Peter Vogel CMI vs Synesthesia Synth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Peter Vogel CMI
Experience the legendary sounds of the 1980s Computer Musical Instrument (CMI) with this retro MIDI player. It offers a byte-perfect re-issue of classic CMI voices and includes a play-only demo of the pioneering 'Page R' rhythm sequencer.
- 500+ legendary CMI sounds
- Byte-perfect re-issue of 80s CMI sounds
- Play-only demo of Page R sequencer
- Browse and play CMI IIX Sounds floppy disk library
- Play CMI voices via external MIDI input
- On-screen keyboard
- Authentic CMI user interface
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Travel back in time to the dawn of electronic music with this strange retro app – a MIDI player preloaded with 500+ legendary CMI (Computer Musical Instrument) sounds. The first byte-perfect re-issue of the classic CMI sounds of the 80s, immortalised by artists including Alan Parsons, Jean Michel Jarre, Trevor Horn, Thomas Dolby, Brian Eno, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder and so many more. This app includes a play-only demo of the famous ‘Page R’, which was the world's first screen-based rhythm sequencer. Today every sampler, digital synthesiser, sequencer and audio workstation can trace its lineage back to this legendary machine. Now you can have, in your pocket or on your iPad, a piece of history developed by Peter Vogel and other music nerds who worked on the Fairlight* CMI in the '80s. BUILT-IN FEATURES - browse and play the entire original CMI IIX Sounds floppy disk library - 564 voices imported digitally. - play the CMI voices from an external MIDI input (supports Core MIDI devices. Line6 MidiMobilizer II or Akai SynthStation require MidiBridge or similar), or use the on-screen keyboard - display voices graphically using the iconic Page D, and change your viewpoint by tilting your iPhone/iPad. - play built-in CMI Page R compositions or import and play compositions sent to you by others. - authentic CMI user interface experience, including floppy disk quirks. UPGRADE to PRO VERSION Use the in-App upgrade process to add “pro” features for an additional $39.99. Vogel CMI Pro App includes CMI III voices, the ability to compose 8 track songs using the Page R pattern sequencer, sampling your own voices from the microphone or line in and much more. See the “Vogel CMI Pro” app description for details. REVIEWS I would have never dreamt in a million years to own a Fairlight. It is the stuff of legends! Beyond any ordinary man's budget! And for this day to come a reality for a mere $10!! I am in awe and shock! I cannot emphasize how thankful I am to you for releasing this Iconic and Legendary instrument as an iPhone application!! (Imad Hamadieh, Dubai, UAE) When I saw it yesterday and found out about it, I just about fainted!! Very nice app! A complete revival / reissue of the best computer musical instrument ever in a tiny but very useful format. It is a joy to see an epic piece of synthesizer/sampling history as an app for the millions. Finally you can take your Fairlight wherever you are! A Fairlight to go-go-go! (Freek Roffel, Netherlands) Again I would like to take a moment and extend a huge THANK YOU to the entire Fairlight team. ... You have taken the time and patience to create an affordable solution for the masses. ... You have given us a gift. I am truly excited to see what users will do with this App to change the future of music once again. Sincerely, thank you. (Zacharia Malakai, USA) All I can say is WOW!! I have put this thru my BIG speakers in my studio and put a little reverb on and the sound is stunning – SO what am I going to do with my Fairlight CMI-IIx now?? (Howard J Smith, USA) DEVICE REQUIREMENTS This App will work on any device running iOS 7 or later. However, if you want to use Audiobus or do heavy performance and composing work with the Pro upgrade, we recommend a minimum of iPod Touch 4G, iPhone 4 or iPad 2. *Fairlight is a trademark of Fairlight.au Pty Ltd Australia
Synesthesia Synth
An experimental audio-visual instrument that allows users to sculpt evolving spatial audio by manipulating floating capsules. Position, rotation, and pulse changes affect tone, texture, and synchronized particle generation. It's a visual synthesizer, not a game.
- Experimental audio-visual instrument
- Sculpt evolving spatial audio
- Manipulate floating capsules
- Control tone, texture, and particles
- Visual synthesizer
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Synthaestesia is a free experimental audio-visual instrument. Three capsules float in space. Every contraction produces sound. Move them, rotate them, reshape their pulse — and sculpt evolving spatial audio. Position changes tone. Rotation alters texture. Delay generates synchronized particles. This is not a game. It’s a spatial synth you can see.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Synesthesia Synth at Free against Peter Vogel CMI's $9.99. Synesthesia Synth also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Peter Vogel CMI's advantage is ratings volume (36 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On ads and device support 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
Synesthesia Synth is free to download; Peter Vogel CMI costs $9.99 up front. Peter Vogel CMI sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Synesthesia Synth asks for nothing beyond the download.
Synesthesia Synth holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Peter Vogel CMI has 36 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Peter Vogel CMI ships an update every 3 weeks, Synesthesia Synth every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Peter Vogel CMI | Synesthesia Synth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.5 (36 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 83 MB | 141 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Vogel Instruments Pty Ltd | MICHELE ZACCAGNINI |
Bugs and requests
Peter Vogel CMI
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on startup for some users
- Keyboard issues and unresponsive controls
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Add more Fairlight Series III sounds
- Improve MIDI and Audiobus integration
- Implement a more modern and intuitive UI
- Add support for odd time signatures
Synesthesia Synth
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Peter Vogel CMI
- CMI Pro Upgrade$39.99
Synesthesia Synth
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Peter Vogel CMI free?
Is Synesthesia Synth free?
Which has better reviews, Peter Vogel CMI or Synesthesia Synth?
Do Peter Vogel CMI or Synesthesia Synth have ads?
Which is updated more often, Peter Vogel CMI or Synesthesia Synth?
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