Comparison

Link to MIDI vs OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Link to MIDI

Synchronize MIDI devices with Ableton Link sessions. This app bridges the gap, making your MIDI hardware compatible with Link-enabled music software for stable, quantized clock synchronization.

Highlights
  • Ableton Link to MIDI Clock Sync
  • Link-enabled MIDI devices
  • Launch quantization
  • Stable clock output
  • Fine offset control (±250 ms)
Features
Read full description

Link to MIDI = Ableton Link to MIDI Clock Sync. Link to MIDI connects Ableton Link to musical devices that support MIDI Clock Sync. Simply join a Link session, connect your MIDI device, and that's it. Your MIDI device is now Link-enabled. Link to Midi features launch quantization, an incredibly stable clock output, and a fine offset control (±250 ms) to perfectly line up the receiving MIDI device's playback. Note: Link to MIDI is only recommended for use with hardware MIDI devices. Connecting to apps is possible, but may lead to a poor user experience due to software challenges in synchronizing to MIDI Clock. Ableton Link fixes this. Please contact the developers of your favorite apps and ask them to support Ableton Link.

About

OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer

This app is a flexible MIDI drum sequencer for iOS, offering up to 16 tracks with advanced modulation and sequencing. It can be used standalone or as an AUv3 plugin in DAWs, and is optimized for drums but also suitable for melodies. It requires iOS 12 or higher.

Highlights
  • 16 mutable tracks
  • AUv3 MIDI plugin
  • Standalone operation
  • Parameter locking
  • Smart randomizer
  • Chainable patterns
  • Custom time signatures
Features
Read full description

OCTACHRON is a very flexible iOS MIDI Drum Sequencer with up to 16 tracks and rich modulation and sequencing capabilities. It is optimized for drums, but also a lot of fun for basic melody lines. It works standalone or as AUv3 MIDI plugin in your favorite iOS DAW or mixer. (E.g. AUM, Logic Pro, Cubasis, Beatmaker, ApeMatrix, Groove Rider, Nanostudio and more (not GarageBand)) PRESS REVIEWS - “OCTACHRON is almost perfect now” (haQ attaQ) - “Favorite MIDI Sequencer - User's Choice Award 2022” (iOS AUv3 Facebook Group) - “An exciting MIDI sequencer with advanced features” (Synth Anatomy) - “Particularly the probability parameters are a lot of fun” (Amazona) !!! PLEASE NOTICE: OCTACHRON IS A MIDI SEQUENCER AND DOES NOT CREATE ANY SOUNDS OF ITS OWN !!! We believe in specialization. This is why OCTACHRON is focused on in depth MIDI sequencing. Control your favorite iOS drums like Blip Box, Ruismaker or MV08, synths like Zeeon or Model D or any other hard- or software MIDI instrument with it. iOS 12 or higher required. If used with a host software, this has to be compatible with the MIDI AudioUnit standard. OVERVIEW - Standalone or AUv3 AudioUnit - 1-32 steps with flexible clock divider and custom time signatures - Up to 16 mutable tracks with adjustable length - Up to 8 chainable patterns (song mode) - Swing with flexible swing grid - Save, restore and export your pattern presets, MIDI files and MIDI mapping presets - Parameter lock for velocity, ratcheting, offset, trigger probability, trigger condition, gate length and MIDI CC Modulation - Scales generator - MIDI control pattern selection, play and mute - Customizable mapping and mapping presets - Works iOS 12 upwards - Optimized for iPad and iPhone - Also compatible standalone with M Macs and Apple Vision Pro LOTS OF MAPPING PRESETS FOR POPULAR DRUM APPS AND HARDWARE - AR-909, Axxon 2 & Blip Box - Dadamachines Automat, Digistix & DM1/DM2/Drumlab - DrumComputer by Sugar Bytes - EGDR 606, 808 & 909 - FAC Drumkit, Hammerhead - Koala Sampler & Korg Gadgets - MV08 & NS2 Slate - Pure Acid Drums - Ruismaker & Ruismaker FM - SDS-X, Sitala & Splat-To-Clat - VA Drum SM, VA Drum2 808 & 909 - Vatanator - Korg Electribe EMX & ER-1 - Korg Volca Beats - MFB 522 - Roland MC-101 - Roland TR-08 - Roland TR-707 & 727 - Roland TR-808 - Roland TR-909 Also save, load and share your own MIDI mappings ... SMART RANDOMIZER - Smart pattern randomizer - Randomizer configuration per track - Trigger mutation per track - Mutation of internal and CC modulation parameters PARAMETER LOCK - Velocity and MIDI CC modulation - Multiple hits per step with ratcheting - Offset - Trigger probability - Trigger condition - Gate length - MIDI CC on every step - 8 CCs per Track - Mutation of Internal and CC Modulation TRACK SETTINGS - Assign MIDI notes to each track or use mapping presets - Individual track length to create polyrhythms LIVE PERFORMANCE FEATURES - Instant pattern switch option - Mute function per track to easily build up layers CONNECTIVIY - Sequence other standalone apps, AUv3 AudioUnits or external hardware via MIDI - OCTACHRON derives its timing from the host application, its internal clock or via AbletonLink - Trigger on different MIDI channels per track NO TRACKING - OCTACHRON works offline - No push notifications - No ads or in-app purchases - No tracking tools - Active on social media and in the mobile music community - Ongoing development and support and many new features on the list FOR MELODIC INSTRUMENTS GENERATE VARIOUS SCALES IN ALL KEYS OCTACHRON is optimized for drums. But it also supports standard melodic scales like major, minor and also more unusual ones like mixolydian, phrygian and more ...

Screenshots

Link to MIDI2 screens
OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Link to MIDI at $4.99 against OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer's $9.99. Link to MIDI also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (95% vs 81%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Link to MIDI costs $4.99 and OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Link to MIDI against 4.6 for OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 74 and 106 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Link to MIDI's written reviews are positive against 81% of OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Link to MIDI ships an update fortnightly, OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Link to MIDI versus OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLink to MIDIOCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (74 ratings) — better4.6 (106 ratings)
Positive reviews94.5% of reviews — better81.0% of reviews
Number of ratings74106 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexandernautMarkus Teufel

Customer experience

Link to MIDI

All ratings73 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral5.5%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive94.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative1.8%

OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer

All ratings104 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral3.8%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive81.0%
Neutral8.6%
Negative10.5%

Bugs and requests

Link to MIDI

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • Clock div issues reported
  • No sound output reported
  • Projects broken by update
  • Skipping first note on pattern change
  • GUI glitchy/choppy
Show 19 more
  • Crashing when loading custom mapping
  • Repeating notes unexpectedly
  • Kick muting in song mode
  • Controller faders not working perfectly
  • Unwanted random notes
  • MIDI recording not an option
  • Pattern change via MIDI difficult
  • GarageBand AUv3 compatibility issues
  • No sound output
  • Projects corrupted after update
  • Clock division not working
  • Difficulty changing patterns
  • MIDI note sequences cannot be recorded
  • Choppy visual experience
  • Random notes played with ThumbJam
  • Crash when loading saved custom mapping
  • Skipping first note when switching patterns
  • Repeating notes without repeat enabled
  • Kick drum mutes in song mode

Requested features

26 requests
  • Add touchable pads
  • Add MIDI Step record feature
  • Add triplets
  • Add MIDI file export and import
  • Add system-wide preset save and load
Show 21 more
  • Add randomization for different genres
  • Increase channel count to 16
  • Add more options for MIDI input for real-time control
  • Add MIDI learn button for each track
  • Add option to record drums live into the sequencer
  • Add more patterns
  • Follow mode for song mode GUI
  • Enhanced mod edit mode with inline editing
  • Ability to drag/select patterns in song mode to auto loop
  • App preset for Arturia iSpark
  • MIDI channel per drum sound
  • Number indicating parameter value while changing
  • Ability to tie patterns
  • Note length option
  • 16 channel support
  • MIDI channel per track
  • Pattern resync for DAW synchronization
  • Expandable number of patterns and rows
  • Preview sounds
  • Import sound directly into slots
  • Triplets division

In-app purchases

None

Link to MIDI

No in-app purchases

None

OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Link to MIDI free?
Link to MIDI costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer free?
OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Link to MIDI or OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer?
Link to MIDI is rated higher. Link to MIDI averages 4.6 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer averages 4.6 from 106 ratings.
Do Link to MIDI or OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer have ads?
Neither Link to MIDI nor OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Link to MIDI or OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer?
Link to MIDI ships an update fortnightly, and OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer every 2 months. Most recently, Link to MIDI was updated on November 6, 2026 and OCTACHRON MIDI Drum Sequencer on November 11, 2026.

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