Comparison

Soft Drummer vs Tape Loop Machine

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

Head to head
About

Soft Drummer

This app provides natural acoustic drum sounds and improvises musically with warm grooves for various genres. It offers multi-track MIDI export, live pad performance, and synchronization with other apps. Create rhythmic structures for songs quickly and control parameters via MIDI.

Highlights
  • Natural acoustic drum sounds
  • Improvise musically
  • Multi-track MIDI export
  • Live performance pads
  • Ableton Link synchronization
  • MIDI control and output
  • Song mode for rhythmic structures
Features
Read full description

Soft Drummer is your subtle session drummer, and now it works as an AUv3 plugin inside GarageBand, AUM, Loopy Pro or your favourite DAW. It doesn't loop. It improvises. With brushes, hot rods and hands, Soft Drummer generates warm, musical grooves for ballads, soft pop, jazz and latin, adapting in real time like a real session player. No patterns. No repetition. AUv3 Use Soft Drummer as a plugin in any AUv3 host. Send and receive grooves between Soft Drummer, Pop Drummer and iBassist. Sync everything in real time. SOUND More than 50 multilayer sounds with 3 hit types (ghost, accented, drag/open) × 3 Round Robin alternating samples for natural, authentic feel. 4 playing styles: Brushes, Hot Rods, Hands and Mallets. 4 Effects: Compressor/Gate, EQ, Delay and Reverb with individual track control. LIVE PERFORMANCE 8 assignable Live Pads for fills, intros and endings, playable live or with any MIDI controller (iRig Blueboard and 4-button compatible). Ableton Link sync for tight integration with your setup. SONG MODE Build your song structure in seconds. Arrange rhythmic sections and let Soft Drummer follow your song from intro to outro. MIDI MIDI Out, MIDI Sync (Legacy, recommended Ableton Link), Sound Module (Play individual sounds by MIDI In). ⏺ Assignable MIDI controls (default mapping): - Transport: Play: G2 · Fill: C2 · Fill + Play/Stop: A2 · Tap Tempo: Bb2 - LivePads: Pads 1–8: C1–G1 · Load LivePad: C3 · Previous LivePad: Db3 · Next LivePad: D3 · Select LivePad Set: Eb3 · Fill on LivePad Change: E2 - Performance: Toggle Hats/Ride: Db2 · Fill + Toggle Hats/Ride: D2 · Toggle Snare: Eb2 · Crash Cymbal: B2 · Random: B1 - Songs: Previous: Gb2 · Next: Ab2 - Continuous controls: Jam: CC1 · Intensity: CC2 · Master Volume: CC7 · Swing: CC11 · Progression: CC12 · Tempo Fader: CC20 · Reverb: CC91 - Sound selection: Bank: CC32 · Rhythm: CC0 · Soundset: Program Change All assignments are user-remappable. Note octave naming follows the Logic / Cubase / Ableton / Pro Tools convention (middle C = C3) and is adjustable in MIDI Setup → OCTAVE REFERENCE. Tempo Fader is standalone-only (host-driven in AUv3). EXPORT Multi-Track or Full Mix export in seconds. Audio, MIDI or with Effects , your choice. TRY FOR FREE Soft Drummer is free to explore for 7 days with access to all features. Some actions are limited during the trial (exports, random grooves, sound changes and bars per session). After the trial, keep playing with more limitations. Unlock everything with a one-time purchase, no subscription.

About

Tape Loop Machine

Create warm, evolving ambient soundscapes with tape-style looping and sound-on-sound layering. This audio effect plugin offers long delay times and analog degradation simulations for experimental music creation. Explore presets or use it within your favorite AUv3-compatible host.

Highlights
  • Tape-style loop and delay
  • Sound-on-sound overdubbing
  • Long delay times
  • Analog degradation and tone coloring
  • Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation
  • Preset library
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Read full description

Tape Loop Machine is a free AUv3 audio effect built around tape-style looping, sound-on-sound layering, and long ambient delays. Use it inside any AUv3-compatible host to create warm repeats, evolving drones, layered guitar textures, synth soundscapes, and slow-moving experimental loops. Simple enough to pick up in minutes. Deep enough to get lost in. Features: - Tape-style loop and delay behavior - Sound-on-sound overdub layering - Long delay times for ambient and drone use - Analog degradation and tone coloring - Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation - Presets for quick sound exploration - AUv3 plugin support The standalone app is included for exploring presets and quickly auditioning sounds. For the full experience, load Tape Loop Machine BA2 as an AUv3 audio effect inside your favorite host, connect a guitar, synth, microphone, or any audio source, and start building evolving loops.

Screenshots

Soft Drummer4 screens
Tape Loop Machine3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tape Loop Machine at none against Soft Drummer's 7. Tape Loop Machine also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Soft Drummer's advantage is ratings volume (509 vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Soft Drummer sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Tape Loop Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tape Loop Machine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soft Drummer has 509 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Soft Drummer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tape Loop Machine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Soft Drummer ships an update every 2 months, Tape Loop Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Soft Drummer versus Tape Loop Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSoft DrummerTape Loop Machine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (509 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings509 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS16 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLumbeatBaturay Koc

Customer experience

Soft Drummer

All ratings509 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.5%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews607 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.3%

Tape Loop Machine

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Soft Drummer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Song mode issues, including crashes and missing features
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions and devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for time signatures beyond 4/4
  • Improve MIDI integration and control
  • Implement audio/MIDI export options
  • Provide preset management and organization

Tape Loop Machine

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Soft Drummer

One-time7
  • Big & Low$3.99
  • Presence$3.99
  • Raw Brush$3.99
Show 4 more
  • Tight Control$3.99
  • Clayton$4.99
  • Joe$4.99
  • Soft Drummer Full Access$22.99
None

Tape Loop Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Soft Drummer free?
Soft Drummer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tape Loop Machine free?
Tape Loop Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine?
Tape Loop Machine is rated higher. Soft Drummer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 509 ratings, while Tape Loop Machine averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine have ads?
Neither Soft Drummer nor Tape Loop Machine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine?
Soft Drummer ships an update every 2 months, and Tape Loop Machine fortnightly. Most recently, Soft Drummer was updated on September 22, 2026 and Tape Loop Machine on September 13, 2026.

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