Comparison

StringMaster Uke vs AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

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

Head to head
About

StringMaster Uke

This app is a comprehensive tool for ukulele players of all levels, offering features like chord building, scale visualization, and a built-in tuner and metronome. It aids in learning notes, songwriting, and exploring alternate tunings.

Highlights
  • Chord building and detection
  • Scale visualization
  • Chromatic tuner
  • Metronome
  • Fretboard learning
  • Songwriting assistance
  • Alternate tuning support
Features
Read full description

Introducing StringMaster Uke, part of the StringMaster family of applications that represent the pinnacle of advanced music applications for iPad and Mac, tailored for musicians ranging from relative beginners to seasoned ukulele players. The StringMaster family has five versions catering to diverse needs with StringMaster Uke providing most of the features of the Pro version, with the exception of instruments other than Ukulele, Instrument Comparison, Fretlight Guitar support and the Jam/MIDI capability, though in app upgrades are available for these features. Unlock a world of possibilities with support for chord building and detection, chord tones, scales, and songwriting, backed by a chromatic tuner, metronome, fretboard learning, flexible alternate tuning and capo support, and more. Explore the robust capabilities of StringMaster Uke: * Play and discover chords and fingering with natural tones. * Display and play scales, including scale runs up the fretboard. * Visualize chord notes, suggested fingering, and Chord Tones. * Utilize the unique Note Finding capability to learn notes and their relative positions on the fretboard. * Benefit from the integrated Chromatic Tuner and Metronome, playable in the background. * Leverage StringMaster's chord-naming algorithms based on finger positions. * Unleash your creativity with the Song Writer, recommending chord progressions and facilitating songwriting. Experience the next level of musical exploration and education with StringMaster Uke – where versatility meets excellence. Join the global community of musicians who have made StringMaster their go-to app for musical innovation. Download StringMaster Uke now and elevate your musical journey to new heights!

About

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

This app is a virtual analog and PCM synthesizer for iPad, inspired by the digital synthesizers of the 80s and 90s. It offers a vast library of presets, advanced synthesis features, and built-in effects for creating rich, retro-inspired sounds.

Highlights
  • 64-voice hybrid digital poly synthesis
  • 1GB+ of original samples
  • Stand-alone, IAA, and AUv3 support
  • Vintage-style arp/step sequencer
  • 3 LFOs with fun routings
  • Dual independent per-layer filters
  • Built-in FX suite
Read full description

Epic 64-voice Virtual Analog / PCM iPad Synth Inspired by the Digital Synths of the 80s and 90s - ** TOP 3 iOS MUSIC APPS OF 2018 *** - Music Radar Awards (Computer Music & Future Music Magazine) - * Featured By Apple in "New Apps We Love!" ** "Fans of the D-50, JD-990, 01/W, Wavestation... Rejoice!" - Music Radar FULLY LOADED w/ 500+ presets by Brice Beasley, Matthew Fecher, Red Sky Lullaby, Jakob Haq, Dean Daughters (Electronisounds), Sound of Izrael, Brian Funk, and more DIGITAL D1 is AWESOME: - 64-voice Hybrid Digital Poly Synthesis. - Full 1+ Gigabyte of original samples recorded from analog & fm synths over 30+ years old - Stand-alone iPad Synth, plus IAA & Audiobus - Basic AUv3 Plugin support. Works best with AUM. We're working on upgrading Audio Unit support. - Space-saving Compression - The whole app is under 200mb! - Dual layers per voice. Keyboard splits. Velocity Scaling. - Vintage-style Arp/Step Sequencer that can be routed to specific layers. - 3 LFOs. Fun Routings. LFOs can modify other LFOs. - Dual Independent per-Layer filters - Plus, per-voice Harmonic key-tracked Envelope filters. "Digital D1 Sounds and plays AMAZING!" - The Sound Test Room "Rad retro synth sounds" - Cult of Mac, App of the Week "AudioKit Digital D1 is a beautiful Synthesizer app that recreates the spirit of legendary synths" - Synth Anatomy ADDITIONAL FEATURES: - FX: Glorious Reverb, Phaser, Digital Delay, Distortion, Flanger, Chorus, Crush, and more. - Perfect with a MIDI Keyboard - Ableton Link - All kinds of awesome stuff - The Sound. Oh, the sound. You won't believe it. "Digital D1 synth is pure ‘80s and ‘90s digital lushness" - Computer Music/Music Radar "Beautiful. Lush. Modern and Amazing… An Instant Classic." REQUIREMENTS: Requires newer iPads for best performance. May be slow on iPad 4. IAA is being deprecated by Apple in iOS 13. We're moving to AUv3 as well. Please replace IAA with AUv3 in your projects. GarageBand Audio Unit (AUv3): You can run one instance of D1 as an AUv3 in GarageBand. With a host like AUM, you can run 3 or more instances at once. TROUBLESHOOTING: For iPad 4 - Open the "Settings" button (to the upper left above the keyboard). Turn the buffer to 512 or above. And turn the "CPU Efficient" toggle to on. If still having trouble, try closing other music apps and/or rebooting your iPad. Thanks! - * NOMINATED: Best iOS Music Apps of 2018 ** by Computer Music & Future Music magazine. Subscribe to access to premium app features; subscription details are the following: - Length: weekly or yearly - Free trial: only on selected subscriptions - Your payment will be charged to your iTunes Account as soon as you confirm your purchase - You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal from your Account Settings after the purchase - Your subscription will renew automatically, unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - The cost of renewal will be charged to your account in the 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - When canceling a subscription, your subscription will stay active until the end of the period. Auto-renewal will be disabled, but the current subscription will not be refunded - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription Terms & Conditions: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Terms-Conditions-14dcf6557a0880beb991f20561329664?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Terms-Conditions-14dcf6557a0880beb991f20561329664?pvs=21) Privacy Policy: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Privacy-Policy-14dcf6557a088042b2beee2382f5d62f?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Digital-D1-Synth-Privacy-Policy-14dcf6557a088042b2beee2382f5d62f?pvs=21) - * NOTE: This app has no official affiliation with AudioKit Pro, LLC. It was built using the free AudioKit source code.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AudioKit Digital D1 Synth at Free against StringMaster Uke's $8.99. AudioKit Digital D1 Synth also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (2K vs 2). StringMaster Uke's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth is free to download; StringMaster Uke costs $8.99 up front. StringMaster Uke sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and AudioKit Digital D1 Synth sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StringMaster Uke holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AudioKit Digital D1 Synth has 2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of StringMaster Uke's written reviews are positive against 76% of AudioKit Digital D1 Synth's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StringMaster Uke ships an update every 3 months, AudioKit Digital D1 Synth every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
StringMaster Uke versus AudioKit Digital D1 Synth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStringMaster UkeAudioKit Digital D1 Synth
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.8 (2K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better76.1% of reviews
Number of ratings22K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
DevicesiPad, Mac — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size178 MB636 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGreat Apptitude Pty LtdAudiobus Pty Ltd

Customer experience

StringMaster Uke

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

All ratings2,007 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews243 reviews
Positive76.1%
Neutral7.4%
Negative16.5%

Bugs and requests

StringMaster Uke

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Presets not loading correctly
  • MIDI note dropouts and latency
  • Crashes when used with certain DAWs
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Audio Unit (AUv3) support
  • Improve MIDI integration and responsiveness
  • Implement a built-in recording/sampling feature
  • Expand preset library with more genres and styles
  • Add more sound design controls and modulation options

In-app purchases

2 purchases

StringMaster Uke

One-time2
  • Enable All Instruments$6.99
  • StringMaster Pro Upgrade$8.99
6 purchases

AudioKit Digital D1 Synth

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly premium$4.997 Days
  • Weekly premium7 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Yearly premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly premium$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • D1 PCM Expansion-01Free
  • Platinum Expansion PCM EXP-01Free

Questions

Is StringMaster Uke free?
StringMaster Uke costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is AudioKit Digital D1 Synth free?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StringMaster Uke or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth?
StringMaster Uke is rated higher. StringMaster Uke averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while AudioKit Digital D1 Synth averages 4.8 from 2K ratings.
Do StringMaster Uke or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth have ads?
AudioKit Digital D1 Synth shows ads; StringMaster Uke does not.
Which is updated more often, StringMaster Uke or AudioKit Digital D1 Synth?
StringMaster Uke ships an update every 3 months, and AudioKit Digital D1 Synth every 3 weeks. Most recently, StringMaster Uke was updated on October 6, 2026 and AudioKit Digital D1 Synth on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons