Comparison

touchscaper vs StringLab

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

Head to head
About

touchscaper

Create music on your iPad by simply touching the screen. This app offers a semi-generative engine to guide note selection and allows for deep customization of chords, keys, and scales. Explore a variety of built-in sounds and effects to craft unique musical pieces.

Highlights
  • Multi-touch interface with radar, ribbon, and keyboard surfaces
  • Semi-generative engine for note selection
  • Full control over chords, keys, and scales
  • Layerable built-in sounds and effects
  • Chord navigator and looper with Ableton Link
  • Sequencer for touch, drums, and synth automation
  • Inter-App Audio and MIDI out support
Read full description

Touchscaper is an instrument designed for anyone who wants to make music on their iPad simply by touching the screen. You don’t have to be a serious musician to enjoy touchscaper, but if you are, touchscaper is highly configureable under the hood. Main features: • Multi-touch based interface with “radar”, “ribbon” and keyboard surfaces • Touch the screen to play a note, move your fingers to change the sound • Semi-generative engine selects the “good notes” for you • Touch movement can control volume and pan for each individual note • Total control over chords, keys and scales (fully chromatic) • Multiple chords can be generated from keys and scales to create “scenes” • Chord "navigator" helps you create inspiring chord progressions • 40 built-in sounds can be combined in 2 layers to create “instruments” • Built-in sounds include samples from moodscaper, pianoscaper, numerous analog synths and guitars • Comes with preset example scenes and instruments • Random instrument generator function with one tap of a button • Hold and orbit modes for hands-free evolving soundscapes • Ribbon style keyboard with touch vibrato • Chord looper with Ableton Link support • Arrangement view for longer / more complex chord progressions • 16 step probability-based sequencer for touch, drums, percussion and synth automation • "jam grid" sequencer view for live performances • Supports file sharing for scenes and instruments • Built-in effects including ping-pong delays, reverb, limiter and EQ • Supports IAA (Inter-App Audio) as a generator • Control other music apps using MIDI out and CCs with optional MPE support There are several demo videos in circulation which should give you a better idea of what touchscaper can do - just search for “touchscaper”. *** Please note that this app is now in maintenance mode / updates for bug fixes only. This is due to the heavy dependency on deprecated technology such as IAA ***

About

StringLab

This app is a digital synthesizer that uses physical string modeling to recreate the sounds of various instruments, particularly plucked or hammered strings. It allows users to explore acoustic physics and create unique instrument textures through extensive parameter experimentation.

Highlights
  • Karplus-Strong physical modeling
  • Exciter Impact and Noise modes
  • Resonator objects with feedback
  • Frequency Dispersion support
  • External live input
  • Preset randomizer and manager
  • Drag & Drop preset export
Read full description

StringLab is a physical string modeling synthesizer based on Karplus-Strong theory. It is capable of reproducing the sounds of many different types of instruments, but is especially useful in the reproduction of hammered or plucked strings and other types of percussive instruments. It works by passing carefully crafted waveforms and short bursts of white noise through a series of tuned delay lines. The delay lines have an internal feedback loop with a series of filters to mimic the natural decay of harmonics found in a real instrument. StringLab allows you to discover the character of real-world accoustics, exploring the physics of how materials interact. Many new and original textures are born out of experimenting with the settings, so don't be afraid to experiment and create your own unique and dynamic instruments. Features •Karplus Strong based physical modeling. •Exciter Impact with multiple modes. •Exciter Noise with many envelope driven filters. •2 resonator objects with feedback. •8 bands per object with inversion. •4 Coupling modes. •Supports Frequency Dispersion. •Feedback low/high Damping. •Per object Body Filter. •Pitch Deformity. •External live input mode. •Preset randomiser. •Build it Preset Manager & Favourites. •Search Presets. •Drag & Drop preset export of presets. •Supports Color Sets.

Screenshots

StringLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: touchscaper at 4.9 against StringLab's 4.3. touchscaper also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 57%) and ratings volume (147 vs 14). StringLab's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

touchscaper costs $4.99 and StringLab $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

touchscaper holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: touchscaper has 147 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of touchscaper's written reviews are positive against 57% of StringLab's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

touchscaper ships an update weekly, StringLab every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
touchscaper versus StringLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametertouchscaperStringLab
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.9 (147 ratings) — better4.3 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews93.2% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings147 — better14
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size359 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRob Jackson4Pockets.com

Customer experience

touchscaper

All ratings147 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive93.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative5.5%

StringLab

All ratings14 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

touchscaper

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Does not show up as an available audio unit in Logic or GarageBand
  • Cannot get any MIDI connectivity to work
  • MPE via MIDI out does not work if there is no MIDI out for the app
  • Pops when adding more than 2 sounds
  • Hold Mode design is awkward, especially for note placement
Show 1 more
  • App lost its mind and control animations ran wild after 10 hours of use

Requested features

12 requests
  • AUv3 version/compatibility
  • More sophisticated mixer
  • Second bank of patterns
  • Panels to tweak oscillators, LFOs, etc.
  • Orchestral type sounds
Show 7 more
  • Light background theme in UI
  • Attack vector like ADSR function
  • Variable Release function
  • Mixer for each drum line
  • MIDI out functionality (mentioned multiple times)
  • Toggle on/off for Hold Mode
  • Ability to nudge/fine-tune node placements in Hold Mode

StringLab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

touchscaper

No in-app purchases

None

StringLab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is touchscaper free?
touchscaper costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is StringLab free?
StringLab costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, touchscaper or StringLab?
touchscaper is rated higher. touchscaper averages 4.9 out of 5 from 147 ratings, while StringLab averages 4.3 from 14 ratings.
Do touchscaper or StringLab have ads?
Neither touchscaper nor StringLab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, touchscaper or StringLab?
touchscaper ships an update weekly, and StringLab every 10 days. Most recently, touchscaper was updated on September 28, 2026 and StringLab on September 30, 2026.

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