Crystal Synth
| Category | Price | Seller | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music | $0.99 | Green Oak Software | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
For videos and information about Crystal, visit:
http://www.greenoak.com
== Features ==
Browse through the included sounds and use the 2 octave keypad to trigger notes to produce evolving, rhythmic, or melodic sounds. Create your own sounds with a single button press using the breed feature. When using an iPad, you can delve into a tweakers dream by using the extensive editing features to sculpt sounds to your heart's content (editing features are only available when used on an iPad).
Crystal features both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. It offers abundant modulation control with over 90 parameters which may be modulated, multi-stage envelopes with graphical editors, extensive tempo sync of envelopes/lforates/delay times, built-in effects for chorus/flanging/comb filtering/echoes, and a band splitter for effects processing by frequency band. Not only that, Crystal has wave sequencing and granular synthesis. The musical applications for Crystal are literally boundless.
== Different Versions ==
There are two different versions of Crystal to choose from, Crystal and Crystal XT, so you can select the one that is best for you. Crystal is the basic version. With this version you can browse sounds, play notes, and create new sounds, taking advantage of its powerful semimodular synthesis engine.
Crystal XT (also available in the app store from Green Oak Software) adds MIDI keyboard input, sharing of sounds with the desktop version and other audio apps, and background audio so you can play Crystal from midi controller apps.
== Notes ==
Important note for iPhone users: Crystal runs on both the iPad and the iPhone. Because of the limited screen space on the iPhone however, the editing pages which contain the edit controls are not available when running on that device. But on the iPhone you can still browse sounds, play notes from the keypad, and create new sounds with the Breed and Design features.
Reviews
Fun and creative
Sturmey Archer
I'm no synth guru, but I'm making some great sounds with this. The keypad is a cool way to play notes.
Great sounding synth!
trouble with tribbles
I've been a regular user of the desktop/plugin synth "Crystal" for many years. It's great to finally have it on the iPad for mobile play and tweaking. This is a worthy v1.0, and I'm sure Green Oak will be improving on it over time, as they always have. The keypad is a cool way to trigger notes, although a tad limiting. This version of the synth is monophonic (unlike the desktop version), so no chording, but the sounds are so fat one hardly notices. Still, I'm looking forward to the XT version, since being able to play Crystal Synth using an outboard keyboard controller is an awesome prospect! I also have tons of patches to pull in from the desktop version... This version has the complete range of parameters for sound design, and I'll be happily tweaking (the "Breed" function is very cool!) until the XT version arrives. In any case, it's an amazing value for 99 cents!
iPhone disappointment
Badpioneer
The description should make it more clear that you cannot edit patches on the iPhone. I'm sure this is cool for iPad owners but it's not worth it if you are just on the iPhone. It's basically a monophonic preset synth. You'd better hope you like those presets because it's all you get. Very sad.
Universal App
SevenStarGod
Sounds Decent. 5 Stars Just for being a Universal App. Working on both my iPhone & iPad. Full Review coming soon. Happy New Year!
Great
Lawrence Mitchell
This has the same great sounds as the Desktop plug in and the Ipad app. I love using it and making up great sound textures. Great for song intros and bridges and endings. Mood setting sounds! Great I'm very happy that Crystal is now on a mobile platform.
Sounds great; wish full VST envelopes were available on iPhone/itouch
BluesStatic
If only I had an iPad... I love the full PC version of Crystal and there are so many sounds out there that it is great the the full version can import those. I just wish the cool color-coded dragndrop envelopes were also on a screen on the light version - although the Breed buttons do help, even if their UI is buggy. If the Breed select buttons worked better like the drop down arrow suggests then in would be more intuitive. All in all a great thing that Crystal is now on IOS :) thanks Greenies!
Nice,...but....
blortblort
Probably my fault, but I did not know that you could not save the patches you create in this regular version of Crystal. it IS apparent that you can do so with the xt version, but it would seem that the basic version of Crystal is playback only. you CAN create some beautiful and interesting sounds but you have no way of saving in this basic version... If you'd like to save your patches, spend the extra money and avoid disappointment!!!
Needs a better selection of scales
yrag01
How about Blues scales? Pretty popular these days greenoak.
Mature synth, lots of features; three voices; works great!
SF musician
Musicians take note: Crystal has been a mainstay of the VST synth world for several years, and it has been regularly updated as time goes by. On the iPad it is a stand-alone synth (not a plugin) has a broad range of features: modulation matrix, six LFOs, three voices (each with its own filter and amplitude envelope). This iPad version makes good use of finger gestures, for example, on the envelope drawing pictures. It comes pre-loaded with quite a few patches. A fun feature is the "Breed" button which generates a random patch.
Worth buying twice
Obis11
I have found crystal synth to be an absolute essential to my process. Worth running on every device and it's really worth it spending the time on the desktop creating patches for import into crystal xt.
