# Ensemble Composer — user reviews > 84 indexed App Store user reviews of Ensemble Composer by N. Wheeler, rated 4.60/5 from 275 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 219 · 4★ 30 · 3★ 6 · 2★ 6 · 1★ 14 ## What do users think of Ensemble Composer? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🎵 Authentic drum sounds and audio quality (older versions) - ✍️ Intuitive composition interface for writing cadences - 📱 All-in-one drumline app combining multiple sections - 💾 Export functionality to sheet music and audio formats - 🎯 Useful for educators and students to practice rhythms - 🔄 Regular updates and developer responsiveness - 🎨 Unique feature set with no direct competitors **Cons** - 🐛 Severe audio quality degradation after recent update - 🐛 Choppy scrolling and laggy performance - 🐛 Audio stuttering and cutting off during playback - 🐛 Files not saving or disappearing after updates - 🐛 Backward compatibility issues with legacy files - 🔊 Snare sounds changed to low-pitched field drum tone - 🔊 Overall audio output sounds weak and compressed - ⚠️ No audio output without headphones/Bluetooth - 📈 File sizes doubled after recent update - 💰 Premium pricing for limited functionality **Commonly reported bugs** - New update prevents opening older files - Audio stutters and cuts off in faster rhythms - Triplet rolls don't sound even - Bass drum subdivisions not working - Tenor section drums moved to incorrect positions - Scroll feature is choppy and laggy - Rhythmic accuracy issues - Cymbal sounds bleed into each other - App crashes with certain subdivisions - Polyrhythm and odd time signature issues - Saving functionality fails intermittently - Split feature freezes and causes progress loss - Files duplicate unexpectedly - Export format incorrect (.mxl instead of .xml) - Tempo synchronization issues - App crashes on startup **Most requested features** - Revert snare sounds to pre-update quality - Multiple sound option choices for drums - Hi-hat option for cymbals - Single tenor drum section option - Separate tempos within drum sections - Undo/redo functionality - Auto-save feature - iCloud or cloud backup support - Different drum tuning options - Legato and staccato buzz options - Smoother and longer buzz roll sounds - Sixtet tenor configuration option - Video export/share functionality - In-depth tutorial documentation - Accent dynamics improvements - Rim click sounds for tenors ## Newest reviews (11 of 84) ### 4/5 — Please 🙏🏻 *2026-06-04, version 1.9.5* … Please fix the audio of the drums that’s all I ask for , everything else is great but it’s just the way the drums sound. ### 4/5 — Developer has listened! There’s just one more thing *2026-02-14* Before, the update prevented me from opening my older files, I couldn’t hear anything unless I had head phones in and everything became janky. Now, all of those issues are gone! This app is awesome and I’m glad you’re keeping it in good condition! -my last request is to simply revert the sound of the snares. They lost the amazing tune sound they had. If there’s an option to revert, please make it available! ### 3/5 — Update this app !!!!! *2026-02-12* I have been using this app for some time now however recently when i have created new cadence it stop saving. I would love to keep use this app but the update is a must !!!!!!!!!!!! **Developer response:** sorry to read that you're having issues. Please try cleaning up your files to get more space. ### 2/5 — Not a huge fan *2025-01-10* I’ve used this all for years, but I will admit that it was way too expensive for how glitchy it is. I lose most of the things I write due to the app crashing ### 4/5 — Good App *2025-01-03* If there was a hi-hat option for the cymbals it would be golden. Also, if the unison on the bass drums were actually a unison instead of just the lowest bass. Maybe also, I get the need for articulation, but i personally hate when you play one drum on tenors and then when you play the next drum it cuts off the first drum, but I guess that’s personal preference. ### 3/5 — Update this app !!!!! *2024-11-17* I have been using this app for some time now however recently when i have created new cadence it stop saving. I would love to keep use this app but the update is a must !!!!!!!!!!!! **Developer response:** sorry to read that you're having issues. Please try cleaning up your files to get more space. ### 4/5 — (kinda) good app *2023-12-10* Overall, the app is really good to mess and have fun with, including copying cadences off from MuseScore. Although, some of the features can be quite buggy. Sometimes, the split feature can just freeze and losing a part of my progress in the process, and also the fact that some of my save files like to “duplicate” themselves for some reason. Again, good app, but might need some testing in the near future. ### 5/5 — One thing *2021-11-19* I love this app and have been using it since it was 3 separate apps before they put them all into one. One problem is the buzz rolls, they are impossible to make. When you make a buzz roll it just sounds like individual staccato buzzes, instead of a straight buzz sound. Please fix that devs and your app will be almost perfect **Developer response:** Totally agree on the buzz. It’s something we’ve never been happy with, even after playing with the sounds for quite awhile. These are real samples from SCV and Crown. ### 5/5 — One of my favorite apps *2020-11-30* I put up a review a few months ago and gave a 1 star rating. I was basically judging it off of the work that I had lost which was not fair. This review will be totally different. Aside from my work being lost (which I have on a different phone now) this app is really good! I’m loving the new sounds! The price might be a little much but for me it’s worth every penny. I definitely recommend this app to anyone that just want to write down their thoughts. It’s very easy to use. Like I said, the only downfall is the fact that you’ll lose your past creations if you’re updating from the older version. Other than that, it’s awesome! **Developer response:** Sorry to hear about the troubles. No one wants to lose their master pieces.  The new home screen is basically a finder window. You'll find all your beats in the folder "On my iPhone" -> Ensemble -> **all your beats**.dla  From there you can move them to iCloud (if you use that). ### 5/5 — This changes the drumline tech game *2020-11-07* I Use it daily. Worth the money right off the bat. Great NEW UPDATE! **Developer response:** Thanks so much! ### 2/5 — New app deleted everything *2020-08-19, version 1.6.1* What am I supposed to do about all the music I had on the app before the update ? It’s all gone and all of it wasn’t on paper yet ... ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — New update is horrendous *2026-02-10, version 1.8.9* Love the app since I first got it. However, the new update is horrific. Extremely terrible. I can’t even make a split bass part or a quint part. Needs fixing immediately. ### 1/5 — MAKE A NEW UPDATE *2026-02-06, version 1.8.9* The most recent update is trash. Sound audio is terrible, music isn’t saving, it still lags and glitches out which has never been fixed for the past several years. Used to be so great and simple, now it just sucks. Please fix it! It’s worth ZERO stars. Pathetic! ### 1/5 — Really rough update *2026-02-03* I want to preface this by saying I loved this app for quite a while. I’d often use this to write a ton of click tracks for my students but now I don’t think that can be the case anymore. Everything sounds so compressed and awkward since they updated everything. Not entirely sure why the made updates to the audio when a lot of stuff felt really smooth prior to this latest update. This needs to be resolved big time if people are going to consistently use this again. ### 1/5 — Update *2026-02-03, version 1.8.9* I don’t know what happened but everything isn’t smooth, the scroll is choppy and the snare sounds like a field drum, it also bugs and won’t stay with the metronome. Could we please change this back. I think we would ALL appreciate this. ### 1/5 — Horrible Update *2026-01-25* I’m not sure what they were thinking with this latest update. Nothing is rhythmically accurate anymore, the snare sounds are now low pitched like a field drum instead of a marching snare, and the “Scroll” feature is choppy instead of smooth. They tried to fix what wasn’t broken. I used this app for work AND as a practice tool. It was so rhythmically accurate, I could play along with it and make sure I was rhythmically accurate. It was perfect the way it was and they ruined it. ### 1/5 — REVERT THE UPDATE *2026-01-17, version 1.8.7* Files have disappeared The tenor section for all files have the one drum moved to the 4th drum The bass section can’t be subdivided There is no audio unless you have headphones or Bluetooth connection The file sizes have doubled Certain “legacy” files do not work anymore ### 1/5 — Bad update *2026-01-17* With this new update, all of my previous files before the update no longer open. I have no sound unless I plug in headphones and the scroll option is super laggy. Man, this is devastating. ### 1/5 — Doesn't work move on *2019-09-06, version 1.5.5* Purchased for my iPhone X and doesn't make any sound. No documentation. No support. So far, I am not satisfied with the app. ### 2/5 — The new update ruined it *2026-01-29* This app was amazing before the new update. The main issue for me at least is how choppy everything is now. The audio stutters in almost every measure and makes it hard to listen to. The new sounds aren’t bad imo but it does make the cymbal line sound weird. The cymbal sounds bleed into each other which sounds odd. It also seems like the files have doubled in size too. This is a good app but definitely needs some more tweaking to make it great again **Developer response:** Sorry to hear about the troubles. No one wants to lose their master pieces.  The new home screen is basically a finder window. You'll find all your beats in the folder "On my iPhone" -> Ensemble -> **all your beats**.dla  From there you can move them to iCloud (if you use that). ### 2/5 — Huge new issue *2026-01-14, version 1.8.4* Since the new update I’m not able to make any subdivision in the bass drums and it ruins the file. Hope to see this fixed soon :/ ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Absolute Comeback 🔥🔥 *2026-07-12* Well Done… This update is amazing… You must have worked really really hard to get this done and I gotta tell you …. The best Drumline mobile app EVER!!! ### 5/5 — One of the best *2026-05-14, version 1.9.1* Hello again , I had already submitted a review while back with that long long statement about the new sounds . Please take consideration of how beautiful and real the snares especially sounded before you updated them to the new audio engine. It was such a good and strong sound from them ! Please take it into consideration !!! Maybe make more sound choice options ! ### 5/5 — One of the best *2026-02-24* I really have loved this app for so long … truly one of the best mobile Drumline apps out there for sure !!! I’ve had this app since 2022. Everything is great! However , the new update ? The sound changes ? Here’s my story : I use Medly to create Drumline/DCI like shows and Export the mp3 audio files from this app to the Medly app for The Battery parts. The best thing I have ever done , totally how I wanted it to turn out to be!!! Love it all! But… Issue #1 : the sound in general on all parts is just “different” then how it sounded before this new update. Like Snare tuning wasn’t lower, basses weren’t quiet on shots or Rim clicks. Quads are fine… Issue #2 : Everytime I make a faster rhythm , it just doesn’t sound “together” or the sound kinda gets cut off sometimes. For example I make a triplet roll , it doesn’t sound even. Issue #3 : When I export the audio to Medly for my shows, before the new update, the audio sounded very clear and loud enough to balance with the rest of the ensemble : brass and pit. Now with this new update, the audio on the battery from this app to Medly sounds I’m afraid to say this but “weak”. It’s like the brass and pit are overplaying the drumline and we would never want that in a real setting!! I apologize if it’s a lot to read but I just wanted to state my true thoughts on this app recently! Please investigate into some of this :) other than that, I love this app 🫶🏻🫶🏻 ### 5/5 — It’s pretty cool *2025-04-11* Wasn’t sure what to expect but I really like it. I’d say it’s a drum beat maker app. Kinda confusing but learning how to use it is half the fun. ### 5/5 — Add a single tenor section. *2024-05-04* Love the app since I first got it. Y’all should really add a single tenor section so that you don’t need to make separate beats for the quint and single tenor. **Developer response:** Wait for the file to synch with iCloud before opening it right after a save. ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2023-12-09* It’s an amazing app just the only negative I have is that I tried writing something over 40 bars and it just won’t save that far ### 5/5 — Needs improvement *2023-11-27* Great app. Have been using it since 2018. However, today I was making a beat, and although I would hit save to save my progress, it would erase what I’ve just inserted. This has happened at least 10 times today. **Developer response:** Wait for the file to synch with iCloud before opening it right after a save. ### 5/5 — PLEASE ADD THIS FEATURE *2023-09-21* This app would be a 5/5 for me if there was a way to separate tempos within a drum section. I.e having the lower register tenor drum be at a different tempo than the higher register drums. I’d willingly pay extra for that feature alone. Please🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 ### 5/5 — How do I export it to musecore *2023-04-11, version 1.6.13* How do I export it like as sheet music ### 5/5 — Polyrhythm/time sig issue *2022-03-13* I’m having some trouble with polyrhythms under odd time signatures. For example, it won’t let me do 4:3 while in 7/8 time. Also, it won’t let me do certain subdivisions without crashing. I can go up to the 64th notes when doing one quarter note at a time. It won’t let me do more than 8th note triplets across two quarter notes. And if I try to subdivide more than that at a time, it’ll crash. I have this app on my iPad on an older version (1.5.5.3) and ironically don’t have this issue. Again, I’ve only noticed this issue working in 7/8. This review remains five stars because I’m a long time user and know this app’s potential. **Developer response:** Thanks for pointing this out. We found the issue and the new release fixes it. Greatly appreciate the five stars despite a few quirks! --- *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 2026-08-18.*