Skynthesis

Mac app · Apple silicon · macOS 15+ · needs Serum 2

Make Serum yours.

Skynthesis is a Mac app for making your own Serum 2 skins. Give it a logo or a photo and it builds a first skin from the picture’s colours. Then click any panel, knob strip or screen and change it. Try the first step below.

In the app: change any part by hand, rename captions, check it live in Serum 2.

No picture handy?

Download free for Mac The whole editor is free, with unlimited previews. You keep 2 Skyns free. Pro keeps every one (US$40, once).

Every part is yours to change

The picture only gets you a first skin. After that, click a panel, a knob strip or a screen in the preview and change it. Put your own image in, place one on top, colorize it, or adjust brightness, contrast and gamma. The Finish section adds gradient, vignette, glow, blur, sharpen, chromatic aberration, film grain and colour grade.

The Skynthesis editor showing the Rook skin with the Wavetable oscillator panel picked, and a close-up of that panel above the start of its list of 30 parts.
Rook in the editor with the Wavetable oscillator panel picked. The close-up lists its 30 parts.

Reach as far as you want

An edit can reach one part, every part like it in the same device or tab, or the whole skin.

Rename the captions

Type a new word for a knob’s caption and pick a font for it. Restore Caption puts Serum’s word back.

Check it in the real Serum 2

Live in Serum 2 shows the actual plugin wearing your skin while you edit. Skins save to Serum’s own Skins folder, so they show up in Serum’s skin menu. Serum’s factory Default skin is never changed.

The Skynthesis Caption field reading SPREAD, beside the oscillator panel showing SPREAD in place of DETUNE and LEVEL in a serif typeface.
DETUNE renamed to SPREAD, and LEVEL set in Georgia.

See it before you keep it

Skynthesize as many times as you like. Each one shows you the whole skin in the app, so you only keep the ones you want. Free keeps 2 Skyns. Pro keeps every one.

Installs from before 0.6.2 keep 3. Previews are unlimited.

Download free for Mac

New in the app

Take your Skyn to Vital, Surge XT and Phase Plant

File › Export Vital Theme…, Export Surge XT Skin… and Export Phase Plant Theme… save a kept Skyn’s colours for that synth, and the Skynthesize menu makes a theme for each one straight away. The Phase Plant theme colours every Kilohearts plugin. Vital export needs one Vital theme already installed, and Surge XT export needs Surge XT installed.

Go back to the one you liked

The shelf holds your last 3 previews, so you can go back to one you passed over. Not quite right? WilderCalmerOther themeMore like this nudge it and make a new preview. Each one stays in the app until you press Keep.

A quieter Keep

When you keep a Skyn, a short screen shows your Skyn, the price and the refund terms. On your last free keep it asks calmly before it uses it. After Keep, a pointer shows how to open it in Live in Serum 2.

What Pro adds

Pro keeps every Skyn you make. Every editing feature is free either way.

US$40, once, not a subscription, up to 3 computers, 7-day refund. US$30 with EARLYSKYN until the end of Sun 15 Nov PST.

Buy Pro

A question before you buy? Write to me.

In Pro

Skynthesize 4

Four previews built one after another, so you can pick the one to keep.

Pro Starter Skyns

More starting looks to begin from.

Some Serum 2 skins made with Skynthesis

Each one shows something Skynthesize does for you: your logo or name in the header, pictures in the screens, its own knob faces, a light look, every page themed. Click one to see it full size.

  • Rainbow Arc on Serum’s FX page: the effects rack and every panel in a rainbow made from the CHENDRIX rainbow logo.
    Rainbow Arc, FX pageMade from the CHENDRIX rainbow logo. The look reaches every page, the effects rack included.
  • Sun Route: cream brick panels, a desert road photo in the wavetable screen, canyon rock in the LFO screen and sunburst knob faces.
    Sun RoutePhotos in the screens: a desert road in the wavetable, canyon rock in the LFO. Sunburst knob faces. Start: Desert Highway.
  • Hanami: a light skin with pale rose and cream panels and ink-painting art in the oscillator and LFO screens.
    HanamiA light skin. Pale rose and cream, with ink-painting art in every screen.
  • Crimson Broadcast: deep red panels, the name Crimson Broadcast as the header wordmark, lace and curtain art in the screens.
    Crimson BroadcastThe typed name is the header wordmark. Lace and curtain art in the screens.
  • Fuchsia Hours: violet panels with a small logo and the name Fuchsia Hours in the header, stage-curtain art in the screens.
    Fuchsia HoursA logo and a name side by side in the header. Stage-curtain art in the screens.
  • The same oscillator knobs from six Skyns, each with its own face: a sunburst, ribbed, a swirl, rings, a compass and wood grain.
    Knob facesSix Skyns, six faces: sunburst, ribbed, swirl, rings, compass and grain. Each face turns with its knob.

These are previews from the app, shown as Serum draws them. Every part can still be changed in the editor.

Where a skin can start

Drop in a picture and type a name if you like. Skynthesize takes its colours from your picture and sets the name as the header wordmark. Tick “Use this image in the skin” and your logo also goes in the header, or your photo goes on one panel. No picture? Pick a theme from the list, or press Surprise me. It is only a starting point.

There’s no generative AI in it. Skynthesize works from your picture’s colours and layout rules, and it runs on your Mac. It only fetches CC0 and public-domain textures from the internet, and you can switch that off.

Left, the Skynthesis input step with a lightning-bolt logo and the name Volt Arcade. Right, the Volt Arcade skin it made: the logo and name in the header, pink accents on plum panels.
A lightning-bolt logo and the name Volt Arcade go in on the left. The skin that comes out is on the right.

Sharing skins

A skin made in Skynthesis is an ordinary Serum 2 skin, a folder of images in Serum’s Skins folder. To share one, zip the folder and send it. Whoever gets it unzips it into their own Serum 2 Skins folder and picks it from Serum’s skin menu. They don’t need Skynthesis.

Check two things before you post one publicly. A skin built on Serum’s factory Default still carries some of Xfer Records’ artwork, so sharing it is also subject to Xfer’s terms. And if it uses someone else’s logo or photo, make sure you’re allowed to share that too.

I’d love to see what you make. Send it to me.

Questions

Do I need Serum 2?
Yes. Skynthesis makes skins for Xfer Serum 2, which is sold separately. You need a Mac with Apple silicon on macOS 15 or later.
Will it change my Default skin?
No. Skynthesis writes new skins to Serum’s Skins folder and never changes the factory Default.
Is it AI?
No. Skynthesize follows fixed rules for colour, layout and contrast, and it runs on your Mac. The only machine-learning code is Apple’s on-device Vision, which checks downloaded pictures for faces and text. It generates nothing.
What do I get for free?
The whole editor, unlimited previews, and 2 Skyns to keep (installs from before 0.6.2 keep 3). Pro keeps every Skyn. It is US$40, once, not a subscription, and works on up to 3 computers. You can get a refund within 7 days.
Can I change a skin by hand after Skynthesize makes it?
Yes. Click any panel, knob strip or screen and change it. You can also rename knob captions and set their font. Live in Serum 2 shows the real plugin wearing your skin while you edit.
Can I share skins?
Yes. A skin is a folder of images. Zip it and send it, and whoever gets it puts it in their Serum 2 Skins folder. They don’t need Skynthesis. A skin built on Serum’s factory Default still carries some of Xfer Records’ artwork, so Xfer’s terms apply. Make sure you’re allowed to share any logo or photo you used.
Is there a Windows version?
Yes, as a preview: Skynthesis for Windows is newer and less tested than the Mac app. Windows is on 0.6.3; Mac is on 0.6.9. It edits, Skynthesizes and saves skins into Serum 2’s Skins folder like the Mac app, with some differences. Preview in Serum and Live in Serum are Mac-only for now. Skynthesize uses your own photos, the built-in picture library and generated textures, but not online stock photos, because the checks that vet downloaded pictures run on Apple’s Vision. Updates are downloaded from this site rather than installed from inside the app. The build is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen will warn the first time: choose More info, then Run anyway. A Pro key unlocks up to 3 computers, Mac or PC.
Is Skynthesis made by Xfer Records?
No. Skynthesis is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Xfer Records. Serum is a trademark of Xfer Records.
Something broke. Where do I write?
The contact page has the address and what to include.

Why I made Skynthesis

I made Skynthesis because I wanted a themed skin of my own. After a lot of trial and error I felt it was too complicated for most people to make one for themselves. As artists, personalizing our gear, however small, gives us our identity, and I wanted to help others do just that.

Rock ’n roll 🤘, Chendrix

If something breaks, or there’s something you’d like Skynthesis to do, tell me.

Download free

The free beta is out. It has every editing feature, unlimited previews and 2 free Skyns. After you install it, updates come from inside the app. It’s a beta, so if something breaks, tell me.

Your download starts as soon as you send it. I’ll only use that address to write to you about Skynthesis, and I’ll delete it whenever you ask.

You need a Mac with Apple silicon on macOS 15 or later, and Xfer Serum 2, which is sold separately. No generative AI. Not affiliated with Xfer Records.

Windows preview · Windows 11, 64-bit · needs Serum 2. Less tested than the Mac version: Preview in Serum and Live in Serum are Mac-only, and SmartScreen will warn on first run (More info > Run anyway). Windows is on 0.6.3; Mac is on 0.6.9. Found a problem? File > Report a Problem… in the app.

The whole editor is free, with unlimited previews and 2 free Skyns (installs from before 0.6.2 keep 3). Skynthesis Pro, which keeps every Skynthesis, is a one-time US$40 (US$30 with EARLYSKYN until the end of Sun 15 Nov PST), not a subscription. One Pro key works on up to 3 computers at a time and covers every future version, including every update to Skynthesize. If it isn’t right for you, you can get a refund within 7 days.

Pro is sold at skynthesis.app/buy through Stripe Managed Payments, so the sale shows as “Sold through Link”, and Link sends your receipt and handles sales tax and VAT. Your key shows on the page right after checkout, and the app unlocks itself if you clicked Buy in it. The terms and the refund policy have the details.

Buy Pro · US$40, US$30 with EARLYSKYN

What leaves your Mac

Every skin is made on your Mac. Your pictures, logos and projects are never uploaded, and there’s no account, analytics or tracking. The picture demo at the top of this page works the same way: it reads your picture inside this tab and sends nothing. This is the complete list of what the app sends, and the app’s test suite checks each line.

WhenWhat is sentTo
Skynthesize looks for fresh textures (on unless you untick Online under Sources) A theme search word, like velvet or neon, with the app’s name, version and release-page link (a picture fetched from another site gets only the app’s name) Poly Haven, the Art Institute of Chicago, Openverse, and the sites Openverse results link to
The app checks for an update The app’s name and version, nothing else updates.skynthesis.app
You buy, activate, deactivate or download Pro content (after Buy, the app asks every 5 seconds for up to 30 minutes), and at launch once a week has passed since the last licence check, or while a purchase or refund is settling The licence key (or purchase claim), random install ids and the app’s version, and, from the app’s Buy button, which screen it was on (like keep or menu) skynthesis.app, our own licence server
You send Report a Problem Your text, the kind, your email if you give one, the app and OS versions, and usage counts only if you tick the box updates.skynthesis.app
Before you keep each free Skyn (Mac; in 0.6.0 and 0.6.1, before each free Skynthesize) A random one-time ID and a device token macOS makes for this Mac skynthesis.app, which passes the token to Apple DeviceCheck. Apple keeps the free-Skyn count for this Mac. We keep none of it.
Your images, logos, names and projects Never sent —

Pictures downloaded for textures are CC0 or public domain only. Apple’s on-device Vision framework checks them on your Mac (for faces, text and labels) before they are used. Full details are in the privacy policy.

Changelog

  1. 0.6.9 free beta

    • Logos are trimmed cleanly, with no stray edges or box in the header.
    • With your logo loaded, picking a named Theme now visibly changes the look.
    • Picture reading is faster and more reliable.
    • Skynthesize is quicker.
    • Old update files are cleaned up automatically.

  2. 0.6.8 free beta

    • Very large pictures work: one up to 500 megapixels is scaled down when it opens. A bigger one is skipped, and Skynthesis tells you its size and what to do.
    • Getting a folder of 12 pictures ready takes about a third less time.
    • The preview bar shows how many free Skyns you have left.
    • Skynthesis looks for an update every time it opens and every 6 hours while it’s open, and an update offer waits until a Skynthesize run has finished.

  3. 0.6.7 free beta

    • Skynthesize no longer runs for minutes, or seems frozen, on a large logo on a plain white or black background.
    • A run shows its progress step by step, says when a step is taking longer than usual, and can be cancelled at any point.
    • Logos on a plain card, and folders that contain them, get ready much faster.
    • After you keep a Skyn, Skynthesis tells you where to find it in Serum 2’s skin menu.

  4. 0.6.3 to 0.6.6 free beta

    • Each update’s notes show in the app when it offers the update.

  5. 0.6.2 free beta

    • Previews are now unlimited. Skynthesize shows the whole skin in the app, and Keep this Skyn makes it yours. You keep 2 free, and Pro keeps every one.

  6. 0.6.1 free beta fix

    • Fixed a crash that could quit the app while you changed a list, for example the asset browser, a dropdown, or expanding a folder. It happened while another app was reading the window for accessibility, as many launchers, window managers and automation tools do in the background.
    • New: File > Report a Problem… sends a short note straight to the developer, the same as the report form here.

  7. 0.6.0 free beta

    • The editor is free, with every editing feature and 3 Skyntheses to start. Skynthesis Pro is on sale from beta day. It gives unlimited Skyntheses for US$40, once, on up to 3 computers, and it is not a subscription. US$30 with EARLYSKYN until the end of Sun 15 Nov PST.
    • A new Finish section in the inspector: gradient, vignette, glow, blur, sharpen, chromatic aberration, film grain and color grade, baked into the part you pick.
    • Skynthesize can use a folder of your own photos: mark a folder as your photos, and it picks the ones that fit the theme and each other. They stay on your Mac.
    • Photo skins can place your picture on more than one deck, and captions pick an ink that stays readable on it.
    • Selection boxes are tighter: Undo and Redo, the browser and menu plates, the FX screens and the narrow keys are boxed more exactly, and the main preview picks the key you click.
    • Knobs turn through their own spin strips, and knob rings and shadows are fixed.
    • In the preview, the pitch and mod wheels rest where Serum rests them, and the bend-range boxes show 2 and −2.
    • Undo and Redo restore a project exactly.
    • Needs macOS 15 or later.

  8. 0.5.0 built

    • Generate from your own logo or photo, with your name as the header wordmark. A welcome tour walks you through it.
    • Rename knob captions and set their font.
    • On a photo skin, the knobs keep their rings and shadows on top of the picture.
    • The inspector sits under the previews by default (View › Inspector Below Previews).
    • Free and Pro are in place, but Pro wasn’t on sale yet, so Generate had no limit.
    • There was no public 0.4.0. This replaces it.

  9. 0.3.1

    • Faster editing: a slider nudge decodes 1 image instead of 173, and dragging on a big panel no longer freezes the window.
    • A long list of fixes, including a crash in Match Skin Colours, Undo being allowed while Generate ran, and Live in Serum 2 sometimes showing the previous skin.
    • Updates now come from updates.skynthesis.app.

  10. 0.3.0

    • Generate arrives: Surprise me, dice, and textures from CC0 sources.
    • Whole-skin Colorize tints the panels, not the knobs. Filter colours recolour the response curve.
    • Init Skin goes back to your project’s base.
    • First copies of 0.3.0 went out by key, from a waitlist.

  11. 0.2.5

    • Check for Updates waits longer, and when a check fails it says why.

  12. 0.2.4

    • Colour the keyboard key by key, by note or by colour. Tinting a screen reaches all of it. A rare crash is gone.

  13. 0.2.3

    • The preview lines up more closely with Serum: every knob pointer centred, and the wavetable and the filter curve placed in their displays.

  14. 0.2.1

    • Serum’s own colours preview by name, including the LFO and envelope curves.

  15. 0.2.0

    • The one-mode editor: pick any part and widen to its device or the whole skin. Place your own image anywhere, start from seven starter looks or a blank skin, and get updates inside the app.