Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer vs FAC Gravity
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer
This app is a powerful polyphonic synthesizer for iPhone and iPad, featuring 39 diverse sound engines and a generative step sequencer. It offers extensive sound-shaping capabilities with dual layers, morphing filters, and flexible LFOs and envelopes. It functions as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin.
- 39 diverse sound engines
- Dual-layer synthesis
- Morphing SEM-style filter
- Generative step sequencer
- AUv3 plugin support
- Extensive modulation options
- Preset sharing via QR codes
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TRESSE is a polyphonic synthesizer that merges 39 sound engines into one instrument for iPhone and iPad. It runs standalone and as an AUv3 plugin inside AUM, AudioBus, and GarageBand. Twenty-four engines come from Classic MI Plaits: subtractive, FM, wavetable, additive, granular, speech and formant, chords, resonators, and analog-modelled drums. Fifteen more are custom, ported and extended: Karplus-Strong strings, vowel formants, modal and sympathetic-string resonators, a seven-saw supersaw, Hammond-style drawbars, bytebeat, and a multi-waveform wavefolder. TWO LAYERS, ONE VOICE Run two engines at once and crossfade them with the balance knob - each layer has its own filter, envelopes and voice mode. A self-stable SEM-style filter morphs continuously from lowpass to bandpass to highpass to notch and stays stable at full resonance. Two ADSR envelopes per layer shape amplitude and filter independently. Three six-shape LFOs and two step-sequenced MOD lanes route to almost anything - timbre, filters, the layer balance, even the sequencer's own knobs. A master chain adds chorus, tape, ping-pong and lo-fi delays, hall, room, plate and shimmer reverbs, and a wavefolder. GENERATIVE SEQUENCER, POWERED BY VEKTE A generative step sequencer drives the synth with seven algorithms - wave interference, Euclidean, random walk, logistic map, cellular automata, Kaprekar and Fibonacci. Shape the pattern with DENSE, probability, swing or humanize, tie and strum over a full scale and chord system. The arpeggiator can play the main sequence itself - with or without its intervals - or walk your held notes in seven modes. Two synth-macro knobs put any synth parameter on the sequencer page. Presets save, load and rename instantly - and share as compact text keys or QR codes anyone on TRESSE can load. FORMAT AND COMPATIBILITY TRESSE is an iOS standalone app and an AUv3 instrument. Load it in any AUv3 host, including AUM, AudioBus, and GarageBand. Its state saves with your host project. It responds to MIDI note input from any connected keyboard or controller, with MIDI learn on every knob. FREE, ADVANCED, PRO FREE plays all factory presets and offers one editable oscillator layer using EastCoast or RingsInh, the Euclidean algorithm, up to 16 steps, three divisions, three scales and three chord options. LFO editing, Shimmer, MIDI Learn and split sequencing require an upgrade. Manual MIDI CC assignment remains available. ADV unlocks the 24-engine instrument, two editable layers, split sequencers, 32 steps, LFO 1, every algorithm, the arpeggiator, divisions up to 2 bars, Ping Pong, all scales and chords, Shimmer, MIDI Learn, MOD 1 and preset saving. PRO upgrades ADV with 15 additional Våld engines, 64 steps, LFOs 2 and 3, MOD 2, timing options up to 16 bars, Random Walk direction and oscillator/sequence copy-paste. FULL includes ADV and PRO in one purchase. All are one-time purchases covering the standalone app and AUv3 extension. UPDATING FROM AN EARLIER VERSION Version 1.3.0 changes the FREE editing limits. Features previously editable for free, including LFO 1, the second oscillator layer, Shimmer and MIDI Learn, now require ADV or FULL. FREE sequences are editable up to 16 steps. Existing preset and host-project settings are retained: locked features continue to play, but editing them requires the relevant pack. Already available also on desktop as VST3 and AU, for macOS and Windows.
FAC Gravity
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FAC Gravity AUv3 Plugin is a frequency shifter for creating Barberpole and Shepard style glissandos, spectral illusions, stereo rotation, chorusing, phasing, evolving echoes, infinite cosmic spaces, and all the combinations you’ll make. The plugin gives you two ways to process the audio source. In Stereo mode, each channel is shifted independently, with a Ratio control determining how closely their frequency shifts align. In Mono mode, FAC Gravity extends the internal quadrature processing to create a wide stereo image from the mono source. The frequency shift can move up or down, from subtle to more extreme spectral transformations. You can set the amount in Hz for classic Bode-style frequency shifting, make it follow your host tempo for rhythmic patterns, or even control it from MIDI notes for a more hands-on approach. A new dimension appears when you let the shifter feed back into itself with Spiral, a customizable loop with delay, blur, filtering, and different characters that shape how the sound circles, smears, interacts, and evolves over time. The result can range from bubbling textures to infinite sustained tones and noisy analog self-oscillation. Each character takes the feedback somewhere different. To dive deeper into new sonic dimensions, FAC Gravity comes with its own modulation module. The LFO, envelope follower, and flexible modulation matrix let you animate most parameters, from subtle evolving movements to complex, rhythmically reactive changes. You can even make the stereo field animate and rotate continuously by making the Width, Phase, and Pan parameters spin! You can shape the effect further by blending the processed signal with the original, while the optional limiter keeps the most extreme combinations in check. • Barberpole glissandos, spectral illusions, rotating stereo, evolving echoes • Dual Frequency Shifting, or Mono Shifting with Quadrature Stereo Widening • Organic Spiral Loop, from gentle feedback to pure analog self-oscillation • Integrated delay, diffusion blur, and independent low/high filtering • Modulation matrix, multi-source envelope follower • LFO with classic waveforms and random spline • Spinning modulation to rotate and animate the stereo field • Tempo-synced or MIDI-driven Frequency Shift, LFO, and Delay • Dry/Wet mix, optional limiting, and goniometer visualization • Advanced Responsive Design, portrait and landscape views • Universal Purchase: AUv3 for iOS (iPad/iPhone), macOS and Vision Pro The documentation is available at fredantoncorvest.com/FAC_Gravity.html This is an AUv3 Effect and requires a compatible host to work The in-app purchases are for tipping only, the app is fully functional without them
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer at Free against FAC Gravity's $9.99. Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer is free to download; FAC Gravity costs $9.99 up front. FAC Gravity sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer against 4.8 for FAC Gravity. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 6 respectively.
| Parameter | Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer | FAC Gravity |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jaime Filipe Candido Paiva Vieira | Frederic Corvest |
In-app purchases
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer
No in-app purchases
FAC Gravity
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$14.99
Questions
Is Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer free?
Is FAC Gravity free?
Which has better reviews, Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer or FAC Gravity?
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