# iOptigan — The Optigan for iOS

> iOS recreation of the 1970s optical chord organ with lo-fi sound. (iPhone/iPad app by Stefan Stenzel.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioptigan/id1143470101 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Stefan Stenzel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143470100)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: $5.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 114 App Store ratings · 64 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: +4
- Requires: iOS 8.0 · 179 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2017-10-31
- Data updated: 2026-10-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioptigan/id1143470101/reviews.md

## What is iOptigan?

This is the Optigan for iOS. 

The Optigan, short for Optical Organ, was a chord organ from the early 1970’s. It is remembered today for its unique system of sound reproduction using optical discs. These LP-sized film discs were optically encoded with 57 concentric tracks, which contained loops of musical combos playing chord patterns in different styles. Each disc contained a specific style of music (Bossa Nova, Big Band etc) which the user could control by pressing the chord buttons. Changing the discs was as simple as putting a new record on your turntable. Think of it as the 1971 version of GarageBand.

Despite this novel technology, the scratchy sound of the Optigan left a lot to be desired.

The iOptigan we present here truthfully recreates that lo-fi sound.

25 of the original 40 discs are included, the remaining 15 can be purchased individually or all together in the Complete Pak. 

Specifications and Features:
• Disc loading rigth-side-up or upside-down
• Spring Reverb (virtual)
• Optical Metronome
• Audio Demo for each Disc
• MIDI in/out
• MIDI chord detection 
• MIDI File Import 
• Sequencer with Record and Playback
• Sharing for songs as Audio and MIDI File
• iTunes File Sharing 
• Inter-App Audio
• Smart background audio
• Help overlay
• Headphone optimised stereo (optional)
• Radio Mode for Chord Buttons or Keyboard
• Comfortable speed control in semitones or BPM

## Key features

- Authentic lo-fi optical organ sound
- Virtual spring reverb
- Optical metronome
- MIDI in/out and chord detection
- Sequencer with record/playback
- Audio and MIDI file sharing

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $5.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Complete Disc Pak | $5.99 | one-time |
| Champagne Music | $0.99 | one-time |
| Country Waltz | $0.99 | one-time |
| Romantic Strings | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Top Marching Band | $0.99 | one-time |
| Polynesian Village | $0.99 | one-time |
| Singing Rhythm | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rollin’ Easy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Movin' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cathedral Organ | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vox Humana | $0.99 | one-time |
| Country Sunshine | $0.99 | one-time |
| Down Home | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gospel Rock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Guitar Boogie | $0.99 | one-time |
| New Orleans Blues | $0.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

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

## What do users think of iOptigan?

Reviews of iOptigan are mostly positive: the Music app is rated 4.8/5 from 114 App Store ratings. What users like most: incredible sound quality, unique musical instrument recreation. Top complaints: stuck/phantom keys, audio clipping issues. Summarized from real user reviews.

**Pros**

- 🤩 Incredible sound quality
- 🎶 Unique musical instrument recreation
- ✨ Dream come true for musicians
- 🎹 Great for experimentalists
- 👍 Well-executed and fun
- 💯 Authentic replication
- 💖 Made with love
- 🚀 Fantastic time machine
- 🌟 Outstanding work
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🎁 Great value for price
- 🕹️ Intuitive interface
- 🎵 Inspiring for creativity
- 🤩 Addictive fun
- 👍 High quality emulation

**Cons**

- 🐛 Stuck/phantom keys
- 🐛 Audio clipping issues
- 🐛 Left-only headphone audio
- 🐛 Touch issues on bottom row
- 🐛 InterApp Audio broken in Garageband
- 🐛 Doesn't fit modern screen sizes
- 🐛 Buggy InterApp Audio in n-Track
- 🐛 MIDI control issues
- 🐛 Pops and scratches too loud
- 🐛 No level control
- 🐛 Confusing recording function

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Stuck/phantom keys on M1 iPad Pro
- E major plays D Diminished sample
- Bottom row of controls unresponsive
- Audio level clipping, especially when slowing playback
- Left-only headphone audio output
- InterApp Audio broken in Garageband
- InterApp Audio buggy in n-Track Studio Pro
- App doesn't fill modern screen sizes
- Vamp loop section bug with 5th switch
- Gay 90's Waltz disc has incorrect flasher count

**Most requested features**

- Update codebase with AudioKit Engine
- Allow app to run in background
- Add AudioUnit Extension support
- Include newly released sound packs
- Clarify chord identification methods
- AUV3 version
- Audiobus compatibility
- Virtual MIDI support
- Ableton Link support
- MPE support
- Stacking discs for combined playback
- Add Orchestron sounds
- Add iChliton
- Add Talentmaker discs
- Update for larger screen compatibility
- Export WAV functionality
- Limit loudness of pops and scratches (equalizer?)
- Set release of keys
- MIDI program changes support

## Is iOptigan safe?

iOptigan appears safe based on user ratings. The AppsHunter Safety Score for iOptigan is 92 out of 100. This assessment is based on 114 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.8 out of 5. Of 114 App Store ratings, 93.0% point to a safe experience, 4.4% suggest some concerns, and 2.6% point to a risky experience.

## Is iOptigan legit?

iOptigan appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for iOptigan is 78 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (10 of 64)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioptigan/id1143470101/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Incredible.

*2025-12-20, version 1.0*

Incredible app, love the optigan so much, i think optigan.com actually introduced me to this beautiful instrument.
Also, an error that I realized with the “Gay 90’s Waltz” disc, according to an actual picture of the disc it has 2 red flashers on it, one on the downbeat and on the 4th beat. Also, if you try and play Mr Wilson manually, for some reason when you enter the vamp loop section, the 5th switch turns downwards.

### 5/5 — Classic sounds! It’s just so awesome!

*2024-08-18, version 1.0*

One of my favorite apps. Still #1 in 2023! I mean 2024!!

### 3/5 — Great App, Needs Update

*2024-07-03*

Love how you’ve captured and recreated such a unique musical time capsule, but this app is 4+ years old and still on version 1.0 and that’s why this will have to be a 3-star review. I’m using an M1 iPad Pro with an external MIDI controller. The amount of stuck/phantom keys makes this unusable as anything other than a short-lived toy. I suggest: * Updating codebase to use AudioKit Engine, likely fixing any latency/stuck key issues * Adding toggle to allow app to run in background. Would love to play the app with my controller while playing from one of the many free PDFs you’ve made available, all on one iPad * Allowing app to be loaded as an AudioUnit Extension. Current InterApp Audio functionality is broken in Garageband and I’d love to be able to sequence these patterns with more control than what’s offered in-app * Updating app to include newly released sound packs as additional paid purchases * Providing clarification for the chord identification methods. The video on your site provides little to no help. You’ve got something really unique and special here. Consider showing it the continued love it deserves.

### 5/5 — This is a truly amazing app

*2024-04-30*

I don’t usually leave reviews, but I can’t believe how awesome this app is. If you’ve ever wanted an Optigan, please just do yourself a huge favor and get this. As a live musician and home recording obsessive who is always looking for new ideas, great crackly analog sounds and beats - this is a literal dream come true. I may get an iPad just to experience this app on a larger scale. That’s how great it is. Thanks, Pea and team! 🎹

### 4/5 — Good, but…

*2024-03-29, version 1.0*

E major plays the sample for D Diminished instead? It’s weird. The weirdest part is that it isn’t swapped. D Diminished still plays what it’s supposed to. PLSFIX!

### 5/5 — Very very cool

*2023-12-17*

I love this. It’s a shame it’s dead, but hey like all cool things, they don’t last long 👍

### 5/5 — Great for experimentalists

*2023-09-22*

A digital recreation of an accompaniment device from decades past, I have never used it for it’s intended function. But if you are into experimentation/ambience/noise and dark ambient genres, this amazing app and the downloadable tracks for it are a treasure trove of wobbly lo if wonderfulness. Slow the speed right down, chuck it through a reverb, and you are away. A superb left field app. There early is nothing else like it on the App Store.

### 4/5 — Stunning!

*2023-09-06, version 1.0*

Awesome App if an instrument of my dream. Will we soon see an AUV3 version of this?

### 5/5 — Classic sounds! It’s just so awesome!

*2023-02-10, version 1.0*

One of my favorite apps. Still #1 in 2023!

### 5/5 — Top shelf.

*2023-01-27, version 1.0*

This is fantastic.
Really well done.

## Frequently asked questions about iOptigan

### What is iOptigan?

iOptigan is an iOS application that faithfully recreates the sound and functionality of the Optigan, a unique optical chord organ from the early 1970s. It uses optically encoded discs to reproduce musical chord patterns in various styles, offering a distinctive lo-fi sound.

### What are the key features of iOptigan?

Key features include an authentic lo-fi sound reproduction, a virtual spring reverb, an optical metronome, MIDI in/out capabilities with chord detection, a sequencer for recording and playback, and the ability to share songs as audio and MIDI files. It also supports Inter-App Audio and has smart background audio functionality.

### How much does iOptigan cost?

The base application is free to download and includes 25 original discs. An additional 15 discs are available for purchase individually or as a 'Complete Pak' through in-app purchases.

### What devices is iOptigan compatible with?

This application is designed for iOS devices, providing the Optigan experience on iPhones and iPads. It supports features like Inter-App Audio and iTunes File Sharing, allowing for integration with other music production workflows on iOS.

### What are some common use cases for iOptigan?

iOptigan is ideal for musicians looking to experiment with vintage synthesizer sounds, producers seeking to add a unique lo-fi texture to their tracks, and hobbyists interested in exploring the history of electronic music instruments. Its MIDI capabilities also make it a useful tool for live performance and studio production.

## Version history (last 1 release)

### 1.0 — 2017-10-31

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.

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## Related topics

[ioptigan](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ioptigan)

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*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 2026-10-31.*