MESA Synth AUv3 vs M8FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MESA Synth AUv3
This music creation tool transforms visuals into sound by rendering shaders and images into wavetables. It offers a powerful synthesis engine, extensive sound-shaping capabilities, and a full effects rack, all controllable through light and visual input.
- Visual-to-audio wavetable synthesis
- Unison oscillator stack with sub-oscillator
- Zero-delay-feedback filter
- Vision panel for sound shaping with light
- 26 stackable visual modifiers as audio effects
- 8-stage stereo FX rack
- Sampler mode with auto pitch-tracking
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MESA is a wavetable synthesizer unlike any other — it turns visuals into sound. Drop in a shader or a .vkograph and MESA renders it offscreen, reads the light across the image, and turns that into a wavetable you play. The picture literally becomes the oscillator — and the same visual keeps living behind your keys, reacting to every note. No other synth works like this. Behind the magic is a complete, serious instrument: THE ENGINE • 64-frame wavetables, FFT mip-banked for clean, alias-free playback everywhere • Unison oscillator stack with detune, spread, and a sub-oscillator • Zero-delay-feedback filter — cutoff, resonance, drive, self-oscillating • Full ADSR envelope, portamento glide, and a dedicated pitch envelope SHAPE THE SOUND WITH LIGHT • Vision panel: choose the scanline, weight color channels, bend the brightness curve, sweep time — one shader, a thousand timbres • 33 color palettes that reshape the tone, not just the look • VFX chain: 26 stackable visual modifiers, each one also an audio effect A FULL STUDIO • 3-slot modulation matrix with 2 LFOs, velocity, and mod wheel • 8-stage stereo FX rack: tape, wow & flutter, chorus, delay, reverb, lo-fi, tape-stop • Sampler mode — load any audio, auto pitch-tracked across the keys • Arpeggiator, Ableton Link, and MIDI Learn on nearly every control BUILT FOR YOUR WORKFLOW • AUv3 plug-in AND standalone app — one purchase, iOS + macOS • iCloud sync — build a patch on your Mac, it's ready on your iPhone • Categorized preset browser with import/export and full patch recall
M8FX
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【Description】 M8FX is a revolutionary, portable multi-track effects processor app designed specifically for iPhone to turn your Dirtywave M8 Tracker into a powerful, live-performing mixing rig. Connect using a single USB-C cable. M8FX hooks up directly to your M8 Tracker (running firmware version 6.0 or higher), allowing you to apply independent effects to each individual channel (CH1–CH8) using your favorite iOS AUv3 plugins with seamless real-time BPM synchronization, and route the processed audio directly back to the M8 hardware. Optimized for a permanent "Portrait (Vertical)" screen layout on iPhone and built with a hyper-responsive JUCE 8 + React/TypeScript hybrid architecture, M8FX delivers a latency-free, hardware-style experience. Perfect for both deep sound design in the studio and chaotic dub-mixing on stage. 【Key Features】 Clean Single-Cable Connection: No bulky adapters or messy wiring. A single USB-C to USB-C cable is all you need to handle 8-channel bi-directional audio routing and MIDI synchronization. Per-Channel Insert & Return (v6+ Sync): Seamlessly integrate with M8 Tracker (v6.0+) to process individual tracks through up to four AUv3 effect slots in a chain, routing the polished sound directly back into the M8 master bus. Flawless BPM Sync & Beat Effects: Live MIDI clock synchronization enables flawless integration of tempo-synced beat effects, rhythmic modulators, and time-based delays that lock perfectly with your M8's groove. Portrait Multi-Touch Mixing UI: Tailored for effortless one-handed control on iPhone with a compact 4x2 channel grid. Perform dynamic, hardware-style live dubs using responsive Mute, Solo, and toggling between Momentary/Latch send modes. 4 Macro Sliders & Dramatic Drop Controls: Maps vital AUv3 parameters to four thick macro sliders (M1–M4) for fluid hands-on control. Build massive tension by unleashing all sends simultaneously with the "ALL SEL" button, then trigger a clean drop in a split second with the pink "RST" (Reset) button. 【System Requirements】 Supported Hardware: Dirtywave M8 Tracker (Model:01 & Model:02) Required M8 Firmware: Version 6.0 or higher (for multichannel USB audio sending and return routing) Compatible Devices: USB-C equipped iPhones (iPhone 15 or later recommended) Setup Note: Please ensure "Microphone Permission" is allowed upon launch to enable USB-C audio inputs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: M8FX at $4.99 against MESA Synth AUv3's $8.99. M8FX also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.4). MESA Synth AUv3's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On ads and in-app purchases 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
MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99 and M8FX $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | MESA Synth AUv3 | M8FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Juan Maguid | Keisuke Kagoshima |
In-app purchases
MESA Synth AUv3
No in-app purchases
M8FX
No in-app purchases









