Comparison

Troublemaker vs Radio Unit

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

Head to head
About

Troublemaker

This app emulates the iconic TB-303 bassline synthesizer, offering its distinctive sound with a diode filter, sawtooth, and square wave oscillators. It provides extensive MIDI and sequencer features, allowing for creative sound design and integration with DAWs.

Highlights
  • Diode filter emulation
  • Sawtooth and square wave oscillators
  • Realtime Mutation Probability Engine
  • Standalone sequencer (1-64 steps)
  • Audio Unit (AUv3) compatibility
  • MIDI CC controllers
  • MIDI Clock Sync
Features
Read full description

Featured in the US Appstore! Here's what the reviews say: "Perfect for on the move acid sessions, the Trouble Maker app faithfully recreates the sound of the original TB-303" - DJ Mag "Troublemaker is absolutely no trouble at all to heartily recommend" - SoundOnSound "If you want to make the bassline from Josh Wink’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ on the bus, this is the app for the job" - Factmag.com "Top-notch stuff from a developer that just keeps getting better" - Musicappblog.com "This app has been consuming all of my time this week! Love it!" - Discchord.com Introducing Troublemaker: this is not a 303 The legendary TB-303 has magical properties; it is filled to the brim with analog shimmer. Its output jack is a gateway to a parallel universe and when you twiddle the filter knobs an army of highly trained pixies chisel the square waves from freshly harvested unicorn souls. So if you want a TB-303, you should buy a TB-303. But if you're after *that sound* Troublemaker will give you everything you need in spades. Troublemaker sports a carefully crafted diode filter emulation and among the available oscillators are the typical raspy, nasal sawtooth and rubbery square wave with its oddball shape and shifting pulse width. It also has the wow. Troublemaker is fully Audio Unit (AUv3) compatible, so you can go wild running multiple instances in your favorite DAWs. It also has: - MIDI CC controllers for all knobs (predefined), - Core Midi, Virtual Midi, Bluetooth Midi input, - MIDI Clock Sync, MIDI Start / Stop support - Realtime Mutation Probability Engine - Standalone sequencer supports 1-64 steps - Audiobus 3 support (audio + MIDI) - Exports MID and WAV files from the standalone sequencer - User manual and MIDI charts on ruismaker.com - Comes with an extra AUv3 plugin version of a modded Troublemaker unit And unlike the TB-303, it can actually sound like a bass guitar ;-)

About

Radio Unit

Stream over 35,000 internet radio stations with this app. Enhance your audio experience by using it as an AUv3 plugin with other compatible music apps. Discover new music and save your favorites.

Highlights
  • Access 35,000+ radio stations
  • Enhance audio with AUv3 plugins
  • Intuitive interface
  • Song discovery and saving
  • Favorites sync across devices
  • MIDI control for AUv3 plugin
Read full description

Discover a world of music with Radio Unit, a sleek and powerful Internet radio player with a built-in Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin.  Elevate your listening experience by enhancing streaming audio in real time using your favorite third-party audio processing plugins (not included) within AUv3-compatible hosts like Drambo or GarageBand. Features: • Intuitive Interface: Enjoy a clean, user-friendly design for effortless navigation. • Song Discovery: Tap to add the currently playing song to your favorites, then open it in the Apple Music app or search for it on Google. • Massive Station Library: Access over 35,000 radio stations—search by name, browse by genre or location, and sort by popularity. • Favorites Sync: Save stations and songs to your favorites list, seamlessly synced across your devices. • AUv3 Integration: Use Radio Unit as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin in hosts like Drambo, GarageBand, and more, with support for multiple plugin instances. • MIDI Mapping: Control buttons can be triggered by MIDI Note events (C3 to F3). (AUv3 only) • Battery Efficient: Stream music without draining your device. The app requires internet connection.

Screenshots

Troublemaker2 screens
Radio Unit2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Troublemaker at every 2 weeks against Radio Unit's every 2 months. Troublemaker also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Radio Unit's advantage is price ($6.99 vs $8.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Troublemaker costs $8.99 and Radio Unit $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Troublemaker against 4.6 for Radio Unit. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 59 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Troublemaker's written reviews are positive against 81% of Radio Unit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, Radio Unit every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Troublemaker versus Radio Unit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTroublemakerRadio Unit
Price$8.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.6 (64 ratings)4.6 (59 ratings)
Positive reviews77.9% of reviews81.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings64 — better59
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBram BosBeepStreet

Customer experience

Troublemaker

All ratings64 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive77.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative11.6%

Radio Unit

All ratings59 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative9.3%

Bugs and requests

Troublemaker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Radio Unit

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Cannot remove recognized songs
  • Cannot remove favorite saved songs (Mac)
  • Last update ruined experience with loading times and connection issues
  • Sadé channel frequently disconnects
  • Some stations don’t connect at all
Show 12 more
  • Cannot see song title/artist
  • Seamless integration with GarageBand and Logic Pro doesn't work
  • Cannot change station with MIDI, LFOs etc. after update
  • Cubasis 3 can’t find app
  • BBC streams no longer play
  • Cannot edit user slots after adding of link
  • Links not working
  • Cannot add user slots ('see the developer to unlock slots')
  • Adding stations near impossible
  • Failed URL slot flashes red and is inaccessible
  • Cannot paste other URLs
  • Cannot record and sample the feed into DAW

Requested features

13 requests
  • Option to remove or filter hostile nations
  • Add more stations (Golha radio, IRIB radio)
  • Ability to organize, tag, and edit stream specifications
  • Ability to use with CarPlay
  • Pitch slider within the app to slow down radio in real time
Show 8 more
  • More user presets/slots
  • iCloud sync for recently played stations and discovered pieces
  • Ability to change station with MIDI, LFOs etc. (post-update issue)
  • More exposed parameters for tweaking
  • Greater resources for slots (folders/sections)
  • Import/export presets list
  • Assign MIDI CC to volume knob and channel switch buttons
  • Support for streams in OGG container format

In-app purchases

None

Troublemaker

No in-app purchases

None

Radio Unit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Troublemaker free?
Troublemaker costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Radio Unit free?
Radio Unit costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Troublemaker or Radio Unit?
Troublemaker and Radio Unit are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 64 and 59 ratings respectively.
Do Troublemaker or Radio Unit have ads?
Neither Troublemaker nor Radio Unit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Troublemaker or Radio Unit?
Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Radio Unit every 2 months. Most recently, Troublemaker was updated on October 8, 2026 and Radio Unit on October 15, 2026.

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