Comparison

ChannelStrip vs Phonolyth Cascade

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

Head to head
About

ChannelStrip

This app provides essential audio processing tools for music production, including a noise gate, equalizer, and compressor. It offers smooth control for mixing and tonal shaping, with a characterful output stage for adding warmth.

Highlights
  • Noise gate with adjustable envelope
  • PEV-modeled equalizer for tone shaping
  • Rough Rider-based compressor
  • Input/output gain control
  • Mute and bypass functions
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

ChannelStrip is, as its name implies, a channel strip app and AUv3 plugin. With a gate, equalizer, and compressor, ChannelStrip can provide a solid and easy-to-use channel control for your iOS mixing needs. GATE: The gate is of our own design, and very smooth. With envelope that vary from nearly instantaneous to ludicrously long, you can use it for both basic noise control and more extreme tonal shaping. EQUALIZER: Modeled on the PEV, a famous German "cartridge" equalizer, the EQ in ChannelStrip is super useful for basic tone shaping. A very smooth and forgiving general-purpose EQ. COMPRESSOR: The compressor in ChannelStrip is, at its heart, our Rough Rider model. We removed all the filtering from Rough Rider to make it cleaner, and changed the times to be more appropriate to general mixing duties. I/O: ChannelStrip has positive gain on both the input and output, to get your levels right. It also has a bit of a personality on the output stage if you drive it hard (with either or both the input and output gains). Nominally very clean, it picks up a bit of dirt with high levels just like a hardware console. Along with that, both mute (which mutes the input entirely) and bypass (which sends the inputs right to the outputs without passing the DSP stages) are available as automatable parameters. In short, ChannelStrip is a general utility mixing tool, with a bit of character and a lot of usefulness. We _strongly_ recommend you use the AUv3 version. The standalone is provided as a courtesy, but ChannelStrip is designed as an AUv3 plugin, and prefers to be hosted in a DAW or modular host like GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, nanoStudio, etc.

About

Phonolyth Cascade

This app offers a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. It allows for the creation of expansive modulated spaces, stereo widening, and hybrid delay/reverb effects. Explore unique sonic territories with a wide range of controls and randomized modulation.

Highlights
  • Expansive modulated supernatural spaces
  • Stereo widening and transient smearing
  • Hybrid delay/reverb effects
  • Chorus, flanger, and resonator-like effects
  • Randomized modulation
  • Infinity and Freeze buttons
  • Mix Lock for preset switching
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Cascade is a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. Designed first and foremost with expansive modulated supernatural spaces in mind, it features an extensive set of controls to explore other sonic territories such as stereo widening, transient smearing, hybrid delay/reverb and chorus/flanger/resonator-like effects. Features: - Wide range of diffusion textures spanning from subtle smearing and widening to otherworldly reverberation - Lush randomized modulation - Infinity and Freeze buttons for never-ending reverb bliss - Mix Lock for switching presets while keeping the dry/wet mix constant - Freely resizable UI with light and dark color schemes - Cross-platform preset format for sharing across plugin formats and OSes - 30 factory presets to get you started - Includes an AudioUnit v3 plugin for use in host apps such as GarageBand and AUM, and a standalone app

Screenshots

ChannelStrip2 screens
Phonolyth Cascade2 screens

Verdict

The call

ChannelStrip and Phonolyth Cascade both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Phonolyth Cascade's written reviews are positive against 39% of ChannelStrip's. Phonolyth Cascade also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 66 months) and ratings volume (30 vs 3). ChannelStrip's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $7.99). On rating, 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

ChannelStrip costs $3.99 and Phonolyth Cascade $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ChannelStrip against 4.9 for Phonolyth Cascade. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phonolyth Cascade has 30 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 39% of ChannelStrip's written reviews are positive against 100% of Phonolyth Cascade's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChannelStrip ships an update every 66 months, Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
ChannelStrip versus Phonolyth Cascade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChannelStripPhonolyth Cascade
Price$3.99 — better$7.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.9 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews38.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings330 — better
Update frequencyEvery 66 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#199#179 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAudio Damage, Inc.Yuri Turov

Customer experience

ChannelStrip

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive38.9%
Neutral16.7%
Negative44.4%

Phonolyth Cascade

All ratings30 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ChannelStrip

No in-app purchases

None

Phonolyth Cascade

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChannelStrip free?
ChannelStrip costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phonolyth Cascade free?
Phonolyth Cascade costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChannelStrip or Phonolyth Cascade?
ChannelStrip is rated higher. ChannelStrip averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Phonolyth Cascade averages 4.9 from 30 ratings.
Do ChannelStrip or Phonolyth Cascade have ads?
Neither ChannelStrip nor Phonolyth Cascade shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChannelStrip or Phonolyth Cascade?
ChannelStrip ships an update every 66 months, and Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. Most recently, ChannelStrip was updated on October 11, 2026 and Phonolyth Cascade on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, ChannelStrip or Phonolyth Cascade?
ChannelStrip currently peaks at #199 in the App Store charts, and Phonolyth Cascade at #179. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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