Comparison

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin vs Circa Looper

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

Head to head
About

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin

This app allows you to record audio samples from your device or other apps and map them to a MIDI keyboard to create your own instruments. It offers advanced editing, built-in effects, and an arpeggiator for versatile sound design.

Highlights
  • AUv3 compatible sampler instrument
  • Record audio from internal mic or interface
  • Sample directly from other iOS apps
  • Map audio clips to MIDI notes
  • Sophisticated pitch shifting algorithm
  • Built-in reverb, delay, and chorus effects
  • Arpeggiator with glide and hold options
Read full description

Chameleon is an AUv3 compatible sampler instrument plugin for your favourite DAW. The program can run as a standalone app in order to record audio samples from the internal microphone or professional audio interface. It also supports incoming Inter-App Audio connections for sampling directly from other iOS applications, however it is primarily intended to be used as an AUv3 Instrument plugin for applications such as Cubasis, AUM, Auria, Meteor, Gargeband etc. The plugin can additionally be loaded as an AUv3 effect in order to record audio passing through it from other AUv3 Instrument sources, which makes it a very versatile and useful tool. So what is a sampler? A sampler is a device that allows you to imitate other instruments with just a few short audio snippits. Although it comes with a library of presets it also allows you to create your own. You do this by recording multiple audio clips and mapping them to the notes on a MIDI keyboard and Chameleon does the rest using a sophisticated pitch shifting algorithm to fill in the blanks. Recorded samples can either be layered or mapped freely over a 7 octave range and saved as individual presets. Presets are then organised into custom categorised banks which can be exported and shared with others. Just think, you can sample all your favourite synth sounds and carry them around on your iPhone/iPad without the inconvenience of lugging heavy gear around with you. Sample anything from musical instruments to vocal snippits, drum machines or ambient noises. The possibilities are endless. Recording is incredible easy. Just create a New Patch and press record. Chameleon will wait for you to play a note before recording begins. Once recorded press the LEARN button and tap the note range on the virtual or MIDI keyboard to map the sample. Repeat this as many times as required, tweak the settings and save your patch. Additionally you can setup loop points with the ability to apply crossfade. If all that sounds too complicated, just press auto sample and let Chameleon do all the sampling for you. Chameleon also has a quite sophisticated arpeggiator which allows you to create complex mixtures of notes and chords with glide, hold and re-triggering options. On board reverb, digital delay and chorus effects are available to give your samples a more polished touch. We also include 4 touch pads for quickly dialing in on a sound or for easy effect automation. Configurable touch ADSR and modulation options are available too. Chameleon can also import audio samples using iOS Files integration or you can make use of Copy / Paste to quickly drop one of more samples into a patch. You can also freely edit samples using the built in tools such as normalise, fade in, fade out, crop, clear options etc. You can run Cameleon as a standalone app and map external MIDI keyboards (Bluetooth MIDI support also included) and perform audio sampling outside of your DAW. This is provided for convenience since you can't record input when hosted as an AUv3 Instrument plugin. Yes some DAW's have built in samplers which only have the ability to playback libraries provided with the software. Chameleon allows you to built your own libraries of sounds and share them with others. There's a budding rapper in you dying to get out and we have just the tool! Features: AUv3 Instrument and AUv3 Effect compatible Runs as a standalone app for sampling purposes. Supports incoming IAA connections to compatible apps.. ADSR touch envelopes and modulation. ARP - Sophisticated programmable arpegiator. Reverb, Chorus and Digital Delay Effects with BPM sync. Backup and Restore patches and banks. Create your own user banks. 4 Touch Pads for automation. 16 MIDI Drum Pads iOS Files App support for import and export. Bluetooth MIDI support Loop Points and optional Crossfade supported. Monophonic and Polyphonic modes. Auto Sample feature. Built in Vocoder.

About

Circa Looper

A powerful multi-channel looping instrument for iPad, designed for musicians and producers. It offers six independent stereo loop layers, deep modulation, precision syncing, and built-in effects for creating complex patterns and evolving soundscapes. Its touch-friendly interface allows for hands-on creative control and seamless DAW integration.

Highlights
  • Six independent stereo loop layers
  • Deep modulation control
  • Precision syncing
  • Built-in reverb and delay
  • Touch-friendly interface
  • Full MIDI mapping
  • Drag-and-drop audio export
Features
Read full description

Circa runs as a standalone app, or as an AUv3 plugin in hosts such as GarageBand, Logic, AUM and Cubase. Equal parts workhorse and abstract creative tool, Circa is a six track multi-layer looping environment that can do most of the things your popular floor pedal looper can while also paying homage to the serendipitous world of ambient looping. Each layer can sync to the host, a master loop, or free run, and can be triggered in sync, with an audio signal, or freely. Circa has seven stereo outputs (including a dedicated cue output for monitoring) and built-in reverb and delay. Add in a complete MIDI control and LFO modulation system and Circa is a full looping workstation. Features -- Multi-Layered Looping Circa has six layers that can operate independently or in sync with each other and/or the host. Circa can record from the stereo input, or self-record via an internal buss for interesting feedback possibilities. -- Standalone Or Plugin As a standalone app, Circa has its own audio and MIDI settings: choose your audio interface, sample rate and buffer size, pick the input pair, send each of Circa's seven outputs to any output pair on your interface, and select a MIDI input. Sync to incoming MIDI clock, or let Circa set the tempo from your first loop. As an AUv3 plugin, it lives inside your host and syncs to its transport. -- Designed To Be Touched And Played Circa's user interface is made for tactile manipulation, with touch strips for speed and position (including dedicated pages). The position strip can be further subdivided with slices. All this works together to turn a looping effect into a playable instrument. -- Easy To Get Along With Circa's layers each have an undo for destructive edits like recording, overdubbing, and erasing. -- Controllability And Modulation Circa has 30 modulation slots. Each one can map a MIDI controller to any of Circa's looping functions, or run an LFO: seven shapes, free-running or tempo-synced, with rate, phase and level, modulating speed, start and end position, level, panning, delay and reverb sends, filter frequency and resonance, or the slice the play head is on. LFOs swing around wherever each control is set, so the knobs stay in charge. -- Self-Contained Circa has a full internal mixer, filtering on each layer, and studio-quality send reverb, send delay, parametric EQ and compressor taken directly from Audio Damage's extensive effect library. -- Expandable And Performance-Ready Circa has 7 outputs in all: six assignable stereo outputs and a cue output for monitoring. Send any layer to any of the six stereo outputs, while keeping the cue for soloing, recording, and editing, unheard by the audience. In the standalone app, each output can go to its own pair of outputs on your audio interface. -- Ecosystem-Aware Circa's user presets are cross-platform compatible, and work on any instance of Circa, whether on macOS, Windows, Linux, or iOS. In addition, sessions created in GarageBand or Logic on iOS will open in the desktop version on macOS if you have purchased a license to that version.

Screenshots

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin and Circa Looper both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin's written reviews are positive against 33% of Circa Looper's. Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin also leads on ratings volume (45 vs 10) and device support (3 vs 1). Circa Looper's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $12.99). On rating, update cadence, 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

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin costs $12.99 and Circa Looper $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Circa Looper holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin's written reviews are positive against 33% of Circa Looper's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin versus Circa Looper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChameleon AUv3 Sampler PluginCirca Looper
Price$12.99$7.99 — better
Rating4.4 (45 ratings)4.6 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings45 — better10
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size226 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4Pockets.comAudio Damage, Inc.

Customer experience

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin

All ratings45 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative17.6%

Circa Looper

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

None

Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin

No in-app purchases

None

Circa Looper

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin free?
Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Circa Looper free?
Circa Looper costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin or Circa Looper?
Circa Looper is rated higher. Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin averages 4.4 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Circa Looper averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.
Do Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin or Circa Looper have ads?
Neither Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin nor Circa Looper shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin or Circa Looper?
Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin ships an update every 3 weeks, and Circa Looper every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chameleon AUv3 Sampler Plugin was updated on October 15, 2026 and Circa Looper on September 29, 2026.

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