SynthStamp vs Retromulator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SynthStamp
Explore vintage synthesizers with fully modeled engines and familiar interfaces. Patch, save, and share your creations across devices. Features real-time effects processing and models based on iconic hardware.
- Fully modeled vintage synth engines
- Patchable semi-modular synthesizer
- Circuit-bendable sampling keyboard
- Real-time effects processing
- Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin support
- Cross-device preset sharing
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The Vintage Synth Playground You Can Take Anywhere SynthStamp is a celebration of the history of electronic music, featuring fully modeled engines and familiar interfaces of some of the most desirable synthesizers. Tap and drag to patch, save your patch as a preset, and export presets to share across all of your devices including Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Yes, that's right—iPhone. --- Model based on the ARP 2600—finally on mobile Circuit-bendable model based on the SK-1—we haven't seen one either Stereo audio input for realtime effects processing --- Choose Your Adventure 5001 Analog Synthesizer: dynamically patchable, semi-modular, monophonic analog synthesizer from the late '70s, with stereo preamplifier. A real idea factory, from classic analog synth leads to creative sound design, this synth is a tool for exploration and experimentation. You'll truly fall in love with the snappy, milky quality of the voltage-controlled filter. B500 Sampling Keyboard: circuit-bendable ROMpler from the mid '80s, with 4-voice polyphony, multi-channel note memory, and stereo sampler. Bend, sample, and compose melodies with this portable gem. Combine with continuous live sampling to create sounds that simply shouldn't exist. Flexibly Configurable, Infinitely Creative SynthStamp can be run as a standalone application or as an Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin inside supported DAWs, either as an Instrument with mono side chain input, or as a Music Effect on stereo/mono audio tracks for realtime processing, with full MIDI support. Presets can be imported and exported for easy sharing across devices, while on the same device, presets are stored in a common location across standalone and Audio Unit installations for shared access. Features - Universal App available on Mac, iPad & iPhone - Run as Standalone or Audio Unit (AUv3) App Extension - Stereo Audio Input/Output - MIDI Support - DAW Clock/Tempo Sync - Folder-Based Preset System - Preset Import/Export - Zoomable Mobile Interface - NEW MIDI Clock Support Privacy Policy: https://themusicologygroup.com/privacy/
Retromulator
This app offers authentic low-level emulation of legendary hardware synthesizers, samplers, and keyboards. It brings classic electronic music instruments back to life with their original firmware and behavior, supporting various core emulations for diverse sound creation.
- Multi-core retro hardware emulation
- AUv3 plug-in support
- Authentic low-level emulation of original firmware
- Virtual analog, FM, and chiptune synthesis
- GM/GS sound modules
- Organ and electric piano emulation
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Retromulator is a multi-core retro hardware emulation app and AUv3 plug-in that brings legendary synthesizer, sampler, and keyboard cores back to life through authentic low-level emulation. Each core runs its original firmware, a clean-room controller written from the behaviour of the hardware, a physical model or sample data — delivering the unmistakable character of the hardware that defined electronic music from the early 80s through the 2000s. — EMULATED CORES — VIRTUAL ANALOG SYNTHS • Nordic — virtual analog synth after the Nord Lead 1 by discoDSP, with its own panel, factory banks, Nord Lead SysEx import and its own AUv3 Firmware-level chip emulation, enabled with the 56k cores option (requires M1 iPad or iPhone 15 Pro or newer): • Access Virus A, B and C — Motorola DSP 56300 recreation • Access Virus TI / TI2 / Snow — Motorola DSP 56300 recreation • Clavia Nord Lead 2X — Motorola DSP 56300 recreation • Waldorf microQ — Motorola DSP 56300 recreation • Waldorf Microwave XT — Motorola DSP 56300 recreation • Roland JP-8000 and JP-8080 — JE-8086 core by Giulio Zausa ANALOG SYNTHS • Oberheim Matrix-1000 — clean-room controller, no firmware needed, driving six CEM3396 voice models, with a MIDI CC for each of the 96 patch parameters and LFO sync to the host tempo or MIDI clock • Moog Minimoog Model D — CA-72 circuit model by Idle Foundry, with the original front panel, a Double voice section with Detune, Width and Entropy, three quality modes, 46 factory presets and .fxp / .fxb preset and bank support • OB-Xd 2 — discoDSP's synth after the Oberheim OB-X, OB-Xa and OB-8, with its own panel, 24 factory banks and its own AUv3 FM SYNTHESIS • Yamaha DX7 — clean-room controller, no firmware needed, driving the original EGS and OPS chip models from VDX7 by Charles Chiaccona • Yamaha OPL3 — Nuked OPL3 cycle-accurate FM by Nuke.YKT GM / GS SOUND MODULES • 88emu — Roland SC-88, SC-88VL, SC-88Pro, SC-8850 and SC-55mkII boards, emulation by Giulio Zausa, with GS variation, map and rhythm handling, program and drum kit names read straight from the board ROM, 16-part multitimbral operation, and a Standard MIDI File player with offline rendering to WAV or AAC. CHIPTUNE • Commodore 64 SID 6581/8580 — based on reSID. 3-voice polyphony, 8580 chip model with high-quality RESAMPLE, GoatTracker .sng / .ins bank loading and .sid file import (PSID/RSID), full macro playback engine and live MIDI control of cutoff (CC 74), resonance (CC 71), pulse width (CC 75), vibrato (CC 1) and pitch bend. • Ayumi (AY-3-8910 / YM2149) — the PSG behind the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and MSX. Ayumi emulation by Peter Sovietov, 3-voice polyphony, switchable AY / YM engine, .ay patch loading and 11 live CC controls. ORGAN • Hammond B3 with Leslie speaker — OpenB3, based on the setBfree engine by Michele Perrone. Upper, lower and pedal drawbars, percussion, vibrato and chorus, overdrive, reverb, three Leslie cabinets, keyboard split and .fxp presets ELECTRIC PIANO AND SAMPLER • Wurlitzer 200A — OpenWurli physical modelling by hal0zer0 (Rust ported to C++ by discoDSP) • Akai S1000 — SFZero sample engine by Steve Folta, with Bliss Sampler support and resampling engine by discoDSP (SF2 / SFZ / ZBP / ZBB) — KEY FEATURES — • Native AUv3 plug-in for AUM, Cubasis, GarageBand, Logic Pro and more • Standalone app for iPhone and iPad • Full MIDI control: CC, mod wheel, expression, pitch bend • 8-point sinc interpolation for sample playback • Auto-slice drum mapping and global retuning via MIDI • ROM firmware loading from original hardware • Background audio, iCloud and Files app integration • Optimised interpreter compatible with the iOS App Store sandbox • Boards: hardware-style control panels for 15 cores, with host parameter linking and NRPN input • MIDI out to the host or to a MIDI device, and an Editor Only mode that runs a board without the sound engine or firmware, to edit the original hardware
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SynthStamp at $4.99 against Retromulator's $29.99. SynthStamp also leads on chart position (#197 vs unranked) and ratings volume (13 vs 4). Retromulator's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (63% vs 47%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
SynthStamp costs $4.99 and Retromulator $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Retromulator holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of SynthStamp's written reviews are positive against 63% of Retromulator's.
SynthStamp ships an update weekly, Retromulator every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.
| Parameter | SynthStamp | Retromulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $29.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | 62.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #197 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 59 MB | 138 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Musicology Group, Inc. | DiscoDSP LLC |
Customer experience
SynthStamp
Retromulator
In-app purchases
SynthStamp
No in-app purchases
Retromulator
No in-app purchases







