Chord Calculus vs BitDecay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chord Calculus
This app helps musicians visualize and understand chords, scales, and progressions for various fretted instruments. It allows customization of instruments, tunings, and capos, and includes a tuner. Play chords, arpeggios, and scales.
- Chord calculator with fingering display
- Chord identifier for unknown fingerings
- Scale display and playback
- Chord progression player
- Custom instrument and tuning creation
- Capo support
- Instrument tuner
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ChordCalculus is a tool for players of fretted instruments. ChordCalculus will allow the user to choose from a large number of pre-defined fretted instruments in a variety of tunings. Additionally, the user can define new instruments and/or tunings. Single or multiple capos can be added. The user then picks from one of four operating modes using the segmented selectors at the center top of the display: * (C)hord Calculator: Show all fingerings for chords for a given instrument/tuning, filters, capos, and fret span. * Chord (I)dentifer: For a given instrument/tuning and fingering, display all possible names for a chord * (S)cale Display: For an instrument/tuning, key and scale type, display the scale, and play a two-octave scale * (P)rogression Player: Derived from chord mode, display fingerings for a chord progression. Also plays chords in sequence. In all cases, the chords can be played as a chord or arpeggio and the scale played back. As of version 2.0, an instrument tuner is accessed by long touching the tuning button. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty5eI_DiXhk&t=20s for all the features
BitDecay
This creative audio effect simulates the character of aging hardware, unstable digital systems, and worn media. It introduces dynamic instability and evolving imperfections to transform pristine audio into lo-fi textures, degraded samplers, or entirely new sound design landscapes.
- Creative digital degradation processor
- Bit crushing and sample rate reduction
- Dynamic instability and clock imperfections
- Musical tone shaping
- Progressive signal erosion controls
- AUv3 support
- Single-page interface
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Some digital processors sound broken. Bit Decay sounds like they're breaking. Bit Decay is a creative degradation effect that recreates the character of aging hardware, unstable clocks, failing digital systems, worn media, and collapsing fidelity. Instead of simply reducing bit depth and sample rate, Bit Decay introduces movement, instability, and evolving imperfections that bring static digital destruction to life. Shape classic lo-fi textures, degraded samplers, damaged tape transfers, corrupted audio artifacts, and entirely new sound design landscapes. From subtle vintage coloration to complete digital collapse, Bit Decay gives you precise control over how pristine audio slowly falls apart. Whether you're producing electronic music, processing drums, designing cinematic textures, mangling synths, or adding character to vocals, Bit Decay delivers degradation with personality. Features • Creative digital degradation processor • Bit crushing and sample rate reduction • Dynamic instability and clock-style imperfections • Musical tone shaping • Progressive signal erosion controls • AUv3 support for iPad and Mac hosts • Fast workflow with a simple single-page interface
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BitDecay at 5.0 against Chord Calculus's 3.9. BitDecay also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and device support (4 vs 2). Chord Calculus's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Chord Calculus costs $2.99 and BitDecay $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BitDecay holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chord Calculus has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Chord Calculus's written reviews are positive against 100% of BitDecay's.
| Parameter | Chord Calculus | BitDecay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | 3.9 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Steven Pollack | Jeremy Phillips |
Customer experience
Chord Calculus
BitDecay
In-app purchases
Chord Calculus
No in-app purchases
BitDecay
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chord Calculus free?
Is BitDecay free?
Which has better reviews, Chord Calculus or BitDecay?
Do Chord Calculus or BitDecay have ads?
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