Recommend iOS synth apps for worship pads and layers?

[dickiefunk]

Hi,

 

My main piano is the Yamaha CP88 which I love. However, whilst the included pads are nice, I do find them a little limited. 
I would love more quality synth pads that I can use on either my iPhone or iPad for worship styles. 
I’m aware of the Sunday Keys app which looks and sounds great but it costs $120-$200 per year. This is pretty expensive and I would like something that doesn’t cost as much.

What iOS app would you recommend for great synth patches and pads for worship music?

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

Idk how a worship pad is different than another pad but I've been loving Sunrizer and it has a very warm sound. And the lowest cpu load I've ever seen. 

[Mighty Motif Max]

I was going to suggest the Sunday Keys app but you already have looked at that. A good worship pad to me is a warm analog/wavetable pad with cutoff mapped to the mod wheel, maybe with some shimmer reverb. Surprisingly hard to duplicate on some keyboards.

[drumtek101]

You may want to look into gospelmusicians pure synth app. I personally use this and mks sensation with my CP73. Match made in heaven (no pun intended lol)

[dickiefunk]

Thanks everyone.

 

I’ve found these clips of Sunrizer and the GospelMusicians apps

 

 

 

These both sound good.

[obxa]

When I'm on worship stuff with just acoustic  piano and don't want to bring another keyboard- I just do a static pads with these two apps.

Very similar to the drone function of worship keys and others, in most cases that's all you need. 

 

I let them drone for intros and altar-call kinda stuff and works great.  Cheap.  Both do crossfades if you want to change keys. 

 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/softpads-background-loop-pads/id1362791362.  This one is easy to see on stage.

 

 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/autopad-ambient-pad-loops/id1270890718

 

 

When I use a simple  slab piano and need a  pad bed under what I'm playing  I'll midi it up via bluetooth to either the Wavestation app, (awesome pads).  or Korg Module with Triton soundset (great for pads) I find the wavestation to be less fuss than than Korg Module.   Either of those highly recommended. 

C

 

 

 

 

[Stokely]

I only know what "worship" pads might be from this thread, but if you are checking out Sunrizer then also check Zeeon, by the same company.

From the description, I might also check Synthmaster One, which I think may be wavetable in part.

[CyberGene]

It's the first time I hear about "worship" pads and I checked a YouTube video which I watched only briefly but as far as I can see those are very soft and mellow pad sounds which you use for stuff like the root and fifth in octaves, very widely to cover the entire frequency spectrum. It doesn't sound too loaded and too functional in terms of harmony, rather a soft backbone. What I don't get is whether the band plays something on top of the pad and if so what is played, are they regular harmonies? Or are those pads used for intermissions to just create mood during service? I've abandoned church 20 years ago and I don't remember anything even remotely close to using pads during service but it's the SDA church in Bulgaria, so not sure how relevant that is to the thread 🧐

[obxa]

14 hours ago, CyberGene said:

It's the first time I hear about "worship" pads and I checked a YouTube video which I watched only briefly but as far as I can see those are very soft and mellow pad sounds which you use for stuff like the root and fifth in octaves, very widely to cover the entire frequency spectrum. It doesn't sound too loaded and too functional in terms of harmony, rather a soft backbone. What I don't get is whether the band plays something on top of the pad and if so what is played, are they regular harmonies? Or are those pads used for intermissions to just create mood during service? I've abandoned church 20 years ago and I don't remember anything even remotely close to using pads during service but it's the SDA church in Bulgaria, so not sure how relevant that is to the thread 🧐

Yes it's both.  The term "pads" get's thrown around a bit.  It's more about context and application. 

 

 It can mean something that simply doubles the piano sound as you described- like a traditional piano and string  layer sound...except with more pedestrian soft synth pad sound..  Or as you also correctly thought,  something (soft pad or pad with motion) that simply  statically drones  before, between,  or even throughout  the entire song.  It can be slightly atonal, but that's part of the vibe.   Very effective to avoid dead air between songs.   Both applications are heavily used in Contemporary Worship music. 

 

These days : Altar Calls, offering, or moments of prayer which traditionally had been done on organ or piano are often fulfilled by so called worship pads because they're non-percussive, less aggressive  and considered more "worshipful".  Muddying the waters even more - in the secular studio world;  people still often ask for an "organ pad" (carpet) under a verse or intro where a simple drawbar setting  would drone,  or play the changes without calling too much attention to itself. 

[CyberGene]

^ Thanks, that’s pretty interesting. I miss going to church exactly for the music activities I’ve been involved into. Admittedly I’ve never been religious and was rather going for my parents but it’s where I started playing the piano/organ in many roles: playing the hymnals, reharmonizing them on the spot (a controversial thing that the young members loved and the elderly condemned), improvising after the sermon, playing a solo piano performances or in a small classical chamber orchestra, rehearsing and accompanying the choir, writing arrangements for the orchestra (under the supervision of the MD who was a music theory professor)… Basically anything. I learned more about music, theory, improvisation and live performance there than I’m comfortable admitting 👍🏻