Samplist vs Descent Granulator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Samplist
This app lets you chop audio samples into multiple slices. You can then play these slices using on-screen pads, a keyboard, or MIDI controllers. It offers real-time time-stretching and individual control over each slice's parameters.
- Chop samples into slices
- Velocity-sensitive pads
- Chromatic keyboard playback
- MIDI input (wired & Bluetooth LE)
- Real-time time-stretching
- Individual slice filters and pitch shifters
- Sample import/export
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Samplist is a MIDI Sampler Instrument which allows you to easily chop a sample into different slices. You can then play the slices with the velocity sensitive on screen pads, chromatically with the on screen keyboard or with via MIDI. All this with Realtime Timestretch (monophonic only). Features: • Realtime time stretch with individual tempo per slice • MIDI in, both wired & via Bluetooth LE • Sample import from Files app or "Open in..." • Export slices as Zip file to other apps • Each slice has its own Filter, Envelope & Realtime pitch shifter. • Record your samples via Microphone. • Record your performance into an audio file. More to come in the near future
Descent Granulator
This app captures audio, breaks it into tiny grains, and manipulates them for unique sound effects. Explore subtle thickening, rhythmic delays, frozen soundscapes, and shimmering pitch-shifted textures.
- Real-time granular engine
- Pitch shifting with quantization
- Six-axis randomization
- Diffusion and feedback controls
- Tempo sync
- 35 factory presets
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Descent is a real-time granular effect that captures incoming audio, breaks it into tiny grains, and scatters them across time and pitch. The result: everything from subtle thickening and rhythmic delays to vast frozen soundscapes and shimmering pitch-shifted clouds. GRANULAR ENGINE Control up to 50 simultaneous grains with independent settings for duration, overlap, and envelope shape. Play grains forward, reverse, or randomly mixed for tape-style effects, reverse swells, and glitchy textures. PITCH SHIFTING WITH QUANTIZATION Transpose from -24 to +24 semitones. Lock pitch shifts to specific intervals—octaves, fifths, or any chromatic combination—for harmonically correct shimmer and transposition effects. SIX-AXIS RANDOMIZATION Independently randomize pitch, pan, position, amplitude, duration, and grain count. Dial in subtle organic movement or push into complete textural chaos. DIFFUSION AND FEEDBACK High-feedback mode with a diffusion control transforms delays into lush, reverb-like washes that never get harsh or run away from you. TEMPO SYNC Lock grain timing to your session's tempo or let textures evolve freely in untethered mode. 35 FACTORY PRESETS Covering shimmers, delays, reverbs, pitch effects, and experimental sound design. Cross-platform XML presets are compatible across all Audio Damage plugin formats and operating systems. SOUND DESIGN IDEAS Add subtle depth with a few long grains and minimal randomization Create rhythmic delays with short, quantized grains at high feedback Build infinite sustain pads by freezing audio with high grain count and overlap Craft shimmer effects by quantizing pitch to octaves and fifths Transform vocals into ethereal textures with diffusion and wide panning AUv3 compatible. Runs standalone or hosted in AUM, ApeMatrix, Audiobus, Cubasis, GarageBand, and other AUv3 hosts on iOS 13 or newer. From Audio Damage—making creative software for discerning musicians since 2002.
Screenshots
Verdict
Samplist and Descent Granulator both sit at 3.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 50% of Samplist's written reviews are positive against 0% of Descent Granulator's. Samplist also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (49 vs 3). On rating, 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
Samplist costs $3.99 and Descent Granulator $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.7 for Samplist against 3.7 for Descent Granulator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samplist has 49 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Samplist's written reviews are positive against 0% of Descent Granulator's.
Samplist ships an update every 4 days, Descent Granulator every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Samplist | Descent Granulator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 3.7 (49 ratings) — better | 3.7 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 49 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cristina Buga | Audio Damage, Inc. |
Customer experience
Samplist
Descent Granulator
In-app purchases
Samplist
No in-app purchases
Descent Granulator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Samplist free?
Is Descent Granulator free?
Which has better reviews, Samplist or Descent Granulator?
Do Samplist or Descent Granulator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Samplist or Descent Granulator?
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