Apollo Motion MIDI Controller vs WiDI MIDI Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Apollo Motion MIDI Controller
Transform your iPhone into a musical instrument using its accelerometer. Trigger MIDI notes and chords with motion, creating a natural and organic feel for music production. Ideal for adding unique percussive elements or expressive control to your compositions.
- Motion-controlled MIDI triggering
- Accelerometer-based input
- Wireless MIDI over Bluetooth
- USB MIDI via musicIO
- Customizable MIDI events
- Program and control change messages
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Apollo Motion MIDI Controller uses the accelerometer built into your iPhone, turning it into a unique musical instrument. Shake or tap your iPhone to trigger MIDI notes or chords; when used with the innovative synthesizer and drum apps on iOS, you have a new way of creating music. One of the best ways to keep time is through moving your body. Everyone can tap their feet or clap their hands to a beat; by using this motion to trigger MIDI, you can capture a natural, organic feeling. Use the app like a shaker, tambourine, or a cowbell, with the MIDI notes adding the accents you need; every song could use more cowbell. The app detects rapid acceleration in six different directions, to trigger six different MIDI events. Use the front for a cymbal, and the back for a bass drum. You can also use the app to send program change or control change messages. The app is not appropriate for speed-metal drum rolls; the response rate of the accelerometer limits how quickly notes can be triggered. Apollo Motion MIDI Controller works with Apollo MIDI over Bluetooth (the original Bluetooth MIDI solution for iOS). With low latency wireless MIDI from your phone to an iPad or Mac, you're free from a tangle of connections, and can move how you want. The app also works with musicIO, which provides both high speed MIDI and four channels of audio using a standard USB sync cable, connecting your iPhone to either a Mac or PC.
WiDI MIDI Studio
Create custom MIDI control surfaces and sequences for your music production. Map buttons, pads, knobs, and faders to send MIDI events and control instruments or DAWs. Features an integrated step sequencer for composing musical ideas.
- Customizable MIDI control surface
- Integrated step sequencer
- MIDI CC and Note generation
- MIDI network session support
- Automate CC values
- Group sequences for synchronized playback
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WiDI is a control surface with an integrated step sequencer in which you create controls such as buttons, pads, knobs and faders to send MIDI events and play sequences. • CONTROL SURFACE AND SEQUENCER: A control is bound to a channel and a specific MIDI Control Change. You can either specify the CC number if you know it, or let the app learn it. Once placed on the surface, use this control to interact with your MIDI device. Alternatively, any CC event sent by your device will be shown live by the control(s) bound to this CC. Pads are special controls: they can either produce MIDI CC events, Notes or Program changes. If bound to a CC, the pad can act as an on/off switch (you specify the values for each state.) If bound to a note, each tap produces the specified MIDI note. This is especially useful to operate MIDI instruments without keyboards such as synthesizer modules or drum machines. A sequence can hold as many tracks as you wish, and send notes to different MIDI channels. Sequences can play in sync or running freely. You may also group sequences together to start or pause them at the same time. • MIDI: To interface WiDI with any MIDI instruments/devices connected to your Mac or PC, connect to a MIDI Network Session on your Mac or your PC. On a Mac, this is natively supported by macOS, and you do not need to install third party software (use Audio MIDI Setup.) On a PC running Windows, you might want to install rtpMIDI. As an alternative to MIDI Network Sessions, you may use the WiDI Desktop Application. It acts as a MIDI bridge between the network and your MIDI hardware. You can install the desktop application on as many computers as you want (it's free!). It's a very lightweight package that doesn't need to perform any installation procedure whatsoever. You may download the WiDI Desktop Application for macOS on the Mac App Store, or go to : https://www.hypertide.com/widi/ for both macOS and Windows archives. Additionally, any class-compliant MIDI interface natively supported by iOS can also be used directly by WiDI without the need of a network connection. • FEATURES: ○ Use any CoreMIDI-supported MIDI interface connected to your device ○ MIDI network session: use WiDI as an external control surface for any DAW such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, ... ○ Multiple iPhone and iPad can connect to your computer, allowing different control surfaces simultaneously ○ Integrated step sequencer: create sequences, each one holding as many tracks as needed ○ Sequences can run freely or in sync and start simultaneously if grouped together in fire groups ○ Auto discover MIDI CC : you don't need to know each one to add controls, WiDI learns CC numbers sent by your devices ○ Automate CC : sweep ranges or use the step modulator to design patterns to modulate controls values, supporting various advanced options like step-by-step or smooth variations, bouncing, repeating, changing speed ○ Add as many pads as you want to generate MIDI Notes, Control Changes or Program Changes ○ Flexible control surface : set layout and grid size for both portrait and landscape orientations ○ Re-arranging controls is as simple as drag & drop ○ Fully customizable user interface : themes, colors, display of values and labels, aspect ratios, grid spacing, grid coloring, background, ... ○ Integrated File Manager to load and save your surfaces, which are also accessible in the iOS Files app and your computer's iTunes connection ○ Exchange surfaces between devices with the integrated QR code generator and scanner ○ Or use the share feature, so you may import them on any device. We'd love to hear from you! Should you be in need of support or eager to request a new feature, please contact us at support+widi@hypertide.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: WiDI MIDI Studio at 5.0 against Apollo Motion MIDI Controller's 3.6. Apollo Motion MIDI Controller's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 10.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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
Both are free to download. WiDI MIDI Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Apollo Motion MIDI Controller asks for nothing beyond the download.
WiDI MIDI Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | Apollo Motion MIDI Controller | WiDI MIDI Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 10.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Secret Base Design | HYPERTIDE SAS |
Customer experience
Apollo Motion MIDI Controller
WiDI MIDI Studio
In-app purchases
Apollo Motion MIDI Controller
No in-app purchases
WiDI MIDI Studio
- WiDI Fully Unlocked Version$1.99
Questions
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