tardigrain vs Mononoke
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
tardigrain
Create unique sounds by breaking down samples into small fragments and playing them back non-linearly. Explore granular synthesis with adjustable grain size, direction, and step size. Enhance your audio with built-in effects, filters, and modulation options.
- Granular synthesis engine
- Adjustable grain parameters
- Built-in effects (reverb, wave shaper, crush)
- Resonant filter
- MIDI and MPE modulation
- Sequencer/arpeggiator
- LFO modulation
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Tardigrain is a granular synthesiser for iOS that runs standalone or as an AU plugin. Sounds are created by taking smaller fragments of a sample and playing them back in a non linear fashion, with settings for grain size, direction, step size and more. Process the sound further through effects like reverb, wave shaper and sample crush. Tardigrain supports connections with AudioCopy, AudioBus, Inter App Audio and AUv3. Plus all audio parameters can be modulated by MIDI, as AU parameters and by aftertouch on the build in keyboard. Now also a selected set of parameters can be modulated by LFOs och notes triggered by a new sequencer/arpeggiator. +++ Record your own samples or import using AudioCopy/drag'n drop +++ Chromatic granualar playpack +++ Effects (Wave shaper, Reverb, Sample crusher, Pitch and stereo spread) +++ Resonant filter (low, band and high pass) +++ Keyboard and MPE modulation of any audio parameters +++ Note trigger sequencer/arpeggiator +++ 4 LFO sources for modulating a selected set of parameters +++ Multiple factory presets to get you started +++ Save and load your own settings and samples +++ Inter App Audio, AudioBus and AUv3 +++ Core MIDI, Inter App Audio MIDI and AUv3 MIDI
Mononoke
This app is an unconventional synthesizer designed for creating evolving soundscapes and musical textures. It features feedback routing between voices and two independent engines, allowing for complex and expressive sonic manipulation. Performance pads enable live modulation and MPE/MIDI output for recording.
- Feedback routing between voices
- Two independent synthesizer engines
- 8 performance pads for live modulation
- MPE and MIDI input/output (AUv3)
- Expressive soundscape composition
- Scalable universal design
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Mononoke is an unconventional synthesizer, designed to compose evolving soundscapes and musical textures. Feedback routing What sets Mononoke apart from other synths is that its voices (4 in each section) can be routed back into each other in multiple ways, creating all sorts of overtones and pulsating resonant frequencies. Sometimes harmonic, sometimes weirdly atonal. Sometimes clear and delicate as icicles, sometimes harsh as metallic blades, sometimes soft as fresh snow. This interaction between voices helps fuse all layers together into a coherent musical landscape. A tale of two engines The synthesizer engines (each of the two sections has its own independent engine) have relatively simple controls, which influence a complex system of many invisible, interconnected LFOs. But this is not your bread-and-butter general purpose synthesizer: think of Mononoke as one huge FM synthesizer where each voice is an independently playable operator. Together all operators contribute to a single soundscape. Expressive pads Complex soundscapes can be created live, using the 8 performance pads which let you modulate each voice independently in several dimensions. Your interactions with the pads will also be sent out as MPE/MIDI (when loaded as an AU plugin in a compatible host) so you can record and tweak your session. The onscreen pads can be latched individually so some voices can be used as drones, while others as can be added and removed as extra sonic layers. The pads are fully integrated in the Audio Unit plugin. Connectivity Mononoke is designed as an AUv3 plugin, with advanced Audio Unit features such as MPE input and output (!), a fully exposed array of AU parameters for automation and all the connectivity and scalability you can expect from modern plugins. The standalone mode is basic (just meant for jamming and creating presets) and does not offer any connectivity, so if you want to use Mononoke in conjunction with other apps and effects you'll need to load it into a host, such as Garageband, Audiobus, AUM or Cubasis. Summary: - Audio Unit (AUv3) plugin - 8 voice polyphony, 2 independent engines with 4 voices each - Compatible with MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and MIDI - MIDI Input and Output (only available when used as an Audio Unit plugin) - Limited standalone mode for jamming (full screen, no connectivity) - 8 independently tunable performance pads for expressive interaction - Universal, fully scalable to any screen size, supports fullscreen mode in AU hosts - Freely tunable voices, or quantized to semitones (with overall finetuning) - iOS10 (MIDI/MPE output from the plugin requires iOS11) or higher Also contains Mononoke Pads: an extra AUv3 MIDI controller plugin for playing MPE compatible synths using Mononoke's pads. Note: this is a separate plugin which will be installed in your MIDI Plugin collection. Mononoke Pads requires iOS 11.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Mononoke at every 6 days against tardigrain's every 2 months. Mononoke also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 76%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). tardigrain's advantage is price ($5.99 vs $8.99). On ratings volume, 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
tardigrain costs $5.99 and Mononoke $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mononoke holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 103 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of tardigrain's written reviews are positive against 92% of Mononoke's.
tardigrain ships an update every 2 months, Mononoke every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | tardigrain | Mononoke |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 — better | $8.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (96 ratings) | 4.8 (103 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | 92.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 96 | 103 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #185 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Erik Sigth | Bram Bos |
Customer experience
tardigrain
Mononoke
Bugs and requests
tardigrain
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Mononoke
Reported bugs
6 issues- Notes hang when pressing more than one on MIDI controller
- No aftertouch
- Crashes frequently
- Sound cuts off after a few minutes
- App not appearing as Inter-App or AUv3
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- App opens and freezes, does not load
Requested features
6 requests- More pads or a play surface page
- Add on top of current features
- More tone shaping controls
- Built-in delay with modulation
- Random button for pads
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- Random button for synth
In-app purchases
tardigrain
No in-app purchases
Mononoke
No in-app purchases









