# Different Drummer — Drum & Music Powertool > Powerful rhythmic music generator for any instrument, with MIDI control and file creation. (iPhone/iPad app by Techné Media.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/different-drummer/id525272276 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Techné Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/486076968) - Category: Music, Productivity - Price: $2.99 (on sale, was $4.99) - Rating: 4.50/5 from 31 App Store ratings · 54 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 93 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2012-11-14 - Data updated: 2026-08-24 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/different-drummer/id525272276/reviews.md ## What is Different Drummer? "Different Drummer blows my mind and that's pretty hard to do."—Dave Taub, drummer for Billy Idol, John Lennon, Yes and many more. Don't let the name fool you. Different Drummer is a powerful rhythmic MUSIC generator for ANY instruments or samples (with harmonies) that happens to work Very Well for drums too. It's also an amazing Midi Controller and MIDI file creator. Create everything from simple or complex patterns, non-repeating music, straight or poly rhythms, human or robot feel, arpeggios, chord progressions, fills, sequences and much at your fingertips using this one-of-a-kind app. This may be the best music idea finder anywhere in the galaxy! This is an essential tool for those seeking new beats and sequences but our customers say it best: Most used app in the toolbox ***** "I have plenty of music apps...synths, DAWs, sequencers, beat boxes, effects, drum machines...you name it, but Different Drummer has been the MOST used of all of them." by Sattech27 This is your secret weapon in the quest for innovative beats and music that make sense yet defy the status quo. Different Drummer taps into the primal source of all rhythm—waves. DD puts out multi-track music which is lifelike and primal at times and out of this world at others. It's a rhythmic music synthesizer that uses waves to play any sound in astonishing ways that vary from electro to dubstep to tribal to classical. This software was created with music in mind—but in the spirit of discovering what is next in music, not just finding a new way to do the same thing like so many music apps do so well. If you are a pioneer or care about where music is going, this app is for you. Easy to start learning, always discovering more. Adjust note, rest, tie, panning, beat and dynamics waves for the ultimate range of expression. You will never exhaust the endless possibilities of Different Drummer and you are guaranteed to discover legit beats that no one has ever heard before. No matter how many apps you have...not having Different Drummer is a loss. To not possess this musical wonder is committing a Groove Crime in your studio or live setup! Features: • 8 Sampler Tracks + Jam-along track with 6-wave Cyclophone Controls plus 2 harmonies on each main track. • AudioBus 3 with State Saving, Remote Triggers and Inter-App audio out & background play • Stereo audio recording. Export via Audioshare, Dropbox or iTunes or AudioCopy or General Pasteboard (to GarageBand for example) • Ableton Link 3 enabled • Zenterface™ let's you work in a more simplified radial view and is just fun! • Progression Composer makes it easy to create guide tracks or multi-track arpeggios • Jammer panel to play along with the music • Jamlets panel lets you create endless action buttons for live jamming, saved with your presets • Control drum pitches, rests, ties, dynamics, panning and beat value using additive waves • Instant Capture in case you hear a killer beat you want saved on auto random • Save Wave Presets to Wave Library and share with other users in Community • 37 Preset Drum styles you can fully mess with (these are for fun, not the main purpose) • String Wave Sets together in saved Sequences and share in Community • Export Wave Sets or Sequences as MIDI Files (via iTunes, AudioShare, Email or Dropbox) • Over 190 drum and sound FX samples with more added every update • Add your own 24-bit samples via iTunes (WAV or CAF), AudioPaste or DropBox • Over 75 musical scales to assign drums or instruments to as well as key • Channel Volume, Filter, Distortion and Reverb Mixer • Set Key, Tempo, Swing and Time Signature • Automation for randomizing and morphing playback with snap-back option • MIDI Sync Out and In • Up to 8 Channels of MIDI Out • Dedicated Wave for any Midi CC with Learn • Core MIDI lets you play other synthesizers and drum machines on your iPad such as Animoog and NLog Pro or external hardware To hear Different Drummer in action and learn more please go to www.technemedia.com ## Key features - Rhythmic music generation for any instrument - Complex pattern and rhythm creation - MIDI controller and file creator - Wave-based control for expression - Multi-track music output - Audiobus 3 and Ableton Link 3 support - Progression Composer for arpeggios ## Chart rankings - #188 in Top Paid · Music (US App Store) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 54) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/different-drummer/id525272276/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Really cool (stand-alone) *2025-11-09, version 5.3.4* EDIT: Still crashes with IAA/Audiobus, still no sync :/ Sadly doesn’t sync MIDI clock / Ableton Link start/stop, crashes a lot. Very cool though! ### 3/5 — Really cool (stand-alone) *2024-10-28* Sadly doesn’t sync MIDI clock / Ableton Link properly, crashes a lot. Very cool though! **Developer response:** It used to...will look into it...sometimes stuff does go wanky after a few years of changes. Thanks! ### 3/5 — Really cool (stand-alone) *2024-10-23* Sadly seems to use old API’s so doesn’t sync MIDI clock / Ableton Link properly with newer DAWs (AUM, Audiobus 3, etc.), crashes a lot. ### 1/5 — Frustrating and time wasting *2023-08-12, version 5.3.1* I so much wanted to like this app but it is the most unintuitive and frustrating piece of software that I have ever seen. The user interface is like some alien technology. the hours wasted trying to get something musical out of this would be better spent actually making music. I hope someone somewhere does make this work because the developer must have spent ages making it. If you like puzzles try this. I thought that I might try bending some midi files to send midi to synths but can’t even load midi files without audio share. I wish I had spent the money on some treats for my cat instead. ### 5/5 — A very different drummer *2022-12-10, version 5.3.1* Even with the Zenterface control this is still a complex app, and could really do with AU3. It’s an ingenious, highly variable rhythmic sound manipulation tool, that just needs updating to modern connectivity. ### 5/5 — Deliriously Amazing *2021-03-06, version 5.3.0* Kudos to this developer...this app is a major experimental tour de force. I kid you not. This is crazy versatile when you get a grip on what you can achieve with this. The big cornucopia of sounds is awesome, but you can also import your own soundbites! No probs when I brought in the 24/48’s. Access to Audioshare is in there. You can set up a bunch of short soundbites in AS, go into the wave section of DD, click the plus sign and choose/import/choose/import... ad infinitum. Clean sounding, no detected glitch. Variable-pass for each track right up in the front interface is so cool. You can push the sound in each of the tracks through filter and distortion. Randomization! Highly configurable. I haven’t checked on midi configurations yet, but it’s probably going to be a friggin blast. Granted, the interface is slightly difficult to navigate, but there’s so much capability jam-packed in this, that imho there’s no easy way to arrange the visual elements. Read the manual while groking what’s going on, because it will definitely guide you well. Keep experimenting with DD...you’ll be glad you expended a few brain cells getting there. ### 5/5 — AUv3 *2020-01-04, version 5.2.2* Excellent App, please bring AUv3 support. ### 2/5 — Still doesnt handle midi well after all these years of development *2019-09-26, version 5.1.3* Strange that there’s been a ton of updates over the years, but still no fix for hanging midi notes when using automation. I want to love this app and it has so much potential. Glad to see its still being serviced, but sad the midi is useless for me. ### 4/5 — Update: bugs *2019-03-15, version 5.0.2* Ableton link and midi don't seem to work. Random automation is fun to mess with but needs to be brought into the iphone version as well for a more portable way to experiment. Update: Good job on the fixes! ### 5/5 — Great deep app. *2019-01-06, version 4.8.1* This app really is one of the best values I have encountered. so many features packed in , many of them unique and fresh. It does take some time to explore and master all the possibilities but well worth the effort. I recommend it highly for those interested in poly rhythms and tuned percussion. Also the developer is extremely responsive to inquiries regarding issues or bugs. I thank him for making it! ## Frequently asked questions about Different Drummer ### What does Different Drummer do? Different Drummer is a powerful rhythmic music generator that creates complex patterns for any instrument, including drums. It also functions as an amazing MIDI controller and MIDI file creator, allowing for unique beat and sequence generation. ### What are the key features of Different Drummer? Key features include generating simple to complex patterns, non-repeating music, straight or poly rhythms, and arpeggios. It offers control over note, rest, tie, panning, beat, and dynamics using wave-based adjustments, along with multi-track music output and MIDI capabilities. ### How much does Different Drummer cost? The application is a paid app. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating a one-time purchase for full functionality. ### What kind of music can I create with Different Drummer? You can create a wide range of music, from simple beats to complex sequences, in styles varying from electro and dubstep to tribal and classical. The app's wave-based synthesis allows for lifelike, primal, or otherworldly sounds, making it versatile for various genres. ### Is Different Drummer compatible with other music software? Yes, the app supports Audiobus 3 with state saving and inter-app audio out, as well as Ableton Link 3. It also allows for exporting audio via Audioshare, Dropbox, iTunes, or AudioCopy, making it easy to integrate with DAWs like GarageBand. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.3.4 — 2024-04-21 —Fixed bug in inter-app audio ### 5.3.3 — 2024-04-18 —Improved iPhone layout a bit ### 5.3.2 — 2024-03-01 —Upkeep and maintenance —Bug fixes ### 5.3.1 — 2021-10-17 —New ability to do mono-mode with wave component sliders where all others are set to zero except the one you are editing. —Ability to switch to compressed modes where each note of the scale is adjacent rather than stretched to fit the wave amplitude better. Produces some more precise arpeggios and harmonies for lower amplitude waves. ### 5.3.0 — 2020-12-12 Fixed display issues in iOS 14 Updated Audiobus code Added new Advance Wave feature in Jammer Panel ## Apps similar to Different Drummer | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Tize: Music & Beat Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tize-music-and-beat-maker/id1130726632) | 4.5 (16,054) | Free | Music | | [Drum Pads 24 Beat Maker Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-pads-24-beat-maker-music/id667945907) | 4.7 (12,402) | Free | Music | | [Harmonicc Chord Sequencer AUv3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harmonicc-chord-sequencer-auv3/id6692624491) | 4.7 (6) | $5.99 | Music | | [RE-1 Tape Machine](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/re-1-tape-machine/id1407764053) | 4.7 (132) | $4.99 | Music | | [Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shimmer-auv3-audio-plugin/id1451968439) | 4.2 (31) | $7.99 | Music | | [Senode - Graph Sequencer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/senode-graph-sequencer/id1298766877) | 4.6 (35) | $12.99 | Music | ## More apps by Techné Media - [Pixound](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixound/id486076965) - [Biographer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/biographer/id553937004) - [Art Fountain](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-fountain/id581785482) - [Foto Fountain](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foto-fountain/id659892859) - [Guide Track](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guide-track/id873642046) All apps by Techné Media: https://appshunter.io/developer/486076968 --- *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 2026-08-24.*