Comparison

StepBud vs Insert Stream

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

Head to head
About

StepBud

This app is a versatile MIDI sequencer that allows for unlimited steps and detailed control over each step's parameters. It integrates with other music apps and supports various sequencing modes for creative performances.

Highlights
  • Unlimited steps
  • Step parameter control (note, velocity, rate, etc.)
  • Custom MIDI CC messages
  • Step locking and skipping
  • Master fader with copy/shift modes
  • Step Editor for detailed note editing
  • Arpeggio modes (up, down, random)
Features
Read full description

StepBud is a MIDI Sequencer with Audio Unit AUv3 plugin, Audiobus and Ableton Link. Add an unlimited number of steps to your sequencer. Your steps appear with a LED and a fader on top of your screen. You can change the active mode that your step faders displaying/controlling. - Set the current note or chord in range of the scale and key you selected with respect the range of the octave you want to focus, - Set the velocity, rate, gate time, modulation, pitch bend, portamento, probability and swing for each step, - Try increasing the rate and repeat count your steps if you want to add more flavor. - Send unlimited custom MIDI CC messages if you want to control your hardware or software synth parameters. - Lock steps if you don't want them to change their value. - Skip steps for creating interesting live performances. Below the step faders, you have a master fader where you can control your entire sequencer. It has two modes which you can change from the settings strip on the bottom of the app. - In copy mode, it assigns its value to each step. - In shift mode, it shifts up or down each step. If you want to go off-scale or try some crazy chords on some of your steps, or maybe on all of them, you can go to the Step Editor by double tapping the LED of the step you want to edit. In StepBud's powerful Step Editor, you can set your step's notes either from the virtual keyboard or your connected MIDI keyboard. Don't forget to enable MIDI in port of your MIDI keyboard or the you want to receive MIDI from the settings menu. You may also preview the selected notes by pressing the preview button in Step Editor for making sure you created the perfect sound for your particular step. You can also toggle the steps you want to disable by tapping its LED. If you long-press the LED, you can access a menu where you may copy/paste the steps around, remove them or edit them. If you enable the lock mode from the settings strip on the bottom of the app, you may adjust each visible step fader on the screen by a single swipe gesture without having to lift your finger up. Try to change your arppegio mode from the settings strip. You can sequence your steps up, down, up-down or random order. StepBud is a MIDI sequencer app and it does not generate sounds itself. You need to route its MIDI out port in the settings menu to the audio app you want to sequence. Please note that you need to have an iOS 11+ device and an Audio Unit host application such as AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis, BeatMaker or Audiobus in order to use the StepBud as an Audio Unit plugin. And don't forget to route StepBud's MIDI out to the app or audio unit you want to sequence. StepBud's MIDI layer powered by free and open-source project AudioKit https://github.com/AudioKit/AudioKit Also, StepBud offers its core components for free on GitHub. Feel free to star, fork or contribute. https://github.com/cemolcay/MusicTheory https://github.com/cemolcay/LiveFader https://github.com/cemolcay/MIDIEventKit

About

Insert Stream

Features
Read full description

Insert Stream is a companion remote app for Insert which is a desktop app. Insert stream lets you monitor audio from your Mac on your phone over your local network. Connect to Insert, view the stream status, see the current sample rate, and switch the stream between pre- and post-FX chain monitoring from your phone. Insert Stream is designed for local studio and desktop workflows. It does not require an internet audio service; your phone and Mac just need to be on the same local network. Requires Insert running on macOS with streaming enabled.

Screenshots

StepBud4 screens
Insert Stream2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Insert Stream at Free against StepBud's $4.99. StepBud's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On 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

Insert Stream is free to download; StepBud costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
StepBud versus Insert Stream: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStepBudInsert Stream
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (38 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings38 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCem OlcayJoel Assaizky

In-app purchases

None

StepBud

No in-app purchases

None

Insert Stream

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StepBud free?
StepBud costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Insert Stream free?
Insert Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do StepBud or Insert Stream have ads?
Neither StepBud nor Insert Stream shows ads.

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