FAC Envolver vs BrainBud
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FAC Envolver
This audio effect processor transforms input audio using MIDI CC and notes to control synthesizer parameters. It features a noise gate and a trance gate for unique sound modulation and sequences.
- MIDI CC and note control
- Envelope follower
- Noise gate
- Trance gate
- Stereo effect with linked channels
- Adjustable pitch and scale progression
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Being a MIDI effect in its essence, controlling your synthesizers parameters (e.g volume, cutoff, res) with MIDI CC and notes, FAC Envolver is also able to transform the input audio via two exclusive effects: a Noise Gate and a Trance Gate. This combination is the key to breathe life into your sound, providing interesting natural modulation and sequences that will always be different by nature. Under the hood, FAC Envolver is an envelope follower delivering MIDI data generated from the contour of a signal. The source of this signal may come from two distinctive circuits: the first one is a classic envelope follower and the second one is a rythmical pattern called trigger gate. Both circuits are responsible for providing a signal envelope that can be altered by a set of parameters and delivered as MIDI control change messages (CC). The generated signal envelope also passes through a gate detection mechanism driven by a threshold. When the signal goes above the threshold, the gate is open and when the signal goes below, the gate is closed. This open/close sequence provides a second envelope which is delivered as MIDI CC (on/off) and notes. The pitch of the note may be set within the effect or from an external value provided by MIDI input. Both may follow a particular scale progression. The envelope follower circuit also provides a noise gate to control precisely the level of your audio signal. This uses the same open/close sequence built by the gate detection mechanism that delivers MIDI data but acts on the audio. Following the same logic, when the second circuit - the trigger gate - is engaged, the open/close sequence provides a trance gate style effect to the audio. FAC Envolver is a stereo effect and provides two slots, one slot per channel. Both can be linked to facilitate the manipulation. The audio can also be turned to mono and the dry and wet audio can be mixed.
BrainBud
This app acts as a central controller for other music creation applications, allowing you to manage keys and scales simultaneously. It integrates with a variety of Bud apps via MIDI, enabling synchronized changes and broadcasting of musical parameters. Experiment with randomization and automate settings through its AUv3 plugin.
- Centralized key and scale control
- MIDI out to multiple Bud apps
- Budcast for parameter broadcasting
- Randomize musical parameters
- AUv3 plugin for automation
- Requires other Bud apps to function
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BrainBud controls the keys and scales of the Bud apps all at once. Connect BrainBud’s MIDI out to MIDI inputs of: - SnakeBud - PolyBud - MelodyBud - ShiftBud - ScaleBud 2 - In Theory - Textquencer - Binarhythmic - Auto Bass - BounceBud - MuseBud - Kebarp - FuncBud - Note to Be You can also broadcast the current key/scale to the newly connected apps with Budcast button. If you’d like to experiment, you can try the randomise button. With the AUv3 plugin, you can change the BrainBud's parameters or even automate them with AU parameters. For using the AUv3 plugin make sure you have an AUv3 host app such as AUM, Cubasis, Nanostudio, apeMatrix. BrainBud is a MIDI based app and requires other Bud apps present in order to work right. If you don't have any other Bud apps mentioned above, you can't make a use of BrainBud. BrainBud doesn't produce any kind of sound on its own.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BrainBud at $2.99 against FAC Envolver's $9.99. BrainBud also leads on chart position (#197 vs unranked). FAC Envolver's advantage is ratings volume (41 vs 2) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
FAC Envolver costs $9.99 and BrainBud $2.99 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 — 4.9 for FAC Envolver against 5.0 for BrainBud. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FAC Envolver has 41 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
FAC Envolver ships an update every 3 months, BrainBud every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FAC Envolver | BrainBud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (41 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #197 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Frederic Corvest | Cem Olcay |
Customer experience
FAC Envolver
BrainBud
In-app purchases
FAC Envolver
No in-app purchases
BrainBud
No in-app purchases









