ButterSynth is a hybrid 6-oscillator wavetable/FM/sample-based AUV3 and standalone synthesizer with a vast sonic range, from gentle pads to screaming leads and basslines.
Mix any combination of wavetable, FM, sample and other synthesis engines for one truly massive sound.
For the more advanced users, you'll love using ButterSynth's thoughtfully designed interface, incredibly powerful modulation matrix, fully-featured internal FX rack, factory waveform and sample libraries, and almost limitless scope for fun, experimentation and sound design.
For less experienced synth programmers, ButterSynth includes a library of hundreds of ready-to-use presets, sparking your creativity to start making music right away.
Headline features include
- Mix and match any combination of 6 synthesis engines to either emulate your favourite synths of yester-year or build a synth ready for the future.
- Dual-wavetable engines also feature 9 phase modes, wave folding, and deep unison controls modelled on vintage hardware synths.
- Built-in wavetable editor gives you the ability to tweak, morph, and hand-draw your own custom wavetables, with each wavetable supporting up to 256 frames.
- FM engine offers 4 operators with a selection of 12 modulation paths. Each operator can be loaded with any waveform from the factory or user library, and can also self-modulate via the feedback dial.
- Sample and Granulator engines both let you load samples (either imported or from the factory library) and control precisely how they are chopped, triggered and layered. Both also feature the same powerful unison modes available in the WT engine.
- Highly configurable 32-slot modulation matrix featuring precise mix/max ranges, self-modulation (via the amount target), plus configurable response curves and layer modes. Simply long-tap any parameter to set it as a Mod destination!
- Full suite of versatile control sources which includes: 4x MSEG-style looping curve envelopes, 4x LFOs, 4x step sequencers, X/Y pad with motion recording, 8x Macro dials and a powerful arpeggiator inspired by Kirnu Interactive’s Cream.
- The EFX rack lets you build your own insert effects chain using any combination of the 16 built-in FX modules. Modules available at launch include delay, reverb, distortion, chorus, OTT compression etc. Note - FX parameters can also be targeted by the mod matrix, unlocking the possibility to program ‘per voice’ modulated effects.
- All presets, wavetables, samples and other settings are stored in the Files app, making bulk import/export, backup and community sharing quick and easy.
- All of this is housed in an irresistibly designed 4-tab UI that makes synth programming quick and fun.
I love the power and sound of this synth, and I find it much more usable than both the synthmasters, which I could never warm up to. It’s mostly intuitive, and the developer is clearly committed to the product and listening to users in forums. However, a few things are odd to me:1. There’s no button for filter key follow! At least 1/2 and full are pretty standard. Yes, you can set it up in the matrix, but it’s something that should have a button like every other synth, and there’s room for it in the ui.2. The curve of the envelopes is odd, with the release especially being weird. It ends pretty abruptly, which I’ve never heard any other synth do. Again, there are other envelop options, but I don’t want to use the curve envelope for something simple if I don’t have to.3. I get crashes with one instance in AUM using the unison function on an m1 iPad Pro. Seems like a bug? It created crazy full-volume white noise that hurt my bands ears when it crashed too.4. I find the matrix extremely fiddly with the min and max knobs. I wish there was an easy way to only have amount to speed things up.
Deep Surprises
xBruce
ButterSynth allows you to program from several different ideas. It is a deep, great sounding synth that can be a sounding as you like or weird and exotic.This is why I am so fond of this synthesizer. When programming there are many approaches that can be same sounding, but typically offer timbres that are somewhat similar and yet very different sounding until you realize the base of the sound starts from similar areas in the synth well producing different concepts taken from the same beginning.Personally, I’m not a big fan of the interface. It’s set up in a way that wastes a lot of screen space. And don’t necessarily come from the same style, which can be a little bit disconcerting and for me at least takes a little bit more time for me to figure out where I wanna go next. However, where I wanna go often ends up someplace different and interesting so in that respect as a user you end up in different places, different representations, and places you didn’t expect to find interesting but are. For that reason, I love this synth and find myself using it way more than I expect. Because of this, it does have a learning curve. I do hope that they approach the graphical user interface because I think that underneath this particular UI there is something exceptional waiting to occur. But if it never changes, there’s so much you can do with ButterSynth and I find myself drawn to its sound no matter that sometimes I spend more time than I would like trying to navigate features. The unexpected sometimes yields results I would personally never think of and that’s great..
Runs great on iPad, a few bugs on iPhone
Weztinn
The iPad version of this app appears to be working quite well, in the iPhone version though, when I use the arpeggiator/sequencer the app crashes when I hit play, when running in standalone on iPhone, no keyboard appears on the UI, so as of now there is no way to really use it on iPhone, except when running in an auv3 host, then the keyboard appears and it works
Powerful and Versatile
Fruit Assassin
Likely to be a top iPad synth for years to come. Finally feel like a Serum alternative is available on the iPad. Loads of modulation capabilities (although via static table and no animations depicting modulation like serum). But nitpicking aside, a wholesome modulation control matrix, sequencer, arp section to go with the multiple oscillator types that can work together for infinite sound capabilities. Wavetables and FM capabilities to match any top synth out there with a good array of effects on one of the tabs. It’s going to be my go to sound generation device to use with my polyend tracker and octatrack for a while. Some of the presets are pure magic in terms of sonic range -growls, trancy sounds or even percussions.
- Fixed: Note panning issue which occurred at the beginning of the note
Version 1.04
The developer, Arto Vaarala, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
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Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More