Comparison

Koala Sampler vs Faders for PT

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

Head to head
About

Koala Sampler

This app allows you to record sounds with your phone's microphone, transform them with effects, and create beats and tracks. Its intuitive interface focuses on a fast and fun music-making process.

Highlights
  • Record up to 64 samples with mic
  • Apply 16 built-in effects
  • Load and use own samples
  • Create beats with high-resolution sequencer
  • Export loops and tracks as WAV
  • AI sample separation
  • AUv3 and MIDI compatibility
Features
Read full description

Koala is the ultimate pocket-sized sampler. Record anything with your phone's mic or load your own sounds. Use Koala to create beats with those samples, add effects and create a track! Koala's super intuitive interface helps you make a track in a flash - there is no brake pedal. You can also resample the output of the app back into the input, through the effects, so the sonic possibilities are endless. Koala's design focuses totally on making the music-making process instant, keeping you in the flow and keeping it fun, not getting bogged down by pages of parameters and micro-editing. "Been putting that $4 koala sampler to good use lately. Undeniably great tool that puts some of these expensive beat boxes to shame. A must cop." -- flying lotus, twitter * Record up to 64 different samples with your mic * Transform your voice or any other sound with 16 superb built-in fx * Load your own samples * Choose from one of 250 built-in sounds * Resample the output of the app back into a new sample * Export loops or entire tracks as professional quality WAV files * Direct export to Ableton Live Set * Copy/paste or merge sequences just by dragging them * Create beats with the high-resolution sequencer * Import samples from the Files app or even from videos * Keyboard mode lets you play chromatically or one of 9 scales * Quantize, add swing to get the right feel * Normal/One-shot/Loop/Reverse playback of samples * 6 Choke groups * Attack, release and tone adjustable on each sample * Mute/Solo controls and note repeat * Add any (or all) of the 16 effects to the entire mix * AUv3 compatible - use in GarageBand, Logic, Cubasis etc etc * MIDI controllable - play your samples on a keyboard, map the effects to knobs * Jam with others over WiFi with Ableton Link * Free copy of Ableton Live Lite included * AudioShare compatible * Use AI to separate samples into individual instruments (drums, bass, vocals and other) * Set your own background image and choose from a growing list of background visual FX 8 Built-in Microphone FX: * More Bass * More Treble * Fuzz * Robot * Reverb * Octave up * Octave down * Synthesizer 16 Built-in DJ Mix FX: * Bit-crusher * Pitch-shift * Comb filter * Ring modulator * Reverb * Stutter * Gate * Resonant High/Low Pass Filters * Cutter * Reverse * Dub * Tempo Delay * Talkbox * VibroFlange * Dirty * Compressor Features included in SAMURAI In-App Purchase * Pro-quality Timestretch (5 modes: Modern, Retro, Beats, Re-pitch and Cyclic) * Piano roll editor * Auto-chop (auto, equal, and lazy chop) * 3 Band EQ * Pocket operator sync out * Quokka Synth - powerhouse polyphonic synthesizer * MIDI Out - control external MIDI hardware with Koala's sequencer * Chopper - multimodal sample chopping instrument Features included in MIXER In-App Purchase * Mix your beats professionally with a 4 channel mixer + main bus * Route any sample to any channel * Mute/solo, faders and accurate metering on every channel * 5 effect slots per channel * 29 high-quality effects - compressors, filters, phasers and more, with new effects to come * Host AUv3 plugins - both audio effects and instruments

About

Faders for PT

Features
Read full description

Put faders under your fingers while you mix. Faders for PT turns your iPad or iPhone into a multi-fader control surface for Pro Tools. Track names, colors, comments, pan, and automation modes — everything follows your session, over your wired or wireless LAN. PLEASE NOTE: "PT" is the common shorthand for Pro Tools, which is the only DAW this app supports. This app is made by obbliworks and is not an Avid product. HOW IT WORKS A small free receiver app on your Mac talks to Pro Tools using the HUI protocol, and to your iPad or iPhone over your local network (wired or wireless LAN). No account, no sign-up, no cloud — everything stays inside your studio network. If your Mac lives in a machine room, control it from the next room. FADERS • Up to 16 faders on screen (1–16, your choice) • Bidirectional: move a fader on the iPad and Pro Tools follows; play back automation and the iPad follows • Touch-sensitive: writes automation correctly in touch/latch/write modes • Double-tap a fader cap to return to unity gain • Swipe sideways to scroll through every track in your session MIXER • Solo, Mute, Record-arm, Input Monitor per strip • Pan (mono and stereo, with an expanded editor) • Automation mode per track: off / read / touch / latch / write (+trim) • Stereo meters per strip, driven by Pro Tools • Track names, colors, and comments from your session • Group multiple tracks: linked fader moves, batch mute/solo, batch automation mode • Undo / Redo for your control-surface moves ON iPHONE • Portrait layout with fewer, longer faders — plus haptic feedback on the fader detents • 1-fader / 2-fader modes: long throw, 1 dB scale, peak hold, and a precision mode (1/2 to 1/20 of finger travel) PRICING Every feature is free to use (a small banner ad appears at the top of the screen). To go ad-free, choose a monthly or yearly subscription, or buy once. • Monthly / Yearly: auto-renewing subscriptions. They renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad. • Buy once: one payment, ad-free forever. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://obbliworks.com/fadersfordaw/privacy REQUIREMENTS • Pro Tools with HUI support • Free receiver app "Faders for PT Receiver" for macOS 14 or later (download: obbliworks.com/fadersfordaw) • iPad or iPhone on the same Wi-Fi / LAN as the Mac (wired LAN via a USB-C Ethernet adapter is also supported) • For 16 faders at once: two HUI peripherals enabled in Pro Tools (the receiver provides both; a one-minute setup) Pro Tools is a trademark of Avid Technology, Inc. This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by Avid.

Screenshots

Koala Sampler4 screens
Faders for PT4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Faders for PT at Free against Koala Sampler's $4.99. Koala Sampler's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On update cadence, in-app purchases 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

Faders for PT is free to download; Koala Sampler costs $4.99 up front. Koala Sampler sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Faders for PT sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Koala Sampler versus Faders for PT: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKoala SamplerFaders for PT
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMazbox LimitedYasuhiro Misawa

Bugs and requests

Koala Sampler

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Samples not loading or disappearing after app updates
  • Sequencer timing and quantization issues
  • Crashes when using certain features or with large projects

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to record and edit MIDI sequences
  • More comprehensive effects and sound processing tools
  • Improved sample management and organization features
  • Support for external MIDI controllers and hardware integration
  • Customizable color schemes and UI themes

Faders for PT

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Koala Sampler

One-time8
  • Koala AUv3 Plugin$1.99
  • Ese-O's Sample Pack$2.99
  • Solar Studies Samplepack$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Soon Come Dub Sample Pack$2.99
  • Analog Astronaut Samplepack$2.99
  • Cirrus Cuts Sample Pack$2.99
  • Samurai Edition$3.99
  • Mixer$4.99
3 purchases

Faders for PT

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Yearly$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock — Buy Once$49.99

Questions

Is Koala Sampler free?
Koala Sampler costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Faders for PT free?
Faders for PT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Koala Sampler or Faders for PT have ads?
Faders for PT shows ads; Koala Sampler does not.
Which is updated more often, Koala Sampler or Faders for PT?
Koala Sampler ships an update fortnightly, and Faders for PT fortnightly. Most recently, Koala Sampler was updated on October 29, 2026 and Faders for PT on October 25, 2026.

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