Colossus Piano vs VB3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Colossus Piano
Experience incredibly realistic piano sounds with a vast library of acoustic and electric piano models. This app offers advanced features like multi-velocity layers, pedal support, and MIDI integration for a professional playing experience.
- 13 high-quality piano models
- 24 velocity layers per key
- Sustain, Sostenuto, and Soft pedal support
- MIDI integration (In/Out)
- Audio Unit v3 and Inter-App Audio support
- Low latency disk streaming
- Adjustable tuning options
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Colossus Piano sets a new standard in terms of realism, detail and overall quality of piano sounds on your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. There are 8 acoustic piano models available as 8 individual in-app purchases, plus 5 E-Piano legends bundled as 1 sound set with this app, together those 13 piano models make up 30 Gigabyte of sound material. All keys of all piano models were recorded in full length with a recording quality of 24 bit and 96 kHz stereo. Note: this app requires in-app purchases to provide its functionalities! Minimum Requirement: at least iPad 3 / iPad Air 1 / iPad mini 2 / iPhone 5 / iPod touch 6th gen. Recommended: iPad Air 2 / iPad mini 4 / iPad Pro / iPhone SE / iPhone 6s or higher. The dark brown „Colossus Concert Grand” model:³ • 24 velocity layers per key. • Dedicated sustain samples. • Release hammer sound. • Optional pad sound. • 14 GB in size (SSD space). The white „Baby Grand” model: • 12 velocity layers per key. • Dedicated sustain samples. • Release hammer sound. • Optional pad sound. • 6 GB in size (SSD space). The „Upright Piano” model: • 8 velocity layers per key. • Dedicated sustain samples. • Release hammer sound. • Optional pad sound. • 3.4 GB in size (SSD space). The „E-Piano” sound set: • 5 legendary E-Piano models (plus different model generations or configurations). • 17 E-Piano sounds in total. • Optional pad sound. • Optional tremolo effect. • 1.6 GB in size (SSD space). For information about the other piano models, please visit our product website! This app supports Audio Unit v3, Inter-App Audio and Bluetooth LE MIDI ! Software features: • Modulation wheel support for controlling the most relevant sound parameter of the currently selected sound. • Warm pad sound of a well known analogue synthesizer (not available for all models) can be turned on/off as support for the piano sound; volume can be controlled by mod. wheel and expr. controller. • Sustain pedal support for holding notes. • Sostenuto pedal support for holding individual notes. • Soft pedal support for a more gentle sound. • Expression pedal support for controlling optional pad layer's volume. • Hammer sound when releasing keys, uses round robin, can be turned on/off and volume controlled (some acoustic pianos only). • Polyphony of up to several hundred stereo voices.² • Low latency disk streaming. • Configurable audio latency down to 1 ms. • Integrated effects (18 presets). • App States: Save app's entire state as user presets. • MIDI velocity response curve editor. • App can keep running in the background. • Master Tune, Scale Tuning & Hermode Tuning. • Provides Audio Unit v3 plugin version of this app, which allows it to be used as virtual instrument directly within 3rd party multi-track DAW apps. • Supports Apple's "Inter-App Audio" system. • Virtual on-screen piano keyboard with velocity support, scalable & scrollable. MIDI Player / Recorder: • Record, save and load your songs in standard MIDI file format. • Share your songs easily as audio file. • Unlimited amount of tracks. • Unlimited recording and playback length. • Open MIDI (.mid) files directly from other apps (i.e. from Safari, Mail). • Download or upload MIDI files with iTunes. • Metronome. • Use the "Tempo Zoom" dial knob to i.e. slow down playback at any time, learn your favorite songs more easily. ¹ For more information about supported adapters and MIDI keyboards, please visit our product website. ² Some sounds might use several voices per note. Polyphony depends on the exact device model being used. You find a polyphony table on our product website. ³ Important: the dark brown „Colossus Grand” piano model requires a large amount of main memory, so we only recommend this piano model for device models mentioned as „recommended” above.
VB3
This app emulates a classic tonewheel organ, offering advanced sound modeling and effects. It includes a session recorder, audio player for backing tracks, and extensive MIDI control for live performance and production.
- Tonewheel engine and rotary simulator
- Ring Modulator and Delay effects
- Session Recorder (MIDI & WAV)
- Built-in Audio Player
- Extensive MIDI control and mapping
- Touch-friendly interface with drawbar views
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Released in 2023, this is the second version of GSi's most famous product: VB3-II Tonewheel Organ emulator. This marks 20 years of research and development of this instrument. New VB3-II 2023 edition features: - Added both the tonewheel engine and the rotary simulator from VB3 v.1.4 - The V1 rotary simulator features 3 variations, for a total of 4 different amplifiers - Added 1 new tonewheel generator - Added Ring Modulator and Delay effects (pre) - Added FET Limiter (post) - Sub-Presets for Rotary effect and Digital reverb sections - Session Recorder: silently records everything is played and imports/exports standard Midi Files and renders to WAV files - Built-in Audio Player plays the most common audio formats to add a backing track to your music - Octave transposers for upper and lower separately - New Program browser shows full list with move, swap, delete functions along with import/export of banks and single Programs - Built-in function to import/export from/to VB3-II 2018 (and Crumar Mojo Desktop) Program and Bank formats - New Midi Map with reverse, latch and lock functions for each parameter - Quick Midi Learn for main screen/performance controls, normal Midi Learn for all other parameters - New advanced Midi Javascript processor for custom event transformations (supports SysEx and RPN/NRPN) - Multiple outputs (Main + Organ Only) - Separate plugin for remote Audio and Midi input - includes the exclusive VoMidiCoder - New bigger touch-friendly interface - Four different drawbar view styles - On-screen keyboards with two different viewing styles - Random program generator - Added rotary effect speed control from Channel Aftertouch - Supports Midi Output, can send whole "snapshots" when loading and when changing Programs - Supports different curves for the Swell Pedal - Built-in Midi Monitor for monitoring incoming Midi messages - Free Cloud service for sharing Programs, Midi Maps and Midi Processor Scripts with other users Features already present in the 2018 edition: - Full polyphony (61 upper + 61 lower + 25 pedals = 147 notes) - 91 modeled tonewheels with accurate phase synchronization - Adjustable leakage noise and cross modulation between tonewheels - A total of 22 different tonewheel generators to choose from - Generator shaping for a total of 154 generator combinations - Adjustable global tuning from 430 to 450 Hz - Foldback on 16" deactivatable - Complex wheels - Resistor wiring with multiple options - Realistic "run" motor wow and flutter - Busbars and 9 key contact simulation - Two separate sets of drawbars per manual - Full "inverted octave" presets - String Bass with adjustable release time - Loudness "robbing" effect - Single triggered percussion with natural capacitor discharge/recharge - Adjustable Percussion Level and Decay - Vibrato/Chorus virtual scanner - Adjustable Vibrato Scanner depth and mix - Separated Upper and Lower V/C tablets with smooth switching - Dynamic tube overdrive simulation - Spring Reverb (pre) and Digital stereo reverb (post) - Rotary speaker simulation with virtual microphone positioning, tube overdrive, tube feedback - Rotors "Front Stop" brake position with adjustable preferred position - Very low CPU consumption - Advanced MIDI Learn function with import/export of custom mappings - Upper and Lower manuals SPLIT with adjustable split point - Supports pedal sustain - Custom programmer with import/export of Programs and Banks Available for iPad as standalone App with IAA support or AUv3 plugin, compatible with all plugin hosts.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: VB3 at 3.7 against Colossus Piano's 3.3. VB3 also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Colossus Piano's advantage is device support and ratings volume (65 vs 17). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Colossus Piano sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and VB3 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
VB3 holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 17 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Colossus Piano's written reviews are positive against 50% of VB3's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
| Parameter | Colossus Piano | VB3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (65 ratings) | 3.7 (17 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 65 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 384 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christian Schoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte | Genuine Soundware |
Customer experience
Colossus Piano
VB3
Bugs and requests
Colossus Piano
Reported bugs
27 issues- Crashes when exporting to WAV/M4A in GarageBand
- App crashes when switching piano models
- Audio Unit extension crashes
- No sound when exporting to GarageBand
- Plugin crashes in DAWs during export/freeze
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- App crashes when loading MIDI files
- Hammer sound too loud even at lowest settings
- Low C1 note out of tune
- Electric Grand F4 note sample start time issue
- Electric Grand G#4, D5 notes have noise on attack
- Plugin not loading properly in hosts
- AUv3 interface scaled back
- Exporting to WAV results in silence
- App crashes during export/freeze
- Japanese Grand has low volume
- Colossus Concert Grand needs improvement
- G1 key has loud, annoying noise
- B flat 3 key sounds too flat
- Crashing in AU mode
- Bass notes drop out when holding damper pedal
- Voice stealing makes piano perform unacceptably
- Bass is muddy in Concert Grand
- Note 26 (Bb2) sounds like an upright
- Subtle nuance playing is nearly impossible
- App crashes or freezes randomly
- MIDI player doesn't work with GarageBand
- Audio Units extension terminates unexpectedly
Requested features
14 requests- Add chorus effect
- Global EQ
- Release control
- Tap tempo for modulation speed
- Save velocity curves
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- More intuitive UI
- Zoom function for keys
- Add release samples
- MIDI export/import
- Three-band EQ
- Layering sounds on multiple MIDI keyboards
- Ability to save setups
- Improve AUv3 functionality
- Add more piano models
VB3
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Colossus Piano
- Vintage Upright$9.99
- Historic S Grand$9.99
- Pianino$12.99
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Japanese Grand$12.99
- Classic B Grand$15.99
- Upright Piano$19.99
- Colossus E-Piano Set$19.99
- Baby Grand Piano$26.99
- Colossus Concert Grand$49.99
VB3
- Log-in to your GSi account$0.99
- Unlock All Pro Features$99.99









