Comparison

PhaseThree vs Tails

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

Head to head
About

PhaseThree

This app meticulously recreates the sound and quirks of a vintage dual phaser unit. It offers both original six-stage and modern twelve-stage phasing options, with advanced control over modulation sources and cross-platform preset management.

Highlights
  • Vintage dual phaser emulation
  • Six-stage and twelve-stage phasing options
  • Vactrol response modeling
  • Expression pedal parameter control
  • Cross-platform preset manager
  • Vector-based resizable UI
Features
Read full description

PhaseThree is a detailed model of the MuTron Bi-Phase, with all the lovely sound of that unit (along with its foibles and quirks.) It is worth noting that, due to aging factors, no two Bi-Phase hardware units sound alike; we found the best and most tuneful one we could lay our hands on, bought it for a faintly ridiculous price, and took it apart to see what made it tick. Like you do. The result is a painstaking digital copy of the original unit, down to the unique sweep of its LFOs. With the latest version, we have departed from the original and added 12-stage phasors in addition to the six-stage versions found in the hardware units. (We feel that 12-stage phasors have a more modern sound that people expect in a current phasor, and that the six-stage versions in the original were somewhat lacking to the modern palette.) Features » Standalone (with Inter-App Audio) and AudioUnit V3 versions included. » Perfect model of the original Bi-Phase, down to the response of the vactrols. » The unobtanium Bi-Phase expression pedal is modeled as a separate parameter, for control by your favorite modulation source. » 12-stage phasor option for each channel, in addition to the original 6-stage phasors. » XML-based cross-platform preset manager, with copy and paste. (You can even move presets between the iOS version and the desktop version with Handoff.) » Entirely vector-based resizable high-resolution user interface.

About

Tails

This music app creates harmonic reverb using novel double-buffered technology and threshold swapping between two separate reverbs. It offers auto-ducking for cleaner sound and includes classic reverb algorithms with new modes. It's designed for performance with MIDI control and works as a standalone app or AUv3 plugin.

Highlights
  • Dual reverb buffers
  • Threshold swapping
  • Auto-ducking
  • Classic and new reverb algorithms
  • Spatial and Shimmer modes
  • Global Sample Rate control
  • MIDI performance control
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Unfiltered Audio's Tails is now available on iOS as a Standalone app or AUv3 plugin! Unfiltered Audio joined forces with electronic music superstar BT to create Tails, the world's most harmonic reverb. Tails utilizes a novel double-buffered technology to create two separate reverbs in parallel. The twist comes with special threshold swapping: Whenever Tails detects a major change in amplitude or tone, it can smoothly swap between the two reverbs. Additionally, Tails can auto-duck on its inputs and outputs. This keeps your reverb as clean as possible. With auto-ducking on attacks, you can keep the metallic noise of percussive hits out of your reverbs. Alternatively, you can keep passing tones and blue notes out of your melodic echoes so that your reverb is free of dissonance. Even without its innovative ducking and swapping, Tails is the most flexible reverb in your arsenal. Two of Unfiltered Audio's classic BYOME reverb algorithms (Renoun and Deep) are available with a Spatial mode inspired by Silo and a brand new Shimmer mode designed to BT's exacting specifications. In true Unfiltered Audio fashion, a global Sample Rate knob affects the sampling rate of the entire DSP algorithm, stretching your reverb tails out into crispy, lo-fi oblivion. Finally, Tails is built to be performed. Your MIDI keyboard's Pitch and Mod wheels can be assigned quickly to a selection of key parameters, while Note messages can be used to manually duck or mute the reverb. As an AUv3 plugin, Tails has been tested to work perfectly with Garageband, Drambo, AUM, Cubasis, Beatmaker, Nanostudio, apeMatrix, Loopy Pro, and more! Additionally, with its clear layout and smart resizing, Tails can be used on tablets and phones with ease. (Note for Drambo users: Drambo does not yet have automatic Plugin Delay Compensation for managing plugins with latency. As a result, tracks with Tails will not line up properly with other tracks. An upcoming patch for Drambo will add this feature in.)

Screenshots

PhaseThree3 screens
Tails4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PhaseThree at $4.99 against Tails's $9.99. PhaseThree also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 11.0). Tails's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

PhaseThree costs $4.99 and Tails $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tails holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 14 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
PhaseThree versus Tails: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhaseThreeTails
Price$4.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (14 ratings)4.9 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1414
Update frequency—Every 14 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#152 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAudio Damage, Inc.Unfiltered Audio

Customer experience

PhaseThree

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tails

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

PhaseThree

No in-app purchases

None

Tails

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PhaseThree free?
PhaseThree costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tails free?
Tails costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PhaseThree or Tails?
Tails is rated higher. PhaseThree averages 4.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Tails averages 4.9 from 14 ratings.
Do PhaseThree or Tails have ads?
Neither PhaseThree nor Tails shows ads.

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