Comparison

FAC Maxima vs MIDI Layers

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

Head to head
About

FAC Maxima

This audio effect provides automatic gain control to keep audio levels consistent and prevent clipping. It offers both transparent signal boosting and significant level maximization with creative colorization. The app is versatile for mastering, individual tracks, and broadcasting applications.

Highlights
  • Automatic gain control
  • Level maximization
  • Transparent signal boost
  • Creative colorization
  • Mastering tool
  • Individual track processing
  • Real-time multi-waveform graph
Currently charting
Read full description

FAC Maxima is an audio effect designed to provide automatic gain control of your audio materials to ensure that the levels stay consistent and never exceed 0dB. It's a clever combination of dynamic processors that can be set to provide a gentle transparent signal boost respecting the initial dynamic or significant colorised level maximisation. Thanks to a unique signal path, algorithms and a small set of parameters, FAC Maxima makes a complicated task easy. In addition to the classic final stage application, FAC Maxima excels on individual tracks too. With a few changes it's easy to go from the common gain deviation compensation, e.g. for vocals, to drastical audio changes that will bring your audio material to new territories: boost reverb tails, flattenize drums… The applications are various and the possibilities are limitless. • Get the final touch! FAC Maxima definitely makes audio louder and that makes it an effective tool in many mastering engineers’ arsenals. • Be creative! Emphasis subtitle details, sometimes floor contains treasure, you will have a completely new listen to your old tracks! The audio background may indeed contain noise, but sometimes also "pearls" that may be revealed. • Go further! Tired by the advertisement boost, or important speech level variation in broadcasting? Use FAC Maxima to maintain the level constant. DJ's may also benefit from the effects to normalise in real time the level of the mixed tracks. As with all FAC products the interface has a unique sober look and provides a great user experience. FAC Maxima also brings a real-time multi-waveform graph having a 6s buffer of the audio material before and after operations, this will help on setting the right parameters and have a visual feedback.

About

MIDI Layers

This app allows musicians to intelligently route MIDI data, enabling complex keyboard splits, layered instruments, and seamless scene switching for live performances. Create up to 12 scenes with numerous layers, each with customizable MIDI output and note remapping.

Highlights
  • Up to 127 layers per scene
  • 12 scenes per preset
  • 16 output ports and channels
  • Remote scene switching
  • Layer mutes and mute groups
  • Scales per scene
  • Per-layer velocity curves
Features
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MIDI Layers is an AUv3 MIDI plugin designed to allow sophisticated routing of MIDI data in hosts such as AUM or Cubasis. Have you ever wanted to play multiple instruments from a single master keyboard during a live performance? Would you like to be able to set up keyboard splits, crossfade layers or create an ensemble of layered instruments? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then MIDI Layers may be your solution. Layers allows you to create up to 12 scenes, each with up to 127 layers, spanning your entire master keyboard. These scenes allow you to seamlessly switch between various layer mappings at any time during a performance. Each layer controls the MIDI output, which can be routed to one of MIDI Layers 16 output ports and 16 channels. So if you have 5 layers in your scene, each layer is able to divert MIDI key input to 5 destinations, allowing you to control 5 instruments from one master keyboard. Layers can overlap, meaning you can create an ensemble of two or more instruments. Layers can also have cross fades so that you can fade from one instrument to another across a specified range. You can also control the velocity curves of a layer if you need to emphasize note velocity at a certain set of octaves. Each layer can also be remapped so that you can target a different key range on the destination instrument. This allows you to have several single note layers that can target specific drum machine samples for instance. You can assign a song per scene, or have several scenes containing parts of the same song. Switching scenes is simple, using the on screen scene buttons, via AU parameters, or you can even add a special control layer to a scene which can then be triggered via your master keyboard. It is also possible to assign a Program Changes to a layer. When you switch scenes, each layer can fire off its own program change to your destination instruments. Each scene can be assigned its own scale, which enables you to play using only the white notes so say goodbye to wrong notes. Finally, layers can be assigned to mute groups, allowing you to quickly turn on/off groups of layers with a single key or button press. Features: ○ Up to 127 layers per scene. ○ 12 scenes per preset. ○ Supports 16 output ports and 16 channels. ○ Remote switching of scenes using MIDI or AU. ○ Supports layer mutes and mute groups. ○ Named scenes with large scene selection mode. ○ Supports scales per scene which can be played using white notes only. ○ Each layer can define a Program Change that is sent when scenes are switched. ○ Supports per layer velocity curve. ○ Supports per layer remapping of notes on output. ○ Each layer can have a cross fade settings assigned. ○ Definable Master Keyboard size (6, 7, 8 or 10 octave). ○ Scene and mute control layers. ○ Provides default custom layouts. Please Note: This product will not work with GarageBand since it cannot load AUv3 MIDI plugins.

Screenshots

FAC Maxima4 screens
MIDI Layers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FAC Maxima at 84% against MIDI Layers's 57%. FAC Maxima also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and price ($9.99 vs $12.99). MIDI Layers's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

FAC Maxima costs $9.99 and MIDI Layers $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

FAC Maxima holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FAC Maxima has 67 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of FAC Maxima's written reviews are positive against 57% of MIDI Layers's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FAC Maxima ships an update every 2 months, MIDI Layers fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
FAC Maxima versus MIDI Layers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFAC MaximaMIDI Layers
Price$9.99 — better$12.99
Rating4.9 (67 ratings) — better4.7 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews84.4% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings67 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#183 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better13
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrederic Corvest4Pockets.com

Customer experience

FAC Maxima

All ratings67 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative6.3%

MIDI Layers

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

In-app purchases

None

FAC Maxima

No in-app purchases

None

MIDI Layers

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FAC Maxima free?
FAC Maxima costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MIDI Layers free?
MIDI Layers costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FAC Maxima or MIDI Layers?
FAC Maxima is rated higher. FAC Maxima averages 4.9 out of 5 from 67 ratings, while MIDI Layers averages 4.7 from 13 ratings.
Do FAC Maxima or MIDI Layers have ads?
Neither FAC Maxima nor MIDI Layers shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FAC Maxima or MIDI Layers?
FAC Maxima ships an update every 2 months, and MIDI Layers fortnightly. Most recently, FAC Maxima was updated on October 14, 2026 and MIDI Layers on October 8, 2026.

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