Crystal Synth XT vs WoodSynth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Crystal Synth XT
Create lush, evolving soundscapes with a powerful semi-modular synthesizer for mobile devices. Explore subtractive and FM synthesis, extensive modulation, and built-in effects. Share sounds with the desktop version and connect MIDI keyboards for a full hardware synth experience.
- Semi-modular synthesis engine
- Subtractive and FM synthesis
- Extensive modulation control (>90 parameters)
- Multi-stage envelopes with graphical editors
- Tempo-synced envelopes, LFOs, and delays
- Built-in effects (chorus, flanger, echo)
- MIDI keyboard input and virtual MIDI support
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Crystal Synth XT is a full featured semi-modular synthesizer, ideally suited to creating lush evolving soundscapes. Crystal VST has long been a popular synthesizer on the desktop. Crystal Synth XT brings that same powerful synthesis engine to the iPad and iPhone. Crystal Synth XT features MIDI keyboard input via Apple's camera adapter and sharing of sounds with the desktop version of Crystal. == Features == Browse through the included sounds and use the 2 octave keypad or keyboard to trigger notes to produce evolving, rhythmic, or melodic sounds. Create your own sounds with a single button press using the breed feature. When using an iPad, you can delve into a tweaker's dream by using the extensive editing features to sculpt sounds to your heart's content (editing features are only available when used on an iPad). Crystal features both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. It offers abundant modulation control with over 90 parameters which may be modulated, multi-stage envelopes with graphical editors, extensive tempo sync of envelopes/lfo rates/delay times, built-in effects for chorus/flanging/comb filtering/echoes, and a band splitter for effects processing by frequency band. Not only that, Crystal has wave sequencing and granular synthesis. The musical applications for Crystal are literally boundless. == MIDI == With MIDI keyboard input, you can connect a MIDI keyboard to your iPad or iPhone and play Crystal Synth XT like a hardware synth. == Virtual MIDI == Use virtual midi to play Crystal Synth XT from a midi controller app. Use the Settings app to turn on the Background Audio mode to enable Crystal to play audio when in the background. You can then play Crystal from a midi controller app which supports virtual midi. == Sharing == With patch sharing you can create sounds on your iPad or iPhone while away from the studio, then transfer them to the desktop Crystal when you get back to the studio to use in recording projects. Or, create banks of sounds on the desktop Crystal, then transfer them to the iPad/iPhone Crystal to use in a live performance for a truly portable rig. Use Audio copy/paste to record your performance on Crystal and transfer that performance to another app. Or copy your recorded performance to your computer. == Inter App Audio and Audiobus == To use IAA or Audiobus to record into other apps, turn on Background Audio for Crystal Synth XT in the Settings app. See demonstration videos on the greenoak.com website. == Different Versions == If you don't need all the features of Crystal Synth XT, try the basic version of Crystal, also available in the app store from Green Oak Software. With the basic version you can browse sounds, play notes, and create new sounds, taking advantage of its powerful semimodular synthesis engine. The XT version adds features like MIDI keyboard input via the iPad's camera adapter, IAA/Audiobus, and patch sharing with the desktop version. Choose the app that is best for you! == Notes == Important note for iPhone users: Crystal Synth XT runs on both the iPad and the iPhone. Because of the limited screen space on the iPhone however, the editing pages, which contain the edit controls, are not available when running on that device. However, on the iPhone you can still browse sounds, play notes from the keypad, create new sounds with the Breed feature, modify patches with the Design feature, and share sounds with desktop Crystal VST. For videos and information about Crystal Synth XT, visit: http://www.greenoak.com
WoodSynth
This powerful synthesizer app offers four independent layers, each with its own sound engine, filters, and envelopes. Create complex sounds using VCOs, samples, or wavetables, and control them with a polyphonic touch bar and MPE support. It functions as a standalone app or a plugin within a DAW.
- Four independent synthesizer layers
- VCOs, samples, and wavetable sources
- Polyphonic touch bar with pitch bending
- MPE and MIDI V2 support
- AUv3 plugin and standalone app
- 16-step sequencers per layer
- Advanced modulation options
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WoodSynth is a synthesizer with 4 independent layers. Each layer is in fact a synthesizer on its own. Each layer has 3 VCO’s plus a samples or wavetable based source, coming from a file or from recording the audio track. Up to 16 voices can be set per layer. Layers can be used in parallel, assigned to a region of the keyboard or used in a sequential mode where the first note(s) on are played by layer 1 and the next note(s) by layer 2 and so on. This last mode allows to have a different sound per note played (and independent from a keyboard region). WoodSynth has a polyphonic pitch-bending touch bar which also displays notes received from a keyboard. Each layer has its own filter and envelope with ADSR per voice, a pitch shifting envelope per VCO, a delay, a basic reverb, a modulator LFO per VCO, 2 general LFO’s and a 16 steps sequencer. Key tracking can be applied on the ADSR attack and release, on the filter cutoff and on the VCO modulation. The app can be used stand-alone (device audio input and output) or as a plugin in a DAW. - IOS plugin type : AUv3 and stand-alone app. - Has 4 independent synthesizers, each with up to 16 voices. - Supports MPE and Midi V2. - Has a polyphonic touch bar with polyphonic pitch bending. - Velocity, channel pressure, (polyphonic) aftertouch, CC74 can be used to modulate several synth parameters. - VCO’s have the usual waveforms (sine, saw, square, triangle, pulse and noise) and can be modulated in various ways (FM, AM, Pulse Width, Slew rate) - Samples can be recorded from the audio input/track or loaded from file (sample files should be in the WoodSynth iCloud folder) - Wavetables can be loaded from file or converted from loaded or recorded samples. - Each voice has a 4-pole Moog Lowpass filter with resonance and ADSR envelope. - An offset can be set in the Filter cutoff for the R channel to create a stereo effect. - Each voice has a pitch shifting ADSR envelope which can be independently enabled for each VCO. - Has Key tracking for VCO pan, Filter cutoff, ADSR Envelope Attack and Release. - Each layer has a delay unit (which can be separately panned) and a basic reverb. - Each layer has a 16 steps sequencer which can run on multiple voices (poly mode). - Each layer can set the midi channel and range of receiving midi notes (which allows for up to 4 split keyboard regions). - Layers can be set in sequential mode : first note(s) played on layer1, next note(s) on layer2, etc. - Layers have an additional high-pass filter saturation and crush control. - Synth audio and delay can be panned independently. - The 2 general LFO’s can have their source from the samples or wavetables (or track input). - Supports Ableton Link to sync tempo and start-stop. - Has 4 User Control rotaries which can be freely assigned. - The User Controls can be controlled by a midi CC which can be set or learned. - Presets can be stored in iCloud Drive (makes them available on all your devices). - Supports CV out and Sequencer Midi out.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Crystal Synth XT at $4.99 against WoodSynth's $15.99. Crystal Synth XT also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). WoodSynth's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). 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
Crystal Synth XT costs $4.99 and WoodSynth $15.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Crystal Synth XT holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 28 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Crystal Synth XT's written reviews are positive against 60% of WoodSynth's.
Crystal Synth XT ships an update every 4 months, WoodSynth every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Crystal Synth XT | WoodSynth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $15.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (22 ratings) — better | 4.1 (28 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22 | 28 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 203 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Green Oak Software | Woodman's Immaculate Maple Syrup Studio |
Customer experience
Crystal Synth XT
WoodSynth
Bugs and requests
Crystal Synth XT
Reported bugs
15 issues- App not working, splash screen disappears
- Screen in background
- Envelope points not moving
- Breed fan not working properly
- Crashing on launch
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Clicks and crashes when adjusting parameters
- Sounds distorted and buggy
- Won't play any sounds
- Crashes when hitting record
- Play surface stopped responding
- Crash when trying record function
- Crackles and pops in sound engine
- Audiobus fails, breaks up when switching apps
- Preset name editing gone after iOS 7 update
- Splash screen appears for a second, then disappears
Requested features
22 requests- AUv3 support
- Update to an AU3 standard
- Newer interface
- Fix breed fan access to all presets
- Fix preset system variations between devices
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- AUv3 implementation
- Update the envelope points
- AUv3 standard transformation
- Multiple instances in DAWs
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Fix preset name editing
- In-app purchase for a second instance
- Load/Save banks
- Metronome or timer capability
- Newer app icon
- Redesign for Retina Display
- Polyphony on iOS version
- Recording facility
- Keyboard option
- Virtual MIDI support
- Advanced patch editing on iPod version
WoodSynth
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Crystal Synth XT
No in-app purchases
WoodSynth
No in-app purchases








