Tonic Synth vs BANANA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tonic Synth
A powerful synthesizer app offering three oscillators with diverse sound sources, including physical modeling and wavetables. It features eight analog filter simulations, extensive modulation options, and a full effects rack. Available as a standalone app or AU/AUv3 plugin for Mac and iOS.
- Three oscillators with physical modeling, virtual-analog, wavetable, SF2, and sysex FM
- Eight analog filter simulations (LP/HP/BP/Notch, 12/24 dB)
- Comprehensive modulation: LFO, envelope follower, note-per-note filter envelope
- Full effects rack: chorus, delay, reverb, EQ, compressor, flanger, phaser
- Standalone app and AU/AUv3 plugin support
- Live performance features: editable presets, six scenes, MIDI Learn
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Eight sound engines in one instrument — and a whole preset community living inside it. Physical modeling, virtual analog, 3D wavetable, 6-operator FM and a full SoundFont player: stack up to three engines per sound, each with its own filter, envelope and modulation. Play it standalone on iPhone, iPad and Mac, or load it as an AUv3 plug-in — instrument and effect — in your favorite host. One purchase. No subscription, no ads, nothing locked behind a paywall. • TONICA — THE SOUND COMMUNITY Your next signature sound might come from a player on the other side of the world. Browse what the community publishes without ever leaving the app: one tap auditions it under your fingers, two taps keep it. Love an author? Take their whole collection at once, into a bank named after them. And publish yours with a single tap — no account, no sign-up, no cost. • THREE OSCILLATORS Up to three independent layers — each with its own source, filter, envelope and modulation, plus mute/solo and keyboard split. From a simple patch to a fat, detuned stack on one spread knob. The Vector pad morphs across all three layers in real time: draw a path and the sound travels it on its own. • SOUND ENGINES Per layer: physical modeling (string, modal, wind, bowed), virtual analog (sine, saw, square, triangle, pulse and super-saw, with sub-oscillator and noise), wavetables up to 128 frames, SoundFont (.sf2 and compressed .sf3) and 6-operator FM that opens .syx cartridges. Record anything through the mic and turn it into a wavetable — or draw the waveform with your finger and hear it instantly, on a 3D landscape you can drag, rotate and resize. • FILTERS Eight analog-modeled voicings — LP/HP/BP/Notch, 12 or 24 dB per octave, resonance into self-oscillation, drive and 4× oversampling. From warm ladder to creamy SVF, from acid squelch to screaming resonance. • ARPEGGIATOR & SEQUENCER A step editor with a live playhead: ties, ratchets, accents and per-step probability, polymetric rhythm masks, capture of what you just played, swing, gate mode, key range and per-layer arping. Imports .mid patterns, follows MIDI Clock, and with Hold the pattern runs by itself. • EFFECTS RACK Chorus, tempo-synced ping-pong delay, 6-type FDN reverb, 5-band EQ, compressor and a Flanger/Phaser module — each one switchable and routable per layer. • BUILT FOR THE STAGE Six scenes (A–F) swap the entire patch live without cutting the sound: the note ringing out finishes naturally while the next one already speaks with the new tone. Switched apps mid-set? A sustain pedal left down or a mod wheel parked halfway no longer hijacks your sound — every control starts working again the moment you move it. The MIDI filter decides what each pedal, wheel or controller is allowed to do, and can target one specific device when there's more than one keyboard in the rack. Program Change and Bank Select switch sounds from your controller. MIDI Learn on any control, over USB or Bluetooth. • YOUR LIBRARY 280+ factory sounds in banks, and your own collection beside them: favorites, renaming, saving, tagging and search by name, tag or bank. Two file formats of its own — one to share sounds (.tpr) and one for a full library backup (.tbk). Double-click a file, or receive one by AirDrop, and it merges straight in without duplicating anything. • WHERE IT RUNS iPhone, iPad and Mac, from a single purchase. As an AUv3 it runs in the major recording apps on iOS and macOS. Using software that doesn't load AUv3 yet? See rsjb.com.br/support for the route other users have already proven. Thank you for playing with RSJB - made by musicians for musicians! Follow the news at www.rsjb.com.br/en
BANANA
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One banana. Twelve voices. A surprisingly serious instrument. BANANA-1 turns an absurd idea into a synthesizer you can actually play. Tap across eight banana zones for notes, use multiple fingers for chords, and hold and drag for continuous pitch glides. Move vertically to brighten or darken the filter; pinch and rotate with two fingers to shape the tone. On first launch, start playing immediately or choose a short interactive guide with a banana that really makes sound. Five ripeness states change brightness, distortion, and release—from crisp Fresh to darker, grittier Rotten. Raise Peel for richer harmonics, then refine the sound with filter, envelope, distortion, chorus, delay, and reverb. Switch between SYNTH, BASS, PLUCK, and CHAOS modes. In the standalone app, shaking the device adds instability that fades smoothly when you stop. Build loops with the 16-step sequencer, adjust tempo and Swing, then play over them. Latch notes for drones and ambient textures. Save, replay, and manage takes; export WAV, M4A, AIFF, or CAF audio, MIDI files, or JSON performance data. The standalone app accepts system-available USB and Bluetooth MIDI input, including notes, velocity, and expression controls. The included AUv3 instrument accepts host MIDI and keeps the banana playable inside compatible music apps. No account or external hardware is needed to begin. It looks like a joke. It plays like an instrument.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BANANA at $1.99 against Tonic Synth's $24.99. BANANA also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Tonic Synth costs $24.99 and BANANA $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Tonic Synth ships an update every 4 days, BANANA every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tonic Synth | BANANA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rubens Felicio | 宁 徐 |
In-app purchases
Tonic Synth
No in-app purchases
BANANA
No in-app purchases









