your Account Settings after the purchase - Your subscription will renew automatically, unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - The cost of renewal will be charged to your account in the 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - When canceling a subscription, your subscription will stay active until the end of the period. Auto-renewal will be disabled, but the current subscription will not be refunded - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription Terms & Conditions: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Terms-Conditions-14dcf6557a0880beb991f20561329664?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Terms-Conditions-14dcf6557a0880beb991f20561329664?pvs=21) Privacy Policy: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Privacy-Policy-14dcf6557a088042b2beee2382f5d62f?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Privacy-Policy-14dcf6557a088042b2beee2382f5d62f?pvs=21) - * NOTE: This app has no official affiliation with AudioKit Pro, LLC. It was built using the free AudioKit source code.

About

Poly 2

This app generates evolving musical patterns and melodies using polyrhythms. It offers extensive sound manipulation with a sampler, multiple effects, and the ability to store numerous configurations. Users can also import their own sounds and integrate with other music production tools.

Highlights
  • Generative polyrhythm sequencing
  • Up to 8 simultaneous sounds
  • Sampler with envelopes and filters
  • Randomize capabilities
  • Built-in delay, reverb, distortion, and EQ FX
  • AUv3, Audiobus, and IAA support
  • Import custom samples
Features
Read full description

Poly 2 is a generative sequencer that creates evolving patterns and melodies based on the power of polyrhythms. Check out the promo video: https://youtu.be/ovCXtBynEkw Features: - Up to 8 different sounds at any time - Store up to 16 different configurations for each project - A sampler that includes envelopes, filters, loop crossfading, an LFO and more - Randomise capabilities - Delay, reverb, distortion and EQ FX - Over 100 samples included for free - 13 premade collections of sounds - 13 example projects - AUv3 support, both MIDI and Audio - Audiobus and IAA - Ableton Link - MIDI notes in / out, MIDI CC in / out and MIDI clock in - Import your own samples via iOS Files or WIFI transfer

Screenshots

Poly 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Poly 2 at free with in-app purchases against AudioKit Digital D1 Synth's subscription. Poly 2 also leads on ads (none vs shown). AudioKit Digital D1 Synth's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

Both are free to download. AudioKit Digital D1 Synth sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Poly 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for AudioKit Digital D1 Synth against 4.8 for Poly 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2K and 686 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of AudioKit Digital D1 Synth's written reviews are positive against 84% of Poly 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth ships an update every 3 weeks, Poly 2 every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth versus Poly 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAudioKit Digital D1 SynthPoly 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2K ratings)4.8 (686 ratings)
Positive reviews76.1% of reviews84.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2K — better686
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size636 MB153 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAudiobus Pty LtdJames Milton

Customer experience

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

All ratings2,007 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive76.1%
Neutral7.4%
Negative16.5%

Poly 2

All ratings686 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive84.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative11.1%

User reviews

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

From 2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Excellent sound quality
  • 🎹 Versatile and inspiring presets
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💰 Great value for the price
  • 🔥 Cutting-edge digital synthesis

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Lack of Audio Unit (AUv3) support
  • 🤔 Some presets not easily usable
  • 🕰️ Slow loading times in certain DAWs

Poly 2

From 686 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique, creative, and powerful tool
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🎨 Excellent for ambient, experimental, and generative music
  • 🎹 Great for drum grooves and rhythmic patterns
  • 💻 Seamless integration with external hardware and software

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔇 Lack of sustain/voice ring-out when transport is stopped
  • 📺 Small interface elements can be difficult to use on iPad
  • 🔌 Compatibility issues with some third-party apps

Bugs and requests

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Presets not loading correctly
  • MIDI note dropouts and latency
  • Crashes when used with certain DAWs
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Audio Unit (AUv3) support
  • Improve MIDI integration and responsiveness
  • Implement a built-in recording/sampling feature
  • Expand preset library with more genres and styles
  • Add more sound design controls and modulation options

Poly 2

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • In-app purchase not working for some users
  • MIDI connectivity issues with certain apps
  • Crashes upon opening for some users

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to preview samples before importing
  • Autoslice/autochop functionality for samples
  • Support for larger sample imports and automatic slot filling
  • Granulizer effect
  • Note repeat and vinyl effects
Show 3 more
  • More built-in effects and processing options
  • Ability to create and arrange full songs
  • M1 Mac compatibility

In-app purchases

6 purchases

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly premium$4.997 Days
  • Weekly premium7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly premium$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • D1 PCM Expansion-01Free
  • Platinum Expansion PCM EXP-01Free
1 purchases

Poly 2

One-time1
  • Pro mode$11.99

Questions

Is AudioKit Digital D1 Synth free?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Poly 2 free?
Poly 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AudioKit Digital D1 Synth or Poly 2?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth and Poly 2 are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2K and 686 ratings respectively.
Do AudioKit Digital D1 Synth or Poly 2 have ads?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth shows ads; Poly 2 does not.
Which is updated more often, AudioKit Digital D1 Synth or Poly 2?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth ships an update every 3 weeks, and Poly 2 every 4 weeks. Most recently, AudioKit Digital D1 Synth was updated on October 13, 2026 and Poly 2 on October 16, 2026.

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