# Sansula — user reviews > 29 indexed App Store user reviews of Sansula by Hokema Kalimbas, rated 4.40/5 from 34 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sansula/id495925800/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sansula/id495925800.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 25 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 3 ## Newest reviews (9 of 29) ### 5/5 — Greg *2014-09-27, version 2.0.2* IOS8 has disabled this app so I can no longer use it at all. Please fix it now!!! ### 5/5 — Great sound! *2014-08-24* I have two kalimbas but not the Sansula, so when I saw the app I had to download. The sound is so dreamy I don't want to put it down. I love the ability to add more tunings - have already added Beautiful E, Heavenly A and Morocco. I would like to suggest to the developers that they add a feature that changes the length of the tines to reflect the change in pitch. This would help a lot. UPDATE: for those who want a diatonic scale that reflects the length of the tines, here are some I've come up with. Since each tine has a finite range, I have found these will work, left to right: Key of F: C,F,G,D,F,Bb,A,G,E F starting on C below F: G,C,D,A,C,F,E,D,Bb Key of C: G,C,D,A,C,F,E,D,B G starting on D below G : A,D,E,B,D,G,F#,E,C ### 5/5 — My favorite! *2013-11-05* This one is just awesome, fantastic sound! Great that one can choose between various included tunings or even add your own. I only wish there was a traditional-style kalimba app that sounded this nice. ### 5/5 — Wow *2013-02-14, version 2.0.2* Simple and elegant. Played the free version for a few moments and immediately bought the full version. ### 5/5 — Wonderful *2012-12-26, version 2.0.2* This is a great product! The sound is great and the option to create custom tunings easy to use. This app is like having a set of sansulas at your finger tips. ### 5/5 — An absolutely *stunning* app! *2012-09-11* I have had a Hokema A minor tuning Sansula for six years and have loved it. The sound is exquisite and I've always wanted to have additional tunings - of course, you can buy them with additional Sansulas. I just bought another Sansula - this one in "Heavenly A" tuning from Kalimba Magic, and was surprised to see on the Kalimba Magic web site a recommendation for the iPad/iPhone app. I downloaded it and wow - I now have many other tunings to play with PLUS I can create my own tunings with Hokema's ingenious way of tuning the electronic version! The interface for playing is graphically pleasing and comfortable. The sustain after striking a tine is impressive, to say the least. The real sansulas are better though, because you can do the way-wah effect, and for me personally, I prefer an actual acoustic instrument. But you can get this into your hands for very little money by purchasing this app - and I will use this app to create new tunings in which I will then order the actual Sansulas from Hookema. Only one thing on my wish list for this app - the ability to record a song and play it back. Other than that, I highly recommend this app - what a wonderful way to pass the time waiting at the airport (using headphones of course!), being at home alone in the rain - this is a beautiful instrument - thanks to the Hokema Company! ### 5/5 — Top notch *2012-06-29, version 2.0.2* Beautiful version of the actual instrument. The preset tunings and ability to add your own custom tunings make this app a keeper. ### 5/5 — Mesmerizing sound *2012-05-29* Sound is amazing and I love how you can save different tuning. So much fun to play. The preset tuning options are wonderful. Hope you add more. Please make a Kalimba too. The ones offered are no match to how this Sansula app works and sounds. Definitely worth the paid version. Great work, great app, thanks! ### 4/5 — Kalimbarrific! *2012-02-13* Not bad, though perhaps a little pricey compared to other musical instrument apps of similar functionality. Apparently released by a German firm that makes real kalimbas. The ability to come up with one's own tunings is a nice touch. A potential future enhancement would be to allow the user to adjust the size, position, and number of tines for a real custom fit. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Would be stellar if it was updated to work on iOS 12!!! *2019-10-03* I love this program yet it hasn’t been updated in 4 years and does absolutely nothing on my iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 12. I would be willing to pay $5 for an upgraded version. ### 1/5 — This is a fun app, but... *2019-04-22* But, unfortunately, it only works when your pad or phone is connected to wifi. To make that mater even worse, only one of your i devices is allowed to run the app at a time. That is not at all very nice so therefore I can only give it one star. If they removed the wifi restriction I’d give it a five star rating. Update: I may have misspoken about the wifi. The “doesn’t work” seemed to be related to wifi and more than one device running the app but I was eventually able to get it make sound on two devices. The lack of wifi or multiple usage was just a coincidence? Whatever the reason, sound seems to be sporadic. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t make any sound *2019-04-15* Just installed it but there’s no sound, no matter what the settings are on my phone. ### 1/5 — No sound under iOS8 *2014-10-13, version 2.0.2* After upgrading to iOS8, this is mute. The buttons and menus work, but there is no sound produced, which kind of defeats its purpose. Please fix this. ### 1/5 — Does NOT work with iOS8 *2014-10-01, version 2.0.2* Loved this app when it worked, but now makes almost no sound after the OS update; only occasional nasty blips of digital distortion. Hope it gets fixed soon. ### 1/5 — Extremely disappointing. *2013-03-25* This over-priced poor design takes advantage of .001% of the iPad as a platform. It'll play single notes, and you can change tunings and save those, but that is it. There is no ability to hit across more than one tine- as you can with a real Sansula, which could be easily implemented in the app. There's no ability to generate the "wah-wah"- which the accelerometers could easily do. Instead of an enhanced experience and thinking about the incredible abilities of the iPad, this app settles for the bare minimum, and plays much worse than the real instrument. At least give us the ability to strike more than one tine and generate effects through tilting the iPad! I have an iPad full of musical apps, and most in this price range offer recording, saving, sharing, dropbox, audio share, some will even loop, or bridge to DAWs with audio bus. Yes- it sounds ok- but it is limited to one dimensional sound. Yes- you can make custom tunings. And if that is worth it for you, you'll be satisfied. But- if you are at all familiar with the current state of music making apps today, this app is a huge disappointment. ### 2/5 — Crashes *2019-12-23* Crashes and will not produce sound. ### 2/5 — No sound. No customer support. *2018-12-11* I installed this app on a 2018 iPad Pro and was unable to get any sound. Two emails to customer support over the course of a week were unanswered. ### 4/5 — Closest to the real thing I’ve heard *2021-07-31* There’s no noticeable lag and sounds very natural. I just wish it would work In tandem with Garage Band as a midi import keyboard. At present I play it through speakers and mic it in as real time instrument. ### 4/5 — Beautiful Tones *2013-04-05, version 2.0.2* Very responsive and like the fact that I can tune it digitally. Versatile. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Thank you *2024-09-19* When a developer blesses you with a useful and well built instrument for free, all you can do is give thanks. I’ve always enjoyed playing the Kalimba, or thumb piano as I grew up thinking of it. I first heard a Kalimba on a King Crimson album and loved the instrument ever since. The greatness here, besides that it was free, is the ability to tune each tine. A good exercise is to think of logical ways to tune the instrument. It will help you think creatively. And be sure to record your creation once tuned and performed. Thanks again to the developer! The community really does appreciate the gesture. ### 5/5 — sansula app is a delight! *2023-11-25* This app was my into to the blissful sounds of Sansula. I don’t play it a lot but when i do, it brings a happy grin to my face. I look forward to getting a real, physical Sansula ### 5/5 — Amazing *2023-02-02* As a professional film composer, I’ve used my Sansula in many cues and compositions. It always brings immediate life to the track. This is a fantastic tool and shockingly sounds very close to the real one. Amazing you can instantly change tuning and still be high quality (not easy to change tuning on the real one). The only drawbacks I’ve found so far is being unable to mute a note ringing on the app. I hope they make and sample their other models like the B17 kalimba ### 5/5 — One of the best apps I’ve ever used *2022-03-10* I bought a HOKEMA double a couple months ago and I really love it. I’m hard on it a little bit and it goes out of tune and it’s great to have a reference point along with my tuner. This company is great ### 5/5 — Mesmerizing! *2021-06-15, version 2.1* This app sound quality is so beautiful (and it’s easy to use) - almost as beautiful as the real instrument! It’s so helpful to retune sansula on the app so that you know what it sounds like. My children can spend hours on this app making their own dreamy music ... all is calm! LOVE IT as much as the real instrument! Thank you Hokema:) ### 5/5 — Lovely *2020-02-03* I’m not sure what people are complaining about. This app is working flawlessly in iOS 13. Love it. ### 5/5 — Enable disabled *2019-09-08* Custom sensors enable spectrum of abilities (audio/physical-...) to trigger sensors to activate “voices “(sounds, musical or other) ### 5/5 — Wonderful capture of an actual instrument *2016-02-25* The real Sansula made by Hokema is a marvelous instrument and this app really captures its spirit and its sound. You can select from different preset turnings or create your own tuning within the limitations of the length of the tines - just like with the real thing. The sound on the iPad Pro is superb and on the iPhone 5s it is almost as good. The physical Sansula has a more pronounced wha wha capability and that could be improved in the app to react a little better, say when the device is shaken. One of the great hidden uses of this app is to tune it to match a hand pan or a tongue drum and then use it to devise new melody lines to take back to the drum. It also provides a nice high treble when played in combination with the hand pan, etc. Combine this with Looper and other audio programs adds depth and exotic layers to compositions. If you play Kalimba or marimba you will love this app. ### 5/5 — Best Kalimba app *2015-10-25, version 2.1* Out if all the kalimba apps I bought and tried, this one is worth every cent. ### 5/5 — Love this app *2015-03-18* Jam with it all the time , please add audiobus !! --- *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 2026-06-10.*