Comparison

MIDI Expression Control vs PowerPlay5

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Change device settings
  • Compatible with MIDI Expression devices
  • iOS firmware compatibility check
  • Free to download
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • MIDI controller functionality
  • Power chord playing
  • Motion-based input
  • Requires external synthesizer app
  • Interactive choreography-like gameplay
Read full description

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

MIDI Expression Control4 screens
PowerPlay53 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 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 — 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MIDI Expression Control versus PowerPlay5: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI Expression ControlPowerPlay5
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 23 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert JonkmanMalcolm Mugglin

Customer experience

MIDI Expression Control

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PowerPlay5

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MIDI Expression Control

No in-app purchases

None

PowerPlay5

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MIDI Expression Control free?
MIDI Expression Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PowerPlay5 free?
PowerPlay5 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5?
MIDI Expression Control and PowerPlay5 are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5 have ads?
Neither MIDI Expression Control nor PowerPlay5 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDI Expression Control or PowerPlay5?
MIDI Expression Control ships an update every 6 months, and PowerPlay5 every 23 months. Most recently, MIDI Expression Control was updated on November 2, 2026 and PowerPlay5 on November 1, 2026.

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