Soft Drummer vs Tape Loop Machine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Soft Drummer
This app generates realistic, improvisational drum grooves for various genres using brushes, hot rods, and hands. It functions as an AUv3 plugin for DAWs and offers extensive sound customization, live performance pads, and song structuring capabilities. Export options include audio, MIDI, and effects.
- Improvisational drum groove generation
- AUv3 plugin for DAWs
- Brush, hot rod, and hand playing styles
- Multi-layer sounds with round robin
- Live performance pads
- Song structure building
- MIDI In/Out and Ableton Link sync
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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 the Full Version with a one-time purchase, no subscription. Extra drummers (Clayton and Joe), sound packs and Studio Mix are sold separately.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tape Loop Machine at none against Soft Drummer's 8. Tape Loop Machine also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 91%). Soft Drummer's advantage is ratings volume (516 vs 20). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Soft Drummer sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Tape Loop Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Soft Drummer against 4.8 for Tape Loop Machine. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soft Drummer has 516 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Soft Drummer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tape Loop Machine's.
Soft Drummer ships an update every 4 weeks, Tape Loop Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Soft Drummer | Tape Loop Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (516 ratings) | 4.8 (20 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 91.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 516 — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 816 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lumbeat | Baturay Koc |
Customer experience
Soft Drummer
Tape Loop Machine
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
Soft Drummer
- Big & Low$3.99
- Presence$3.99
- Raw Brush$3.99
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- Tight Control$3.99
- Clayton$4.99
- Joe$4.99
- Studio Mix$8.99
- Soft Drummer Full Access$22.99
Tape Loop Machine
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Soft Drummer free?
Is Tape Loop Machine free?
Which has better reviews, Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine?
Do Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine have ads?
Which is updated more often, Soft Drummer or Tape Loop Machine?
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