MIDI Expression Control vs PowerPlay5
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MIDI Expression Control
This application allows users to modify settings for MIDI Expression devices. Ensure your device has firmware version 2.6 or higher for iOS compatibility.
- Change device settings
- Compatible with MIDI Expression devices
- iOS firmware compatibility check
- Free to download
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This is the Control Application for MIDI Expression devices. It lets you change settings for the devices. Please note that the iOS version of the Control Application is only compatible with devices running firmware version 2.6 and up.
PowerPlay5
This app functions as a MIDI controller, allowing users to play musical power chords by moving their iPhone and tapping the screen. It requires a separate synthesizer app to produce sound, offering a unique, choreography-like approach to music creation.
- MIDI controller functionality
- Power chord playing
- Motion-based input
- Requires external synthesizer app
- Interactive choreography-like gameplay
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This app is a unique MIDI controller, and fun to play, but there are three concepts to understand first. Concept 1 - POWER CHORDS - There is a musical chord, called a power chord, usually associated with guitar playing. Think of yourself as a guitar player on stage, but instead of holding a guitar you're moving around while holding an iPhone. Concept 2 - MIDI CONTROLLER - PowerPlay5 is a midi controller app. It doesn't create any sound on its own. Instead it tells another app which notes to play. The other app (a synthesizer app) then creates the sound of the chord being played. Concept 3 - THE SETUP - Usually you will open the synthesizer app first, choose a sound, and then make sure "Background Audio" is on. After that, open PowerPlay5 and start playing. (Note that some synthesizer apps also require a MIDI bridge app. See the instructions at the support website for more information.) This app is interesting because you play chords by aiming the iPhone in different directions while tapping with your thumb on the screen. It's almost like a form of choreography. Learning what direction to aim the phone to get the chord you want next is part of the fun of playing. The best way to understand where all the chords are is to look at the instructions pdf found at the support website.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: MIDI Expression Control at every 6 months against PowerPlay5's every 23 months. MIDI Expression Control also leads on ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MIDI Expression Control against 5.0 for PowerPlay5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MIDI Expression Control has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
MIDI Expression Control ships an update every 6 months, PowerPlay5 every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MIDI Expression Control | PowerPlay5 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 23 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Robert Jonkman | Malcolm Mugglin |
Customer experience
MIDI Expression Control
PowerPlay5
In-app purchases
MIDI Expression Control
No in-app purchases
PowerPlay5
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MIDI Expression Control free?
Is PowerPlay5 free?
Which has better reviews, MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5?
Do MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5 have ads?
Which is updated more often, MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5?
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