TB ReelBus vs Multiband Compressor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TB ReelBus
This audio plugin simulates the authentic sound of magnetic tape, adding warmth, saturation, and classic effects like wow-and-flutter and echo to your music. It offers a wide range of tape and saturation modes for professional-quality audio processing on iOS and iPadOS devices.
- Authentic magnetic tape simulation
- Warmth, saturation, and wow-and-flutter
- Tape flanger and echo effects
- Tape start and stop effects
- Drive EQ for frequency-specific saturation
- Tape wear simulation
- Input/output VU meters
Read full descriptionHide full description
ToneBoosters ReelBus is a top-quality, authentic, versatile and accurate magnetic tape simulation AUv3 plug-in bringing warmth and excitement of tape to your iOS or iPadOS device! Instant gratification from 80s compact cassette sound to professional 30 IPS studio recorder simulation. Sweeten your mix with a touch of tape hysteresis, saturation and compression. Create that 'Boards of Canada' sound by adding a tad of wow-and-flutter. Top it up with tape flanging, echo and tape start/stop effects. The ToneBoosters ReelBus app captures the microphone (or external sound card) input and processes the signals in real time. To use it as a plug-in, use an AUv3-compatible host app such as Steinberg Cubasis, Apple Garageband, Audio Evolution Mobile Studio, Auria, AUM, or others. ToneBoosters ReelBus will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins. Key features: - The same professional sound as the acclaimed desktop version - Wide variety of tape and saturation modes available - Saturation, hysteresis, wow and flutter, tape hiss, asperity noise controls - Tape speed and amount controls - Soft bypass - Unique drive EQ to drive certain frequencies harder into the tape model - Tape wear model for worn-out tape simulation - Tape flanger and dual tape echo modules, with beat sync functionality - Tape start and tape stop effect modules - Oversampling and anti-aliasing filters for top-quality output - Input and output VU meters showing peak and RMS levels simultaneously - Master Bus mode with analog VU meters and macro controls to get great results efficiently - Undo/redo, and A/B comparison - Color themes for the user interface - Max screen support in Garageband - Optimised for iPad and compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch What you should know: - Licenses acquired for this platform are not compatible with other platforms. - Audio Unit (AUv3) extensions require an iPad mini 2, iPad 4 or later models.
Multiband Compressor
This audio effect plugin offers an ultra-clean compressor algorithm with very low harmonic distortion. It features a high-resolution spectrum analyzer and a versatile side chain input for advanced audio manipulation.
- Ultra-clean algorithm with < -140 dB distortion
- Simple and clean interface
- Side chain input with full band/band limited modes
- High-resolution spectrum analyzer
- Eight compressor settings per band
Read full descriptionHide full description
KEY FEATURES 1. Ultra-clean algorithm. Less than -140 dB harmonic distortion across all settings 2. Clean and simple interface 3. Side chain input with full band and band limited modes 4. High-resolution spectrum analyser displays the input and output volume at each frequency ULTRA LOW DISTORTION COMPRESSOR ALGORITHM This unique envelope follower design ensures harmonic distortion of less than -140 dB for the full range of compressor settings. There is no cleaner compressor on the app store. SIDE CHAIN INPUT In host apps that support multi-input audio units you can use this app to achieve the pumping side chain effect typically heard in electronic dance music where the synth and other background instruments duck their volume in deference to the kick drum on every beat. The side chain input of this plugin has two modes. In full-spectrum mode each frequency band is compressed according to the volume of the full spectrum of sidechain input. In single-band mode each band is compressed based on the side chain level in only that frequency band itself. COMPRESSOR CONTROLS Each of up to four bands has eight compressor settings. They are input gain, output gain, attack time, release time, threshold, ratio, soft/hard knee, and wet mix.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: TB ReelBus at 100% against Multiband Compressor's 33%. TB ReelBus also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (47 vs 11). Multiband Compressor's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $8.99). On update cadence, 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
TB ReelBus costs $8.99 and Multiband Compressor $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TB ReelBus holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of TB ReelBus's written reviews are positive against 33% of Multiband Compressor's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TB ReelBus | Multiband Compressor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | $7.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (47 ratings) — better | 3.5 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 47 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ToneBoosters | Blue Mangoo Consulting Company Limited |
Customer experience
TB ReelBus
Multiband Compressor
In-app purchases
TB ReelBus
No in-app purchases
Multiband Compressor
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is TB ReelBus free?
Is Multiband Compressor free?
Which has better reviews, TB ReelBus or Multiband Compressor?
Do TB ReelBus or Multiband Compressor have ads?
Which is updated more often, TB ReelBus or Multiband Compressor?
Other comparisons















