# ZOA — Living MIDI Sequencer — Generative melodies for synths

> Generative MIDI sequencer using cellular automata for musical composition. (iPhone/iPad app by Ryan Robinson.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoa-living-midi-sequencer/id1581881354 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Ryan Robinson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1270890717)
- Category: Music
- Price: $8.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 43 App Store ratings · 24 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 12 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-11-04
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoa-living-midi-sequencer/id1581881354/reviews.md

## What is ZOA?

ZOA is a creative MIDI sequencer that is both immediate and immense.

ZOA uses a custom, musical implementation of John Conway’s Game of Life to generate melody, harmony, and rhythm. Up to four voices move through an evolving landscape of living cells, playing notes as they go. Each voice can move in a unique way, with its own pace and rhythmic pattern. ZOA includes unique features, such as note values based on the golden ratio for maximum generative fun.


Features:

- Interact with the Game of Life by touching the grid to toggle cell states
- Define your musical palette by configuring the grid settings
- Create a complex dance between four independent voices
- Free your hands to explore your synthesizers as ZOA plays them for you
- Includes ten factory presets to give you a feel for what ZOA is capable of
- Explore a focused, yet deep set of parameters
    - Grid Settings
        - Root note
        - Octave shift
        - Scale (see below for available scales)
        - Octave range
    - Game of Life Settings
        - Grid size (8x8 and 16x16)
        - Auto or manual generation advance
        - Rate of new generations (in beat time from 16 bars to 32nd T)
        - Auto or manual grid respawn
    - Voice Settings
        - Four voices with independent settings
        - Enable/disable
        - Rate of play (in beat time from 16 bars to 32nd T)
            - Includes unique note values based on the Golden Ratio for maximum generative fun!
        - Length of note (10% to 100%)
        - Variety of rules for moving through grid (see below for list)
        - Pitch offset
        - Unique pattern control for creating rhythms and polymeters, now with step options
            - Easily add holds, ties, accents (positive and negative!), ratchets, and trig conditions
        - MIDI velocity and channel
- Flexible Connectivity
    - Use in a compatible audio unit host like AUM, or in standalone mode
    - Control multiple instruments at once with five MIDI outputs
        - One for all voices together, and one for each voice by itself
    - Set the key and octave shift on the fly with MIDI input
    - Sync to the tempo of other devices using Ableton Link or MIDI clock (standalone)
    - Send MIDI clock to external synths (standalone, experimental feature)
    - Connect to Bluetooth MIDI devices
    - Modulate ZOA's parameters in a compatible AUv3 host (audio unit)
    - Eight unique MIDI CC outputs derived from ZOA’s game of life simulation
        - Population density, fertility, mortality, stability, and per-voice random
    - Includes macOS app!


IMPORTANT:
ZOA can be used as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin. There are some important differences between the two. The standalone app features a simple, toggleable "Sidekick Synth" so you can quickly experiment with ZOA. Of course, you can also send MIDI from the standalone app. Meanwhile, the ZOA AUv3 plugin does NOT generate sound. Instead, you use it to send MIDI (note messages) to other apps, plugins, or hardware instruments that do the actual sound generation. AUv3 plugins must be used inside a compatible host. 


Available Scales
    - Major Pentatonic, Minor Pentatonic, Major, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Minor, Locrian, Blues, Whole Tone, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Chromatic, Diminished, Whole Half, Spanish, Super Locrian, Bhairav, Hungarian Minor, Minor Gypsy, Augmented, Prometheus, Pelog, Major Hexatonic, Minor Hexatonic, Hirojoshi, In Sen, Iwato, Kumoi

Available Voice Rules
    - Up, Down, UpDown, DownUp, First, Last, Random, Walk, Rise, Fall


View manual: https://www.audiosymmetric.com/manuals.html
View tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Uka-nFom-pgTB-DftgDvA

## Key features

- Generative melody, harmony, and rhythm creation
- Interactive cellular automaton grid
- Four independent voices with customizable settings
- Flexible MIDI output for controlling multiple instruments
- AUv3 plugin and standalone modes
- Extensive parameter control for grid and voice settings
- Ableton Link and MIDI clock sync

## Recent user reviews (10 of 24)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoa-living-midi-sequencer/id1581881354/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Original and interestng

*2025-02-22*

Wow. This app is so cool. I tried it out with Iconica Sketch and what a gas. My first tries would have had Bach & Beethoven rolling over in their graves, but after a while got the hang of it and can make some pretty amazing pieces with it.
Cudos to Ryan. Great creation.

### 4/5 — Great idea but very limited.

*2024-07-31*

Please expand the grid to something more interesting; a 256x256 grid would be ideal. One would wish to explore “GOL Species” but realistically more than 80% of these won’t even fit on the available (limited in size) grid. 

Please do update this, it’s such a great idea limited by an arbitrarily small limitation (the grid size).

### 5/5 — Very Cool!

*2024-03-14*

Really enjoyed the app. Great soft music coming out. Also great to use on USB MIDI devices when testing! Very nice!

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2023-12-01*

I love using this app to create hypnotic sound scapes to help me relax. I run it through AUM. Ryan’s tutorials on YT are very helpful.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the review! Glad you found the tutorials helpful.

### 1/5 — Disappointing

*2023-11-27, version 1.3*

….only one channel midi out

### 5/5 — Very Useful

*2023-08-03*

Really fun and useful midi engine, yet as the cycles progress it has fewer and fewer motes and ends uo just playing two or threenecessitsting a grid reset. not horrid, but having to reset it egery few minutes is irritsting and diminishes this apps usefulness.

i suspect its user error but havent figured out the solution

**Developer response:** Thanks for the review! 

Yes, that is the nature of the Game of Life, most initial conditions do eventually settle down to fewer and fewer notes. The grid will automatically reset when it reaches a static state but you will have to reset it manually if it reaches a cyclic state. Hope this helps :)

### 5/5 — PRETTY AMAZING APP

*2023-06-01*

This is the app that made me go and buy Aum. Why? Because, I wanted to go beyond the basics and slot it in to other music apps to see what it could do.

For me, ZOA hits on two fronts. Many years ago I had a Roland MC202 and I’d walk around the streets of Oxford with my sister and the MC202 and headphones, composing monophonic soundtracks to the cityscape we’d be walking through. ZOA is a little like that - I find it’s great to put on during odd moments when I’m out and about and want to be a bit creative. Finding a nice sequence that works well is great and then when you load in the other three play heads and you create something that gels, it can become almost magical. The in-built synth voices are very soothing. I use it during study moments while teaching, and get the kids to turn on or off playheads as and when.

The second way I’ve used it is primarily with AUM. I love getting something together in AUM and then routing the playheads to different audio effects/units. It’s so much fun and I feel better about my level of creativity and involvement than just plonking down other people’s audio samples.

Most of what I’d like to see different/ improved doesn’t really involve ZOA directly:
1) New audio for the tutorials on YouTube (current ones are very quiet)
2) I’d love a Windows version, so I could use it in Cubase (yeah, Ryan, I know what you’re going to say!)
3) Never thought I’d ask this, but I’d love more playheads - 8? Would love to try weaving 8 strands together.

Those 3 points are really minor, though. If for some reason you’re reading this because you are wondering about whether to get this app - just do it, you won’t regret it. Don’t write many reviews but I’m writing this one because this app is just so fun to play with. Simplicity in form and function, creative, engaging, immersive. Beautiful!

**Developer response:** Thanks for such a thoughtful review! So cool to hear you use it in your teaching.

### 5/5 — Absolutely Stunning!

*2023-05-22*

This is exactly what I’ve been wanting for quite some time, thank you!

Instead of trying to describe the endless possibilities that ZOA offers, I strongly suggest to anyone that is looking for a generative ipad synth to take it for a ride through the Milky Way and beyond… you’ll be glad you did!

Promote!!!

**Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review!

### 5/5 — Absolutely fantastic!!

*2022-12-12*

You tried the rest… now GET the best!! This is a must for all composers, experimenters and lovers of all types of electronic musics. After viewing how to set it up via various YouTube clips… I purchased it and after 5 minutes, I was straight down the rabbit-hole of glorious connected sequences and soundscapes… take the plunge… you certainly won’t regret it!

**Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review!

### 5/5 — Versatile and interesting

*2022-09-08*

What I love about this is that you can use it to set up a complex and random melody for your next track, or you can set it, forget it, and just chill to the onboard synth playing in the background.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the review! I'm glad ZOA can be a source of relaxing music.

## Frequently asked questions about ZOA

### What does ZOA do?

ZOA is a creative MIDI sequencer that generates melodies, harmonies, and rhythms using a custom implementation of John Conway's Game of Life. It allows up to four voices to play notes based on their movement through an evolving grid of cells, offering a unique generative approach to music creation.

### How can I use ZOA with my synthesizers?

ZOA offers flexible MIDI connectivity, allowing you to control multiple instruments simultaneously. It provides five MIDI outputs, with one for all voices and individual outputs for each voice. You can also set the key and octave shift on the fly with MIDI input and sync to other devices using Ableton Link or MIDI clock.

### Is ZOA a free app?

Based on the provided information, ZOA is a paid application. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or advertisements, indicating a one-time purchase model.

### What devices is ZOA compatible with?

ZOA is available for both iOS and macOS. On iOS, it can be used as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin within compatible audio unit hosts like AUM. The macOS version is also available for use on Mac computers.

### What are the main features of ZOA?

Key features include interactive Game of Life grid manipulation, customizable musical palettes, four independent voices with unique movement rules, and extensive parameter control over grid and voice settings. It also supports Ableton Link and MIDI clock sync, and offers multiple MIDI outputs for controlling external gear.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3 — 2022-12-08

New in ZOA 1.3:
- Add 16 new scales! See description for complete list.
- Share your user presets with friends and other devices using AirDrop!
- Refactor sequencer engine for better accuracy, stability, and to eliminate hung notes.
- The standalone now restores the last grid state across launches.
- Add right-click alternatives for gesture-based actions on macOS.

### 1.2.1 — 2022-06-07

New in ZOA 1.2.1:
- Fix an issue where ratchets would sometimes cause hanging notes.
- Fix some issues causing hanging notes in Cubasis.
- Make sure ZOA always receives MIDI on its virtual input port.
- Small UI changes for consistency with OODA.
- Fix an issue with some parameter menus controlling the wrong AU parameters on macOS.
- Potentially fix an issue that caused ZOA to crash on launch on macOS Catalina.

### 1.2 — 2022-04-19

New in ZOA 1.2:
- Improved pattern control lets you add per-step holds, ties, accents, ratchets, and trig conditions for more expression and variation. Press and hold on a step to reveal its “step options” menu.
- Added eight MIDI CC outputs derived from ZOA’s Game of Life simulation: population density, fertility, mortality, stability, and per-voice random values.
- Added ten factory presets.
- User controls are generally bigger and easier to touch.
- Added a setting to persist the popover parameter selection menus.
- The audio unit now includes the top bar view for accessing presets and other settings.
- The standalone now saves ZOA’s parameters and settings across launches.
- The standalone now remembers previously activated MIDI outputs across launches.
- The standalone is now able to send MIDI clock on its “All Outs” output (experimental, your mileage may vary).
- Added the option to persist parameter selection menus.
- Minor UI bug fixes.

Like ZOA? Please consider leaving a review and sharing about ZOA with your friends! Use #zoasequencer when you share music made with ZOA.

### 1.1.1 — 2022-02-02

New in ZOA 1.1.1:
- Implement a fix so that ZOA works properly in Logic Pro on macOS! (Thanks to Geert Bevin for the tip!)
- Fix an issue where sometimes the standalone app is unable to locate the audio unit's user presets.
- Add version number and developer info to the standalone app.

### 1.1 — 2021-12-22

New in ZOA 1.1:
- Add six new note values based on the golden ratio more maximum generative fun! See manual in standalone for description.
- Add new press-and-hold shortcut for quickly selecting values from a list. Useful for performance!
- Add a basic preset manager to the standalone. Presets are shared with the audio unit.
- Add a "clear grid" action.
- Rearrange the "Life" settings UI a little and add new button icons for advance and respawn actions.
- Fix a bug where the standalone would lose MIDI messages sent on channels other than 1.
- Fix an issue with MIDI time stamps when sending MIDI to other apps from the standalone.
- Add logic to make the "All Playheads" output unambiguous to MIDI receivers whenever multiple notes of the same note number overlap with one another.
- Map MIDI velocity to amplitude of the sidekick synth's voices in standalone.
- Keep standalone audio engine on when Ableton Link is enabled and start/stop sync is enabled.
- Other bug fixes for the standalone.

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## More apps by Ryan Robinson

- [AutoPad — Ambient Pad Loops](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autopad-ambient-pad-loops/id1270890718)
- [SDS-x — Simple Drum Sampler](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sds-x-simple-drum-sampler/id1468026221)
- [OODA — Portable MIDI Sequencer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ooda-portable-midi-sequencer/id1612549576)
- [Mix Stream — Audio to Phone](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mix-stream-audio-to-phone/id6761495547)

All apps by Ryan Robinson: https://appshunter.io/developer/1270890717

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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 2026-08-31.*