Comparison

MESA Synth AUv3 vs PLICATA

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

PLICATA

This is a compact monophonic synthesizer for hands-on sound design and performance. It features a morphing oscillator, wavefolding, a resonant filter, and a flexible VCA contour, with an independent SUB oscillator for added depth. A 28-socket patch system allows for extensive audio, CV, and event routing.

Highlights
  • Morphing oscillator with wavefolding
  • Independent SUB oscillator
  • 28-socket patch system
  • Microtonal XY keyboard
  • 32-step arpeggiator
  • Performance macros
  • AUv3 support
Features
Read full description

PLICATA is a compact patchable monophonic instrument for hands-on sound design and performance. A morphing oscillator feeds wavefolding, a resonant filter and flexible VCA contour, while an independent SUB oscillator adds octave, interval and eight waveform modes. PATCH IT The 28-socket patch system opens audio, CV and event routing. Modulate FOLD without replacing the oscillator path, reset the LFO externally, replace the internal SUB source, control SUB level by CV, distribute modulation through MULT, or build feedback and audio-rate networks. Patch cables are recalled with your sounds. MICROTONAL XY PERFORMANCE The 13-key XY keyboard spans C4–C5. Tune every key independently by ±100 cents or start from 12-TET, Just Intonation, Pythagorean and quarter-tone templates. Horizontal movement adds pitch expression up to ±24 semitones; vertical movement can map each key to as many as eight sound parameters or performance macros. PERFORMANCE VIEW + 32-STEP ARPEGGIATOR Tap PERF for an expanded keyboard-focused surface. The arpeggiator follows INTERNAL, HOST or MIDI clock and offers UP, DOWN, UP/DOWN, AS PLAYED, RANDOM, WALK, CONVERGE, DIVERGE and CHORD styles across up to four octaves. Build patterns from 1 to 32 steps with independent pitch, octave, velocity, gate, probability and ratchet lanes. HOLD captures the note pool; FILL creates a momentary variation. Adjust swing, gate, velocity behavior, probability and ratchets live. Rotate patterns, create temporary MUTATE variations, FREEZE the result, and recall seven ARP scenes with optional MIDI keyswitch control. MACROS, MIDI AND SYNC Six bounded performance macros shape tone, motion, fold, envelope, drive and level. IGNITE is editable: choose multiple targets, ranges and response curves, then store the mapping independently from sound presets. The keyboard can output 12-TET MIDI or preserve microtonal tuning through pitch bend with ±1, ±2, ±12 and ±24 semitone ranges. PLICATA also supports MIDI/MPE input, host sync and externally reset or free-running LFO operation. COMPLETE SOUND STATES PLICATA ships with 20 factory sounds and a full user-preset system. User sounds recall synthesis, patch cables and performance configuration together. Search, organize, favorite, duplicate and tag sounds, or use GEN to create a complete new musical state without overwriting your library. STANDALONE + AUv3 Use PLICATA standalone or as an AUv3 instrument inside compatible Apple music hosts. FEATURES • Morphing oscillator, wavefolding and pulse-width shaping • Independent SUB oscillator with interval and eight waveform modes • Resonant filter, ADSR articulation and drive • 28-socket audio, CV and event patch system • 13-key microtonal XY keyboard with independent tuning • Dedicated PERFORMANCE view with expanded keyboard • 32-step arpeggiator with nine styles and three clock modes • Per-step pitch, octave, velocity, gate, probability and ratchet • HOLD, FILL, rotate, MUTATE/FREEZE and seven ARP scenes • Six performance macros plus editable IGNITE • MIDI/MPE input and microtonal MIDI output • Factory and user presets with complete-state recall • Complete-state generation with GEN • Standalone and AUv3 operation Support, bug reports and feature requests: support@alessandroguardascione.com

Screenshots

MESA Synth AUv34 screens
PLICATA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MESA Synth AUv3 at 100% against PLICATA's 50%. MESA Synth AUv3 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5). PLICATA's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and price ($7.99 vs $8.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99 and PLICATA $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MESA Synth AUv3 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of MESA Synth AUv3's written reviews are positive against 50% of PLICATA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MESA Synth AUv3 ships an update every 2 months, PLICATA every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MESA Synth AUv3 versus PLICATA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMESA Synth AUv3PLICATA
Price$8.99$7.99 — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuan MaguidAlessandro Guardascione

Customer experience

MESA Synth AUv3

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PLICATA

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

MESA Synth AUv3

No in-app purchases

None

PLICATA

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MESA Synth AUv3 free?
MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PLICATA free?
PLICATA costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MESA Synth AUv3 or PLICATA?
MESA Synth AUv3 is rated higher. MESA Synth AUv3 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while PLICATA averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do MESA Synth AUv3 or PLICATA have ads?
Neither MESA Synth AUv3 nor PLICATA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MESA Synth AUv3 or PLICATA?
MESA Synth AUv3 ships an update every 2 months, and PLICATA every 2 days. Most recently, MESA Synth AUv3 was updated on October 13, 2026 and PLICATA on October 13, 2026.

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