Soundcool OSC vs KeyPad MIDI Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Soundcool OSC
This app acts as a remote control surface for a computer-based music and audiovisual creation system. It allows users to remotely control various modules like audio and video players, effects, and mixers over WiFi or the internet.
- Remote control for music creation
- Audiovisual module control
- WiFi and internet connectivity
- Control surface functionality
- Use with Mac or PC software
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Soundcool is a collaborative system for musical, sound, and audiovisual creation using mobile devices, tablets, and computers (Mac or PC). The audiovisual component is developed with the Soundcool software for computers, available for download from the developer’s website. This software includes modules such as audio and video players, effects, mixers, and more. Each module can be remotely controlled via WiFi or the Internet using this Soundcool OSC app on your mobile device or tablet, which acts as a control surface.
KeyPad MIDI Controller
Transform your device into a professional MIDI controller with touch-optimized piano keys, drum pads, and performance controls. It supports SFZ, SF2, WAV, and M4A samples, and can control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired.
- Touch-optimized piano keyboard
- 9-pad drum grid
- XY performance pad
- Built-in sound engine (SF2, SFZ, WAV, M4A)
- AUv3 plugin support
- Network MIDI for Mac control
- Aftertouch and MPE expression
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Transform your iPad or iPhone into a professional MIDI controller with a touch-optimized piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, drum pads, and XY performance controls. Control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired, as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin in your favorite DAW. Perfect for mobile producers, live performers, beat makers, and sound designers. CORE FEATURES • Built-in sound engine for SF2, SFZ, WAV, and M4A. • Piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, 9-pad drum grid, XY pad, and CC faders. • Scale mode with 12 scales and any root key, on both piano and grid. • Aftertouch and MPE with Mono AT, Poly AT, and XY MPE modes. • Aftertouch and Mod Wheel remapping to any MIDI CC or Pitch Bend. • Velocity, Pitch Bend, and Modulation faders, plus a latching sustain button. • AUv3 plugin for GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, and Drambo. • Network MIDI, OSC output, and 16 MIDI channels + Omni. • Adaptive interface for all iPad and iPhone sizes. VIEW MODES Switch between six layouts from the View menu: Piano: a familiar 2-octave keyboard with height-based velocity. Piano Fader: four CC faders in place of the XY pad and drum pads. Assign any CC to each fader and save CC sets as presets. Grid: Isomorphic: every row and column keeps the same interval, so chords and scales have one shape anywhere. Grid: 2 Rows: a piano-style pair of rows, naturals below, sharps above. Grid: Minor Thirds: columns step up by 3 semitones, rows move chromatically. Grid: Big Piano: large naturals with quarter-size sharps. Your view, layout, and root note persist across sessions. SCALE MODE Choose from 12 scales - Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Blues, and Whole Tone - in any of the 12 root keys. On the grid, cells remap so only in-scale notes are laid out, putting every note under your fingers. On the piano, the keyboard keeps its familiar black and white pattern. Out-of-scale keys dim and stop responding to touch, so only the keys in your key are labelled and playable. Switch back to Chromatic anytime for the full keyboard. GRID EXPRESSION Every grid layout includes a dedicated mod-wheel row. A vibrant gradient highlights roots and notes, optional labels show note names, and per-note MPE with pitch bend gives each finger independent control. BUILT-IN SOUND ENGINE Play sounds without any external app. Load SF2 SoundFonts with multi-preset selection, or import SFZ, WAV, and M4A samples. The low-CPU engine maps samples across the keyboard automatically, and sounds persist across sessions. AFTERTOUCH & MPE EXPRESSION Mono AT applies uniform pressure across chords, Poly AT sends independent pressure per note, and XY MPE allocates per-note MIDI channels (2-16) with Y on CC74 and X on Pitch Bend. Remap aftertouch or mod wheel to any MIDI CC or Pitch Wheel. A green gradient on pressed keys shows pressure in real time. CONNECT TO YOUR MAC Control Logic Pro, Ableton Live, or any Mac music software from your iPad or iPhone. Connect wirelessly over your local network with Bonjour, or plug in via USB for a rock-solid, zero-latency link. STANDALONE OR AUV3 Load KeyPad inside GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, Drambo, or any AUv3 host to play your instruments without switching apps, with settings saved in your project. Or run it standalone to drive hardware synths, route MIDI to other iOS apps, or control your Mac. TOUCH-OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE Height-Based Velocity: Touch keys at different vertical positions for dynamic velocity, with three curves to shape the response. XY Performance Pad: Control two parameters at once with multi-touch. Assign any MIDI CC to each axis for filter sweeps, effect morphing, or live sound manipulation. Smart Layout: Scales to the window, keeping the full layout with controls and pads on iPhone, iPad, Split View, and AUv3 plugin windows.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: KeyPad MIDI Controller at 4.9 against Soundcool OSC's 4.0. KeyPad MIDI Controller also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (15 vs 1). Soundcool OSC's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
KeyPad MIDI Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KeyPad MIDI Controller has 15 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Soundcool OSC ships an update every 17 months, KeyPad MIDI Controller every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Soundcool OSC | KeyPad MIDI Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.9 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 15 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 73 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jorge Sastre | DiscoDSP LLC |
Customer experience
Soundcool OSC
KeyPad MIDI Controller
In-app purchases
Soundcool OSC
No in-app purchases
KeyPad MIDI Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Soundcool OSC free?
Is KeyPad MIDI Controller free?
Which has better reviews, Soundcool OSC or KeyPad MIDI Controller?
Do Soundcool OSC or KeyPad MIDI Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, Soundcool OSC or KeyPad MIDI Controller?
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