Comparison

Uber Synth vs Pulse16

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

Head to head
About

Uber Synth

This app offers a polyphonic multi-timbral FM synthesizer for iOS devices. It features a triple-oscillator sound engine with five distinct multi-timbral options for creating evolving and complex soundscapes. Supports Audiobus for integration with other music apps.

Highlights
  • Polyphonic multi-timbral FM synthesizer
  • Triple-oscillator cross-modulated FM engine
  • Five multi-timbral options
  • Sound map and sound palettes
  • Evolving sound generation
  • Audiobus support
Features
Read full description

Uber Synth is a polyphonic multi-timbral frequency modulated (FM) synthesizer that runs on any iOS device. The underlying sound engine is based on the triple-oscillator cross-modulated FM synthesizer first introduced in our xMod app. Uber Synth provides five multi-timbral options: 1) Mix the sounds of any two sound patches, 2) combine patches using the sound map, 3) Generate specified as well as randomized sound palettes across the keyboard, 4) Specify a region in sound space centered on a sound and move a point by a variable randomized amount within the region each time you play a note to create an evolving mix of the center sound and the sound nearest the point. 5) Do the same as above moving the point automatically at a specified rate. Supports Audiobus.

About

Pulse16

Read full description

Pulse16 is a beat maker and step sequencer for making beats anywhere: a drum machine with 16 pads, a deep 808 bass, a punchy synth and acid lines with 303-style slides. READY TO PLAY • Six built-in grooves – Acid Drive, Peak Time, Neon Nights, Midnight Run, Kit Jam, French Filter: drums, bass line and tempo in one tap • Built-in techno and synthwave drum sounds (kick, clap, gated snare, hats, rim, tom) BUILD A BEAT IN SECONDS • Tap the 4x4 drum pads to switch steps on and off — the playing step lights up as the beat runs • Three drum tracks for samples, a kit, the 808 or a mono synth, plus one synth track • Velocity per step from 5 to 100 % for groove and dynamics • Set each track's length from 1 to 16 steps for polyrhythms • Tempo from 20 to 300 BPM, with tap tempo • Eight patterns A–H: switch live, right on the next bar; copy, paste and clear patterns, copy and shift single tracks • Duplicate a track: its steps repeat and the length doubles – build one beat, then vary it KIT MODE: 16 SOUNDS ON THE PADS • Turn any drum track into a kit: 16 sounds on the pads, like a groovebox • Play the pads live and record them into the pattern with Rec – in time, with erase and undo • Volume, pan, tune, distortion and choke groups per pad • The pads of your MIDI controller play and record the kit too, with their velocity 808 KICK AND BASS • Turn any drum track into an 808: a booming kick or a tuned bass line with a note per step • Shape it with decay, punch, click and drive • Slide per step: the 808 glides into the next note, like a classic acid bass line; the glide knob sets the slide time • Four 808 presets, from Classic Kick and Long 808 to Trap Slide and Distorted MONO SYNTH ON ANY TRACK • Turn any drum track into a second synth: the full synth with all its sounds, one note at a time • Slide per step: notes glide into each other like a TB-303; the glide knob sets the time AUTOMATION • Draw curves right over the pads of the synth track: cutoff, resonance, drive, distortion and reverb change from step to step • Every pattern keeps its own curves YOUR OWN SOUNDS • Load WAV, AIFF, MP3 or FLAC files • Record your own samples with the microphone • Trim each sample right on its waveform and preview it instantly • Tune every sample up or down by two octaves, with fine tuning • Distortion (soft, hard, fuzz, overdrive) and a low-pass or high-pass filter on every sample track and kit pad A BASS SYNTH WITH CHARACTER • Sine, square, saw and triangle waveforms • Low-pass and high-pass filter with resonance and envelope • Attack, decay, sustain and release • Distortion, drive, sub oscillator, unison and reverb • Four LFOs, free or synced to the tempo, one of them can sweep the filter • Nine factory sounds, from Berlin Minimal and Acid 303 to the synthwave Outrun Bass • Arpeggiator: every note becomes an arpeggio – major, minor, sus4, 7th, power or octave chord, up, down, up-down or random, 1/8 to 1/32 triplets, over 1–3 octaves PLAY IT WITH HARDWARE • Connect a USB MIDI controller and assign its knobs, faders and pads with MIDI learn: synth, mixer, tempo, play/stop, tracks, patterns and steps • MIDI clock over USB: follow a drum machine or DAW, or send the clock and start your gear in time SAVE YOUR WORK (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) • Save and load whole projects: patterns, samples, sounds and mixer • Save your own synth and 808 presets • One purchase, no subscription; everything else is free MIX LIKE A PRODUCER • Volume and pan for every track, plus master volume • Sidechain pump on every track: the beat breathes with the kick, like French house • Boost: multiband compression on the master for a louder, denser mix, with low, mid and high • Reverb send for drums, samples and vocals; the synth has its own stereo reverb MADE FOR PHONE AND TABLET • On tablets, sound, mixer and presets stay open next to the pads • Low-latency audio engine No account, no ads, no tracking. Works offline.

Screenshots

Uber Synth4 screens
Pulse164 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pulse16 at Free against Uber Synth's $3.99. Pulse16 also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). Uber Synth's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ratings volume, ads, device support 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

Pulse16 is free to download; Uber Synth costs $3.99 up front. Pulse16 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Uber Synth asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pulse16 holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Uber Synth ships an update every 3 months, Pulse16 every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Uber Synth versus Pulse16: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUber SynthPulse16
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (1 ratings)4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark CarlottoNavid Anzalichi

In-app purchases

None

Uber Synth

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pulse16

One-time1
  • Unlock saving$0.29

Questions

Is Uber Synth free?
Uber Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pulse16 free?
Pulse16 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Uber Synth or Pulse16?
Pulse16 is rated higher. Uber Synth averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Pulse16 averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Uber Synth or Pulse16 have ads?
Neither Uber Synth nor Pulse16 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Uber Synth or Pulse16?
Uber Synth ships an update every 3 months, and Pulse16 every 3 days. Most recently, Uber Synth was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pulse16 on November 6, 2026.

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