Support

Hi! I'm the developer of SpellSynth. If anything isn't working or you have an idea, the fastest way to reach me is by email.

Email: zhiii0x@gmail.com
Response time: usually within 2–3 working days.

Please include:

• Device model (iPhone 15, iPad Pro 13", etc.)
• iOS / iPadOS version
• SpellSynth version (Settings → SpellSynth → About, or from the App Store page)
• Steps to reproduce the issue

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SpellSynth work offline?
Yes. The app does not make any network requests. It works fully in airplane mode after install.

Does SpellSynth collect any data?
No. See the privacy policy — we collect nothing.

The voice for my custom word sounds different — why?
SpellSynth ships with 500+ pre-recorded words across 20+ themes, in a warm retro voice. For any word not in the built-in library, the app falls back to the iOS speech synthesiser, routes the audio through whichever voice character (1968 Odyssey / 1978 LPC / 1986 DECtalk Style / Default) you've picked, and caches the result to disk so the second tap is instant. On-device only; no audio leaves your phone.

How do I use SpellSynth as an Audio Unit instrument?

• Install SpellSynth on an iPad (iPhone works too, but most AUv3 hosts ship on iPad).
• Open GarageBand (or AUM, Loopy Pro, Cubasis, Logic Pro for iPad, etc.) on your iPhone or iPad and create a new instrument track.
• Choose "External instrument" or "AUv3 Instrument" and pick SpellSynth from the list.
• Play notes on the keyboard — each MIDI note triggers a voice sample. Use the parameters in the AU UI to pitch, stretch, and warp the voice.

What MIDI features does the AUv3 support?

• MIDI Note On / Off, with three velocity curves (Soft / Linear / Hard) shaping the envelope.
• Two triggering modes: Pitch Trigger (note shifts playback pitch relative to the user's transpose knob) and Letter Map (notes 60–85 play letters A–Z).
• MIDI pitch bend with an adjustable range from ±0 to ±12 semitones.
• Sustain pedal (CC 64) for hold-and-release phrasing.
• Channel Pressure (aftertouch) routable to any performance parameter.
• MIDI Learn: 14 targets across the performance knobs — arm one, send a CC from your controller, done. Bindings ride along with the preset.
• Host tempo sync for the Stutter (1/4, 1/8, 1/16 note), or Free-running at 10 Hz.
• Panic CCs: 120 (All Sound Off), 121 (Reset Controllers), 123 (All Notes Off).

Does the AUv3 come with presets?
Yes — ten factory presets: Default, Robot Voice, Tape Warp, Telephone, Tempo Stutter, Classic 1978, Hawking 1986, Odyssey 1968, Robot Chant and Spelling Bee. The last two drive the step sequencer. You can save your own via your host's preset browser.

Can I type words inside the AUv3 plugin?
Yes — as of 1.0.5. The plugin has a LIBRARY / LETTERS mode switch. In Library mode, a text field takes any word and plays it back as a single retro sample from the built-in 500+ word library (unknown words gracefully fall back to spelling). A View list link opens the full library. In Letters mode, the yellow A–Z keypad is front and centre — tap a letter and hear it spoken, like the original toy. SEQ steps draw on the same library.

The AUv3 plugin sounded an octave higher than the main app in 1.0.3 — is that fixed?
Yes, that was a bug. The bundled voice samples are 24 kHz but the plugin was reading them at the host's rate (typically 48 kHz), which shifted every sound up a full octave. 1.0.5 compensates for the sample-rate mismatch, so the plugin sounds at its intended pitch on any host.

Can I add my own word list?
Yes. The Mystery and Say It modes read from the built-in dictionary plus any custom words you add. Custom words persist locally on your device.

What is SEQ?
A 16-step sequencer, new in 1.3.0. Each step holds a word that speaks in your chosen voice — 40 to 240 BPM, on 1/4, 1/8 or 1/16 notes. Type four words and you have a robot vocal loop. Put a single letter on a step instead and it uses the recorded alphabet voice, so you can spell a word out on the beat and then say it whole. FIT stretches each word to exactly fill its step, so words pitch up as the tempo climbs.

Does the sequencer follow my DAW's tempo?
Yes, when the host provides one — SEQ follows the host tempo and transport in the AUv3. Some hosts, GarageBand among them, don't pass tempo to plug-ins at all; there the sequencer runs on its own clock, which you can set in the app.

Which words can SEQ say?
In the app, any word. A SEQ step plays from the 500+ word library when the word is in it, and falls back to on-device speech when it isn't — exactly like Free Play. In the AUv3 it's narrower: the plug-in can't synthesise on its own, so a step plays either a library word or a word you've already played once in the app, which the two share through a cache. A word it can't find shows a ⚠ badge on that step rather than failing silently. A step holding a single letter always uses the recorded A–Z bank.

Can SpellSynth say numbers and contractions?
Yes, as of 1.2.6. Type a number and it's spoken as words ("2" → "two"), and contractions like "don't" are kept intact instead of being spelled out.

Where did PHRASE mode go?
It's now part of Free Play. Free Play has a SPACE key, so you can type a single word or a whole phrase and hear it read back word-by-word — no separate mode needed.

Why is my child seeing the word but not hearing anything?
Check that iPhone's ring/silent switch is not set to silent, and that the volume is turned up. Some iOS hosts mute app audio when another audio session is active — try restarting the app.

Do I need to create an account?
No. SpellSynth has no account system, no email signup, no login. You install it and play.

Is there an Android / Mac / Web version?
Not at the moment. SpellSynth is iOS / iPadOS only. It does run on Macs with Apple silicon via "Designed for iPad" mode.

Bug reports & feature requests

I read everything. Please write in — even small things are useful. If you've found a bug that blocks you from using the app, mark the subject line [bug] and I'll move faster on it.