Mix Bus Compressor vs PatchLens
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mix Bus Compressor
This audio plugin offers ultra-transparent compression with exceptionally low harmonic distortion. Its unique design provides immediate response without adding latency or phase distortion, making it ideal for real-time audio processing. The scalable interface ensures a clear visual experience on all iOS devices.
- Ultra-low harmonic distortion
- Unique envelope follower
- Immediate response time
- No added latency
- No phase distortion
- Scalable user interface
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This compressor has the lowest total harmonic distortion of any plugin we have seen, including desktop units. At the heart of it is a unique envelope follower design that makes it possible to compress the signal without creating distortion harmonics. On the spectrum of compressor tone that ranges from "vintage analog" to "pristine digital", this plugin sits at the extreme end of low-noise digital clarity, but it is different from other low-noise digital designs because it doesn't use digital look-ahead. Therefore its response time is immediate, it adds no extra delay to the signal chain, and it works great for processing real-time performance effects. It uses no oversampling so there is no phase distortion or loss of high-frequency energy from anti-aliasing filters. It also uses no digital-style filters (FIR filters) and no digital look-ahead, so it adds no additional latency to the signal chain. Although it is not a model of an existing piece analog hardware, every component of its signal path is realizable in the analog domain. We think of it as a digital model of our ideal analog compressor: it could exist as an analog circuit but would be very expensive to build with physical analog electronic parts. The user interface is 100% scalable, designed specifically for iOS, so it looks beautiful at any screen size or orientation, from tiny portrait views in AUM on iPhone to the largest full-screen views on iPad Pro.
PatchLens
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Save synth and pedal settings from a photo, then add editable hotspots and recall notes. The demo and 3 patch records stay free; Pro Lifetime is a one-time unlock. PatchLens helps musicians capture hardware synth, pedal, and semi-modular settings as private local patch records. Take or import a photo, mark the knobs and jacks that matter, add values and notes, then search your local patch library later. Optional on-device text recognition can suggest visible panel labels, but you stay in control of every saved value. PatchLens does not require an account, does not upload your photos, and does not promise automatic universal knob or cable detection. Pro Lifetime is a one-time in-app purchase that unlocks the full local patch library, on-device OCR label assist, and recall-sheet sharing. The bundled demo and 3 patch records stay free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://bonega.ai/patchlens/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PatchLens at Free against Mix Bus Compressor's $5.99. PatchLens also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Mix Bus Compressor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.2 vs 17.0). On ads and device support 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
PatchLens is free to download; Mix Bus Compressor costs $5.99 up front. PatchLens sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mix Bus Compressor asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mix Bus Compressor ships an update every 6 weeks, PatchLens weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mix Bus Compressor | PatchLens |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 10.2 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Blue Mangoo Consulting Company Limited | Clashware Sàrl |
In-app purchases
Mix Bus Compressor
No in-app purchases
PatchLens
- Pro Lifetime$4.99









