# FunkBox Drum Machine > Vintage drum machine app for composing, recording, and performing music. (iPhone/iPad app by Synthetic Bits, LLC.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funkbox-drum-machine/id350437349 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Synthetic Bits, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/330499942) - Category: Music - Price: $4.99 - Rating: 4.20/5 from 69 App Store ratings · 178 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 9.3 · 56 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2010-01-19 - Data updated: 2026-08-31 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funkbox-drum-machine/id350437349/reviews.md ## What is FunkBox Drum Machine? Funkbox contains all your favorite vintage drum machine sounds in one funky quirky little app! FunkBox is a full featured drum machine that you can use to compose, record and play your songs live. It has been used in the studio by electronic artists such as Gorillaz (on their album “The Fall”) Tom Middleton (Global Communications, Jedi Knights) and Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia), and also by alternative/indie musicians such as tUnE-yArDs, Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA), Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), and Reggie Pace (Bon Iver, No BS Brass). It's also been used on stage by rock/pop musicians such as Joan Osborne and Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) live in concert. Its quirky vintage sounds, ease of use and advanced features have made it popular with many musicians worldwide who use it to make all sorts of different styles of music. FunkBox was featured in Computer Music Magazine's "Amazing Music Apps" special issue and Electronic Musician magazine's "Attack of the Killer Apps" best music tools for the iPad. 

FunkBox 4.0 features: The look, feel, sound and quirks of a classic vintage drum machine. iOS 10 compatible, iPhone 5 retina graphics compatible, iPad retina graphics compatible.
 Universal app that works great on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Buy it once and you can use it on all your iOS devices. Fourteen classic boxes to choose from, including favorites like the 808, 909, CR-78, LM-2, MRK-2, DX, TOM, and more. 
Create your own custom boxes by mix and matching preset samples, or even import and use your own custom samples. Includes 36 preset rhythm patterns, plus several more bonus banks. Easily edit the included patterns to create your own beats.
 Export your drum loops as audio or midi via email, audio pasteboard, or the iTunes folder. Easily share your custom boxes and patterns via email with your friends, or between your devices. Use Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio to exchange live audio with other apps. 
Use Ableton Link or CoreMIDI to sync up with “real” music equipment or other music apps, multi-tasking in the background or on other nearby iOS devices. 
Use the bonus MIDI bass sequencer to play a bassline along with your beat using another iOS app or a “real” hardware synth! 
…and lots more. Need some old school beats? Grab yourself some funk in a box. ## Key features - Vintage drum machine sounds - Compose, record, and play music - Create custom drum boxes - Edit and create rhythm patterns - Export audio and MIDI loops - Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio support - Ableton Link and CoreMIDI sync ## What do users think of FunkBox Drum Machine? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Excellent little classic drum machine with sequencer - 👍 Great for messing around with some beats offline - 👍 Usability and interface are superb (even moreso on an iPad) - 👍 Samples sound good - 👍 Fun, fast and simple keep inspiration at the forefront - 👍 Lovely vintage drum machine emulation - 👍 Faithful delivery of classic analogue drum sounds - 👍 Irresistible visual interface - 👍 Flawless emulation of classic drum machines - 👍 Versatile, easy to program, and sounds amazing - 👍 Excellent for jamming and composing beats - 👍 Crisp and clean vintage drum samples - 👍 Comprehensive MIDI integration capabilities - 👍 Incredibly well-thought-out interface and workflow - 👍 Excellent for live performance and recording **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes whenever trying to open settings - 🐛 App won't close, have to reboot every time - 🐛 Saving patterns not working, crashes - 🐛 Cannot access the settings, puts me back to Home Screen - 🐛 Midi is a pain, always asks about Bluetooth, doesn't stay set - 🐛 Mixer section is really buggy - 🐛 Kept crashing when trying to edit samples - 🐛 Occasional crashes on iPhone 4 - 🔋 Background audio causing battery drain that can't be turned off - 💤 Dated, no updates in 7 years, including crashes **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes on iOS 7 for iPhone 5s - Presets disappearing after update, unable to load saved banks **Most requested features** - Please refresh and update the app a bit - Add ability to customize drum sounds beyond just volume and panning - Implement copy/paste functionality for sequences - Allow programming in 3/4 time signature - Add ability to adjust the pitch and tuning of drum sounds - Implement song mode to chain patterns together - Add ability to export each instrument as a separate WAV file - Implement Ableton Link support - Add ability to adjust the speed of the roll button - Implement more effects and sound manipulation options - Add a drop-down list for recalling presets instead of individual buttons ## Recent user reviews (10 of 178) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funkbox-drum-machine/id350437349/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Old drumbox maravilhoso *2026-05-13, version 4.0.1* Quem conhece o conceito de drumbox vai amar! Vc pode usar as baterias eletrônicas vintages mais clássicas e aí dá pode misturar os sons e fazer uma bateria personalizada. Uso há mais de 10 anos nos discos que faço e seguirei usando. ### 4/5 — needs an update to be an AU! *2026-05-07, version 4.0.1* great app otherwise but thats a big blocker for modern use ### 5/5 — It crashes… *2026-04-27, version 4.0.1* I love this “Machine” very much. Sounds, functions, so excellent !!! But, when I try to change the pattern storage, It Crashes. Please improve the fact that the app is not catching up with the OS. ### 1/5 — Lame *2026-04-03, version 4.0.1* Mega lame ### 5/5 — Lovely drum machine! *2025-11-16, version 4.0.1* Excellent little classic drum machine with sequencer. Great for messing around with some beats offline. ### 1/5 — Abandonware ⚰️☠️✋🏼🚮🚫 *2025-07-10, version 4.0.1* It’s dead, Jim ### 5/5 — Please refresh update a bit *2025-03-29, version 4.0.1* So good. Just worried because it’s been a long haul since this genius bit of kit has been refreshed ### 4/5 — Can’t access settings *2024-11-10, version 4.0.1* Cannot access the settings. It puts me back to the Home Screen. Otherwise great app! ### 1/5 — Dated, crashes *2024-10-30, version 4.0.1* All the sounds are there, but no updates in 7 years means this is now horribly dated, including crashes, and most importantly, saving patterns not working. Save your money ### 5/5 — Incredible *2024-05-01, version 4.0.1* The usability and interface are superb (even moreso on an iPad). Samples sound good too. Fun, fast and simple keep inspiration at the forefront. Thanks you all!! ## Frequently asked questions about FunkBox Drum Machine ### What does FunkBox Drum Machine do? FunkBox Drum Machine provides a collection of vintage drum machine sounds that you can use to compose, record, and play your songs live. It emulates the look, feel, and sound of classic vintage drum machines, offering a wide range of sounds and editing capabilities. ### What are the key features of FunkBox Drum Machine? Key features include fourteen classic vintage drum machine emulations, the ability to create custom drum boxes by mixing samples or importing your own, editing preset rhythm patterns, and exporting loops as audio or MIDI. It also supports Audiobus 3, Inter-App Audio, Ableton Link, and CoreMIDI for integration with other apps and hardware. ### How much does FunkBox Drum Machine cost? The app is a paid application. You purchase it once and can use it on all your iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, thanks to its universal app design. ### What devices is FunkBox Drum Machine compatible with? FunkBox Drum Machine is a universal app compatible with iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. It is iOS 10 compatible and features iPhone 5 retina graphics compatibility, as well as iPad retina graphics compatibility. ### Who uses FunkBox Drum Machine and for what styles of music? FunkBox has been used by a wide range of musicians, including electronic artists, alternative/indie musicians, and rock/pop musicians. It is popular for making all sorts of different styles of music, from electronic and experimental to pop and rock, due to its vintage sounds and ease of use. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.0.1 — 2017-05-12 This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included. Fixed bug where Link would disconnect in the background Fixed bug where IAA transport would appear on iPhone using AudioBus And everything from 4.0: iOS 10 compatible Ableton Link support AudioBus 3 support Improved AB state save support Bluetooth MIDI configuration Change between patterns in current bank with MIDI in notes Use MIDI CC for tap tempo Three new drum boxes, including the Ace Rhythm FR-6 Misc bug fixes and improvements ### 4.0 — 2017-04-03 iOS 10 compatible Ableton Link support AudioBus 3 support Improved AB state save support Bluetooth MIDI configuration Change between patterns in current bank with MIDI in notes Use MIDI CC for tap tempo Three new drum boxes, including the Ace Rhythm FR-6 Misc bug fixes and improvements ### 3.6 — 2015-11-05 iOS 9 update Bug fixes Copy/paste/clear mixer settings Muted part names are muted on edit screen More MIDI controls: change machine, alt switch, roll All 12 sounds can be triggered via MIDI Fast switch is disabled for now ### 3.5 — 2014-09-24 Updated for iOS 8 compatibility. Updated with latest AudioBus library, which is required for iOS 8. AB now requires iOS 7+, so FunkBox does also. Devices using older iOS versions can still download and use FunkBox 3.4, which uses the older AB library and is iOS 5.1 - iOS 7 compatible. Added Audiobus state save of current MIDI routing configuration. This can be turned off via the Settings app. Added new roll option that will queue up the first hit so it always plays in time, instead of immediately playing it. This option can be turned on via the Settings app. Added missing LM-2 tambourine and conga sounds to the sample library. Fixed some minor bugs. We are still working on additional features for a future release, this update was primarily for iOS 8 and AudioBus compatibility. Thanks for your support! ### 3.4 — 2014-04-07 iOS 7.1 compatible Inter-App audio compatible - instrument and generator modes supported - host timeline sync for easy, tight sequenced loops - optional host timing tweak for Garageband, Auria, Beatmaker, Cubase - MIDI in note support for host sequencing - remote host transport controls included Audiobus 2 compatible - state saving of current box, including custom boxes - new triggers for pattern up and pattern down Overall volume has been increased, if you have many parts playing at max volume at the same time you may want to lower your overall volume to avoid clipping "Open In…” added to audio export menu, also includes AirDrop support iTunes folder option added to MIDI export menu Swing available in external MIDI sync mode MIDI Continue and MIDI Song Position message support MIDI Clock has been tightened up, more clock improvements coming Various other interface tweaks and bug fixes More of your requests are coming, thanks for your support! ## Apps similar to FunkBox Drum Machine | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [SNESynth: Chiptune Power!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snesynth-chiptune-power/id6455731509) | 4.8 (74) | $4.99 | Music | | [King of Digital D1: Epic Synth](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-of-digital-d1-epic-synth/id6467825289) | 4.9 (1,248) | $7.99 | Music | | [SAGA Synth \| 16-Bit Sonic Fun!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saga-synth-16-bit-sonic-fun/id1658167569) | 4.9 (435) | $3.99 | Music | | [Samplr](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samplr/id560756420) | 4.7 (149) | $19.99 | Music | | [NERD Synth A2x + AUv3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerd-synth-a2x-plus-auv3/id6478898564) | 4.9 (1,342) | $5.99 | Music | | [King of Bass: Synth + 808 Sub](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/king-of-bass-synth-plus-808-sub/id6450401336) | 4.9 (224) | $4.99 | Music | ## Related topics [funkbox drum machine](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/funkbox-drum-machine) --- *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 2026-08-31.*