Tabletop vs AudioKit Digital D1 Synth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tabletop
Create music with a modular studio environment. Mix and match over 40 virtual instruments, effects, and sequencers to compose songs, beats, and mashups. Expand your sound palette by purchasing additional devices.
- Modular music creation environment
- Over 40 virtual instruments and effects
- Mix and match devices
- Create beats, songs, and mashups
- Piano roll timeline editor
- MIDI support
- Share music to SoundCloud
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Tabletop is an expandable studio with over a dozen included musical devices. Tabletop is a modular environment where you can mix and match different devices. Select from over 40 devices including samplers, mixers, effects, sequencers and more. Buy only the gear you need from an expanding catalog. Need help? Email support@retronyms.com and we’ll answer your questions. Retronyms has partnered with industry giants like Akai Professional and Arturia to create some of the Tabletop-Ready Apps, like iMPC, iMini, and iProphet! Using the Tabletop features of time stretching and pitch shifting, you can slice loops and time stretch them to different tempos and pitches in iMPC Pro. You can also use sliced loops from purchased AudioCopy sound packs inside Gridlock and iMPC Pro. Loops from these sound packs will automatically match the tempo of your sessions. Tabletop is an audio playground where you can create beats, compose songs, mix live, make mashups with samples from your iPod library, and more... the possibilities are endless. Plug the output of a keyboard into a delay to add an echo, or wire it up to a mixer and adjust the pan. Chain up multiple effects to create new and evolving sounds. FEATURES: • 43 devices including effects, sequencers, drum machines, and synths • 14 devices are included for free • 64 bit audio support • Access powerful Tabletop-Ready Apps • Piano Roll style timeline editor • Cut, copy, paste, duplicate, and create notes • Control Tabletop’s keyboards, drum pads, knobs, faders, and other parameters • Correct note timing with Fix to Grid • Edit note length and velocity • Undo changes and edits with Tabletop’s History Menu • Features Core MIDI Support • Works with any MIDI-compatible hardware • Customize control mapping with Midi Learn mode • Connect multiple devices • Share your music to SoundCloud and interact with other Tabletop users
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.
- 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
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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.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: AudioKit Digital D1 Synth at 4.8 against Tabletop's 3.3. AudioKit Digital D1 Synth also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 54%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Tabletop's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Tabletop sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and AudioKit Digital D1 Synth sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AudioKit Digital D1 Synth has 2K ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Tabletop's written reviews are positive against 76% of AudioKit Digital D1 Synth's.
Tabletop ships an update every 3 months, AudioKit Digital D1 Synth every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tabletop | AudioKit Digital D1 Synth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (85 ratings) | 4.8 (2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | 76.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 85 | 2K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.4 GB | 636 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Retronyms Inc | Audiobus Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Tabletop
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth
User reviews
Tabletop
From 85 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful features
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Innovative modular design
- 🎨 Versatile music creation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 High CPU usage
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔇 Poor sound quality
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth
From 2K App Store ratingsWhat 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
Bugs and requests
Tabletop
Reported bugs
3 issues- Synth parameters not saving properly
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable audio export
Requested features
4 requests- MIDI support
- Improved sequencing capabilities
- More free sound modules
- Waveform editing and sample management
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
In-app purchases
Tabletop
- EKKO$1.99
- WHIRL$2.99
- Verve$2.99
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- XFADE$2.99
- TT-303$2.99
- Cueboard$2.99
- GLITCHBOARD$3.99
- Deadbeat$3.99
- X0X Drum Deranger$7.99
- RS4000$9.99
- Bundle E$24.99
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth
- Weekly premium$4.997 Days
- Weekly premium7 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Yearly premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Yearly premium$9.991 Year
- D1 PCM Expansion-01Free
- Platinum Expansion PCM EXP-01Free
Questions
Is Tabletop free?
Is AudioKit Digital D1 Synth free?
Which has better reviews, Tabletop or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth?
Do Tabletop or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth have ads?
Which is updated more often, Tabletop or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth?
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