The Oscillator vs Viking Synth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Oscillator
Generate tones and noise with adjustable lowpass filters and panning. Choose from sine, triangle, sawtooth, and square waveforms. Precisely tune frequencies in Hz or MIDI notes.
- Two oscillators
- One noise generator
- Individual lowpass filters
- Panning control
- Four waveforms (sine, triangle, sawtooth, square)
- Precise frequency tuning (Hz/MIDI)
- Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support
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Simple and elegant tone generator with two Oscillators and one Noise generator, each with individual lowpass filters. The oscillators also has panning, and can produce one of four waveforms: sine, triangle, sawtooth and square. The oscillator frequencies can be tuned precisely in Hz or fractional MIDI note pitch. Use it for testing purposes or to make old-school electronic drone music. Supports Audiobus and Inter-App Audio: Stream the audio output in real time into other compatible apps!
Viking Synth
This app emulates a classic monophonic analog synthesizer with advanced DSP technology. It features three variable wave oscillators, dual ladder filters, an LFO, and two modulation busses for versatile sound design. An intuitive interface and extensive preset library make it ideal for creating thick bass and rich lead sounds.
- Three continuously variable wave oscillators
- Dual ladder filters (Lowpass/Highpass)
- Multi-wave LFO
- Two modulation busses
- Intuitive user interface with expandable controls
- 228 presets including Bass, Lead, and Synthwave
- State-of-the-art DSP for authentic sound
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Viking Synth is an authentic emulation of a classic monophonic analog synthesizer. It has three continuously variable wave oscillators, two ladder filters with a Dual Lowpass or Highpass/Lowpass configuration, a multi-wave LFO, and two modulation busses. Viking Synth uses state of the art DSP technology to accurately reproduce the sound of the hardware. You get a desktop quality plug-in at an iOS friendly price. Viking Synth is an Audio Unit Extension Instrument (AUv3) that works as a plug-in inside host apps. Just open up your favorite host that supports Audio Unit Instruments and select it from the list of available Audio Units. Compatible with GarageBand, Cubasis, Auria, BeatMaker, AudioBus, AUM, Modstep, and more. The user interface of Viking Synth is designed for quick and intuitive control. Knobs and sliders expand during tweaking and are designed so the current value isn't hidden below your finger. The six pages divide the synth into logical sections that can be accessed quickly. The filter display acts as an XY pad for controlling cutoff and resonance. Simply double tap a knob or slider to reset it to its default value. Presets Viking Synth comes with 228 presets in the categories Bass, Bright Lead, Electro Bass, FX, Percussive Lead, Soft Lead, and Synthwave. The synth excels at thick bass and rich lead sounds. The 50 Electro Bass and 50 Synthwave presets were designed by renowned sound designer eXode. Presets work perfectly with GarageBand, Cubasis, and AUM. Oscillators At the heart of Viking are three adjustable wave oscillators. The continuously variable waveform knob gives the oscillators a unique sound that can’t be achieved with the fixed waveforms found in most synths. A noise oscillator provides three types of noise, one specifically modeled after the hardware. Modulation Two modulation busses and an LFO provide flexible modulation capabilities. All of the options hidden deep in menus on the hardware are immediately accessible with one tap. Filters The filters are classic transistor ladder filters modeled meticulously. Two DSP varieties are available allowing for either reduced CPU load or soft clipping plus three additional overdriven modes. The number of poles is adjustable for a wider range of filter sounds. Compare Viking to other synths: – Viking’s oscillators are free running, not sampled, wavetable based, or generated from a zero point – Viking’s oscillators use advanced techniques to avoid aliasing – Viking’s oscillators have instability, which is controllable through the tuning drift control – Viking’s nonlinear filter uses circuit modeling and provides soft clipping
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: The Oscillator at Free against Viking Synth's $3.99. The Oscillator also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 71%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Viking Synth's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads 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
The Oscillator is free to download; Viking Synth costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Viking Synth holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 58 and 42 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of The Oscillator's written reviews are positive against 71% of Viking Synth's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Oscillator ships an update every 5 months, Viking Synth every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Oscillator | Viking Synth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (58 ratings) | 4.7 (42 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.8% of reviews — better | 71.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 58 — better | 42 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kymatica AB | Blamsoft, Inc. |
Customer experience
The Oscillator
Viking Synth
User reviews
The Oscillator
From 58 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for various purposes (sleep, tinnitus, testing)
- 🎵 Good for sound experimentation
- 🔊 Precise frequency and gain control
- 🎚️ Multiple oscillators and noise generator
Room to improve
- 🐛 Stopped working properly
- 🐛 Only noise comes out
- 🐛 Output levels wildly different
- 🐛 Not working in new version
- ❌ Basic and incomplete
Viking Synth
From 42 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎶 Great sound quality
- 💡 Versatile sound options
- 💰 Excellent value (free)
- 💻 Lightweight and efficient
- 🎹 Good for learning synthesis
Room to improve
- ❓ Preset issues
- 🔌 Not a standalone app
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 💾 Settings not saving
- 🤷♂️ Difficult to find/use
Bugs and requests
The Oscillator
Reported bugs
7 issues- Stopped working properly
- Only noise comes out
- Output levels wildly different
- New version is not working
- Can't play one osc without the other
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Doesn't support Bluetooth
- Button labels are confusing (ON/OFF)
Requested features
18 requests- More functions (e.g., shorten waves, good bass)
- Multiple layers for simultaneous playback
- AUV3 support
- Run in background and mix with audio
- Four oscillators simultaneously
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Sweep function
- LFO section for modulation
- Pulse width control
- Keyboard interface for chords
- Filter
- Third oscillator
- Way to save setups
- Other color noises (pink noise)
- Higher frequencies
- Direct frequency input via keyboard
- Panning controls on tone generators
- Presets for setups
- JACK support
Viking Synth
Reported bugs
6 issues- Presets not showing up
- Presets disappear
- App not showing in AUv3 menu
- Settings not saving after iOS 14 update
- Crashes when opening presets browser
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Saved presets not loading
Requested features
5 requests- More subtle drive mode
- Categorized preset browser
- Polyphony option
- Dark mode
- More apps from developer
In-app purchases
The Oscillator
No in-app purchases
Viking Synth
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Oscillator free?
Is Viking Synth free?
Which has better reviews, The Oscillator or Viking Synth?
Do The Oscillator or Viking Synth have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Oscillator or Viking Synth?
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