Alina String Ensemble vs Cue8
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alina String Ensemble
This app is a musical keyboard simulator that recreates the authentic sounds of the Solina String Ensemble from the 1970s. It features a 49-key, 4-octave keyboard with multiple instrument sounds and built-in effects like reverb and modulation.
- Solina String Ensemble sound simulation
- 6 pre-loaded instruments
- 49-key, 4-octave keyboard
- Core MIDI and MIDI compatible
- Built-in spring reverb effect
- Adjustable modulation
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Alina String Ensemble is a musical keyboard application for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch that simulates the Solina String Ensemble. The sound is in reference to Solina String Ensemble (Serial number "SERIES 22, No.0093158”) manufactured by N.V. EMINENT BODEGRAVEN HOLLAND in the 70’s. You are sure to be surprised at the real sound generated from this App. Features: - Pre-loaded with 6 instruments including Viola, Violin, Brass, Horn, Cello, Contra Bass - 49key, 4-octave Keyboards with scrollable - Core MIDI and MIDI compatible - Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards(Only iPad) - BASS tone(Cello, Contra Bass) is assigned on lowest 20 keys - Built-in Reverb that simulates a spring reverb - Modulation that can adjust the rate and depth Special thanks: Jun Kawabata courtesy of AIRPLANE LABEL & Studio Peach Blue Peach
Cue8
Create and perform music live from a single screen with eight instruments, customizable controls, and real-time effects. Build full arrangements, chain patterns, and export your creations to a DAW or share them with the community.
- Eight instruments with deep sound design
- Real-time performance effects and controls
- Pattern and arrangement building
- Key and scale locking for melodies
- MIDI export for DAWs
- Community sharing and discovery
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Cue8 is a live act you can play anywhere. Eight instruments, one disk, and every control you need to build a track and perform it from a single screen. No menus to dig through, no setup ritual. Open the app and play. EIGHT INSTRUMENTS, ONE GROOVE Kick, snare, closed hat, open hat, tom, percussion, bass and synth. Each one opens into its own knobs: tune, decay, tone, filter, drive and level. Mute and solo any instrument while the pattern runs. FROM PATTERNS TO A FULL SET Build sections, chain them, and watch a full arrangement come together. Intro, groove, break, drop. Eight patterns and two fills stay ready to switch while the set runs. See your bar count, duration and tempo at a glance, then reorder anything while the set is playing. BUILT FOR TRANSITIONS Filter, hold, gater, riser and throw. The moves you reach for on stage sit under your thumb, ready the moment you need them. THE MASTER CONSOLE LFO, chorus, delay, reverb, equalizer and accent control. Shape the whole mix in real time without leaving the performance. EVERY NOTE IN KEY Bass and synth are locked to the key and scale you choose, so the notes you place always land in the song. Seventeen scales, from the modes to pentatonic, blues and diminished. Pick a root, pick a scale, then play freely. THE STAGE AND THE STUDIO Act mode keeps performance controls front and center. Edit mode opens up deep sound design with classic drum machine character. Switch between them whenever the idea strikes. 15 FACTORY TEMPLATES House, melodic techno, techno, trap, UK garage, psytrance, drum and bass, UK drill, trance and more. Complete starting points with tempo and key already dialed in. 55 SOUND PRESETS Ready to play. Load one and go. MIDI EXPORT Take it to your DAW. What you build in Cue8 is yours to finish anywhere. RELEASE IT TO THE COMMUNITY Release a project to the community, discover what other artists share, follow the ones you like, and load their releases straight to your deck. ONE PURCHASE. A LIFETIME LICENSE. Buy Cue8 once and keep it. No subscriptions, no recurring fees, no features held back for later.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Alina String Ensemble at $3.99 against Cue8's $19.99. Alina String Ensemble also leads on ratings volume (19 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Cue8's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Alina String Ensemble costs $3.99 and Cue8 $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cue8 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alina String Ensemble has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Alina String Ensemble ships an update every 4 months, Cue8 fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alina String Ensemble | Cue8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (19 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 19 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 131 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | insideout ltd. | ARMAGAN UNLU |
In-app purchases
Alina String Ensemble
No in-app purchases
Cue8
No in-app purchases









