Syntien 2 vs DAW Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
Syntien 2
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Syntien 2 recognizes a variety of input sources, including touch, movement, and sound, and converts them into data for your creative work. Syntien 2 can connect to other devices and software via MIDI, OSC, and BLE. It comes with all the standard controls you'd expect -- buttons, labels, sliders, knobs, etc. -- plus a unique set of tools that go far beyond the basics. โข Use an adjustable, resizable Keyboard control to send MIDI note and velocity data, in addition to pitch bend, expression, and more. โข The Touch Pad control takes full advantage of your device's multi-touch capabilities. Track multiple touches independently. Use a stylus like an Apple Pencil to send highly-expressive data with pressure and tilt sensitivity. โข The IMU control uses data from your device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer to transmit your device's acceleration, rotation, or nearby magnetic field strength. โข Use the Level Meter to track audio input levels, and use the Pitch Detector control to detect pitch. โข Transform and scale outputs directly in Syntien 2 without any complex scripting! โข Connect controls to each other using Macros. Use buttons to toggle a Keyboard's sustain pedal, set up a Slider to modulate the frequency of an LFO, and more! โข Create your own interfaces and modify the behavior of controls in-app, on any iPhone or iPad, without the need for a separate desktop editor! Place and resize controls exactly how you want them using intuitive drag-and-drop gestures. โข Modify controls mid-performance by sending data from your computer to Syntien. Incoming OSC messages are displayed on the screen and color-coded, so you'll know exactly what messages Syntien is receiving and whether or not they're being interpreted. Works with Ableton, Max/MSP, SuperCollider, TouchDesigner, and any MIDI- or OSC-compatible software.
DAW Controller
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Your sleeping iPhone becomes a wheel and fader controller for your DAW. Digital pianos and synths often have no Pitch Bend or Modulation wheel. Dedicated hardware is hard to find, and small keyboards with wheels tend to feel awkward or fiddly to set up. DAW Controller is a pure MIDI controller built to fill exactly that gap. โ Six controls Pitch Bend / Modulation / Expression / Main Volume / Breath / Custom CC. Big wheels let you send nuance with a fingertip. โ Three ways to your DAW Network MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, and USB. No OSC bridge, no extra conversion โ it reaches your Mac DAW (Cubase and others) directly. โ Haptics you can feel on a desk Solid haptic feedback that comes through even with the phone lying flat. โ Fits your hands Manual portrait/landscape switch, a left- or right-side control panel in landscape, and fader looks (metal / color / matte). โ Nothing extra No ads. No subscription. Buy once. Try it first, and if you like it, pay once โ for good. DAW Controller โ to be your obbligato.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Syntien 2 at none against DAW Controller's 1. Syntien 2 also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). DAW Controller's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. DAW Controller sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Syntien 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Syntien 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, DAW Controller every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Syntien 2 | DAW Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 6 days โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No โ better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod โ better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 โ better | 17.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Modulii | Yasuhiro Misawa |
In-app purchases
Syntien 2
No in-app purchases
DAW Controller
- DAW Controller (Buy Once)$11.99









