Mighty Synth Sampler vs KeyPad MIDI Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mighty Synth Sampler
Transform any sound into a playable instrument with this powerful synth and sampler. Create custom instruments, layer sounds, and perform with your unique audio creations. Supports SoundFonts and offers advanced synthesis features.
- Three-oscillator synth engine
- 16-slot sampler with loop points
- Audio recording and import
- SoundFont (SF2/SFZ) support
- AUv3 plugins for DAWs
- Downloadable sound packs
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Mighty Synth Sampler turns any sound into a playable instrument. It's a free, fully-featured synth and sampler for iPhone, iPad, and Mac built for musicians who want to create, layer, and perform with their own sounds and SoundFonts (SF2/SFZ). ROMPLERS RULE! The app is built around four pillars: • The Synth A full subtractive synth engine powered by AudioKit. Three independent oscillator layers with volume, semitone, detune, and pan controls. Shape your sound with amplitude and filter envelopes, a low-pass filter, LFO, unison, glide, drive, and more. A built-in arpeggiator, flexible play surfaces, and MIDI support round out a synth that's deep without being overwhelming. • The Sampler Build your own sample-based instruments from scratch. Record directly in the app or import audio files, map them across the keys, set loop points, adjust root notes and note ranges, and save your creations as reusable instruments and banks. • Sound Packs The app comes with a built-in starter bank and supports downloadable sound packs both free and paid. New packs are added to the store without requiring an app update. You can also create your own banks and share them with others. • AUv3 Support Four AUv3 plugins in one app: Mighty Synth (instrument), Mighty Sampler (audio effect for capturing and building instruments), Mighty Effects (standalone effects chain), and Mighty MIDI (MIDI processor and play interface). Load them individually in your favorite DAW or AUv3 host. Features • Free app with all core features included • Three-oscillator synth engine with detune, pan, and semitone control per layer • Amplitude and filter envelopes with per-oscillator scope • Low-pass filter with cutoff, resonance, and key tracking • LFO targeting filter cutoff, pitch, or volume • Unison with up to 8 voices, width, detune, and offset control • Effects: reverb, delay, chorus, drive, phaser, compressor, panner, and more • Built-in arpeggiator with BPM sync, octave range, and pattern modes • Multiple play surfaces: keys, pads, All 4ths layout, scale layout, and more • 16-slot sampler with loop points, root note mapping, and note range editing • Record audio directly in-app • Import audio files and SF2/SFZ SoundFonts • Downloadable sound packs (free and paid) • Create, export, and share your own instrument banks • Four AUv3 plugins: Mighty Synth, Mighty Sampler, Mighty Effects, Mighty MIDI • MIDI CC mapping • Available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac Thank You & Enjoy! Nick Culbertson MobyPixel.com
KeyPad MIDI Controller
Transform your device into a professional MIDI controller with touch-optimized piano keys, drum pads, and performance controls. It supports SFZ, SF2, WAV, and M4A samples, and can control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired.
- Touch-optimized piano keyboard
- 9-pad drum grid
- XY performance pad
- Built-in sound engine (SF2, SFZ, WAV, M4A)
- AUv3 plugin support
- Network MIDI for Mac control
- Aftertouch and MPE expression
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Transform your iPad or iPhone into a professional MIDI controller with a touch-optimized piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, drum pads, and XY performance controls. Control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired, as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin in your favorite DAW. Perfect for mobile producers, live performers, beat makers, and sound designers. CORE FEATURES • Built-in sound engine for SF2, SFZ, WAV, and M4A. • Piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, 9-pad drum grid, and XY performance pad. • Scale mode with 12 scales and any root key, on both piano and grid. • Aftertouch and MPE with Mono AT, Poly AT, and XY MPE modes. • Aftertouch and Mod Wheel remapping to any MIDI CC or Pitch Bend. • Velocity, Pitch Bend, and Modulation faders, plus a latching sustain button. • AUv3 plugin for GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, and Drambo. • Network MIDI, OSC output, and 16 MIDI channels + Omni. • Adaptive interface for all iPad and iPhone sizes. VIEW MODES Switch between five layouts from the View menu: Piano: a familiar 2-octave keyboard with height-based velocity. Grid: Isomorphic: every row and column keeps the same interval, so chords and scales have one shape anywhere. Grid: 2 Rows: a piano-style pair of rows, naturals below, sharps above. Grid: Minor Thirds: columns step up by 3 semitones, rows move chromatically. Grid: Big Piano: large naturals with quarter-size sharps. Your view, layout, and root note persist across sessions. SCALE MODE Choose from 12 scales - Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Blues, and Whole Tone - in any of the 12 root keys. On the grid, cells remap so only in-scale notes are laid out, putting every note under your fingers. On the piano, the keyboard keeps its familiar shape - the black and white pattern is how you find your place without looking. Rather than move notes around, out-of-scale keys dim and stop responding to touch, so only the keys in your key are labelled and playable. Wrong notes are simply out of reach. Switch back to Chromatic anytime for the full keyboard. GRID EXPRESSION Every grid layout includes a dedicated mod-wheel row. A vibrant gradient highlights roots and notes, optional labels show note names, and per-note MPE with pitch bend gives each finger independent control. BUILT-IN SOUND ENGINE Play sounds directly without any external app. Load SF2 SoundFonts with multi-preset selection, or import SFZ, WAV, and M4A samples. The low-CPU engine maps samples across the keyboard automatically, and sound files persist across sessions. AFTERTOUCH & MPE EXPRESSION Add expressive depth with four aftertouch modes. Mono AT applies uniform pressure across chords, Poly AT sends independent pressure per note, and XY MPE allocates per-note MIDI channels (2-16) with Y on CC74 and X on Pitch Bend. Remap aftertouch or mod wheel to any MIDI CC or Pitch Wheel. A green gradient on pressed keys shows pressure in real time. CONNECT TO YOUR MAC Control Logic Pro, Ableton Live, or any Mac music software from your iPad or iPhone. Connect wirelessly over your local network with Bonjour, or plug in via USB for a rock-solid, zero-latency link. STANDALONE OR AUV3 Load KeyPad inside GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, Drambo, or any AUv3 host to play your instruments without switching apps, with settings saved in your project. Or run it standalone to drive hardware synths, route MIDI to other iOS apps, or control your Mac. TOUCH-OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE Height-Based Velocity: Touch keys at different vertical positions for dynamic velocity, with three curves to shape the response. XY Performance Pad: Control two parameters at once with multi-touch. Assign any MIDI CC to each axis for filter sweeps, effect morphing, or live sound manipulation. Smart Layout: Scales to the window, keeping the full layout with controls and pads on iPhone, iPad, Split View, and AUv3 plugin.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KeyPad MIDI Controller at none against Mighty Synth Sampler's 3. KeyPad MIDI Controller also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Mighty Synth Sampler sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. KeyPad MIDI Controller asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Mighty Synth Sampler against 4.9 for KeyPad MIDI Controller. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Mighty Synth Sampler's written reviews are positive against 100% of KeyPad MIDI Controller's.
Mighty Synth Sampler ships an update every 2 weeks, KeyPad MIDI Controller every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mighty Synth Sampler | KeyPad MIDI Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (38 ratings) | 4.9 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 38 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 158 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Moby Pixel | DiscoDSP LLC |
Customer experience
Mighty Synth Sampler
KeyPad MIDI Controller
In-app purchases
Mighty Synth Sampler
- Vintage Synth Sound Pack$4.99
- Super Chiptune Sound Pack$4.99
- Tape Drift Sound Pack$4.99
KeyPad MIDI Controller
No in-app purchases





