Synth1 vs SynthMaster 3

Synth1 is a free software synthesizer plugin for computer music production on Windows and macOS. Its sound engine has two oscillators plus a sub-oscillator, with FM, ring modulation, sync, and a modulation envelope. Sound-shaping options include four filter types, distortion, two LFOs, an arpeggiator, tempo-synchronized delay, and stereo chorus/flanger. The maker lists 32-note polyphony and 128 presets. Synth1 works with DAWs that support VSTi on Windows or AU on Mac; GarageBand and REAPER are named as Mac examples. The Windows VSTi release is 32/64-bit for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10, and requires an x86/x64 CPU that supports SSE2. The Mac AU version is 64-bit for macOS 10.8 and later; Intel Macs were tested, while M1 support is unconfirmed. Mac users must download factory presets separately. The maker permits commercial music use without contacting them. The English manual is marked incomplete, and Synth1 is not multitimbral.

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.