Emperor PolySynth

What it does

A two layer synth for iPhone and iPad, standalone and as an AUv3. Each layer combines virtual analog, wavetable, FM, additive and phase distortion oscillators with a sub and noise, and the layers stack or split across the keyboard. Filters cover state variable, transistor ladder, diode, comb and formant circuits in serial or parallel. A 16 slot patch bay with draggable cables, per voice and global LFOs with drawable shapes, MPE, an arpeggiator and a 32 step sequencer with ties and ratchets handle movement, and three effect slots draw on 22 algorithms. 287 factory presets ship with it.

In the demo

Jade works the small skeuomorphic front panel first, then switches to the LCD edit view, which lays the same controls out as tabs she finds quicker to navigate. She patches an LFO and watches the cable appear in the bay, step records the sequencer, then plays the preset banks through MPE from MPEDA.

Worth knowing

It is heavy on DSP, and Jade is running three instances on an M2 before the meters climb. The Mac and Windows build is a separate 79 euro purchase from the developer’s store.