RSJB Tonic: a multi-layer multi-engine Synthesizer plugin for iOS and macOS
SYNTH ANATOMY usesaffiliation&partner programs (big red buttons)to finance a part of the activity. If you use these, you support the website. Thanks!RSJB Tonic is a multi-layer, 3-oscillator, multi-engine. . .
SYNTH ANATOMY usesaffiliation&partner programs (big red buttons)to finance a part of the activity. If you use these, you support the website. Thanks!RSJB Tonic is a multi-layer, 3-oscillator, multi-engine Synthesizer plugin for iOS, macOS, and Android. The impact of AI and vibe coding is currently evident in the Apple App Store. New synthesizers from new developers are released almost daily, whereas previously there were only 3-4 per month. The flooding is underway. Here’s another synth from that genre. RSJB, aka Rubens Felicio, a new app developer, has released Tonic, a feature-rich, multi-layer Synthesizer plugin. RSJB TonicTonic is a new multi-layer, multi-engine synthesizer for iOS, macOS, and even Android. For Android, there’s only a standalone version because Android doesn’t support plugins. Looking at the developer’s portfolio, he released three apps within a month. A glance at the app and website also reveals that generic designs were used. So I’m sure RSJB coded/prompted the Tonic synth with AI. The feature set is very large. I’ve rarely seen such a comprehensive synth. Prompt as much as possible could be the motto. Tonic hasthree independent layers, with a per-layer keyboard split option and mute and solo options. Each layer has its own oscillators, filter, envelope, and modulation. 8 different sound engines are available: string, modal, classic VA, wind, bowed, wavetable, SF2 (SoundFont), and 6-OP DX7 FM. I think they use theopen-source Mutable Instruments Plaitsalgorithms heavily here, because the names remind me of them. Each engine offers a wide range of adjustable parameters. Plus, there is a sub-oscillator and noise generator per layer. The filter also offers a wide range of different types: 4-pole ladder, silk SVF, snap, acid, scrm, 2-pole multimode, LPG, and OTA ladder. They are fully adjustable with classic cutoff, resonance, and drive controls. Modulation & EffectsThe modulation works at the layer level, so each layer has its own envelopes and multiwave LFOs. Alongside this, you have envelope followers, pitch bend, and mod wheel as modulation sources. To refine your sounds, there is a global multi-FX engine with various choruses, ping-pong/tempo-synced delay, FDN-based reverb, 5-band EQ, compressor, flanger, and bit-crusher. Each effect is fully adjustable and independently usable. And no, there isn’t an arpeggiator or sequencer built-in. Sounds can be saved in the Tonic presets browser, where you also find some factory presets by RSJB. First ImpressionBased on its features alone, Tonic looks like a powerful multi-layer Synthesizer. However, in terms of design and workflow, the synth feels very generic, just as you’d expect from a vibe- or AI-coded synth. What many prompters forget is that a crucial aspect of an app, especially in music production, is the user interface—how user-friendly and inspiring it is. Unfortunately, AI can’t do that yet. Only professional designers are good at that. Packing together a huge number of Synthesizer features isn’t rocket science these days. But making it all inviting and appealing, so it doesn’t look cobbled together, is something else entirely. At the current price of $34. 99, absolutely not. $3. 49 maybe, but no more. Especially since updates and the future depend on an AI agent. RSJB Tonic is available now for $34,99. It runs as a standalone app and AUv3 plugin for iOS and macOS (native Apple Silicon). More information here:RSJB/App StorePlugin NewsiOS News supported by Patreon