Comparison

Troublemaker vs FabFilter Twin 3

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

FabFilter Twin 3

This powerful virtual analog synthesizer offers a vast array of sound-shaping tools, including multiple oscillators, filters, and a comprehensive modulation system. Create a wide range of synth sounds with an intuitive interface and a rich factory preset library.

Highlights
  • Four flexible oscillators
  • Four vintage-style filters
  • Extensive modulation system
  • All-new FX section
  • Arpeggiator with groove controls
  • Full-featured preset browser
  • Analog-modelled drift
Read full description

Since its first release in 2005, FabFilter Twin has been famous for its filter quality and oscillator sound. FabFilter Twin 3 expands and improves on its predecessors in every area, including a complete redesign of the GUI and workflow, more and better oscillators and filters, a radically powered-up modulation system, an all-new FX section, and much more. Sonically versatile, supremely intuitive, and spectacularly ‘analog’, Twin 3 is a dream instrument for creating synth sounds of all kinds, from basses, leads, and pads to plucks, drums, effects, and beyond. The Twin 3 app lets you play via the on-screen keyboard or a MIDI keyboard connected to your iPad. To use Twin 3 as a plug-in, you need an AUv3-compatible host app like Auria, AUM or Cubasis. Twin 3 will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for instrument plug-ins in the host app. Key features: - Virtual analog synth featuring four flexible oscillators, four filters, six FX modules, and a vast modulation system with a wealth of flexible source signal generators, drag and drop source/target routing, and no limit to the number of modulation assignments that can be made - Fully redesigned, greatly simplified interface with easier workflow - Completely overhauled modulation system with redesigned modulation sources, and floating slot and FX panels - All-new FX section, housing Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Phaser, Drive, and Compressor modules - Arpeggiator with Groove/Legato controls, note order, latch options, and more - Full-featured preset browser, with tags, favorites, and search and filter functions, and new factory preset library - Per Oscillator polyphony mode: each incoming note triggers a different oscillator - Bell, Shelf, and Notch vintage-style EQ filter shapes - 6dB/octave filter slope option - Modulatable filter Cutoff/Peak Offset knobs knobs, for adjusting all filters at once - High Quality mode — 4x oversampling - Transient mode turns Envelope Followers into transient detectors - Curve adjustment handles for EG Attack, Decay, and Release stages - Slider mode (vertical-only operation) and Range setting (toggles between bipolar and unipolar behavior) for XY controllers - Hide all modulation sources except for XY controllers and Sliders at a click - Native sustain pedal support - Even better oscillator and filter sound quality, with analog-modelled drift - Maximum number of voices doubled from 32 to 64 - Lower minimum Envelope Generator Attack, Decay, and Release times - Maximum number of XY controllers/Sliders increased to six - Envelope Generator Threshold, XLFO Balance, and Frequency Offset made available as modulation targets - Modulation sources can be renamed - Maximum number of modulation slots increased to 100 - Legato mode for MIDI-triggered XLFO - Range options added to MIDI Sources: Negative (-1 to 0), Centered (-1 to 1), and Positive (0 to 1) - Carefully designed and curated factory presets, plus the ability to save your own presets - Undo/redo and A/B comparison "FabFilter Twin is one of the best virtual analogues we've heard so far, and at this price point it's well worth the investment!" — Computer Music "Once I found FabFilter Twin, I immediately noticed how great it works and how amazing it sounds!" — George Morel

Screenshots

Troublemaker2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Troublemaker at $8.99 against FabFilter Twin 3's $24.99. Troublemaker also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 19 months) and device support (3 vs 1). FabFilter Twin 3's advantage is review sentiment (86% vs 78%). On rating, ratings volume, 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

Troublemaker costs $8.99 and FabFilter Twin 3 $24.99 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 FabFilter Twin 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 42 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Troublemaker's written reviews are positive against 86% of FabFilter Twin 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, FabFilter Twin 3 every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Troublemaker versus FabFilter Twin 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTroublemakerFabFilter Twin 3
Price$8.99 — better$24.99
Rating4.6 (64 ratings)4.6 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.9% of reviews86.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings64 — better42
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 19 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBram BosFabFilter

Customer experience

Troublemaker

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

FabFilter Twin 3

All ratings40 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral6.9%
Negative6.9%

In-app purchases

None

Troublemaker

No in-app purchases

None

FabFilter Twin 3

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Troublemaker free?
Troublemaker costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FabFilter Twin 3 free?
FabFilter Twin 3 costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Troublemaker or FabFilter Twin 3?
FabFilter Twin 3 is rated higher. Troublemaker averages 4.6 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while FabFilter Twin 3 averages 4.6 from 42 ratings.
Do Troublemaker or FabFilter Twin 3 have ads?
Neither Troublemaker nor FabFilter Twin 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Troublemaker or FabFilter Twin 3?
Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, and FabFilter Twin 3 every 19 months. Most recently, Troublemaker was updated on October 17, 2026 and FabFilter Twin 3 on October 7, 2026.

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