Comparison

ID700 vs RK

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

Head to head
About

ID700

This app is a software synthesizer that recreates the voice architecture of the Buchla 700. It offers hybrid FM and waveshaping synthesis with extensive customization options for sound design. It functions as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin for music production software.

Highlights
  • Hybrid FM and waveshaping synthesis
  • AUv3 and Standalone support
  • Twelve voices with unique algorithms
  • Fourteen complex envelopes per voice
  • Two waveshapers per voice
  • MPE capability
  • Scala scale file support
Features
Read full description

ID700 is a hybrid FM/waveshaping software synthesizer based on the voice architecture of the Buchla 700. ID700 runs in standalone mode and as an AUv3 plugin (Logic Pro, GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis 3). HISTORY In 1987 Don Buchla released the Buchla 700 synthesizer. It was the next logical step from Don's previous digital synths (the Buchla 400, Touché, Buchla 500) but was also influenced by the synth trends of the 1980's, specifically FM synthesis and the all-in-one workstation concept. As usual, Don was ahead of the curve and the 700 never took off. Very few were sold and even fewer functioning units exist today. I always loved the sound of Don's digital oscillators, and combined with the scarcity of the instrument it seemed like a fun project to recreate it in software and reintroduce its concepts to the world. FEATURES * AUv3 and Standalone support on iOS * twelve voices of four operator FM with twelve unique algorithms * fourteen complex envelopes per voice * two hundred professionally designed presets * two waveshapers per voice * preset randomizer * over forty factory wave shapes plus an editor for user created shapes * Scala scale file support with over four thousand included tunings from the Scala scale archive * MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) capability for MPE controllers like the Roli Seabord, Linnstrument, and Sensel Morph * advanced MIDI implementation (including 14-bit CCs and Program Change) * an in-depth manual (60+ pages) is available in the app and from our website * iCloud support for sharing presets, waveshapes, and tunings between devices * up to 16x oversampling

About

RK

Manage your RK006 Master Hub with this app. Design and save configurations, set up presets for event filtering, clock processing, and output modes. Connect your iOS device to MIDI, CV/Gate, and control it from your DAW.

Highlights
  • RK006 Master Hub management
  • MIDI, CV/Gate control
  • Preset design and saving
  • Event filtering
  • Clock processing
  • Output mode configuration
Features
Read full description

This is the manager-app for the RK006 Master Hub. The RK006 features a 12 bus(yes, 12x16 channel MIDI Handling) MIDI Interface and and ultra stable MIDI clock generator. It can MIDI merge from it's two TRS-A MIDI Inputs and even add four self-hosted USBMIDI devices to the stream. It is able to connect your iOS device not only to MIDI but also act as a CV/Gate source with control straight from your DAW. Add extensive MIDI filters and even built-in polychaining to make this the go-to tool for any setup. This app is an iOS port from the online webMIDI portal. It allows you to design and save configurations in the RK006. Via this app you can setup presets which can handle event filtering, clock processing and RK006 port output modes (MIDI/Gate/CV) Some review snippets: "The RK006 is a game changer, making sync, MIDI and signal processing easy, even without a DAW." (juno.co.uk) "Retrokits prove themselves invaluable once again to our increasingly complex and confusing desktop hardware setups." (gearnews.com) "Incredibly versatile hub for MIDI, USB and modular, and probably the only MIDI interface you’ll ever need in or out of the studio." (Sound on Sound)

Screenshots

RK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RK at Free against ID700's $12.99. RK also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and device support (3 vs 1). ID700's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (88% vs 67%). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

RK is free to download; ID700 costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RK holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ID700 has 128 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of ID700's written reviews are positive against 67% of RK's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ID700 ships an update monthly, RK every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on August 13, 2026 and July 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ID700 versus RK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterID700RK
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (128 ratings)5.0 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings128 — better9
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan SchatzGerrit Dijkstra

Customer experience

ID700

All ratings128 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative7.5%

RK

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ID700

No in-app purchases

None

RK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ID700 free?
ID700 costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is RK free?
RK is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ID700 or RK?
RK is rated higher. ID700 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while RK averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.
Do ID700 or RK have ads?
Neither ID700 nor RK shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ID700 or RK?
ID700 ships an update monthly, and RK every 5 months. Most recently, ID700 was updated on August 13, 2026 and RK on July 31, 2026.

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