Time Machine AUv3 Plugin vs SAND
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Time Machine AUv3 Plugin
This audio plugin emulates the warm, crackly sound of vintage vinyl records and tube amplifiers. Add nostalgic character, warp, dust, and hiss to your music. It's designed to enhance recordings with authentic analog warmth and saturation.
- Vinyl emulation with warp, dust, and scratches
- Tube amplifier sound simulation
- Adjustable saturation for harmonic richness
- Smooth fade-in/out effect
- Compatible with major DAWs
Read full descriptionHide full description
This is an AUv3 compatible plugin which can be used with your favourite DAW such as Cubasis, Auria, Meteor or GarageBand. It does not function as a standalone program. Time Machine is a plugin that allows you to go back to the days of vinyl and tube amplification. If you still long for those nostalgic days of warped records, worn needles, static laden, crackle ridden vinyl then this plugin is what you've been waiting for. It simulates the sound of early gramophones, radiograms, record players, through to late 80's turntables. You can either select an 'Age' or tweak individual settings to add warp, dust, scratches and good old fashion hiss to your recordings. The tube emulation mimics the old valve driven amplification which can be overdriven to add a nice warm tonal quality to your sound. It even allows you to add additional harmonics using the saturation knob to mimic the effect of tube amplification. It's a subtle but effective way of adding character and punch to thin sounds without changing pushing them in to the realms of distortion. When you turn on the Vinyl emulation you can choose to emulate the needle hitting the record, while the power button smoothly fades the effect in and out. We've all heard those great intros that sound like a blast from the past before diving into an aural onslaught. Well this might just be the tool to help lull your audience into that false sense of security! This is one of those playful fun effects designed to add a bit of spice into your songs and inspire ideas.
SAND
This app is a grid-based music sequencer that allows users to create compositions using AUv3 plugins and external MIDI devices. It offers extensive tools for arranging clips, editing notes, automating parameters, and routing MIDI.
- Grid-based MIDI sequencing
- AUv3 plugin hosting
- External MIDI device support
- Advanced clip editing
- Track and effect management
- Song mode for arrangement
- MIDI routing and mapping
Read full descriptionHide full description
Have SAND in your pocket. Create music anywhere. Sketch your ideas, compose with MIDI and audio clips, host your favorite plugins. All designed for creative flow, whether you're at home or on the go. SAND is a music sketchpad for AUv3, MIDI, and audio clips—built so you can try ideas quickly, without setup getting in the way. Please note: SAND does not generate sound on its own—it relies on AUv3 plugins you can find on the App Store. Try SAND free for 14 days; in-app purchases unlock features after the trial. GRID SEQUENCER Arrange MIDI and audio clips on a grid to build your ideas. Copy, duplicate, merge, combine, and drag-and-drop clips to shape your project. Quick clip tools: quantize, length, legato, transpose from the clip menu. Render MIDI clips as audio by dropping them onto an audio track. MIDI TRACKS Work with instrument and MIDI tracks in your projects. Load an instrument and unlimited audio and MIDI effects on each track. Hide tracks and assign custom icons to keep sessions organized. Save tracks as templates for future projects. Edit MIDI in a piano-roll clip editor: quantize, legato, split, duplicate, copy, and paste. Build chords with the chord selector. Adjust note position, pitch, duration, and velocity. Handle bars edit position and pitch on the note. Use an adjustable grid or free placement. Scale highlighting helps you stay in key. Record with an optional count-in or from the first note. Quantize recordings for tighter timing. AUDIO TRACKS Add dedicated audio tracks alongside your MIDI material. Import audio into clips from other apps or the clip import flow, with preview before committing. Record audio into clips with per-track input settings and track arming. Set loop or one-shot playback, beat-aligned or immediate start, and optional clip BPM. Looping clips follow project tempo. The audio editor supports copy, paste, crop, gain adjustment, normalize, silence, fades, reverse, pitch, stretch, and split. With automatic or manual preview. PLUGIN HOST Host AUv3 instruments, audio effects, and MIDI processors. Control parameters and presets, and save default states for new instances. Record notes and MIDI from plugin interfaces, and capture output from MIDI plugins. Mark plugins as favorites for faster access. SONG MODE Arrange clips in sections with independent lengths, played back seamlessly in order. Launch every clip in a section at once, sections work as scene launchers. Set a different time signature per section when needed. AUTOMATION Automate volume, pan, effect parameters, and MIDI for dynamic changes across your tracks. MASTER TRACK Apply effects globally across the project. Use the master track's clip to generate bass lines and chord progressions. MIDI ROUTING Record from external MIDI devices, including hardware synths. Send MIDI out for real-time playback and route MIDI between tracks. Use SAND as a virtual MIDI input and output. MIDI MAPPING Map a MIDI controller to control the app with a flexible, customizable layout. "Shift" mappings extend what a single controller surface can do. PROJECT VERSIONS Save and restore named snapshots of a project—experiment freely, then return to an earlier state. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Rename projects and branch copies with Save As…. (iOS 18+) Start new work from project templates. (iOS 18+) SYNC Sync with other apps and DAWs using Ableton Link. ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD AND PADS Record with a velocity-sensitive on-screen keyboard. Choose scale and root to limit keys to a scale, and adjust visible keys to match how you play. Play and record beats with on-screen drum pads. IMPORT / EXPORT Export clips as audio or MIDI. Export projects as Ableton Live sets. Record performances and export audio, including stems for separate processing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SAND at Free against Time Machine AUv3 Plugin's $9.99. SAND also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Time Machine AUv3 Plugin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). 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
SAND is free to download; Time Machine AUv3 Plugin costs $9.99 up front. SAND sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Time Machine AUv3 Plugin asks for nothing beyond the download.
SAND holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SAND has 86 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Time Machine AUv3 Plugin's written reviews are positive against 79% of SAND's.
Time Machine AUv3 Plugin ships an update every 11 months, SAND every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Time Machine AUv3 Plugin | SAND |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (14 ratings) | 4.6 (86 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 79.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 14 | 86 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 4Pockets.com | Matteo Caldari |
Customer experience
Time Machine AUv3 Plugin
SAND
Bugs and requests
Time Machine AUv3 Plugin
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SAND
Reported bugs
27 issues- Record function always starts when entering Midi Instrument or FX
- Sand not opening in overview
- Integration with other apps seems off
- Record does not pick up data
- Cannot save ideas from one app to another
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Auv3 interfaces don't scale well
- Note editing, snapping/quantization awkward and buggy
- Sand won't run within AUM anymore
- Sand not recognized within AUM
- Sand wouldn't recognize other apps as host
- Rendering issues
- Editing notes in pitch grid flies up
- Entering note values difficult
- Changing note length has issues
- Bugs not worked out, more brought in
- Clips out of sync when manually triggered
- Unpredictability for creating new notes
- Selecting notes for editing difficult
- Synchronizing between tracks problematic
- Occasional crashes
- Notes editing/selection/moving process is a pain
- No BT headphone support
- Less than 50% of synths/plugins show up
- Many plugins don't work properly
- App prompts for purchase again after buying
- Pattern length adjustment by 1 is crazy
- No snapping for note length stretch
Requested features
58 requests- Sand always open in overview
- Long press in sequence track window
- Random/chance abilities in clips (Polyend Play style)
- Semi-generative function or scale-based patterns/sequences
- Save AUv3 presets
Show 53 moreShow fewer
- Audio integration with audio quantization
- Audio clips
- Return to zero button
- More clip actions for performance (fire clip/scene, count in, repeat, single shot)
- Trigger sequences not just on bars
- Packaged as a MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet time signatures (3/4, 6/8)
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- More clip actions for performance
- MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet Time Signatures
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- Pattern length adjustment in note editor
- Snapping for note length stretch
- More clip actions for performance
- MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet Time Signatures
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- Pattern length adjustment in note editor
- Snapping for note length stretch
In-app purchases
Time Machine AUv3 Plugin
No in-app purchases
SAND
- 14-day trialFree
- 14 Days TrialFree
- Unlock$9.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Audio Tracks$9.99
Questions
Is Time Machine AUv3 Plugin free?
Is SAND free?
Which has better reviews, Time Machine AUv3 Plugin or SAND?
Do Time Machine AUv3 Plugin or SAND have ads?
Which is updated more often, Time Machine AUv3 Plugin or SAND?
Other comparisons















