# Plotony — AUv3 Harmonograph Simulator

> MIDI-driven harmonograph simulator for creating animated musical art. (iPhone/iPad app by Grant Emerson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotony/id1502795362 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Grant Emerson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1399718785)
- Category: Music, Music, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 5 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 14 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2020-03-23
- Data updated: 2026-06-04
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plotony/id1502795362/reviews.md

## What is Plotony?

Plotony is a harmonograph simulator that transforms MIDI input into beautiful, animated drawings. Whenever a MIDI note is played, Plotony transforms the MIDI into its corresponding frequency. Plotony then appends a pendulum to its simulation with this frequency and outputs the modified rendering of the harmonograph in its center display. This seamless bridge between music and art is bound to spark the creativity in any musician or producer.

Plotony also serves a practical purpose as it is capable of showing you exactly what chord you are playing along with the names of the various intervals contained within it.

In the app, Plotony offers a list of preset samples to select from when playing the onscreen keyboard. Plotony also offers support for external MIDI input from devices such as keyboards connected via Lightning or other MIDI producing apps through Plotony’s virtual MIDI port. Plotony’s input “MIDI Channel” can be selected with the plus and minus buttons located on the right. Additionally, Bluetooth MIDI keyboards can be connected to Plotony by tapping the Bluetooth icon located on the right.

Plotony can be loaded into other host applications such as AUM as an AUv3 MIDI effect. Plotony’s state will be automatically preserved across sessions. The onscreen keyboard, preset selector, and sound-making capabilities are removed in the audio unit to create a more streamlined and focused experience. Plotony is also compatible with Audiobus and can be loaded in as a MIDI filter.

Plotony was designed with intuitiveness in mind. It should be fairly easy to get started right away making music and art with Plotony. However, you should be familiar with what the following terms mean in Plotony.

Duration: The duration setting controls how long the simulated pendulums are allowed to swing. A longer duration creates a more filled harmonograph, whereas a shorter duration creates a harmonograph with more white space.

Damping: The damping setting controls how quickly the simulated pendulum loses its initial kinetic energy due to friction. Higher damping leads to a quicker loss of energy and therefore, a more clustered harmonograph. Lower damping leads to a slower loss of energy and therefore, a more spread out harmonograph.

Phase: The phase setting controls the radian offset at which the simulated pendulum is released. Changing the phase setting while playing a chord will produce a 3D rotational effect because it’s adjusting all the coordinates in the graph simultaneously.

Additionally, if you tap on the cog shaped setting icon in the upper right corner you will be presented with some more customizable settings. By default, the “Interface Color” setting is set to blue. You can change this by tapping on the colored square on the right and selecting a different color, or you can turn on adaptive coloring which will automatically adjust Plotony’s color scheme based on the chord being played. The “Stroke Width” setting can be adjusted to change the thickness of the lines in the harmonograph. Lastly, if you would not like Plotony to match your device’s system appearance settings. You can turn off “Match System” and then manually turn on or off the “Dark Mode” toggle that appears. Plotony has been designed to look great in both light and dark mode.

If the chord recognition and settings panels become too distracting while using Plotony, feel free to temporarily remove them by tapping the “Hide” buttons.

Note: Plotony technically scales all frequencies by a factor of 1/100 because if they were displayed in their original form the graph would be completely filled in from all the overlapping lines.

## Key features

- MIDI to frequency conversion
- Animated harmonograph drawings
- Chord and interval visualization
- External MIDI device support
- AUv3 and Audiobus integration
- Customizable drawing parameters
- Adaptive interface coloring


## Frequently asked questions about Plotony

### What is Plotony?

Plotony is a harmonograph simulator that converts MIDI input into animated drawings. It visualizes musical notes as frequencies and creates intricate graphical patterns based on pendulum simulations.

### How does Plotony visualize music?

When a MIDI note is played, Plotony translates it into a frequency. This frequency is then used to control a simulated pendulum, which draws a unique pattern on the screen, creating a visual representation of the music.

### Can Plotony show me what chord I'm playing?

Yes, Plotony can display the name of the chord you are playing and identify the intervals within it, providing a practical tool for musicians.

### Does Plotony support external MIDI devices?

Yes, Plotony supports external MIDI keyboards connected via Lightning and other MIDI-producing apps through its virtual MIDI port. It also connects to Bluetooth MIDI keyboards.

### Can Plotony be used with other music apps?

Plotony can be loaded into host applications like AUM as an AUv3 MIDI effect and is compatible with Audiobus as a MIDI filter, allowing for seamless integration into your music production workflow.

### How often is Plotony updated?

Plotony was last updated on June 19, 2020, to version 1.2. The app's state is automatically preserved across sessions.

### What devices is Plotony compatible with?

Plotony is designed for iPad and is available for download on that platform.

### Is Plotony suitable for younger users?

Plotony has an age rating of 4+, making it accessible for a wide range of users interested in exploring the connection between music and art.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.2 — 2020-06-19

Bug Fix For Center Harmonograph Display

### 1.1 — 2020-05-05

Fixed issue where Bluetooth MIDI keyboard selector wasn't visible.

### 1.0 — 2020-03-23

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Plotony

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [RRS Fuse Stereo Image](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rrs-fuse-stereo-image/id6446391659) | 4.5 (8) | Free | Music |
| [3D Chorus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3d-chorus/id1610943382) | 5.0 (9) | Free | Music |
| [jAmp Doubler](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jamp-doubler/id6475082851) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Music |
| [Kalimba Keys](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba-keys/id6474580189) | 5.0 (13) | $4.99 | Music |
| [Goniometer for Logic Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goniometer-for-logic-pro/id1667642920) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Music |
| [Multiband Correl for Logic Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/multiband-correl-for-logic-pro/id1667647038) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Music |

## More apps by Grant Emerson

- [Modulin](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/modulin/id1355652754)
- [Aerial Lights](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aerial-lights/id1375347601)
- [Dompel](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dompel/id1458154704)

All apps by Grant Emerson: https://appshunter.io/developer/1399718785

---

*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 2026-06-04.*