VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave vs Granula
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave
This app creates unique synth sounds by recording classic synths to VHS tape and then resampling them. It offers a vast library of presets and effects to achieve lo-fi, retro vibes for various music genres. An AUv3 plugin and standalone app are included.
- VHS-recorded and resampled synths
- Over 280+ presets
- Standalone app and AUv3 plugin
- VCR sound effects
- VCR FX section for customization
- Free expansion pack included
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VHS Synth features synths recorded with a VCR, then resampled. Perfect for Synthwave, Hip Hop, Indie, Rock, Movie Soundtracks, Lo-Fi, Ambient, Vaporwave, Retro Pop, and more. Create instant lo-fi and cool retro vibes. Press a key. Elevate your music. Includes over 280+ Presets by Jakob haQ, Red Sky Lullaby, The GarageBand Guide, DJ Puzzle, Sound of Izrael, DJ Montra, Marc Hupkens, AnalogMatthew, JEC, Da Fingaz, Brian Funk, and more. "BEST Lo-Fi instrument I’ve ever played, seriously good sounds!" - The SoundTest Room "VHS Synth is a Retrowave dream!" - iPad Loops "Turns Your iOS Device Into An 80s Time Machine" - Synthtopia Classic Synths were recorded to VHS Tape with a VCR, then re-sampled. "VHS Synth is the ULTIMATE Retro Synth App" - The GarageBand Guide FEATURES: • Standalone app + iOS AUv3 Plugin • Over 280+ presets to inspire you • Compressed to under 140mb to save space • VCR Sound Effects (Buttons, Tape Hiss, More) • VCR FX section to customize the sounds • FREE Expansion Pack: OP-1 recorded with a VCR ++ iPhone & iPad version included for one low price Real analog feel and dirt. Vintage hardware was recorded into a VCR and then re-sampled. 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/VHS-Synth-80s-Synthwave-Terms-Conditions-150cf6557a0880aca270f4f8ccee8d3e?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/VHS-Synth-80s-Synthwave-Terms-Conditions-150cf6557a0880aca270f4f8ccee8d3e?pvs=21) Privacy Policy: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/VHS-Synth-80s-Synthwave-Privacy-Policy-150cf6557a088019bec6ccb33ae5bb09?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/VHS-Synth-80s-Synthwave-Privacy-Policy-150cf6557a088019bec6ccb33ae5bb09?pvs=21) * NOTE: This app has no official affiliation with AudioKit Pro, LLC. It was built using the free AudioKit source code.
Granula
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Granula is a granular synthesizer for the phone. It takes a sound from demo samples (like guitar, calimba, tongue drum, etc.) or thirty seconds you record on the spot and scatters it into hundreds of tiny overlapping grains. A slow, shifting texture comes back to your space: ambient pads, drones, atmospheres that keep evolving as long as you keep listening. Everything is played with your hands. The whole screen is a morph pad: move a finger across it and the sound moves with you, while a field of glyphs lights up under your touch and churns in time with what you hear. FOUR CHARACTERS • Reverse: short grains, played mostly backwards, with octave and fifth sparkles on top • Gater: a denser cloud chopped on a grid, from halves down to sixteenths • Chorus: long, slow, detuned grains with the read position drifting like a tide • Scatter: harmonic intervals thrown at random and sprayed wide FOUR KNOBS • Grain size, from 15 ms clicks to 1 second • Position: where in the sample the grains are lifted from • Density: from sparse drips to a solid wash • Dry/Wet: a six-second convolution reverb, plus the amount of reversed grains RECORD THE WORLD AROUND Hold the record button and capture up to thirty seconds of anything: your voice, a room, rain on a window, a string you plucked once. The take is granulated immediately and kept in your library under a name of its own. You can also import your own MP3 or WAV files. MADE FOR A PHONE • Keeps playing with the screen locked and in the background • Survives calls, headphone unplugs and output switches without losing your session • Any class-compliant USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard plays it - plug in and go, nothing to pair inside the app GRANULA PRO Every built-in sound is free and stays free. A free account also brings in one sound of your own - recorded or imported. Granula Pro lifts that limit: record and import as much as you like, and everything syncs to your account so a new phone picks up where the last one left off. No ads. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Granula at none against VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave's shown. VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.5 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Granula sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave ships an update every 2 weeks, Granula fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave | Granula |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (135 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 135 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 167 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Audiobus Pty Ltd | Sergey Duzhev |
Bugs and requests
VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave
Reported bugs
11 issues- GarageBand compatibility broken after updates
- App not recognized in Logic Pro after updates
- Inconsistent sound quality across different registers
- Patch/preset settings not retained after closing DAW
- Audio Unit Extension crashes in GarageBand
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- Duplicate track sounds different from original
- Display shows 'Welcome' instead of loaded patch
- Thin black keys difficult to hit on keyboard
- Missing top C key on keyboard
- Sounds inconsistent when exported from GarageBand
- App disappears from projects after ownership change
Requested features
7 requests- Mac OS version for DAW compatibility
- Velocity sensitivity settings for keyboard
- Pitch bend and modulation wheels with actual functionality
- Better keyboard design with proper key sizing
- Improved UI layout to reduce wasted space in AUv3 mode
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- Access to original synth parameters instead of sample-based playback
- Direct routing to IAA output for FL Studio Mobile
Granula
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave
- Weekly premium7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Weekly premium$4.997 Days
- Yearly premium$9.991 Year
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- Yearly premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Granula
- Granula Pro$2.991 Month
Questions
Is VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave free?
Is Granula free?
Do VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave or Granula have ads?
Which is updated more often, VHS Synth | 80s Synthwave or Granula?
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