Comparison

FM Essential vs DTX Touch

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

Head to head
About

FM Essential

This app is an FM tone generator and synthesizer for iPhone and iPad, offering real-time performance capabilities and voice editing. It includes a variety of presets, arpeggiator patterns, chord pads, and scales, along with drum functionalities. The app also supports external hardware integration and advanced sound manipulation through effects, EQ, and a ball controller.

Highlights
  • FM tone generator
  • Real-time synth performance
  • Voice editing
  • Arpeggiator and chord pads
  • Effects and EQ edit
  • Ball controller for sound modulation
  • Step sequencer
Read full description

Featuring an FM tone generator, FM Essential is a synthesizer app for the iPhone and iPad that provides for real-time synth performances and also lets you edit voices. [Spec] -FM sound ・Tone Generator: FM ・Part: 1 ・Polyphony: 16 ・Preset Voice: 271 ・Arpeggiator patterns: 64 ・Chord pads: 20 ・Scales: 25 -Drum Part Tone Generator: Audio Part: 1 Drum Pad: 16 Drum Pad Set: 3 Functions Plug into MX! -You can play full 271 voices and voice store function if you connect your iOS with Yamaha music synthesizer MX BK/BU series. Effects/EQ edit -You can adjust parameters to edit effects and equalization. Ball controller -Touch and drag in ball controller to modulate the sound by simultaneously changing multiple parameters based on the ball position. Step sequencer -We can store the ball position in the currently selected scene box. Arpeggiator and chord pads -You can play Arpeggiator and Chord pads in addition to keyboard with various scales. What's MX BK/BU/WH series? Find more here: http://jp.yamaha.com/products/music-production/synthesizers/mx_bk_bu/?mode=series [Support] -Compatible with Audio Unit Extentions -Compatible devices: iPhone 5S, 6/6 plus, 6s/6s plus and SE, iPod touch 6th Generation or later, iPad Air 1st Generation or later, iPad mini 2nd Generation or later,iPad Pro

About

DTX Touch

This app provides intuitive control for tuning, muting, EQ, and effects on compatible electronic drum kits. It allows users to create custom drum kits with extensive mixing and layering options, offering a PA engineer-like experience.

Highlights
  • Intuitive tap and swipe tuning
  • Graph-based sound adjustment
  • Seamless kit selection and editing
  • Extensive mixing and effect functions
  • Layering up to 10 tones simultaneously
  • Flexible routing options
Features
Read full description

*To use the application, you will need to connect your smart device to DTX using a USB cable and adapter. Please refer to our connection manual for details. *DTX Touch is compatible with firmware version 2 of DTX-PRO / DTX-PROX or later. 1. Tune it up like an acoustic kit Tap and swipe operations allow intuitive tuning, mute, EQ and effect adjustments. The graph allows customization to adjust the sound output in relation to the strength of the pad hit. 2. Simple and clear operation The UI features a flat design and ample use of photos and graphs, allowing users to edit items without hesitation. The normal flow of kit adjustment tasks, such as selecting a kit, editing the kit, adding effects, and mixing, can be performed seamlessly. 3. Let's create your own special kit! The DTX-PRO/PROX, comes enabled with a wide variety of mixing and effect functions, that allow the user to operate like a PA engineer. The DTX-PRO/PROX also offer a wealth of customizable materials, such as a layer function that allows up to 10 different tones to be pronounced simultaneously with highly flexible routing. Please try these functions with the DTX Touch.

Screenshots

FM Essential4 screens
DTX Touch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DTX Touch at 100% against FM Essential's 40%. DTX Touch also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0). FM Essential's advantage is ratings volume (70 vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DTX Touch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FM Essential has 70 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of FM Essential's written reviews are positive against 100% of DTX Touch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FM Essential ships an update every 15 months, DTX Touch every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
FM Essential versus DTX Touch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFM EssentialDTX Touch
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (70 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings70 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 12 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB150 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperYamaha Corporation of AmericaYamaha Corporation

Customer experience

FM Essential

All ratings65 ratings
Positive43.1%
Neutral12.3%
Negative44.6%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative47.5%

DTX Touch

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

FM Essential

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Does not unlock with USB-C adapter
  • App crashes when loading combinations
  • Preset menus crash the app
  • Combined Sounds no longer read from keyboard after iPad update
  • Instruments stop working if effect filters are turned off
Show 1 more
  • Incompatible USB Device on MX displays

Requested features

9 requests
  • Unlock without hardware purchase
  • Allow in-app purchase to unlock
  • Bring back Tenori On apps
  • Fix LFO delay parameter
  • Add separate volume control for drums
Show 4 more
  • Allow app to be used as a plugin
  • Fix AU host preset recall
  • Make app compatible with more devices
  • Fix instruments disabling when effects are off

DTX Touch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

FM Essential

No in-app purchases

None

DTX Touch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FM Essential free?
FM Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DTX Touch free?
DTX Touch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FM Essential or DTX Touch?
DTX Touch is rated higher. FM Essential averages 3.0 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while DTX Touch averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do FM Essential or DTX Touch have ads?
Neither FM Essential nor DTX Touch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FM Essential or DTX Touch?
FM Essential ships an update every 15 months, and DTX Touch every 12 months. Most recently, FM Essential was updated on November 2, 2026 and DTX Touch on November 4, 2026.

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