# Xequence AU \| Pads — AUv3 MIDI Drum Pad Controller

> AUv3 MIDI drum pad controller for music production, requiring a host app. (iPhone/iPad app by Alexander Ewering.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xequence-au-pads/id1453556216 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Alexander Ewering](https://appshunter.io/developer/1743777532)
- Category: Music, Entertainment
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 14 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 14.2 · 3 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-02-24
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xequence-au-pads/id1453556216/reviews.md

## What is Xequence AU | Pads?

IMPORTANT: This app is targeted at music production enthusiasts and requires an AUv3 Audio Unit Host to run! It does not do ANYTHING on its own! Also note that this app does not make any sound, it is a controller for other apps that do! 

Xequence AU | Pads is an expressive and fully editable (drum) pad surface for use inside AU (Audio Unit) hosts like AUM, Cubasis, apeMatrix, etc.

It features the same, widely acclaimed pad editor that users of Xequence, our advanced MIDI workstation, have grown to love.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Very playable, fully editable drum pads
- Comes with 40+ factory drum maps for popular apps / hardware
- Custom maps can be created and saved as user presets
- Freely adjustable map size, from 1 x 1 all the way to 8 x 8 (64 pads) and anything in between
- "Glide" mode for triggering pads by sliding between them
- Velocity emulation (via tap position, several modes and curves to choose from)
- Configurable global color and MIDI channel
- Each pad can also be assigned its own color and/or MIDI channel
- "Zoom to pad" feature to make any single pad fullscreen temporarily for more expressive playing
- Automatically adapts to nearly any plugin window size or aspect ratio
- Extremely fast and light on resources
- Unlimited instances
- Very robust MIDI and touch implementation, copes easily with aggressive playing styles
- Full support for AU presets (and state saving / restoration) in the host

CONTROLLERS:

- Any number of MIDI CCs (controllers) can be freely configured and shown as touch ribbons next to the pads
- A number of standard controller numbers (such as 74 = Cutoff, 7 = Volume etc.) are included and can be set with a single tap

SPECIAL CONTROLLER MODES:

The following special modes can be set per controller:

- DEVICE ROTATION - controller moves according to device rotation
- GATE - controller can be set to a default position, and then tapped anywhere to toggle it to that position and back (think "Trance gates")

Please report any issues via our website, we provide quick and comprehensive support!

## Key features

- Playable, editable drum pads
- 40+ factory drum maps
- Customizable map creation
- Adjustable map size (1x1 to 8x8)
- Velocity emulation
- Configurable pad colors and MIDI channels
- Controller ribbons with special modes

## Recent user reviews (9 of 9)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xequence-au-pads/id1453556216/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Allow MIDI note numbers! 😡

*2025-07-25*

Really dumb that you can’t set pads to be specific MIDI note *numbers* rather than note names, because this app uses a particular, and unexpected, MIDI note naming convention…which can’t be changed 😒 
It’s dumb that different note naming schemes even exist, but either support MIDI note numbers, or allow the convention/scheme to be changed.

### 1/5 — AUとして反映されない

*2023-08-24*

Garagebandを開いたところ､AUv3として反映されません。アイコンをいくら探してもありませんでした。もう一つのアプリも同様です。至急対応をよろしくお願い致します。

### 1/5 — Audio Unitsとして使えない

*2020-12-01*

garagebandでAudio Unitsで開こうとしても表示されない

### 3/5 — GarageBand compatibly?

*2020-11-06*

I rated this app 3 stars because I don’t know how to use this app. I have garageband ios 12.4.9 and I can’t seem find it. Please make this app compatible for garageband and then I’ll rate higher.

### 5/5 — So far, so good

*2019-05-29*

I’m enjoying using this, having just bought it. It has tons of mapping presets, so you’re good to go right away, which is handy. I’ve got several other keyboard apps that can do drums - kB-1, for example - but this one is really well suited for drums, and the speed with which you can get cracking without setting things up makes it a really worthwhile purchase. I was initially wondering whether I was just buying another keyboard app for the sake of it but, rest assured, this one is very useful indeed. If only the developer would make his Keys app so that it can do chords with a single key, I’d grab that one, too (hint hint...!)

### 5/5 — Awesome!

*2019-03-03*

Powerful, affordable, clean, and intuitive...what’s not to love? I hope Seven Systems will make more AUv3 apps!🙂

### 5/5 — It’s a beauty.

*2019-02-28*

I actually don’t use it for its intended purpose. I use it as a simple and effective way to build your own midi CC faders and buttons to build a front end for AUM (Although you’ll need to state save your modulation/fader lanes as part of your track). Also a very sleek design. Love it.

### 5/5 — AMAZING! Thank You! Positional Velocity Lives!

*2019-02-26*

I actually used Xequence for the great internal playing surface. Now I have an AU to easily use everywhere! I struggle with developers trying to get them to include positional velocity in all touch input surfaces and few ever care. The importance of performance dynamics is apparently nearly a lost art. Everything is one finger play, one finger velocity (or more likely volume). This is phenomenal for those wanting to capture some life in their playing. And this reflects the high quality work of this dev as seen in Xequence, another app that fills a half-a$$ed area of many DAWs.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2019-02-25*

Just what was needed, a good basic AU controller, and 2 kinds at a good price.

## Frequently asked questions about Xequence AU | Pads

### What is Xequence AU | Pads?

Xequence AU | Pads is an AUv3 MIDI drum pad controller designed for music production. It allows users to trigger sounds from other compatible audio apps and does not produce sound on its own.

### Does Xequence AU | Pads work on its own?

No, Xequence AU | Pads requires an AUv3 Audio Unit host application, such as AUM or Cubasis, to function. It acts as a controller within these hosts.

### What devices does Xequence AU | Pads support?

Xequence AU | Pads is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices, offering a flexible interface that adapts to various screen sizes and aspect ratios.

### How much does Xequence AU | Pads cost?

Xequence AU | Pads is a paid application priced at $2.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with its use.

### Can I customize the drum pads in Xequence AU | Pads?

Yes, the drum pads are fully editable. You can create custom maps, adjust the size from 1x1 to 8x8, assign individual colors and MIDI channels, and save your configurations as presets.

### Does Xequence AU | Pads have ads?

No, Xequence AU | Pads does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it offers an ad-free experience for its users.

### How often is Xequence AU | Pads updated?

The latest version, 1.2.0, was released on August 16, 2022. While specific update frequency isn't detailed, the developer provides quick and comprehensive support for reported issues.

### What is the age rating for Xequence AU | Pads?

Xequence AU | Pads has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users of all ages, with no mature content.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.0 — 2022-08-16

NEW:

- New toolbar slider to adjust the velocity used when positional velocity is disabled.
- Full mouse support.
- Added factory Drum Maps for: DigiStix, sEGments.

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Touch handling has been completely re-engineered, fixing a number of occasional issues with stuck pads, wrong velocities, or otherwise wonky behaviour.
- Controller sliders can now be re-arranged in settings.
- The Pitch controller now uses the full 14 bit resolution.
- Various interface tweaks.

### 1.1.1 — 2020-04-27

NEW:

- Added 10 new factory Drum Maps for: Elliot Garage EGDR 606 / EGDR 909 / EGLM1, Electribe EMX1, Fractal Bits, FunkBox, NOISE Drums 2x2 / 4x4, SeekBeats, unklepop DRUM.

FIXES:

- Fix motion control modes not working on some devices.
- Fix text and number entry fields not bringing up the keyboard automatically on some devices.

### 1.1 — 2019-03-03

NEW:

- Zoom to pad (new button in the bottom toolbar) - concentrate on a single pad for more accurate finger drumming.
- Each pad can be assigned a custom MIDI channel.
- Each pad can be assigned a custom color.

IMPROVEMENTS:

- The same note can now be assigned to multiple pads.
- Various optimizations.

### 1.0.1 — 2019-02-25

NEW:

- Additional Positional Velocity mode "Max at center (vertical only)", for narrow pad layouts.
- Added 3 Factory Drum Maps for NanoStudio 2's Slate (all layouts).


FIXES:

- Custom layouts and maps now restore correctly when loading a project in the host.

### 1.0.0 — 2019-02-23

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Xequence AU | Pads

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Velocity Keyboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/velocity-keyboard/id1462605052) | 4.8 (101) | $9.99 | Music |
| [GlitchStep](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/glitchstep/id6708239273) | 4.9 (19) | $9.99 | Music |
| [apeMatrix](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apematrix/id1378343729) | 4.7 (84) | $7.99 | Music |
| [TfxEcho](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tfxecho/id1523777426) | 4.7 (12) | $4.99 | Music |
| [ArpBud 2 AUv3 MIDI Arpeggiator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arpbud-2-auv3-midi-arpeggiator/id1500403326) | 3.5 (20) | $5.99 | Music |
| [Harmonicc Chord Sequencer AUv3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/harmonicc-chord-sequencer-auv3/id6692624491) | 4.7 (6) | $5.99 | Music |

## More apps by Alexander Ewering

- [Eleven \| Calculator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eleven-calculator/id890014369)
- [MusicFolder 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicfolder-2/id1366466861)
- [encircled.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/encircled/id1387312877)
- [Xequence AU \| Keys](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xequence-au-keys/id1453028249)
- [Xequence 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xequence-2/id1464669442)

All apps by Alexander Ewering: https://appshunter.io/developer/1743777532

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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 2026-08-28.*