# ZOA — Living MIDI Sequencer — user reviews > 24 indexed App Store user reviews of ZOA by Ryan Robinson, rated 4.80/5 from 43 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoa-living-midi-sequencer/id1581881354/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoa-living-midi-sequencer/id1581881354.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 38 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 0 ## Newest reviews (9 of 24) ### 5/5 — Very well thought out app *2022-06-12* Works very smoothly, brilliant design (like all of his apps - you can tell they are designed and deved by a musician who is going to use them himself). Buy all of his apps on iOS - they're all top notch. **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review! ### 5/5 — Very very cool *2022-05-03, version 1.2* Awesome generative sequencer with a cool algorithm underlying everything. Having the play heads be different colours is the only suggestion I have after a few hours with it. Loving this! ### 5/5 — I adore this app *2022-04-13* Just two days in and I’ve had this playing constantly Watching simple patterns explode into complexity or fall back into order is mesmerising Minor grip, sometimes the length slider becomes unresponsive, still five stars 👌😁 **Developer response:** Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! So glad you like ZOA. The length slider issue should be fixed in the latest update (1.2). ### 5/5 — Fantastic AU Midi Sequencer *2022-03-08* I really enjoy using this app to sequence up to 4 different apps inside a host, like AUM. It can send all the midi to one place or up to 4 individual places. I love semi-generative apps where you can set certain parameters, and let the app create some interesting things. This app is pretty intuitive, and easy to pick up right away. It’s not only fun, but it is capable of creating unique musical sequences that can repeat or evolve over time. Developer is responsive and open to suggestions as well. 5 Stars! **Developer response:** Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! So glad you like ZOA. ### 5/5 — Wonderful sequencer *2022-01-12* Love this sequencer and especially the new update of golden ratios.I would really like it if you could make the long press a bit easier to manage as it is quite tricky even with 2 fingers especially as the scroll feature always starts in the same place for choosing the options and the list disappears too quickly. Hope this makes sense! It would be better IMO to just have a scroll down that stays on screen! Cheers **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review! Glad you're enjoying the golden ratios :) You can now select "Persist Menus" in the settings menu and the long press menus will stay on screen until you press away. Hope this helps. ### 5/5 — Excellent! *2021-11-14* User defined scales, PLEASE, **Developer response:** Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! So glad you are liking ZOA. I will keep this in mind for future updates. ### 5/5 — Saw a YouTube video and bought the app. *2021-11-06* It’s easy to use and works well in AUM. Some sequencers are confusing, this one isn’t. **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review. I'm glad you like the layout! I tried hard to make ZOA something that is straightforward, but also with lots of sonic potential. ### 5/5 — Wonderful new app *2021-11-06, version 1.0* Once again Apple lost my review, so here I am again trying to do the deed. Generative apps have come a long way, and for any new app to prosper it must live up to the quality of Piano Mottifs and Riffler (not to be confused with Riffer). Happily, ZOA is already off to a flying start, and well worth buying. It is easy to use, a whole lot of fun, versatile and has tonnes of potential. I would love to see a random/ programmable sustained note/ note length function added. The idea being that by chance or design certain notes could be held or extended. That for me would make it a five and half star app. ### 5/5 — Very cool generative app *2021-11-05* The special feature of Zoa, compared to other generative sequencers, is that there are two layers. The upper layer is the Life, which selects a complex sequence of notes to use, and which evolves slowly. The lower layer is the playheads which dance different patterns through the selected notes. These create plenty of motion even if the Life pattern only updates every few bars. You can configure the playheads appropriate to different instrumental styles. I was able to create a credible-sounding jazz trio this way. **Developer response:** Thanks for the kind review! So glad you like ZOA. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Disappointing *2023-11-27, version 1.3* ….only one channel midi out ### 2/5 — Really doesn’t do much *2021-12-01* Just like the Conway’s life sim, it eventually settles down to one or more simple oscillations and either stops or does the same, monotonous pattern/s. Not all that ‘musical. **Developer response:** Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. You are right that the Game of Life often settles into repeating patterns. ZOA has an “auto respawn” function that detects when the grid is static, but in the case of simple oscillations you need to touch the grid or manually respawn to bring some variety back into the sequence. Hope this helps! ### 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). ### 4/5 — Great sequencer *2022-06-25* This would be amazing if Midi Receive could also change other things like scale, range and the life settings. Please add CC controllable parameters. Thanks **Developer response:** Thanks for the review! I am planning on adding more MIDI control in a future update. ### 4/5 — Interesting *2021-11-07* Nice idea well implemented, need to squash a bug or two but definitely worth the admission price. **Developer response:** Thanks for the review! So glad you are enjoying ZOA. If you notice any specific bugs, please let me know through my support page so I can get those fixed. ### 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. ### 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. ### 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. ## Most praised reviews (5 highest-rated) ### 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. ### 5/5 — Creative Tool *2022-09-06* Great tool to find a creative spark. Perfect for generative and/or ambient genre and can be used in other genres. Great developer… try his other stuff too. **Developer response:** Thanks for the review! ### 5/5 — Wow, gorgeous new possibilities! *2022-08-03* I haven't been looking at music apps too much lately, which is why I only now found out about the new long-press menu in the pattern section. What a wealth of possibilities, very happy about it. Thanks a lot! **Developer response:** Thanks for the review! Glad you're liking ZOA and the new step options. --- *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.*