New Apps Turn Your iPhone Or iPad Into A Synclavier

At the 2019 NAMM Show, scheduled for January 24 – 27, 2019 in Anaheim, California, Synclavier Digital Corporation (SDC) is debuting two iOS apps, based on the Synclavier Digital Audio System.

The Synclavier is a pioneering digital synthesis platform, originally introduced in the late 70’s by New England Digital.

SDC founder Cameron W. Jones, one of the co-inventors of the original Synclavier, has announced two new iOS apps, plus a hardware re-creation of the Synclavier Knob:

  • Synclavier Go! (for iPad) and Synclavier Pocket! (for iPhone and iPod Touch) re-create the original Synclavier II FM Synthesis engine, with a touch-screen interface inspired by the original hardware. The Synclavier DSP Engine – used by Arturia in its Synclavier V product line – is a faithful recreation of the FM- and Additive-Synthesis functions of the original instrument.
  • Synclavier Knob is an authentic re-creation of the control knob used in the original Synclavier instrument. This USB-powered version o?ers an unparalleled experience for the sound designer and synthesist, especially when compared to traditional mouse-driven computer interfaces.

Pricing and Availability

The new iOS apps are available now in the iOS App Store. Availability and pricing for the Synclavier Knob is TBA. Details are still to come at the Synclavier site.

24 thoughts on “New Apps Turn Your iPhone Or iPad Into A Synclavier

    1. Agreed. The annoying thing about USB adapter on iPad/iPhone is it can’t power much of anything. If I have to use a powered hub to use the controller….then pass.

      Otherwise, I am STOKED for a Synclavier app!

      1. If you are happy with the latency that comes with BT, there might be a BT MIDI option available. I’m curious what’s the difference between this knob and ANY MIDI CC?

        I’d much rather have low/no latency control via USB.

        The fact that Apple has made it so difficult to connected a USB device is a separate problem.

        Do they make a self-powered hub (i.e. powerbank/hub)? Seems like that would make it easier. Apple now has that CCK that lets you charge while you use a USB device.

      2. The Synclavier Knob works fine directly connected to the iPad – no powered hub required. Also, the outline of the Knob exactly matches the iPad mini’s dimensions. Which means you can use the Heckler Design Windfall iPad mini (landscape) stand to hold it down when in use – the Knob has very light construction. This same stand was used with the Synclavier Touch product. Nice!

  1. I have the Synclavier II by Arturia and I’m just enamored with it.. sounds like nothing else.. there’s some magical juju going on beyond just additive/FM synthesis. It sounds so rich and clean to my ears.. they hit it out of the park with this one and I hope that they’ll continue adding features, but as it is.. just fantastic already. Kudos to Arturia for supporting this and getting behind it.

    About the only things I would wish for at the moment are MPE and microtuning support. The coupled LFO modulator from their Jupiter 8 plugin and a combined screen mode where I could have access to the main panel and the deeper editor/keyframer at the same time. The ability to have both windows open at the same time and throw one on another monitor would be great too.

    All in all extremely happy with it and can’t wait to get more into the re-synthesis features!

  2. > New Apps Turn Your iPhone
    > Or iPad Into A Synclavier

    lol, nope, it doesn´t. the syncalvier´s attraction to people like stephen lipson (fgth, grace jones) based SOLELY on its 32-track “digital memory recorder”. lipson had his matrix-12 hooked up with it via midi. so where is the sequencer?

    1. lol

      There are 12 people in the world that want to sequence in Fairlight’s Page R, too.

      Everybody else wants to know what if this will have the same improvements to the Synclavier II synth engine that Synclavier V offers, and how well it will support modern connectivity options.

  3. it would be fun if they released it for the original price. doesn’t matter if they sell only 1 or 2 copies then, should cover the development costs just fine 🙂

  4. Arturia’s take on the Synclavier is the right way to reintroduce a vintage digital synthesizer: They kept the engine and more or less completely redesigned the user interface.

    From the looks of it, SDC is hewing much closer to the original 1980s UI… which might be a mistake.

  5. The physical knob is nice (really!) but one of the best parts of the Synclavier (besides its performance-oriented user interface, flexible sound engine including FM/sampling/resynthesis, and sequencer) was its excellent polyphonic aftertouch keyboard, which was from the Prophet T8!!

    I would like to see the modern Sequential make a new, high-quality polyphonic aftertouch keyboard.

  6. As a young adult in the 1980s I always guessed if I had to choose I’d prefer the Synclavier to the Fairlight. Thanks to Arturia, I can confirm that the Synclavier is more “me”. I can’t figure out how to use samples with the Synclavier II update though. Oh – regarding this iPad/iPhone thing: it might be worth messing around with, but until IOS gets a real file system and an operating environment rivaling Logic or a good Windows DAW, I’ll stick with the computer Arturia versions.

  7. Oh wow…………what a really good move! Talk about lustful. I will get this one! There’s something enduring and mystical about the Synclavier.
    The next in line that we hope for on IOS is Reason or VCV Rack…………..oh brother that would be good.

  8. $399 for a Branded jog wheel. WTAF.

    For comparison, an off-the-shelf Contour ShuttleXpress (random USB jog wheel) has a spring-loaded wheel like the Synclavier, plus a continuous wheel, PLUS BUTTONS for $59.99.

  9. I did play around with the Arturia Synclavier V demo when they 1st released. It was nice. I especially liked the sample import and resynthesis. I’ll look forward to the iOS version. If it can import from, and export to, AudioShare, that will make it much easier to work with.
    I’m still hoping that both the Acxel Resynthesizer and the Hartmann Neuron will be re-born in iOS.

Leave a Reply to Sai Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *