Comparison

S vs MACHINE DRUM

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

Head to head
About

S

This semi-modular synthesizer app for iPad offers a hands-on sound design experience with a single-screen interface for intuitive patching. It delivers a warm, vintage sound inspired by 1970s synthesizers, featuring dual oscillators, resonant filters, and multiple modulation sources.

Highlights
  • Single-screen interface
  • Fast, hands-on patching
  • Vintage 1970s synth sound
  • Dual oscillators
  • Resonant ladder filter
  • Multiple modulation sources
Features
Read full description

S-Modular is a semi-modular synthesiser for iPad, designed for fast, hands-on patching without clutter. Everything is presented on a single screen, making sound design immediate and intuitive. Simply drag from one jack to another to create connections. S-Modular delivers a distinctive vintage sound inspired by classic 1970s synthesis — warm, rich, and full of character. Features Dual oscillators 24 dB/oct ladder filter Resonant high-pass and low-pass filters Two LFOs Four-step CV sequencer Four-track mixer Audio and CV splitter Two AHR envelope generators Delay effect

About

MACHINE DRUM

This app offers a minimalist drum machine and sound design lab for creating beats and audio. It features a tactile step sequencer, custom kick sound designer, and the ability to record and manipulate custom samples. Professional DSP effects and genre-inspired templates are also included to enhance creativity.

Highlights
  • Tactile 16-pad step sequencer
  • Custom kick sound designer with dual-oscillator engine
  • Record and manipulate custom samples
  • DSP effects including Delay, Reverb, and Bitcrusher
  • Frequency filters (LP, BP, HP)
  • Hardware and genre-inspired presets
Features
Read full description

MACHINE DRUM: Minimalist Drum Machine & Sound Design Lab Experience beatmaking stripped of clutter. MACHINE DRUM combines retro hardware aesthetics with clean, modern minimalism, giving you a distraction-free canvas built purely to support your creativity and professional grade audio expression. Every knob, slider, instrument and effect has been crafted for visual simplicity and self expression, letting you stay locked in the flow whether sketching rhythms on the go or sculpting intricate synthesis in the studio. TACTILE 16-PAD STEP SEQUENCER Build loops instantly with an intuitive, hardware-style pad grid. Tap steps to program rhythms, control tempo (BPM), and fine-tune levels. Solo or mute individual tracks to build dynamic build-ups and drops live. CUSTOM KICK SOUND DESIGNER Stop relying on generic samples. Synthesize your own signature kicks with a dedicated, dual-oscillator sound engine: • Envelope (ADSR): Fine-tune Attack, Decay, Sustain, & Release using a live visual envelope graph. • FM Synthesis: Dial in punchy transients using FM Depth, FM Speed, and Base Pitch controls. • LFO Modulation: Add rich movement and texture. Route the LFO to Pitch, Filter, Level, or Pan RECORD CUSTOM SAMPLES Record real-world sounds instantly using your iPhone's microphone. Pitch, trim, and swap custom samples into any track pad in real time. Perfect for integrating vocal chops, ambient hits, or custom percussion. DSP EFFECTS & FREQUENCY FILTERS Sculpt your final output mix with professional audio processing: • Delay, Reverb and Bitcrusher: Add analog-style warmth, drive, and grit to glue your beats together. • Frequency Filter: Switch between Low Pass (LP), Band Pass (BP), and High Pass (HP) modes with dedicated Cutoff and Resonance sliders. PRESETS & LEGENDARY GENRE TEMPLATES Load instantly playable song templates and legendary drum machine styles to jumpstart your inspiration: • Explore hardware profiles like the TR-808, TR-909, Linn LM-1, and MPC60. • Load curated song setups inspired by Classic Hip Hop, EDM and Synthwave

Screenshots

S2 screens
MACHINE DRUM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MACHINE DRUM at Free against S's $2.99. MACHINE DRUM also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.6) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). S's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (11 vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

MACHINE DRUM is free to download; S costs $2.99 up front. MACHINE DRUM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. S asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MACHINE DRUM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: S has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

S ships an update every 7 months, MACHINE DRUM monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
S versus MACHINE DRUM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSMACHINE DRUM
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating2.6 (11 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul BetowskiNathan Burazer

Customer experience

S

All ratings11 ratings
Positive27.3%
Neutral27.3%
Negative45.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral25.0%
Negative43.8%

MACHINE DRUM

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

In-app purchases

None

S

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

MACHINE DRUM

One-time1
  • MACHINE DRUM PRO$9.99

Questions

Is S free?
S costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MACHINE DRUM free?
MACHINE DRUM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, S or MACHINE DRUM?
MACHINE DRUM is rated higher. S averages 2.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while MACHINE DRUM averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do S or MACHINE DRUM have ads?
Neither S nor MACHINE DRUM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, S or MACHINE DRUM?
S ships an update every 7 months, and MACHINE DRUM monthly. Most recently, S was updated on November 3, 2026 and MACHINE DRUM on October 25, 2026.

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