# Bass Line Composer — create runs and splits

> Compose and play bass drum lines with realistic sounds. (iPhone/iPad app by N. Wheeler.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bass-line-composer/id541384670 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [N. Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: $1.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 181 App Store ratings · 52 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.6 · 8 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-08-01
- Data updated: 2026-09-12
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bass-line-composer/id541384670/reviews.md

## What is Bass Line Composer?

Yo, Bass drummers! Got a split in your head that you've just got to hear right now? Got a line or a lick or an exercise to put down? Compose it and play along with the new Bass Line Composer App!

Now you’ve got a whole bass drum line to play along with. Practice splits and interp. Write out your exercises or make up new ones. Put down that new street beat that’s been bouncing around your brain. Speed it up, slow it down, try it out, edit it, and max it out!

Compose and play along with the actual bass drum sounds of the Paul Rennick 2012 Santa Clara Vanguard, as recorded by bass tech Brian Lowe - tuned the way they’ll sound on finals night. 

Best used with Headphones

About Telephonic Amusements: Nicholas Wheeler, software engineer, marched Sky Ryders, VK, and UNT - taught at Pioneer and UNT; David Croy, designer, marched Sky Ryders and tech’ed under Paul Rennick at Sky, VK, and has provided visual consulting for UNT and Dynasty Drums.

## Key features

- Compose bass drum lines
- Play along with compositions
- Practice splits and interspersions
- Create and edit exercises
- Adjust tempo (speed up/slow down)
- Realistic bass drum sounds

## Chart rankings

- #185 in Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 52)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bass-line-composer/id541384670/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Sound lag/errors as well as worse sound effects for snare drum and cymbals.

*2026-05-06*

This, as well as the Ensemble composer app, were my favorite for transcribing and testing out ideas. Unfortunately none of my existing works plays correctly, as the sound lags and has weird spacing no matter what tempo I chose. Also, the new sound effects replacing some of the existing sounds, such as the snare drum shot, ping, and stick click are much worse (the stick click especially; sounds very clunky). The stick sound effect for the metronome has also been replaced with a worse, clunky sound as well; not really sure why they replaced that sound when the new one sounds nothing like any sticks drumline techs would use. Very disappointing with this latest update.

### 4/5 — Great until this update…

*2026-03-02*

This has been hands down my favorite app to use as a bass drummer. Since 2020 when I got it, learning to use it and fully understand how everything works has been one of the most rewarding experiences ever. Being able to compose entire scores from my phone is a very powerful tool, however this new update is making it very hard to use.

The sounds changing has been probably the worst part of the new update, but the Metronome not changing volume or staying as whatever I set it to is a close second. These micro details make it so hard to use, especially being used to how it was before. 

This app would be a genuine Top 3 app of all time for me if these issues got fixed.

### 3/5 — AMAZING, but PLEASE add an undo button

*2026-02-07*

I’ve loved this app for a long time. Although in this new update, the bass drum sounds have a muffled popping sound like a static pop after each hit, making it just so annoying to compose and listen to (causing it to no longer be fun to use). Before this update, the sounds were amazing and so satisfying. Also the buttons, like flam, buzz, rim click, etc. are smaller now and harder to press. It just got an update after years but still no undo button! Please add an undo button! Also the met sound doesn’t get quieter when i turn the slider down and it’s so loud. Also, the met that I set it to (stick click) no longer stays selected after I close the app, which is also a bit annoying because it used to stay. Also, I might be going crazy but I do think the stick click met got changed, so it would be cool to be able to customize the kind of met a little more, because I really liked the stick clicks before the update. The most important thing for me is the sound of the bass drums and the static pop is really annoying, so if there’s any way to fix it, that would be really cool! The app in general was just much better and more practical before update 2.5.3. Amazing app though!!

### 2/5 — Pretty good, but really unstable

*2024-07-15*

The app does let you write basslines pretty well with no creative restrictions, but several times I’ve lost entire files at random moments, and saving doesn’t help. It also:
- Costs money despite not really deserving to
- Doesn’t let you simply type the tempo and instead makes you use an oversensitive scroll
- Has a very janky and unfriendly file management system (which, as mentioned before, also loses files randomly)
- Doesn’t have a good way of getting to different parts of a song, using an uncomfortable scrolling system
- Doesn’t have a very good sound for accents
- Has other problems that I can’t think of off the top of my head

The app really needs to work on stabilizing itself. Get to fixing bugs please, because this app could be so great.

### 5/5 — very nice

*2023-03-07*

ui could be slightly cleaner but it is solid

### 5/5 — The Best and Only of its Kind

*2020-10-31*

This app is incredible.... if I had to pay for it I would. It works great, there are ample sounds to work with, and so much versatility that no matter what your composition needs are, rhythmically or otherwise, youll have a program that can get the job done. MASSIVE props to the creators of this masterpiece software.

**Developer response:** thank you!!! great to hear!

### 1/5 — deleted all my music

*2020-09-25*

i loved this app because i used it to make play along tracks for all my drumline warmups. i spent all this time doing a bunch of them and now the app has updated and the files are all there, but they’re empty! absolutely livid that i will have to redo them all. plus the new layout of the app is so confusing, i don’t like that it makes it so you can see all the random files on my phone that are from other apps that have no music relation. mostly just angry it deleted all my music

**Developer response:** we're sooo bummed to read that you lost some of your files. Was never our intention! And although some folks did have issues, most were able to upgrade seamlessly. 

Regarding the new UI, progress sometimes means tradeoffs. the new UI allows you to save your files off of your device, which is a feature users have long been asking for. Try creating a folder with just your music in it. that'll clear it up to just your music.

### 2/5 — Restore Saved Files

*2020-06-04*

I really love this app. However, after creating many pieces, I decided to take a step away from the app. Recently, I redownloaded the app, and ALL of my saved files are GONE. So much hard work. Please tell me, is there ANY way and can get my work back?

**Developer response:** If you deleted the app during your absence, then yes all your files are unfortunately gone. With the newest release, you can store your files in iCloud or wherever your phone connects.

### 5/5 — 6 basses

*2020-01-26*

Yo where that 6 bassdrum option at

**Developer response:** get the latest release. 6 Basses are there now. Thanks to the 2019 Carolina Crown drumline!

### 5/5 — Plz help me

*2019-11-20*

I love this app and when I started using it, it was amazing. But after being inactive for about two weeks are so I got on the app and my audio wasn’t working. So I would like if someone could direct me in how to fix it or if it’s an issue in the app if y’all could fix it.

## Frequently asked questions about Bass Line Composer

### What does the Bass Line Composer app do?

The Bass Line Composer app allows users to compose and play along with custom bass drum lines. You can create your own exercises, practice splits and interspersions, and develop new beats. The app provides a platform to experiment with your musical ideas for bass drumming.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include the ability to compose and play back your own bass drum lines, practice specific techniques like splits and interspersions, and create or edit custom exercises. You can also adjust the tempo to practice at different speeds and utilize realistic bass drum sounds.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, the Bass Line Composer app is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, suggesting a completely free experience for users.

### Who is this app designed for?

This app is specifically designed for bass drummers, especially those involved in marching bands or drumlines. It's a tool for musicians who want to compose, practice, and refine their bass drum parts and exercises.

### What kind of sounds does the app use?

The app features actual bass drum sounds from the Paul Rennick 2012 Santa Clara Vanguard, as recorded by bass tech Brian Lowe. These sounds are tuned to replicate how they would sound during a performance, offering a realistic practice experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 26.06.18 — 2026-06-18

What’s New In Bass Line Composer
The app has been rebuilt around a faster, more reliable writing and playback experience for marching bass line composers. Recent updates improve audio stability, notation flexibility, MusicXML export accuracy, document handling, and the overall editor workflow.

Native Playback Engine
Playback now uses a more robust native audio path designed for tighter timing, smoother start/stop behavior, and better reliability during rapid playback changes. Practice mode volume balancing, section muting, and loop playback have all been refined to make rehearsing individual parts feel more natural.

Practice Mode
Practice Mode lets you spotlight one section or bass drum while reducing the volume of the rest of the ensemble. It now includes a clear on-screen indicator and can be turned off directly from the editor. 

Improved MusicXML Export
MusicXML export is more accurate for complex subdivisions, chords, rests, and unusual rhythmic divisions. 

Better Document Workflow
The home screen and document browser experience have been refined with clearer branding, improved legibility, recent-file access, and build-specific titles for Ensemble and Bassline. Saving, closing, and reopening files now better preserves app state without carrying over temporary playback or practice-mode settings.

### 26.05.20 — 2026-05-30

New! Practice Mode and a Tutorial on how to use the app.

### 2.5.9 — 2026-05-29

addressed some audio issues with rapid playback

### 2.5.5 — 2026-05-13

bug fixes and tweaks

### 2.5.3 — 2026-01-23

fixed an issue with saving files

## Apps similar to Bass Line Composer

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [DrumToolz](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumtoolz/id1461677465) | 4.2 (270) | Free | Music |
| [CorpsClash](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/corpsclash/id6447923498) | 4.9 (603) | Free | Music |
| [Drum Corps Summer Tour](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-corps-summer-tour/id1422011133) | 4.1 (85) | Free | Music |
| [Auto Bass AUv3 MIDI Generator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/auto-bass-auv3-midi-generator/id6450610419) | 4.5 (15) | $5.99 | Music |
| [Drumline](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline/id357815924) | 4.1 (1,151) | $4.99 | Music |
| [DropSpin Metronome](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dropspin-metronome/id1600259984) | 4.8 (66) | Free | Music |

## More apps by N. Wheeler

- [Ensemble Composer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960)
- [StkCtrl](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stkctrl/id1529211274)
- [421Grid](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/421grid/id1598461370)
- [Student of Theater](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/student-of-theater/id6743187646)

All apps by N. Wheeler: https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021

## Related topics

[bass drum](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bass-drum)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-12.*