TerribleSync vs Pixel Music
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TerribleSync
Control the tempo of music hardware like synthesizers and drum machines using your iPhone or iPad. Features include tap tempo, precise dial adjustment, and buttons for performance effects. Requires a 3.5mm audio cable for connection.
- Tap tempo
- Rotary tempo dial
- Pause/mute button
- Performance effect buttons
- Clear interface
- Open source project
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Use your iPhone or iPad to control the tempo of impulse-sync-enabled synthesizers, drum machines, and other music hardware. Features: • Tap tempo • Supports 20.0 - 999.0+ BPM • Rotary tempo dial for precise, tactile tempo adjustment • Pause/mute button • ?, !, and :fire: buttons to introduce character and chaos into your performance • Clear, simple interface designed to be easy to use in a stage/performance setting This app works with any instrument you own that takes voltage impulses as a tempo control, such as: • KORG SQ-1, Volca, Monotribe, etc. • Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator • Moog MOTHER-32 (choose the "single clock advance" setting on the instrument) This project is open source. Try building it yourself at https://github.com/terribleben/terrible-sync or contact twitter.com/terribleben with feedback! Notes: • 3.5mm audio cable is required to connect your iPhone or iPad to your sync-enabled instruments. • If the instrument isn't responding, you may need to increase the iPhone's volume. • This software is not produced by, endorsed by, or affiliated with KORG, Teenage Engineering, Moog Music, or other instrument manufacturers.
Pixel Music
Transform your favorite images into unique musical compositions. This app uses pixel data to control pitch, duration, and velocity, allowing you to create melodies and rhythms by interacting with visuals. Explore various traversal methods and image data types for diverse sonic results.
- Pixels control pitch, velocity, and note duration
- Play multiple images simultaneously
- AUv3 support with MIDI
- Ableton Link compatible
- Customizable image traversal and data mapping
- Internal synth with effects
- Save and load app states
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Pixel Music is a music sequencer based on images. Take an image you love and start playing. Overview ◦ Pixels turn into pitch, velocity, and note durations ◦ Play multiple images at the same time, in sync ◦ Choose what parts of the image will be played and at what timing ◦ Tap on the image and record yourself playing alongside the sequencer Features ◦ AUv3 with preset and MIDI support ◦ Ableton Link compatible ◦ Control sequencer timing and configuration ◦ Program different step lengths in patterns and play these across your images with Verses ◦ Choose between RGB, Luminance, Hue, or Saturation data to control pitch, velocity, or note duration ◦ Choose how the image is traversed, between Left -> Right, Top -> Down, or Circular. Select randomness factor in image traversal ◦ Choose recorded loop length and quantization settings ◦ Internal Synth with delay and reverb effects ◦ Send MIDI to external synths when used as AUv3. Each image you add has a separate MIDI channel exposed in the AU host ◦ Save and Load app states and configurations ◦ Dark mode support AU Hosts Compatibility ◦ Pixel Music works best with AUM, Audiobus, or ApeMatrix ◦ Pixel Music does NOT support Logic Pro or Garage Band Have fun with it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TerribleSync at Free against Pixel Music's $5.99. Pixel Music's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 8 months vs every 35 months). On review sentiment, 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
TerribleSync is free to download; Pixel Music costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pixel Music holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of TerribleSync's written reviews are positive against 82% of Pixel Music's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
TerribleSync ships an update every 35 months, Pixel Music every 8 months. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.
| Parameter | TerribleSync | Pixel Music |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $5.99 |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 4.6 (7 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better | 81.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | Every 8 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Benjamin Roth | Andrei Antonescu |
Customer experience
TerribleSync
Pixel Music
In-app purchases
TerribleSync
No in-app purchases
Pixel Music
No in-app purchases









