Syntronik 4+

MIDI promiscuous, in 2017?! (Now remedied!)

**EDIT** New version adds selectable MIDI channel, consider my complaining about MIDI channel no longer applicable!

Seriously, this thing responds on all connected MIDI devices to all MIDI channels on all layers.
A 4 layer synth app, without even the option to restrict MIDI to a single master channel is just baffling.

That being said, IK is on to something here, the result of the sample + subtractive synth controls is actually fabulous, the sounds are inspiring and rich, and almost as importantly, very tweakable.

It would be my main synth app if I could somehow control what it responds to.
Acceptable would be a single master channel and device selection option.
Optimal would be selectable MIDI channel per layer.

Another quibble is that while the MIDI CC mapping is well implemented, MIDI controlled mutes are abrupt and snap audibly.
Also, the sliders are impossible to adjust to a value accurately; you pretty much can't adjust a layer an octave down or up, getting any value to .00 is an exercise in frustration as it jumps all over the place.

If IK can remedy these issues, it's without a doubt a 5 star app; it tonally stands in the top group of iOS synths.

Developer Response ,

Thanks for your detailed review and feedback! Glad to hear you are enjoying the sounds. Stay tuned for future updates for improvements and new features, more to come! For returning a value to .00, try to double tap the parameter to reset it. Regarding any other concerns, please contact our Support team here for more details:

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/contact-support/

Professional Grade...

...music production is possible. You have to approach this instrument like a professional to get professional results. You also have to be creative to see the endless possibilities for solid and useful music production with this app. Good sounds and decent sound design capabilities. It’s is worth the money for pros and deeply dedicated hobbyists. There are plenty of nice synths to obtain in the App Store to if you don’t want to spend the money here. This app is worth its price to those that know how to use it. Budget buyers have a lot of other options. So you don’t have to diss this app for being out of your price range. Those reviews and ratings are unfair and unnecessary because people already know the price. The good reviews tell ikmultimedia how to improve the UI and playability and fix bugs.

Long story short: For full price there are nice synths...even better with processing through your choice of fx. Some sound design is here with many presets to get you started. Your musicality and creativity will determine what you get but this is a legit resource for making great and professional sounding music. Integrate it with other gear to get your own unique sound design.

Some okay sounds, but not worth the cost

IK Multimedia’s pricing model is confusing at best. I’ve sorted out that Syntronik CS comes with only 4 instruments and a handful of patches. This version comes with 17 instruments and I think 50 patches. But if you’re going to do it, just download the CS version and pay the $99 for Deluxe and call it a day. That comes with everything they offer.

Be aware though, if you have the desktop version, this is NOT an iPad version of that. It’s Syntronik 1 not 2, and if you do what I tried and manually match some of the patches from the desktop version, just know that they will either not sound anywhere near the original, or close but not exact. Some of the effects are missing, and since this is v1 and not v2, the entire advanced Edit panel is missing.

One other annoyance is that I found several places where it was advertised that you could purchase single synths in the store. That is NOT the case. All links in the Synth manager just take you to the store where there are only 2 products. $79 or $99.

The final annoyance was that once I spent the money on this version, it disn’t give me a discount on the higher tier versions, so if you plan to upgrade, it’ll still cost you full price. So again, try out the CS version and then just decide if you want to buy the $79 or $99 packages. Don’t bother with this one unless you plan to tinker a lot and make your own sounds.