DRC vs Polywave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DRC
This virtual analog synthesizer offers classic analog sound design with a user-friendly interface. Explore rich sonic textures and create unique patches with its versatile oscillators, filters, and built-in effects. Compatible with popular music production apps.
- AUv3 compatible
- Up to 8 voices
- Multi-wave oscillators
- 4 pole self resonant low pass Ladder Filter
- Stereo Tape Delay
- Lush Stereo Reverb
- Arpeggiator
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DRC is a versatile virtual analog polyphonic synthesizer that captures the essence of classic analog synths with a simple yet powerful set of parameters. It offers exceptional sound design capabilities, delivering a sonic experience reminiscent of legendary instruments like the Roland Juno, Minimoog, and more. Features: - AUv3 compatible (use it on Garageband, AUM, NS2, Cubasis, Loopy Pro, etc) - Up to 8 voices - Two main oscillators, one sub-oscillator and one noise source - Multi-wave oscillators (SIN, TRI, SAW, SQR with PWM) - Detune, sync and ring modulation - 4 pole self resonant low pass Ladder Filter - 2 pole multi-mode filter (LP, HP, BD, NOTCH) - 2 LFO's and 2 analog modeled envelope generators - Stereo Tape Delay with time modulation - Lush Stereo Reverb with modulation and self growing decay - True stereo, analog modeled multi mode chorus - Arpeggiator with 4 modes, tempo sync and hold function - Sync to external MIDI clock - MIDI clock out - Audiobus Compatible - Ableton Link Compatible For detailed operation information and requirements please visit www.imaginando.pt/products/drc-polyphonic-synthesizer/help/contents "Elegant, easy to navigate and sounds brilliant." "I can't enough express how amazed and happy I am playing this app. Before writing this review I read the manual (you must) and tested every parameter until I understood perfectly how each one responded to the final output sound. I have to tell you the presets do not show how powerful this synth can be, you have to tweak by yourself every filter, modifier and fx's. For me the filter is the secret in this app to get a differentiated sound compared to your other synth app's. Filter adds a deep texture and resolution to the sound that I forgot lfo's and adsr's.” "One of the best iPad synthesizers!" "This sounds better than 99% of iOS synths. Filters are awesome. Modulation options are numerous. Effects are great. Sounds like a Mac plugin, not an iOS synth. Very little out there like this. I have paid hundreds on the Mac for this kind of sound." "A wonderful synth with its own unique character to it." "This app is excellent! Just enough of a twist on the standard synth app to make it worth the investment. Patch creation seems to be the focus, and UI is perfect for flipping back and forth while working out new presets." "Huge tone that will cut through any mix Fantastic control options for the musician Rich sounds and a beautiful visual design A developer who cares greatly about his customers and creation (frequent updates) It's alive! Recommended!" "Easy to lose yourself in sound design. The sound sources, fx, filters and modulations are all laid out to be very easily accessible. The mixer is great for tweaking the balance between the sound sources to fine tune your sound. Can tell some love went in to making this" "Great, rich, full-sounding sounds! Great job!!!" "Awesome updates from a developer who truly cares about both their customers and their work. Nice job!" "It is FAT. The interface is intuitive. It is universal." "This is really a fine example of a synthesizer whose developers love synthesizers. It is rather difficult to explain, but there is something within not only the interface, but in the nature of the sounds that this thing produces that shows their passion. This synthesizer is a patch designer's tool, not a preset player. Yes, it does come with some nice patches which show off some of its abilities, but when you start to dig in yourself, you can create some really unusual sounds." "Excellent job guys. The GUI looks great and everything is extremely easy to access and in a logical way." "Nice effects section great delay nice chord section IAA instrument support complete with transport bar and Midi learn. Good stuff."
Polywave
Create unique, evolving sonic experiences with a novel wavetable sequencer inspired by vintage synths. Draw your own waveforms, explore a vast library, and connect to external keyboards or DAWs. Record your creations directly within the app.
- Wavetable sequencer
- Custom waveform drawing
- Expansive waveform library
- 100+ factory presets
- MIDI and Audio Unit support
- Live recording module
- 8-voice polyphony
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From Fingerlab (multiple-time winner of Music App of the Week, 2012 Apple Design Award) and Jordan Rudess (keyboardist of Dream Theater), comes Polywave — a revolutionary wavetable sequencer synthesizer for iPhone, iPad & Mac. Inspired by the legendary Korg Wavestation, Polywave lets you draw your own waveforms with your finger and create unique, ever-evolving sounds that are truly yours. Draw your own waveforms directly on screen 100+ factory presets: leads, pads, loops & FX Connect any MIDI keyboard or load as AUv3 in your DAW Live recording built-in Free version includes 12 factory presets and a selection of core features. Get the Full Version IAP to unlock everything. Features: • 8-voice polyphony & 6 octaves • Wavetable & waveform sequencer • VCO & FM Oscillators • FM Modulation & Detune • ADSR Envelope editor • Moog Ladder filter with ADSR • 2 LFOs with custom modulation waveform • LFO Sync & Loop mode • Waveform drawing editor & library (100 waveforms) • Preset Randomizer & export/import • 5 FX: Tube Amp, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay & Reverb • Live recording & export • Full MIDI & MIDI Mapping support • AudioBus & Inter-App Audio (iOS) • Full AudioUnit AUv3 support • iCloud Family Sharing Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Polywave at Free against DRC's $8.99. Polywave also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). DRC's advantage is ratings volume (655 vs 34). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Polywave is free to download; DRC costs $8.99 up front. DRC sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Polywave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for DRC against 4.7 for Polywave. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DRC has 655 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of DRC's written reviews are positive against 80% of Polywave's.
DRC ships an update every 2 months, Polywave every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DRC | Polywave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (655 ratings) | 4.7 (34 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 83.8% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 655 — better | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 125 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Imaginando Lda | Fingerlab |
Customer experience
DRC
Polywave
Bugs and requests
DRC
Reported bugs
2 issues- Inconsistent behavior when restoring purchases
- Compatibility issues with some iOS versions or devices
Requested features
3 requests- Bluetooth MIDI support
- More advanced modulation options
- Improved preset management and organization
Polywave
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DRC
- Unlock Sonic Alchemy$3.99
- Pop Essentials$3.99
- Unlock Factory Expansion$3.99
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- Unlock Sounds From Outer Space$3.99
- Unlock Iconic Sounds Vol. 1$3.99
- Unlock Iconic Sounds Vol. 2$3.99
- Unlock Iconic Sounds Vol. 3$3.99
- Unlock Constellations Toolkit$3.99
- Unlock Iconic Sounds Vol. 4$3.99
- Electric Sheep Dreams$3.99
- Timeless And Untamed$3.99
- Dynamic Resonant Cycles$7.99
- Unlock Synth Engine$8.99
Polywave
- Full Version$7.99






