Comparison

synthQ vs Synthwaver

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

Head to head
About

synthQ

This music creation tool for iPad offers a unique module queuing system and a customizable interface for dynamic sound design. Create complex sounds with virtual cables, a resizable keyboard, and a wide array of modules for production, performance, and education.

Highlights
  • Customizable module queuing system
  • Virtual cable-based modulation
  • Resizable multi-octave keyboard
  • Extensive module library (oscillators, envelopes, filters, FX)
  • Ableton Link support
  • MIDI input/output
  • Preset sharing and import
Features
Read full description

Introducing the queuing synthesizer for iPad. SynthQ has been designed from the ground up with the touchscreen interface in mind. SynthQ is a subtractive synthesizer with a customizable interface. A unique module queuing system, resizable multi-octave keyboard, and intuitive cable-based modulation controls offer a truly dynamic music-making experience for iOS. Each part of the synth is separated into units called modules. Each module snaps into place along a scrollable surface above the keyboard. Control the number of modules shown on the screen at any time. Control which modules appear for each sound. Tap a button on the module menu to launch a module and add it to the queue. Drag a module up and release to remove it from the queue. Drag a module down to move it within the queue. Add variability to your sound by connecting different modules using virtual cables. Alter the sound with synthQ's movable keys. SynthQ provides an intuitive and engaging way to get started creating your own sounds, and is ideal for production, performance and music education environments. Full feature list: MODULES: —three oscillators — sine, triangle, saw, square, pulse and resonant noise waves —three adsrs — amp, filter and modulation envelopes —filter with lowpass, hipass, bandpass, band-reject and peak filter modes —glide —frequency modulation oscillator —ring modulation oscillator —eight modulation bays with virtual cables enable interactions between modules —three tempo-syncable LFOs with sine, triangle, saw, reverse saw, square, random curve and random step waves —two XY matrix pads —XY keys module turns the keyboard's movable keys into modulation sources —sequencer module with Ableton Link support and built-in arpeggiator mode —vocoder using microphone or Inter-App Audio Effect input —two FX slots with chorus, flanger, phaser, reverb, tremolo, distortion, delay and bitcrush —analog simulation with soft clipping and random pitch wavering —midi module with pitch bender, modwheel and velocity —master volume control INTERFACE: —multi-octave resizable keyboard with 10-voice polyphonic, monophonic and legato modes —optional "sticky keys" mode locks each key to your finger after being pressed —when used as a modulation source, sound can be altered by moving the keys in different directions —unique rearrangeable module queuing area defines which controls are present per preset —fully featured preset menu system with options to share and import via e-mail or iTunes File Sharing —import presets directly from iOS mail by tapping and holding the attachment and pressing "Open in synthQ" —functional graphic design and layout eliminates screen switching by keeping the control modules and keyboard in constant view OTHER FEATURES: —Audiobus 3 support with Inter-App Audio —A=432Hz, A=440Hz and A=444Hz tuning modes —44100k Hz, 32000 Hz and 22050 Hz sampling rate modes —MIDI input and output per channel —basic recording feature to save, play, loop, and share recordings —import .WAV files from iTunes File Sharing for playback —parallax motion effects Follow @synthQ on Twitter for latest announcements and free preset packs, updated regularly! Share your presets with the developer for a chance to get them added to an official update!

About

Synthwaver

Features
Read full description

SYNTHWAVER: SOUND IN MOTION Step inside the sound. SYNTHWAVER is a spatial synthesizer for iPhone and iPad that turns pure tones, noise, frequency modulation, and movement into an instrument you can feel around you. Every voice travels through a three-dimensional orbit, giving drones and atmospheres a sense of direction and depth. Put on headphones, press play, and hear synthesis leave the flat plane. BUILD A WORLD, ONE VOICE AT A TIME Start with one synth, then add more to create layers of pitch, color, rhythm, and space. Each voice has its own frequency, level, orbit speed, tilt, noise, FM, and reverb. Let one tone circle slowly beneath a fast-moving signal. Blend a warm noise bed behind a cluster of pitches. Set every layer in motion, or hold movement still and focus on timbre. Complex spatial scenes stay approachable because every sound remains visible, independent, and immediately playable. SCULPT PITCH BY EAR OR BY NOTE Explore the audible range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a responsive frequency control. Use the one-octave keyboard for familiar notes, then shift across ten octave positions to reach the register you need. Indicators identify voices at a glance, while numerical readouts keep precise tuning close. Whether you are building intervals, beating tones, low-end rumbles, or glassy highs, pitch never feels buried in a menu. MAKE EVERY SOUND MOVE Movement is part of the synthesis engine. Set each voice to orbit from near stillness to 6.8 revolutions per second, then tilt its path through the Z-plane. High-quality HRTF headphone rendering creates a binaural field with changing position. Layer speeds and angles until simple waveforms become kinetic patterns: circling, crossing, separating, and reconnecting in space. GO BEYOND THE SINE Turn on frequency modulation for sidebands, metallic edges, animated basses, bells, buzzes, and unstable textures. Dial in the modulation index, choose a frequency in hertz or a musical ratio tied to the carrier, then refine it with coarse and fine controls. FM can add subtle shimmer or push far into complex territory. Each voice has its own settings, so one layer can remain pure while another fractures into rich motion. BLEND TONE, NOISE, AND SPACE Move from a clean oscillator to noise, or settle anywhere between them. Shape noise continuously from white to pink, from bright hiss to softer ambience. Then place each voice in one of ten acoustic spaces, including rooms, halls, chambers, plate, and cathedral, and set the wet/dry balance. Orbit, noise color, FM, and reverb make SYNTHWAVER at home creating test tones, evolving drones, cinematic atmospheres, strange machines, and abstract sound art. FAST, TACTILE, AND READY TO EXPERIMENT SYNTHWAVER keeps essential controls on the surface. Start or stop voices, minimize them into frequency chips, bring any synth forward, and stop the scene instantly from the master bar. Shape individual levels or adjust overall output. The interface adapts to portrait and landscape on iPhone and iPad, so it stays playable whether you are exploring on the couch, sketching with headphones, or presenting an idea. SAVE THE MOMENT When a combination clicks, save it as a preset. SYNTHWAVER remembers every voice and its playing state, pitch, spatial motion, FM, volume, noise, octave, and reverb. Open a scene later, continue shaping it, or build a library of drones, studies, and sonic environments. Move from discovery to a sound you can revisit. FOR CURIOUS EARS SYNTHWAVER is for musicians, sound designers, composers, students, educators, spatial-audio enthusiasts, and curious listeners. Study frequency relationships, explore modulation, design moving textures, build meditative soundscapes, or lose yourself in a strange orbit of your own making. No timeline. No maze of pages. Just sound, motion, and direct control. Your headphones are not just the output. They are the listening space. Create a voice. Set it in motion. Shape the air. Enter SYNTHWAVER.

Screenshots

Synthwaver3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Synthwaver at $0.99 against synthQ's $5.99. synthQ's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.5). On ads, in-app purchases 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

synthQ costs $5.99 and Synthwaver $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
synthQ versus Synthwaver: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametersynthQSynthwaver
Price$5.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.2 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChris NivenRichard Barber

In-app purchases

None

synthQ

No in-app purchases

None

Synthwaver

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is synthQ free?
synthQ costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Synthwaver free?
Synthwaver costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do synthQ or Synthwaver have ads?
Neither synthQ nor Synthwaver shows ads.

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