Synth Apps (8): An Exhibition

"Synth Apps (8): An Exhibition"..."Pictures At An Exhibition"...Eh? You get it? Huh? Heh heh, yeah, I'm pretty clever are not I?
After 19 years of not touching a musical instrument, for various emotional reasons you don't want to hear about, I have been checking out some synth apps for a few months now and I want to tell you about my favorite ones. These are all free apps you can use on Android. You can pay to unlock features and remove ads on some. I made up some titles for my little demos. And I did some screen recordings and screenshots to show what they're like. Check 'em out:
1. Common Analog Synth: Fanfare For The Common Analog Synth. I'm really attracted to the Moog sound as you'll see in some of these vids. The CAS has loads of tweakability allowing you to mold you're own sounds. You can easily save your patches in the app. It works with usb midi. The paid version, ExSynth, has a few more features.
2. Rockrelay Synth FM: The Forgotten Forest. 512 cool voices in 16 banks, one bank free. Watch ads or pay to get to the rest. This voice is in the Jarre bank, it's called N.E. Story, oooo, mystical! Has nice effects. You can tweak, but you can't save your tweakings as far as I know. I'm still finding new things on these apps.
3. SynprezFM: Inner Space. This synth has a lot of sounds that remind me of the music on Hearts Of Space. The groovy host would remind listeners that this isn't "outer space" music, no, this is "inner space" music. Whoa, far out, man! I can dig it! 2 sound banks, TAG and INT, with thousands of groovy patches. It has a nice big stereo sound that I like. It's totally free, no paid version.
4. Caustic 3: Future City. Speaking of big stereo sound, this app will blow you away with it's amazing sounds. They're all so interesting and there's so many of them, you just want to keep exploring it for hours! Nice big clear sound with this app. 14 different "machines" that give you all you need including BassLine and BeatBox. Demo is free. You need to pay to keep using a midi keyboard and save your music. You can save your patches too.
5. ModSynth Modular Synthesizer: An End With No Beginning. Sometimes you come up with a riff that doesn't fit anywhere. This sounds like a good end for something. But it's all I got. Lot's of tweakabilty and patch saving. You can import additional instruments to add to the built-ins. You can arrange the modules to create the tone you want. Only a delay effect. I added the stereo panning with the WavePad editor. I use that and MixPad and VideoPad for all I do. With this and EasySynth from BJ Owings you can choose your own background. I picked green leaves. You could make it skulls and bloody daggers if that's more to your liking. Ew.
6. ORG 2020: Pretend You're In Love. I used the Nat King Cole melody of Pretend and a few notes of Buddy Holly's True Love Ways for this. Sounds like the old easy listening stuff I used to hear on the radio. ORG 2020 has accompaniments like my old Casio and Yamaha. Different drum kits, basslines and instrument sounds. Some are a little cheesy like the ol' Casio and Yamaha. I used this app for my Ode To Love opus a while back. As you can see from the screenshots there's no lack of knobs to fiddle with. I'm still finding new things. Not that many great sounds but you can upload more. The flute sound is a really good one. Nice big stereo sound as you can hear.
7. DRC - Polyphonic Synthesizer: Ryan's Brain. When I heard what this app can do I thought "Whoa, cool! Sounds like Ryan, man!" I set about to attempt to create something in the style of the Gothic Master. Some of you know who I'm referring to. (Don't say his last name lest The Master be embarrassed by this attention!) This is one dark serious app baby! Extreme tweakabilty and saving of your creations. This tune is made of these layered sounds: Moog Rising, Broken Guitar, Crash and Kick for percussion, Glass Drops, Decepticons (cool name!), and Modulated Strings. If you only want to check out two of these apps make it this one and Caustic. They gon' blow yo' mind! At the end it says I used the 10 inch tablet for all of these but with this one I used a tiny cheapo 7 inch tab because the pitch bend wasn't working in the 10 inch. It's pretty cool what a little Android can do eh? Hope you like my tribute/emulation...Master!
8. EasySynth Synthesizer: MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE!!!!!!!!! Try 'n guess what this original instrument sound is. Go ahead, guess. Give up? It's the tinny little violin sound right at the beginning...TWEAKED TO EXTREMITY!!!!!!! I made it sound like my ol' Casio MT-100 pumped through numerous amps. The screenshots show all the various options for sound manipulation, and saving is easy. Hope I didn't destroy your eardrums! Heh heh. What?

[@m10538]

More info: with SynprezFM you create your own patches by clicking the 3 dots upper right. Click 'setup' to choose screen size, number of synths (can be two simultaneously!), and clicking 'access to expert mode' opens up a bewildering amount of changeable parameters. And you can save your patch in the 'special, save as' area. The Pictures At An Exhibition Promenade tune I played with Brassy from Caustic's FM Synth. I couldn't manage the chords so you get the one finger version. I like deep bass so I have the Bass Boost app from Desaxed Studios in my tablets. I record from the headphone out. These apps can record but the sound needs deepening. And I'm using the Midiplus AKM 322 controller keyboard. Cool sounds for just over $100, eh?

[@ivancauchi860]

Have you see the Hexen Modular? Its a complete full modular synth plus it has a fully 3D pannel interface! When I started using it for the first time I though I was dreaming! Seriously man check it out

[@m10538]

@@ivancauchi860 Haven't heard of it till now, Ivan. I'll download it and check it out. Thanks for the heads up!

[@joedarrow5422]

Why couldn't you play chords?

[@joedarrow5422]

@@ivancauchi860 You're right about Hexxen man! But it's still very hard as you have to plug in all the cords yourself, and suprisingly very few you tube apps or tutorials. Honestly the caustic modular synth is the easiest to learn because they have tons of presided presets and you can see how it all works. You can definitely make an album with android apps alone. Im trying myself to do that right now.

[@m10538]

@@joedarrow5422 It's not a problem with the equipment, Joe, it's me. I'm not a real musician and I lack the ability to play complex stuff like that.

[@recreepy]

Outstanding work! Bravo to you!

[@m10538]

Thanks, recreepy!

[@SergioCalderonPiano]

Great idea about Pictures at an Exhibition! Frankly, for me it was like visiting another planet... I'm so focused on my keyboard, about which I've learned an awful lot but still have features I haven't even looked at, that I've ignored the tech side. It's fascinating what's available, but it's too far above my head. I'm working on a new song, BTW, but it's still cooking... Interesting work, m10538!

[@m10538]

Yeah, tech can be overwhelming at this point. There's literally THOUSANDS of sounds in SynprezFM. It's gonna take forever to check all those out!

[@SergioCalderonPiano]

@@m10538 "At this point" for me is that I'm old and my priorities are different... 😁😁😁

[@m10538]

@@SergioCalderonPiano I hear ya, fellow oldster. 1. Health 2. Art. Gotta try to keep it going as long as possible!!! Here come da Reaper 💀😲! Nooo! Get away from me! Ahhhh! Heh heh, yeah, gave 'im the slip once more!

[@GeorgeSundancermusic]

I've "used numbers 1, 5 & 6 on an Android tablet to play around with. It sure is interesting stuff. Now that you've come this far with playing on virtual synth apps, will you take the next step and look into any hardware synths...? I'd be very curious to see what you would do with it. The patch you played for us on DRC was very mysterious sounding. Good stuff !

[@m10538]

Thanks, George! I don't think there is any reason for a regular synth at this point. Just a midi keyboard is enough for me now. If I ever did get a regular synth the JD-Xi is in the top 3 I'd consider. The one thing I'm missing now is drums and accompaniments like the Korg microARRANGER has. I haven't found an app to fill that void yet.

[@GeorgeSundancermusic]

@@m10538 Well, there is a lot you can do with VST's if you have a computer. I still use them a lot ( Alchemy Player for example ) But if you ever, get a hardware synth, the JD-Xi is simply amazing. It really is a huge beast in a small box.

[@mann-vom-mond]

Very useful informations

[@thorragnarok1309]

Thank you!

[@WOODBELLSOILSHOP]

Useful information. The performance is also good!

[@m10538]

Thanks, W.B.S.S.!

[@groefelo8631]

Nicely done my friend. Greetings Liam

[@m10538]

Thanks, Liam!

[@slashnburndotcodotuk]

Would like to watch an update to this.. Just beginning with production on my first iPad pro. Invested in a MIDI keyboard controller. and it has become a massive time suck, but I love it. Good work, glad i came across this... ps I subbed so i get notified if you do another...

[@m10538]

If you're looking for free iPad softsynths check out Steve Webb: kzbin.info/door/oJ3t5ih5V2rD_K-Qeh4DUQ He tries to find the best Windows and Apple apps. My focus is Android because I like doing things on the cheap. Android tablets are easier to work with compared to Windows, for sure. I've never owned any Apple device so I can't say if they're better or worse than Android.

[@IntraMoeniaArt]

Thank you for sharing man 😉

[@m10538]

Thanks for the comment, IMA!

[@analogsynthesizer]

Common Analog Synth... does it exist?

[@m10538]

Looks like it's gone from Google Play Store. CAS was pretty limited anyway. Just download SynprezFM and you'll have almost all you could ever need.

[@electromagneticuniverse2361]

For a moment, the intro reminded me of John William's '93 "Welcome to Jurassic Park": kzbin.info/www/bejne/eInWiKFvec15a8k **Maybe because I was listening to this classic film score prior to watching (now 3 times) your greatly orchestrated SYNTH app. tutorial. THANKS for all your efforts invested in keeping us musically tuned in and most often largely entertained!

[@m10538]

Thanks for the great compliment, E.U.!

[@electromagneticuniverse2361]

@@m10538 always my pleasure ⚘

[@harkerroland9750]

Almost all of them have delay issue, when you press the keys there are a bit delay.. trust me this all just for fun not to perform or pro music making

[@FabricioPodesta]

great video!

[@m10538]

Thanks, Fabricio!

[@86ILLJ]

😎🤣👍

[@KapitanJek]

Теперь квест: найти адекватный мануаль хоть по одной из представлениях программ

[@m10538]

EasySynth: bjowings.weebly.com/easysynth.html ModSynth: bjowings.weebly.com/modsynth.html DRC: go to the Help/Documentation at the bottom of this page: www.imaginando.pt/products/drc-polyphonic-synthesizer?gclid=Cj0KCQiA5OuNBhCRARIsACgaiqWkwCXwt6OFYTsHzPLqbVbLkYNcJUue3muoqJKDXW4G1iskrC1L2jIaAihcEALw_wcB SynprezFM website: www.synprez.com/SynprezFM/ Remember to go into 'expert mode' to be able to create new patches. ORG: www.sofeh.com/?page_id=403 Caustic: singlecellsoftware.com/ there is a user manual pdf you can download for Caustic. Common Analog Synthesizer: this is all I could find: oxxxide.org/exsynth/ Rock Relay Synth: www.rockrelay.com/ There are KZbin tutorials for these synths too.

[@redpoint6870]

14:10 wtf dude you scared me

[@m10538]

Yeah, especially in headphones that really cuts through ya, 😬!

[@userther9569]

NGL man Android synths look so cartoony and old school. They lack so many functions as well. Like iOS literally has Synths like Synthmaster etc. , actual Moogs , Juno and Zorg . Apple Music production environment is way ahead of Android.

[@m10538]

My focus here is what can be done cheaply or even for free. These may not be professional grade softsynths but they can still do some cool stuff.

[@userther9569]

@@m10538 but still , you cannot deny that android is lacking the amount of tools available for music production in comparison to iOS

[@mikolavision]

pathetic.... this is the best .?

[@m10538]

It's the best free Android soft-synths that I found, yes. Here in 2021 I can say that SynprezFM, DRC and Caustic are still my top 3. DRC and Caustic have paid versions but SynprezFM is totally free. And then there are the massive amount of free and paid Windows and iOS soft-synths. One hardware midi keyboard is all you need nowadays.