Audiobus: Use your music apps together.

What is Audiobus?Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

Download on the App Store

Audiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.

Analog Synth Must Haves

What analog synths can you not live without? I'm rounding out my purchase list and wondering what analog synths are must haves? I have most of the usual culprits but a comprehensive list would be great to have for reference here.

The List:

Animoog
Bleass Alpha
Continua
DRC
iMono/Poly
iMS-20
iPolysix
iSem
iVCS3
Kauldron
Lagrange
Lorentz
Magellan 2
Mela
Model 15
Model D
mood
OB-Xd
Oddysei
Poison 202
Quanta
Primer
Ruismaker
Spectrum
Sunrizer
TAL-U-NO-LX
Tera Synth
Viking
Volt
Zeeon

«1

Comments

  • edited September 2020

    I feel compelled to ask ... why it is that you need more than one, maybe two, VA synths on this platform.

    Especially as there are some absolutely brilliant synths that go way beyond VA ...

    edit: But if you want something sort of resembling actual analog synths, I would recommend apps like TAL U-No, and Moog Model D (which I got for free - it might still be?)

  • @emjay said:
    I feel compelled to ask ... why it is that you need more than one, maybe two, VA synths on this platform.

    Especially as there are some absolutely brilliant synths that go way beyond VA ...

    edit: But if you want something sort of resembling actual analog synths, I would recommend apps like TAL U-No, and Moog Model D (which I got for free - it might still be?)

    Each synth has its own character due to number and types of oscillators, envelopes, filters and fx. Again I have most of these synths, but every now and then someone here throws out a gem that has been long forgotten or simply undervalued. Currently the only synths that are on my radar are Volt and Quanta (granular with, I believe, analog osc).

  • Poison-202
    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/poison-202-vintage-synthesizer/id1145895278
    But I wish it looked like this:

    Magellan 2 is also a monster

  • ALBALB
    edited September 2020

    DRC. Moog Model 15 and Model D. Zeeon.

  • @Philandering_Bastard said:
    iVCS 3.

    I've seen this talked about quite a bit. What are the connectivity options?

  • @Lil_Stu07 said:

    @Philandering_Bastard said:
    iVCS 3.

    I've seen this talked about quite a bit. What are the connectivity options?

    Excellent. It’s IAA and the various buildings blocks (filter, spring reverb etc) can be used as AUv3 effects or generators (VCO, noise)

  • FPCFPC
    edited September 2020

    Never got to grips with IVCS3 but that's just my stupidity rather than any fault with the synth I think.

    Love Magallan 2, DRC, OB-Xd, Lorentz, Lagrange but most of all I love Zeeon for its filter, matrix and lovely 'woody' analogy sound.

    Edit: mustn't forget Primer and Viking. Both free, AUv3 and really good too.

  • @Philandering_Bastard said:

    @Lil_Stu07 said:

    @Philandering_Bastard said:
    iVCS 3.

    I've seen this talked about quite a bit. What are the connectivity options?

    Excellent. It’s IAA and the various buildings blocks (filter, spring reverb etc) can be used as AUv3 effects or generators (VCO, noise)

    Just because I didn’t see you mention it: the full version is also available as AUv3

  • @NoiseFloored said:

    @Philandering_Bastard said:

    @Lil_Stu07 said:

    @Philandering_Bastard said:
    iVCS 3.

    I've seen this talked about quite a bit. What are the connectivity options?

    Excellent. It’s IAA and the various buildings blocks (filter, spring reverb etc) can be used as AUv3 effects or generators (VCO, noise)

    Just because I didn’t see you mention it: the full version is also available as AUv3

    Nice! I see now that mood is also an analog synth. 🤔 Another one I've heard a lot about.

    @FPC said:
    Never got to grips with IVCS3 but that's just my stupidity rather than any fault with the synth I think.

    Love Magallan 2, DRC, OB-Xd, Lorentz, Lagrange but most of all I love Zeeon for its filter, matrix and lovely 'woody' analogy sound.

    Edit: mustn't forget Primer and Viking. Both free, AUv3 and really good too.

    Did not realize Viking was analog! Thanks!

  • @chandroji said:
    😎

    Classic lol

  • Updated original post with a list.

  • edited September 2020

    On IOS I like these ones... 😊

  • @chandroji said:
    😎

    Oh, the first (mostly) analog synth in this thread 😁

  • FPCFPC
    edited September 2020

    @rs2000 said:

    @chandroji said:
    😎

    Oh, the first (mostly) analog synth in this thread 😁

    Lol. Here's mine and it's very analogue :D

  • I like Mela more and more. It is very versatile, covers a lot grounds.

  • @emjay said:
    I feel compelled to ask ... why it is that you need more than one, maybe two, VA synths on this platform.

    Especially as there are some absolutely brilliant synths that go way beyond VA ...

    edit: But if you want something sort of resembling actual analog synths, I would recommend apps like TAL U-No, and Moog Model D (which I got for free - it might still be?)

    Exactly. I have to agree with this. It's not the DAW, or the synth, or the effect. It's the way it's used.

    That said, I do have a TON of synth apps because I'm a fan of the design of the synths. Yet, for the majority of my earlier work, I believe I only used the stock synth sounds on apps like Garageband. I don't regret any of my purchases though. I learnt a lot from each of them.

  • @branis said:
    I like Mela more and more. It is very versatile, covers a lot grounds.

    Mela is amazing. I’m in love with that one...

  • Isn't SynthMaster One considered doing also VA synthesis (apart from its Wavetable synthesis capability) ?
    It's a great synth MPE compatible.

  • @Lil_Stu07 said:

    Nice! I see now that mood is also an analog synth.

    Did not realize Viking was analog!

    Ok, I’ll be that guy.

    It’s not! Apps aren’t analog synths. It’s all pretend. You’re living in a dreamworld, Neo.

    It’s going to be hard to come up with a definitive list, because different apps pretend at different levels. Moog's Model D, for instance, is a pretend version of a real synth, that's developed by the company that built the real thing. The same goes for Model 15 and the Korg synths. Throw in iVCS3 (which gets an official endorsement - although it's a tricky beast) and TAL-U-NO-LX (widely considered a viable alternative to the hardware) and I'll argue that these apps are trying their hardest to be 'analog synths'.

    There are plenty more that try to capture some of the 'feel' of analog gear, but without being clones. DRC, Sunrizer, Zeeon and so on. Most of your list, in fact.

    I don't believe in 'must haves'. It comes down to personal taste.

    But I like @emjay's taste. I have 14 from the list up top, but if I was starting over, I might just get Model D and TAL-U-NO-LX and leave it at that. I'm mainly focused on Obsidian these days, anyway.

  • Moogs
    Zeeon
    mood
    TAL

    And I’ve really come to like Continua for certain pad and keys sounds.

  • Other virtual analogs that I really enjoy are Retrobass and Poly-8 in Ampify Groovebox.

  • Thanks for all the suggestions! I guess I should've said analog software synth for the wise hi guys lol. All fun though!

  • Lorentz. Best synth on iOS.

  • @jameslondon74 said:
    Lorentz. Best synth on iOS.

    I like the sound of Lorentz, I just wish all the controls could be available at once on my iPhone without scrolling left and right all the time.

  • Lagrange is one of the iOS synths that made it to my iPhone 8. It's insanely versatile with many different oscillator types covering a very wide sonic scope. Pair it with some nice effects and it'll keep one busy for a very long time :)

  • @emjay said:
    I feel compelled to ask ... why it is that you need more than one, maybe two, VA synths on this platform.

    Couple of reasons. Some synths are really good emulations of classic synths:

    • iSem
    • Model 15/D
    • iVCS3
    • OB-Xd
    • TAL
    • Arguably Poison and Sunrizer, which are sort of unofficial clones.
    • Pure Acid (303 clone)

    This might also apply to the Korgs, but I don't own those due to lack of AU3 connectivity.

    Other synths just sound very analogy in a way that is unique and interesting:

    • Magellan
    • Ripplemaker
    • Zeeon
    • Poison/Sunrizer
    • DRC

    And then there are synths that just give you a lot of flexibility, or unique ways of doing things, or are low on resources. For example Mood doesn't sound as good as Model-D, but has great flexibility with things like routing/LFOs/ability to use samples. Continua, Mela, Lorentz, Tera, Obsidian and probably some others I'm forgetting fall into that category.

    Downside of this is I often spend way too long picking a synth... Any tips for getting past that are most welcome :smile:

  • Mela is very nice

    Moodunits is great

Sign In or Register to comment.