More potential
Great app just wish I could use a AKAI APC mini with the app, it connects to it and pads work but no lights, no organization, no mode changing buttons, no slider configuration, and it won’t even let you configure anything, I hope this improves
2.0 update is perfect
After using this app for over a year solid now, I can say it’s absolutely incredible. Thank you for consistently working on and improving the app. The battery usage is so much better after the 2.0 update, and the previous update added in external auv3 support. I’m excited to see what else will be added over time!
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Greatness
This is probably the greatest beat making app of all time…… But if this gets audio tracks at least 8 …. It’s a wrap!!!!!!!
Fast, easy, powerful and keeps getting better
I’ve been using Koala for 1 year now. it’s extremely intuitive. It’s pretty powerful out of the gate. The add ons make it really powerful.
And… the updates continue to add more and more power
And importantly, the updates don’t disrupt the intuitive ease that makes Koala a no-brainer tool for iOS music creation.
And… the updates continue to add more and more power
And importantly, the updates don’t disrupt the intuitive ease that makes Koala a no-brainer tool for iOS music creation.
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The greatest!
Now that there’s AUV3 support, it’s 10/10.
My only wants now are easier access to transport and keyboard controls from the Sample tab without having to constantly switch back and forth between Sample and Sequence for those functions. Oh and I noticed that synths don’t respond to pressure sensitivity from my Novation Launchpad X like they do when I run them in AUM or Logic Pro on Mac. So, I hope that gets fixed.
My only wants now are easier access to transport and keyboard controls from the Sample tab without having to constantly switch back and forth between Sample and Sequence for those functions. Oh and I noticed that synths don’t respond to pressure sensitivity from my Novation Launchpad X like they do when I run them in AUM or Logic Pro on Mac. So, I hope that gets fixed.
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It works
I used this to program a JP-Mini for my kid, who uses it as a communication device. Other software made the process agonizing or downright impossible. I had all of the banks programmed with audio clips and the JP-mini functioning perfectly within 20 minutes. It’s worth the money.
Update 2026
I just wanted to update my review after spending around 8,000 hours with this app. It has become my favorite way of making music. I am currently well-versed in Ableton, FL Studio, Logic, Reason, GarageBand on both iOS and Mac. Koala is the most fun to use and most conducive to creativity for me.
Koala feels and behaves much more like an instrument than your typical DAW. Every action is almost muscle memory to me now. Having something that I can also throw in my pocket and take with me on the go is an absolute game changer, and I don't use that term lightly. MAREK, the lead dev, is one of the most amazing guys because he has chosen to not make this app a subscription as a lot of other developers have.
I can't thank him enough for doing this because I know he could make an absolute truckload of money off of us musicians, but he chooses not to. in this day and age, that's a very rare thing. For the price tag, I don't think there is a better way to spend $10 and absolutely recommend all of the possible add-ons, such as the mixer. This app receives continued support and updates even without the continued cash flow a subscription model would bring.
Now onto the workflow. There are so many ways to get started creatively in Koala from loading in a synth with the new added AUV3 support, and building chords in the piano roll to
Screen recording sample in youtube, importing the video and stem splitting, its just an endlessly creative tool.
Koala also comes bundled with a ton of very useful effects Such as clippers, compressors, chorus, filters, auto filter, drive and many more. , which all have extremely intuitive user interfaces.
If you love making music, I cannot recommend it enough.
I look forward to the things to come for Koala, and I hope Marek eventually puts in a buy-me-a-coffee button, because I'd love to do that.
Koala feels and behaves much more like an instrument than your typical DAW. Every action is almost muscle memory to me now. Having something that I can also throw in my pocket and take with me on the go is an absolute game changer, and I don't use that term lightly. MAREK, the lead dev, is one of the most amazing guys because he has chosen to not make this app a subscription as a lot of other developers have.
I can't thank him enough for doing this because I know he could make an absolute truckload of money off of us musicians, but he chooses not to. in this day and age, that's a very rare thing. For the price tag, I don't think there is a better way to spend $10 and absolutely recommend all of the possible add-ons, such as the mixer. This app receives continued support and updates even without the continued cash flow a subscription model would bring.
Now onto the workflow. There are so many ways to get started creatively in Koala from loading in a synth with the new added AUV3 support, and building chords in the piano roll to
Screen recording sample in youtube, importing the video and stem splitting, its just an endlessly creative tool.
Koala also comes bundled with a ton of very useful effects Such as clippers, compressors, chorus, filters, auto filter, drive and many more. , which all have extremely intuitive user interfaces.
If you love making music, I cannot recommend it enough.
I look forward to the things to come for Koala, and I hope Marek eventually puts in a buy-me-a-coffee button, because I'd love to do that.
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The struggle
This was bad from the start.I want to become a artist and make music,but with this app I had no clue what I was doing no one is my family could help me out ether and you have to pay to get beats and you can’t even upload your music so I would not get this app
Best music making app ever existed
There is no limits to what you can create with it. Basic use is immediate. For advanced use there is of course a learning curve, but there is a huge community and plenty of tutorial videos on YouTube.
AUM Compatibility Issues
If you use Koala for fun in stand alone, then it’s really great. If you use it in stand alone in a professional situation it’s great. If you use it in a professional situation within AUM and assign different Koala templates with different samples to separate channels then it’s very frustrating. When you map on Koala in one channel it voids the mapping on the previous Koala channel. This happens even if you save both in Koala and AUM after every move on both channels. If you go back and import the song into the correct channel it still deletes the mapping data you spent a lot of time programming. Saving a song and trying to use it within AUM on a gig is fraught with saving / memory issues and you cannot depend on it. This creates a lot of wasted time.
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Koala sample was good, but kind of confusing
Because every time I make a new song and I save it and then I load it or I load a different song I have to tap every box in the sequence part cause it doesn’t just play on it’s own like it only plays one box at a time not all the boxes like once it finishes one box it goes to another. It doesn’t do that for me. It’s very confusing and very annoying that that’s why I am rating three stars.
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So good
Legitimately the best $ I've ever spent
Its soooooooooooooooo goooood
Best mobile app ever made🔥
Great app
Just got today and been having fun with it. It's pretty dope. I come from making traditional full beats on fl studio and this is like my first sampler app, but yea this app is pretty dope. Only thing Is I wish they had was a timeline and maybe a better piano roll. But other than that this app is fire.
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45 dollars?
when i bought the app it said it was 5 dollars so i bought it. And for some reason i got a 45 dollar charge from koala.
Messed up payment structure
Truly bizarre to pay for an app and not have the basic features. Just make the whole app twice the price and/or have the stripped back version be free, its weirdly deceptive and scammy to buy it and then find you cant actually sequence anything without buying the rest of the app
Tips
You guys should add a transpose feature to the piano roll as well as an easy way to copy piano roll patterns like say if I create a nice drum kit with a nice snare and kick be able to copy those patterns a lot easier just having better copy and paste features also having snapped to pitch features
The Holy Grail of iPad Music Making apps
You know and I know! Elf has done the unthinkable and elevated this app to the highest of plateaus, it added AUV3 loading! I wish I could spell out how HUGE this is but, you’ll just have to see for yourself! There’s nothing else left to say but, GO GET IT! I swear, every time I even think about how good this app is I get to updating this review… it’s ridiculousl!
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Sound
I really love the app, but it sounds like a click when at the beginning of every sample I export.
On iOS
On iOS
Simply the best
One of the sole reasons why I even bought an iPad is because of this app and now with the implementation of AuV3 it has basically become a DAWless DAW.
