Csound vs SynthMaster 3
Csound
csound.comSynthMaster 3
kv331audio.comSide by side
| Figure | Csound | SynthMaster 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 9 |
| Spec score · Sound Design Software | 8.9 (#1) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Documentation depth | The canonical manual is version 6.18.0 and contains command syntax, realtime I/O, configuration, language reference and extensive opcode sections. | KV331’s downloads page exposes a SynthMaster 2.8 manual, while an independent 2026 report says written SynthMaster 3 documentation was absent and an unofficial manual was created. |
| Founded | 1985 | 2004 |
| Licence | The source repository distributes Csound under the GNU Lesser General Public License version 2.1 or later. | The EULA grants a proprietary, nonexclusive licence for one user and prohibits reverse engineering, decompilation and derivative works. |
| Support | The maker lists user and developer mailing lists, a forum, Discord, Slack, and Stack Overflow as places to get help. | The maker directs users with product support issues to its contact form. |
| Synthesis methods | The system provides additive, FM, granular, wavetable, physical-modeling, scanned, waveguide and waveshaping synthesis tools. | The instrument combines VAnalog, additive, vector, wavetable, granular, phase modulation/distortion, FM, PWM, ring modulation, physical modeling and SFZ sample playback. |
| System requirements | The Csound for Android listing required Android 5.1 or later and reported a 65.17 MB APK for version 6.15.0. | The stated baseline is a 2.0 GHz Intel SSE3 CPU, 2 GB RAM, Windows 7 or newer, macOS 10.9 or newer and Pro Tools 11 or newer for AAX. |
| What it does | Csound is a sound and music computing system for synthesizing and processing audio through programmable instruments and scores. | SynthMaster 3 is KV331 Audio’s flagship semi-modular software synthesizer for sound design and music production. |
Plans
SynthMaster 3
- SynthMaster 3$99, paid once
- SynthMaster 3 Free BetaFree
- SynthMaster 3 upgrade from SynthMaster 2$29, paid once
- Upgrade from SynthMaster 2$29, paid once
- SynthMaster 3 upgrade from SynthMaster 3 Player$49, paid once
- SynthMaster 3 upgrade from SynthMaster One$49, paid once
- Upgrade from SynthMaster 3 Player$49, paid once
- Upgrade from SynthMaster One$49, paid once
- Everything Bundle$249, paid once
In their own words
Csound
Csound is a free sound and music computing system for creating music software and making music. Its uses include electroacoustic works, algorithmic jam sessions, app development, and game audio projects. The programming system offers more than 1,500 opcodes and supports traditional and functional syntax. Getting-started material demonstrates MIDI keyboard input, real-time audio input, synthesis, envelopes, and filtering. Csound code can run in a browser through the Csound Web IDE or be explored interactively in the FLOSS Manual without installing Csound. The project links frontends including Cabbage, CsoundQt, and Blue, plus wrappers or interfaces for JavaScript, Python, Unity, Android, and iOS. Downloads or packages are listed for Windows, macOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Android, and Web Assembly. An iOS SDK is also linked, and the latest Csound 7 beta installers for iOS are available through the relevant GitHub Actions page. The download page notes that Apple or Windows may warn that Csound is not trusted because the project cannot pay their licensing costs. Support channels include mailing lists, a forum, Discord, Slack, and Stack Overflow.
SynthMaster 3
SynthMaster 3 is a modular software synthesizer available as a standalone app and plug-in for macOS and Windows. It offers VAnalog, additive, vector, wavetable, granular, phase modulation, phase distortion, frequency modulation, pulse width modulation, ring modulation, physical modeling, and SFZ sample playback. Each instance can contain up to 16 layers, with each layer holding up to 16 modules and 32 modulation sources. The software includes waveform, wavetable, and multi-sample editors; multi-samples can be imported from WAV or AIFF files and exported in SFZ format. Each layer has a MIDI output channel for routing arpeggiator or sequencer output to different DAW tracks. Plug-in formats are VST2, VST3, AudioUnits, and AAX. The product includes 3150 factory presets. SynthMaster 3 costs $99, paid once and includes 6 free expansions. A free player and demo are also available. The demo stops after 30 minutes, adds noise every minute, and disables WAV wavetable and SFZ multi-sample export.