Comparison

SynthMaster Player vs MKSensation

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

Head to head
About

SynthMaster Player

This mobile synthesizer app provides a vast library of sounds for music production. It allows users to play presets, make limited edits, and access additional sound banks through in-app purchases. It integrates with other music apps and offers a built-in keyboard for immediate playability.

Highlights
  • Preset-based sound library
  • Limited parameter editing
  • XY pads for modulation
  • AUv3 and InterApp Audio support
  • Audiobus integration
  • Built-in keyboard with pitch/mod wheels
  • Scales functionality
Read full description

SynthMaster Player for iOS received "2016 Editor's Choice Award" from Electronic Musician Magazine! SynthMaster desktop version is voted as "The Best VST/AU Synth Plugin" by MusicRadar readers and also received "Gear of the Year" award from MusicTech Magazine for "Best Software Instrument" category. SynthMaster has received very positive reviews from acclaimed music technology magazines: "SynthMaster: The most powerful softsynth you may not have heard of" Keyboard Magazine "If ever there was a desert island synth, SynthMaster is it, covering all sonic bases with authority and a superb tone" Computer Music Magazine "Many developers say that they've produced the one and only synth you'll ever need, but we've always felt that was a dubious claim. In SynthMaster’s case, though, it’s one that rings true" MusicRadar INTRODUCTION SynthMaster Player for iOS is the MOBILE PLAYER VERSION of the award winning SynthMaster software synthesizer. It is targeted towards users who prefer to use presets rather than designing their own sounds during music production. Although it is a preset based player, users can edit the following preset parameters: 1) 8 easy parameters assigned by the sound designer 2) 2 XY Pads assigned by the sound designer 3) Effect bypass states and send amounts 4) Layer bypass states and volumes 5) Master volume, polyphony The free app comes with 100 factory presets. When users complete registration by entering their names and email addresses they receive another 100 factory presets as a bonus! After completing registration, users can upgrade to the Pro version of the app by purchasing the "Factory Presets" bank via In-App-Purchase (IAP). With the Pro Upgrade all of the 800 factory presets are loaded and also the following features are unlocked: 1. Users can save the changes they have made to the presets. 2. Users can purchase additional preset banks via In-App-Purchase (IAP). We currently have 28 additional preset banks that contain 1750 presets for various genres/styles. 3. Existing SynthMaster users can download their previously purchased SynthMaster preset banks inside the app, so that they don't have to purchase them again. 4. Existing SynthMaster users can export their own presets in SynthMaster v2.x and import them into SynthMaster Player for iPad using iTunes. AUv3 SynthMaster Player for iOS supports AUv3, you can add multiple instrument instances to your tracks. INTERAPP AUDIO SynthMaster Player for iOS acts as an source/instrument in InterApp Audio. We demonstrate in our user manual how to connect it to InterApp enabled DAW apps. AUDIOBUS SynthMaster Player for iOS acts as a source/instrument in AudioBus, with state saving enabled. We demonstrate in our user manual how to connect it to AudioBus enabled DAW apps. BUILT-IN KEYBOARD The built-in 2 octave keyboard with pitch and modulation wheels lets users play notes without having to connect an external MIDI controller to their iPad. With its Scale functionality, it shows the users the notes on the scale, and with its Chord functionality the user can play a certain chord by pressing a single note. MIDI SETTINGS SynthMaster Player for iOS supports CoreMIDI and also virtual MIDI. It acts as a virtual MIDI destination for other DAW apps. Midi input device, midi input channel, and receive midi beat clock settings can be adjusted from the MIDI Settings window. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Minimum Operating System Supported: iOS 9 Minimum Hardware Supported: iPad4, iPhone 5 and above Recommended Hardware: iPad Air and above, iPhone6 and above

About

MKSensation

This app provides essential sounds for live musical performances, offering a curated selection of warm, realistic instruments. Designed for ease of use, it allows for instant layering and inspiration for gigging musicians.

Highlights
  • Live gigging module
  • Rompler with realistic sounds
  • Instant layering
  • Easy to use interface
  • Global effects section
  • Multiple instrument types
Read full description

• Your Bread and Butter Live Giggin' Module and Rompler • You get 3-FREE Sounds (MKS Piano 2, Acoustic Grand, Brass) The MKSensation is a player's live gigging module designed to give you the bread and butter sounds needed for a live session, gig, church service, or studio session. The layout, ease of use, sliders, and simple functionality is what has made our PC version so successful. There is no fancy splash page and it's not rattled with hundreds of sounds. It's designed to be loaded and played for instant layering and inspiration. You could could call this your instant rompler full of the sounds you would use all of the time and given our reputation of sampling, you know the sounds will be very warm, thick, and realistic. You won't even believe that these sounds are coming from your iPad! History: Our roots stem from being gospel musicians. In the good ol' days we would have our multi-tier stack of keyboards and modules all layered together with a very intricate MIDI routing setup with all of or presets ready for live worship. Our setup would consist of a warm acoustic piano; a CP80 type of semi-realistic piano; lush strings; warm pad with filter cutoff; a very expressive tine; phat synth brass; a nice buzz saw; and a good ol' real brass sound. Between these few staple sounds, we were ready for any gig, service, studio session, or performance. Think about it....When you go to the music store to try out a new synth, what do you end up playing the most...? You play the pianos, keys, strings, horns, and synth sounds. That's what this module is all about. You can layer as many sounds as CPU permits, for instant inspiration on your iPad. Operation: - Click on a sound butto to activate the sound (Red LCD On) - Click the Green Light (Right Top Corner) to activate the global effects section. - The left side of the module shows the effects to be activated, and their levels - The exception is for the EP 1 and EP 2. The insert FX chorus will not be used. The sounds will be swiped out with the actual sample of the chorus from the MKS unit Sounds Available: 1. Piano 1 - MKS Piano 1 2. Piano 2 - MKS Piano 2 3. EP 1 - MKS EP 1 with and without chorus (Sampled using the original chorus) 4. EP 2 - MKS EP 2 with and without chorus (Sampled using the original chorus) 5. Power Grand - Classic gospel grand piano 6. Acoustic Grand - Warm acoustic grand 7. Dyno - 80s type electric dyno 8. FM Tine - DX FM electric EP 9. Brass - Warm Brass Section with Mod Wheel LFO 10. Synth - Poly Synth with Mod Wheel LFO 11. Strings - Warm cinematic strings 12. Pad - Warm pad CPU and Processing: CPU is contingent upon your iPad Model. As with anything, don’t go crazy! Don’t think you can activate 5-6 sounds and play full glissandos and you will not max out your CPU. Also, there is an inverse relationship between lower latency and CPU. For example if you want your latency (the time between you hitting the keys and you hearing the sound) to go down, then you probably won’t be able to play as many sounds at once. There is always a fine line between the two. From our testing using an iPad 4th generation, we were successfully able to stack up to 6-sounds at a buffer of 512. Obviously, the newer the iPad, the better (with the exception of the iPad 3). ------------------------------------------------------ These Devices and Anything Higher will Work: iPad 4th Generation, iPad Mini 1-4, iPad Air 1-2 These iPads Will not work: iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad 3rd Generation, iPad Pro (GUI Not Ready)

Screenshots

SynthMaster Player3 screens
MKSensation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SynthMaster Player at 4.4 against MKSensation's 3.7. SynthMaster Player also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 37%). MKSensation's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). On price, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SynthMaster Player sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and MKSensation sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SynthMaster Player holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 55 and 112 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of SynthMaster Player's written reviews are positive against 37% of MKSensation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SynthMaster Player ships an update every 3 months, MKSensation every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SynthMaster Player versus MKSensation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynthMaster PlayerMKSensation
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (55 ratings) — better3.7 (112 ratings)
Positive reviews52.1% of reviews — better37.1% of reviews
Number of ratings55112 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size308 MB539 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKV331 AudioMIDIculous LLC

Customer experience

SynthMaster Player

All ratings55 ratings
Positive85.5%
Neutral5.5%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews261 reviews
Positive52.1%
Neutral16.1%
Negative31.8%

MKSensation

All ratings112 ratings
Positive64.3%
Neutral13.4%
Negative22.3%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive37.1%
Neutral23.7%
Negative39.2%

Bugs and requests

SynthMaster Player

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Purchased presets not loading
  • Stuck notes
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Audiobus and IAA issues

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to edit and create own sounds
  • Improved preset management
  • Better integration with DAWs and Audiobus
  • Background playback support
  • Larger on-screen keyboard
Show 1 more
  • More customization options

MKSensation

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

SynthMaster Player

One-time13
  • Historical Synth Giants Vol 1$1.99
  • BigTone Signature Sounds Vol1$4.99
  • MK Expansion 2$4.99
Show 10 more
  • Nori Ubukata Art Rock Basics$4.99
  • Sounds of the World$4.99
  • Factory Presets (PRO Upgrade)$4.99
  • SynthMaster 2.7 presets$4.99
  • SynthMaster 2.8 Presets$4.99
  • Extra Factory Presets Bundle$9.99
  • SynthMaster EDM Bundle 1$13.99
  • Dawn Of Electronic Bundle$13.99
  • Synth Giants Bundle$13.99
  • Rob Lee EDM Bundle$19.99
10 purchases

MKSensation

One-time10
  • DYNO Synth$2.99
  • FM TINE Synth$2.99
  • Piano 1 Synth$3.99
Show 7 more
  • EP 1 Synth$3.99
  • PWR GRND Synth$3.99
  • SYNTH Synth$3.99
  • STRINGS Synth$3.99
  • PAD Synth$3.99
  • EP 2 Synth$4.99
  • All Synth$9.99

Questions

Is SynthMaster Player free?
SynthMaster Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MKSensation free?
MKSensation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SynthMaster Player or MKSensation?
SynthMaster Player is rated higher. SynthMaster Player averages 4.4 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while MKSensation averages 3.7 from 112 ratings.
Do SynthMaster Player or MKSensation have ads?
Neither SynthMaster Player nor MKSensation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SynthMaster Player or MKSensation?
SynthMaster Player ships an update every 3 months, and MKSensation every 3 weeks. Most recently, SynthMaster Player was updated on October 15, 2026 and MKSensation on October 16, 2026.

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