Ripple Drum Synth vs Aether Synth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ripple Drum Synth
Shape unique drum sounds with a versatile synthesizer. Control sonic character via an XY pad, LFOs, and randomization. Enhance your creations with a selection of built-in effects.
- Shapeable drum sound engines
- XY pad for sonic control
- LFO modulation
- Randomization options
- Built-in effects
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Ripple is a shape-able drum synth. Use the XY pad to dial in the sonic character of 4 custom drum sound engines. Use the LFOs and randomization options to keep things interesting. Add finishing touches with a choice set of effects
Aether Synth
This music creation app offers a professional synthesizer engine with dual-layer sound design and rhythmic motion. It can be used as a standalone workstation or as an AUv3 instrument within compatible iOS hosts for recording and production.
- AUv3 instrument support
- Standalone synth workstation
- Dual preset layering
- Melodic and drum sequencers
- Sampler tools
- Multitrack audio workspace
- Arpeggiator and motion controls
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Aether Synth now includes AUv3 instrument support, letting you load Aether directly inside compatible iOS hosts like GarageBand, Logic Pro for iPad, and other AUv3-supported music apps. Use Aether Synth as a standalone iOS synthesizer and music creation workstation, or open it inside your favorite DAW as an Audio Unit instrument for recording, sequencing, layering, and producing with Aether sounds in your projects. Aether Synth is built for fast inspiration, deep sound design, and expressive performance. Whether you are just starting out or already producing music, Aether Synth gives you a creative space to build sounds, play instruments, sequence ideas, shape presets, sample audio, and experiment with immersive motion. Start with ready-to-play presets, then go deeper with advanced synth controls, dual-layer sound design, rhythmic motion, melodic sequencing, drums, effects, multitrack creation, and AUv3 host integration. Made for beginners and advanced creators Aether Synth is designed to feel immediate when you want quick results, but deep when you want to sculpt every detail. Load a preset, play the keyboard, trigger sequences, layer sounds, build a full idea from scratch, or use Aether as an AUv3 instrument inside your host. Key features include: • AUv3 instrument support for compatible iOS music hosts • Standalone synth and music creation workstation • Professional synthesizer engine with rich, expressive sound • Dual preset layering for bigger, wider, more complex patches • Built-in keyboard performance view • Melodic sequencer for creating patterns and riffs • Drum sequencer for beat creation • Sampler tools for working with audio ideas • Multitrack audio workspace for arranging and bouncing ideas • Arpeggiator and motion controls for rhythmic energy • Host-synced motion, ARP, and SEQ-style sounds in AUv3 hosts • LFO-based movement for evolving sounds • Spatial audio-inspired motion and immersive preset design in the standalone app • Reverb, delay, chorus, drive, filter, and tone-shaping tools • Preset browser for quickly finding usable sounds • Random Sound and Random Motion tools for fast inspiration • Themeable interface with modern visual styles • Designed for touch, live play, mobile creativity, and DAW workflows Create sounds that move Aether Synth is built around movement and expression. Use evolving presets, rhythmic modulation, layered textures, and spatial motion controls to create sounds that feel alive. Use Aether inside your DAW With AUv3 instrument support, Aether Synth can now be used inside compatible iOS hosts. Load it as an instrument, play it with the host keyboard, record MIDI, sequence parts, layer multiple instances, and use Aether sounds directly in your productions. Build musical ideas fast Use the melodic sequencer, drum sequencer, keyboard view, sampler, and multitrack page to turn a sound into a full sketch. Create loops, experiment with patterns, layer parts, and bounce your ideas. For sound designers Go beyond simple preset playing. Shape tone, motion, stereo width, effects, envelopes, filters, layers, and modulation to design custom patches with character. For producers Quickly create basses, pads, leads, bells, plucks, rhythmic textures, drums, loops, and atmospheric layers directly on your device or inside your AUv3 host. For beginners You do not need to understand every control right away. Start with presets, use the keyboard, try the sequencers, open Aether in GarageBand or Logic Pro for iPad, and explore the sound by turning simple controls. Aether Synth is built for creators who want a serious synth that still feels fun, visual, and immediate. Create. Play. Sequence. Sample. Layer. Move sound. Use Aether as an AUv3 instrument.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ripple Drum Synth at 5.0 against Aether Synth's 4.6. Ripple Drum Synth also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Aether Synth's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs monthly) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Ripple Drum Synth costs $4.99 and Aether Synth $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ripple Drum Synth holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Ripple Drum Synth's written reviews are positive against 80% of Aether Synth's.
Ripple Drum Synth ships an update monthly, Aether Synth every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on August 22, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ripple Drum Synth | Aether Synth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better | 4.6 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 7 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #193 | #175 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 33 MB | 34 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Brian Hurlow | Jacob Kirk |
Customer experience
Ripple Drum Synth
Aether Synth
In-app purchases
Ripple Drum Synth
No in-app purchases
Aether Synth
No in-app purchases





