Comparison

FM TINES vs VB3m

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

Head to head
About

FM TINES

This app offers a vast library of expressive FM electric piano sounds, inspired by the 80s. It features advanced modulation and analog-modeled effects for rich, dynamic tones. Explore a collection of presets and customize your sound with extensive editing options.

Highlights
  • 109 Presets
  • 105 Sounds
  • 4371 Samples
  • Analog modeled filter
  • Color mod per velocity
  • 20 High Quality Digital Effects
  • Stack up to 4 sounds
Features
Read full description

FM TiNES is an electric piano library dedicated to the most beautiful FM electric pianos ever made. We know as musicians ourselves, that there is nothing more inspiring than the belly, crystal-like, tine sound of an FM electric piano. We ran through the entire 80’s gamut of the most beautifully expressive, rich, warm, and inspiring electric pianos ever made. The magic of our software is the expressiveness. We went to great lengths to make sure that all of our pianos are full of life, expression, warmth, and beauty, but providing an analog filter than can be controlled by velocity, and a color mod that will change the color and tone of the mod per velocity. When you combine both of these together, you create a very expressive electric piano sound that seems to change the tone on each and every keyboard touch. From beautiful tine stacks and layers, to wonderfully rich string and pad stacks, this will be your go-to library for all of your pretty electric piano needs. NEW UPDATED FEATURES: ▪ External Drive for Sample Storage ▪ BlueTooth MiDI Capable ▪ iCloud Backup and Sharing of Presets ▪ Enhanced AUv3 Preset Resizing ▪ Expansion Pack Banners and Branding ▪ Metal support, Faster UI, Faster loading, and major CPU Updates ▪ Two Mode MIDI Program Change Highlights: • 109 Presets • 105 Sounds • 4371 Samples • 5.2GB Samples (3.2GB Lossless) • Stereo Detuning Mode to Thicken Sounds • 20 High Quality Digital Effects, including the FULL VKFX Suite from Overloud™ • Series and Parallel Effects Routing Options • Random Preset Generator • Color modulator to change tone/character per velocity • Ability to stack up to 4-sounds • Additional Sound Elements: Strings, Pads, Choris, and Bells • Analog Modeled Dimension D chorus iOS Features: • iOS 11+ • AUv3 Full View Support • AUv3 Scrolling • Supports Scrolling to see all parameters • IAA • Background Audio • Virtual MIDI • Separate MIDI Channel Selections • Virtual Keyboard Sends MIDI • MIDI Learn any parameter Features • Flexible Preset System with Fast search, loading, and saving • Favorites option for sounds and presets • Lightening fast sample streaming engine • Warm analog rich simple-set ran through analog gear • Easy modulation system - Tap+Hold to assign modulation to virtually any source • A VA circuit modeled State Variable Filter, giving a warm analog sound. • Ability to select edit multiple oscillators • Dynamically and Graphically position FX signal flow in virtual racks. • Separate Oscillator FX sends for Reverb and Insert FX. • Featuring Overloud's VKFX Suite. • Dattorro's figure-of-eight Algorithmic Reverb. • Schroeder Algorithmic Reverb. • Soft Master Limiter with Tube Saturation. • Two Stereo Widener Options • Custom Impulse Responses taken from high quality reverbs Device Requirements: ---------------- ▪ 2GHz ARM Processor Recommended - iPad Pro 12.9 and 9.7 in, iPad 5th Gen, iPad Pro 12.9 in. (Gen 2), iPad Pro 10.5 in., iPad 6th Gen, iPad Pro 11 in., iPad Pro 12.9 in. (Gen 3), iPad Air (Gen 3) ▪ iPhone X and higher - iPhones with at least 2GB RAM Supported Only ▪ Fast SSD Drives for External sample streaming ---------------- IMPORTANT NOTE: Purchasing the iOS Version does not grant you FREE access to our desktop version. Each platform/version must be purchased separately.

About

VB3m

This app is a virtual tonewheel organ emulator, meticulously recreating the sound and functionality of the classic Hammond B3. It offers advanced features like dual manuals, pedalboard, physical modeling, and a versatile rotary speaker effect, all controllable via MIDI.

Highlights
  • Dual manuals and pedalboard
  • Physical modeling engine
  • Rotary speaker effect
  • Tube overdrive simulation
  • MIDI CC mapping
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

GSi VB3m simulates the famous american tonewheel organ better known as the Hammond Organ B3. Main features: - Two manuals plus pedalboard - Two sets of 9 drawbars each for upper and lower manual - Two drawbars for the pedalboard - Physical modeling engine with full polyphony (91 tonewheels) - Rotary speaker effect with two variations plus one static amp - Virtual microphone positioning - Tube overdrive simulation - Two band equalizer - Digital reverb - Program bank with 32 memory locations - On screen keyboard (upper manual only) - Split function - Pedal-to-lower function - Pedal String Bass decay - Global tuning between A=430 Hz and A=450 Hz - Fully customizable Midi CC Mapping with Midi Learn function - Reverse all drawbar CC option - Sustain pedal support for sustaining notes - User selectable Midi channels - Freely assignable Program Change numbers - Low latency Core Audio support - IAA support - AUv3 plugin extension included - Background audio option - Free Cloud service to easily exchange Programs and Midi Maps Please note: to connect a USB-Midi controller, please use Apple's Camera Connection Kit (Lightning to USB-A). Don't connect your recharge cable to a USB host port, that won't transfer Midi data. For better performance, make sure your battery is fully charged or power your device wherever possible. For more details, please read this Q&A article: https://lnx.gsidsp.com/help/knowledgebase.php?article=1

Screenshots

FM TINES4 screens
VB3m4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: VB3m at 4.4 against FM TINES's 3.6. VB3m also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

FM TINES costs $14.99 and VB3m $14.99 up front. FM TINES sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VB3m asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VB3m holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 41 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of FM TINES's written reviews are positive against 78% of VB3m's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FM TINES ships an update every 2 months, VB3m fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
FM TINES versus VB3m: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFM TINESVB3m
Price$14.99$14.99
Rating3.6 (14 ratings)4.4 (41 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.0% of reviews78.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1441 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#186 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size322 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMIDIculous LLCGenuine Soundware

Customer experience

FM TINES

All ratings14 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral21.4%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative27.5%

VB3m

All ratings40 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive78.0%
Neutral12.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

FM TINES

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

VB3m

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Sound gets stuck
  • Non funziona più (stops working)
  • Non riesco più a sentire il suono (no sound after iPad update)
  • Sounds get stuck, developer not responding
  • UI is pixelated and needs a refresh
Show 9 more
  • Graphics are very low res (needs fixing!)
  • Blurry graphics on iPad Pro 12”
  • Problems recording with GarageBand iOS
  • Difficulty connecting with MIDI keyboard and audio interface on iPad 9th gen
  • App screen goes dark and no sound when connected to MIDI/audio interface
  • Minor bug: sometimes the app seems to lose track of the (swell) expression pedal
  • Problema GarageBand: not working as Audio Unit with native GarageBand keyboard
  • Latency issues on older iPhone models
  • Battery drains when in background

Requested features

30 requests
  • Add parametric EQ
  • Adjustable sustain
  • Adjustable Leslie transition speed
  • Save drawbar registrations
  • Reverse color keys for quick access
Show 25 more
  • Toggle setting for rotary control
  • Increase UI size
  • Add sustain pedal triggers bass note
  • Add percussion volume control
  • Add black keys to keyboard view
  • Add up/down selector buttons for presets
  • Option to save parameters globally or per preset
  • Add MIDI learn
  • Clean setting on drive knob
  • Leslie speed switch on organ page
  • More presets
  • Integrate half moon Leslie directly on organ screen
  • Add mute function for use with other apps
  • Option to decide buffer size
  • Transpose +2 octaves for lower split
  • More Leslie tweaks (speed, ramp-up times, amp models)
  • Add reverse color keys to keyboard page
  • Allow rotary control to have 'toggle' setting
  • Increase UI size
  • Add user saved presets
  • Add MIDI learn
  • Clean setting on drive knob
  • Leslie speed switch on organ page
  • More presets
  • Expression pedal mapping improvement

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FM TINES

One-time1
  • FM TiNES Desktop Samples$14.99
None

VB3m

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FM TINES free?
FM TINES costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is VB3m free?
VB3m costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FM TINES or VB3m?
VB3m is rated higher. FM TINES averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while VB3m averages 4.4 from 41 ratings.
Do FM TINES or VB3m have ads?
Neither FM TINES nor VB3m shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FM TINES or VB3m?
FM TINES ships an update every 2 months, and VB3m fortnightly. Most recently, FM TINES was updated on November 3, 2026 and VB3m on November 7, 2026.

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