Comparison

76477 Complex Sound Synth vs MESA Synth AUv3

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

Head to head
About

76477 Complex Sound Synth

Create complex sound effects and music with a powerful synthesizer inspired by vintage hardware. Offers extensive modulation, noise generation, and customizable envelopes. Easily share your creations and control it with MIDI devices.

Highlights
  • Three oscillators with multiple wave types
  • Modulation capabilities for oscillators
  • Adjustable noise generator with filter
  • Configurable ADSR envelope
  • Unlimited sound effect generator boards
  • MIDI input support
  • Export/import sound effect boards
Features
Read full description

Synth 76477 is a powerful sound effects generator and synthesizer app, inspired by the famous SN76477 integrated circuit from the 1970s, but containing many enhancements. Features: • Three oscillators, each of which can produce a sine, triangle, sawtooth, or square wave • The outputs of two of the oscillators can be used to modulate the main oscillator • Frequency modulation can be linear or octave based • The duty cycle of the main oscillator can be adjusted in square wave mode • Noise generator, either analog or digital, with an adjustable low pass filter • Oscillator outputs can be mixed to the audio output • Fully configurable ADSR (Attack / Decay / Sustain / Release) envelope, linear or exponential • One shot mode available • Unlimited number of sound effect generator boards • User configurable array of sound effect generator buttons on each board, up to 50 on the iPhone and 150 on the iPad • Boards as well as individual generators can be exported and imported, and transferred to and from your computer via iTunes file sharing, making it easy to share with others Synth 76477 comes with a full set of sample sound generators, making it easy to understand how to use and configure them, and tap the full power of the app. Synth 76477 works with MIDI input devices (keyboards and controllers) in several interesting ways: If you plug a MIDI device into an iPad (via the USB Camera Connection Kit), Synth 76477 will automatically use it. You can plug several MIDI controllers in via a powered HUB, and Synth 76477 will use all of them. You can also use MIDI controllers over WiFi. Midi controllers can be used to trigger chip playback, or set the VCO frequency and volume. They can also be used in the chip editor to adjust the various settings. The app also supports Bluetooth audio devices. Visit the support page for step by step instructions on how to use the app: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/ipad/complex_sound_synthesizer_FAQ.html Buy your copy right now, and start generating your own sound effects in minutes.

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

Screenshots

76477 Complex Sound Synth4 screens
MESA Synth AUv34 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MESA Synth AUv3 at 100% against 76477 Complex Sound Synth's 50%. MESA Synth AUv3 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 3 months). 76477 Complex Sound Synth's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $8.99) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

76477 Complex Sound Synth costs $2.99 and MESA Synth AUv3 $8.99 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 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 76477 Complex Sound Synth has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of 76477 Complex Sound Synth's written reviews are positive against 100% of MESA Synth AUv3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

76477 Complex Sound Synth ships an update every 3 months, MESA Synth AUv3 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
76477 Complex Sound Synth versus MESA Synth AUv3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter76477 Complex Sound SynthMESA Synth AUv3
Price$2.99 — better$8.99
Rating3.9 (9 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlack Cat SystemsJuan Maguid

Customer experience

76477 Complex Sound Synth

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative20.0%

MESA Synth AUv3

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

In-app purchases

None

76477 Complex Sound Synth

No in-app purchases

None

MESA Synth AUv3

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 76477 Complex Sound Synth free?
76477 Complex Sound Synth costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MESA Synth AUv3 free?
MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 76477 Complex Sound Synth or MESA Synth AUv3?
MESA Synth AUv3 is rated higher. 76477 Complex Sound Synth averages 3.9 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while MESA Synth AUv3 averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do 76477 Complex Sound Synth or MESA Synth AUv3 have ads?
Neither 76477 Complex Sound Synth nor MESA Synth AUv3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 76477 Complex Sound Synth or MESA Synth AUv3?
76477 Complex Sound Synth ships an update every 3 months, and MESA Synth AUv3 every 2 months. Most recently, 76477 Complex Sound Synth was updated on October 23, 2026 and MESA Synth AUv3 on October 13, 2026.

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