Trapezoid vs MangledVerb
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Trapezoid
This virtual instrument accurately simulates the sound and playability of a hammered dulcimer. It offers multiple tuning options, drag roll effects, and MIDI compatibility for a realistic musical experience. Designed for both beginners and experienced players, it fits right in your pocket.
- Authentic hammered dulcimer sound
- Standard and Michigan tunings
- Drag roll effects
- MIDI keyboard compatibility
- Velocity sensitive MIDI input
- Note name display
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Trapezoid is an amazing Hammered Dulcimer that can fit in your pocket. Written by an experienced Hammered Dulcimer player, this virtual dulcimer sounds and plays like the real thing! This app has the full range of a standard 12/11 style (9/9 style for 4:3 format iPads) instrument and supports both Standard and Michigan (octave) tunings. 12/11 means there are 12 bridges on the Treble (left) side of the instrument, 11 bridges on the Bass (right) side of the instrument. To play, just touch the strings on either side of the left (Treble) bridge or the left side of the right (Bass) bridge just like on the real instrument. To get repeated note "drag roll" effects, drag quickly horizontally across the strings. The sensitivity of the drag effect may be set on the settings screen. Touch the "?" to show the note names for the strings. Touch the "S" or "M" below the "?" to toggle between Standard and Michigan (octave) tuning. Touch the "Shhh" icon on the upper right corner to quiet all the strings. Touch the "i" to bring up the settings screen where you can set the overall volume, enable or disable the drag roll feature, and set the roll sensitivity for how far you need to drag to get the roll effect. The app also may be played from a MIDI keyboard connected to a hardware MIDI interface or other MIDI controller or MIDI file player apps. On the settings page you may select the MIDI channel number. When playing via MIDI, the app is velocity sensitive based on the velocity sent with the Note-on events. Lowest note is A2 (MIDI note 45). Range is full chromatic from A2 through D6. The app will respond to MIDI volume messages on the selected MIDI channel. To truly experience the full stereo spread of the instrument, plug in a set of headphones or amplified speakers. Playing Hint for Smaller Phone Users: On the smaller screen phones the strings are pretty close together. If you are having trouble hitting the notes you want, show the note names by touching the "?" and then, when playing touch directly on the note names for best playing accuracy. Audio samples of Wes Chappell's amazing dulcimer provided by Jesse Chappell from ThumbJam.com. The instrument was built by James Jones, from Bedford, VA. I have played and taught the Hammered Dulcimer for over 20 years. This app sounds and plays as close to the real instrument as I'm capable of doing on a touch screen. Be sure to visit the AppCordions.com website to watch the demo videos!
MangledVerb
This audio effect app blends rich reverb with intense distortion to create a wide range of sounds, from ambient textures to chaotic mangled audio. It offers extensive controls for shaping instruments and vocals, with features optimized for live performance.
- Rich reverb and devastating distortion
- Create ambient soundscapes or mangled chaos
- Smooth clipping to hard-ripping overdrive
- Wobble control for spooky effects
- The Ribbon for live parameter manipulation
- Hotswitch for instant parameter changes
- Flexible I/O options (Mono/Stereo)
- MIDI control and Tap Tempo for live use
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MangledVerb is a unique effect combining a rich reverb with devastating distortion. It’s capable of creating everything from granular ambience and moody auras to sound-sculpting mangled chaos. Transform your instruments and vocals with this classic Eventide effect. Features: - Create out-of-this world-soundscapes by turning up Size and Overdrive. - Smoothly morph from soft-clipping to hard-ripping overdrive. - Use the Wobble control to create spookiness. - Use The Ribbon control to easily manipulate multiple parameters in a live situation. - Program the Hotswitch to instantly change multiple parameters at once. - Flexible I/O: Mono-In/Mono-Out, Mono-In/Stereo-Out or Stereo-In/Stereo-Out. - Optimized for live use with MIDI control of The Ribbon and Tap Tempo for quick meta-control on the fly. - Use Mixlock to scroll through presets while keeping the wet-dry mix constant. - Available as an Audio Units AUv3 plug-in and Standalone App.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Trapezoid at 100% against MangledVerb's 0%. Trapezoid also leads on price ($1.99 vs $14.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). MangledVerb's advantage is ratings volume (18 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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
Trapezoid costs $1.99 and MangledVerb $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Trapezoid holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MangledVerb has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Trapezoid's written reviews are positive against 0% of MangledVerb's.
Trapezoid ships an update every 9 days, MangledVerb every 14 months. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.
| Parameter | Trapezoid | MangledVerb |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.6 (18 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 14 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 46 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Eskin | Eventide |
Customer experience
Trapezoid
MangledVerb
In-app purchases
Trapezoid
No in-app purchases
MangledVerb
No in-app purchases









