Comparison

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin vs Surreal Machines Diffuse

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

Head to head
About

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin

Create ethereal soundscapes with this AUv3 compatible audio effect. It combines delay, pitch shifting, reverb, and modulation to add spacious atmosphere to instruments and vocals. Features include beat-synced options and harmonic enhancement.

Highlights
  • AUv3 compatible plugin
  • Combines delay, pitch shifting, and reverb
  • Beat-synced modulation options
  • Harmonic exciter and sustain section
  • Single-screen interface with presets
  • Parameter automation and tempo sync
Read full description

This is an AUv3 compatible effect which must be used as plugin with your favourite DAW such as Cubasis, Meteor, Auria or GarageBand. It supports a modern graphical interface and presets with stereo meters for monitoring signal levels. This shimmer effect is a combination of effects that creates an etherial wall of sound. The effect combines a digital delay and pitch shifter to create multiple harmonies before entering a rich long reverb with controllable filtering. The resulting effect is a monsterously huge sound adding a spacious atmospheric quality to any lead instrument or vocal. The effect also features many beat synced modulation options with various modes of operation such as your basic pans and vibrato effects but including sweeps and morphing harmonies. Finally to give the effect some real 'shimmer' we've added a harmonic exciter and a sustain section which samples and holds on to the sound to pull out and emphesise the harmonics. The effect presents all the most frequently used controls to the user in a single screen, but each effect has it's own distinct set of controls and a total of 7 pre-configured touch pads allowing easy recording of controller data. This plugin allows complete parameter automation and auto synced modulation to master tempo. This is one of a suite of AUv3 compatible plugins which will also soon be available from 4Pockets.

About

Surreal Machines Diffuse

This audio effect plugin blends analog-modeled delay with classic digital reverb, allowing users to morph between the two for unique soundscapes. It offers intuitive control over smearing, echoes, and damping, inspired by vintage hardware.

Highlights
  • Analog-modeled delay
  • Classic digital reverb
  • Morphing between delay and reverb
  • Nonlinearities and tape-style delay
  • Intuitive control over smearing, echoes, damping
  • AUV3 plugin compatibility
Read full description

Diffuse is inspired by classic hardware delay and reverb effects from the 1970’s and 1980’s. It takes a Surreal Machines look at the frontier between delays and reverbs. It's an analog/digital hybrid - an analog modeled delay fused with a classic reverb design used in early digital units. In Diffuse you get more than the best of both worlds - you can morph between delays and reverbs, and find all kinds of fantastical sounds in between the two. You’ll also find plenty of nonlinearities and smooth tape-style delay changes. Diffuse gives you complete control over smearing, echoes and damping in the most intuitive ways possible. ****** Diffuse is an Audio Unit V3 plugin; it benefits from an AUV3 host like Logic, GarageBand, Cubasis, FL Studio Mobile, AUM, etc.

Screenshots

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin4 screens
Surreal Machines Diffuse1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Surreal Machines Diffuse at 5.0 against Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin's 4.2. Surreal Machines Diffuse also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 64%). Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin's advantage is ratings volume (30 vs 6). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin costs $7.99 and Surreal Machines Diffuse $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surreal Machines Diffuse holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin has 30 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin's written reviews are positive against 100% of Surreal Machines Diffuse's.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin versus Surreal Machines Diffuse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShimmer AUv3 Audio PluginSurreal Machines Diffuse
Price$7.99$7.99
Rating4.2 (30 ratings)5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings30 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 8 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13 — better14
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4Pockets.comSurreal Machines

Customer experience

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin

All ratings31 ratings
Positive77.4%
Neutral6.5%
Negative16.1%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

Surreal Machines Diffuse

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin

No in-app purchases

None

Surreal Machines Diffuse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin free?
Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Surreal Machines Diffuse free?
Surreal Machines Diffuse costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin or Surreal Machines Diffuse?
Surreal Machines Diffuse is rated higher. Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin averages 4.2 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Surreal Machines Diffuse averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.
Do Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin or Surreal Machines Diffuse have ads?
Neither Shimmer AUv3 Audio Plugin nor Surreal Machines Diffuse shows ads.

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