Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer vs RollTab
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.
RollTab
This app transforms your device into an AI-powered piano partner. It listens to your musical phrases and generates real-time continuations using an advanced on-device AI model. You can control various aspects of the AI's output and export your creations as MIDI files.
- AI piano accompaniment
- Real-time music generation
- MIDI keyboard integration
- Adjustable AI parameters
- Live piano-roll view
- MIDI file export
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RollTab turns your iPhone or iPad into an AI piano partner. Connect a USB or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard, play a phrase, and pause. RollTab continues your performance in real time with a 125M-parameter music model running entirely on your device. • Automatic mode answers after you pause • Explicit mode lets you decide when to generate • Live piano-roll view separates your notes from the AI’s continuation • Adjust temperature, continuation length, timing, and pitch range • Pause, continue, start a new session, and export the result as a MIDI file • No account, cloud processing, or internet connection required A MIDI keyboard is required for live input. You can also generate from silence in Explicit mode. Created by Simon Edwardsson — simedw.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer at 4.8 against RollTab's 2.0. Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). RollTab's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 10 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer ships an update every 10 days, RollTab every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer | RollTab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) — better | 2.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 185 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jaime Filipe Candido Paiva Vieira | Simon Edwardsson |
Customer experience
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer
RollTab
In-app purchases
Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer
No in-app purchases
RollTab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer free?
Is RollTab free?
Which has better reviews, Tresse Polyphonic Synthesizer or RollTab?
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