Comparison

Jazz Drummer vs Thereminator 2

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

Head to head
About

Jazz Drummer

This app offers a new approach to jazz drumming for mobile devices, featuring distinct drummer styles and adjustable improvisation levels. It includes tools for creating realistic drum sounds, live performance control, and song composition with integrated effects.

Highlights
  • Three distinct drummer styles (Swing, Be Bop, Modern Bop)
  • 2D slider for jam level and intensity control
  • Save mixer and effects per sound bank
  • Humanize Velocity for realistic sound
  • Live Pads with rhythm, jam, and intensity control
  • MIDI control mapping
  • Four combinable effects (Compressor/Gate, EQ, Delay, Reverb)
Features
Read full description

Jazz Drums for iPad and iPhone with new approach to improvisation and swing pulse. - Three drummers in one. Jo, Max and Roy : Swing, Be Bop and Modern Bop drums. Regardless of the selected rhythm, the choice of drummer will affect all improvisations, jams and fills style. - New 2d Slider to control jam level ( x - horizontal ) and intensity ( y - vertical ) - Save Mixer and Effects for each Sound Bank. - Toggle Ride / Hats and Cross Stick / Snare - Adds a new Jazz bank to iBassist with lot of bass lines and chord progressions. - Humanize Velocity to get realistic sound. - iCloud Backups - Live Pads with Rhythm, jam and intensity parameter to play live and control by MIDI. - Song Mode with the new 2D Slider for parts. - 4 Effects to combine, including Compressor/Gate, Equalizer, Delay and Reverb. - Several Random generators to get creative ideas instantly. --- MIDI CONTROLS --- Assignable Controls MIDI Mapping Default Controls : Play : G2 LivePads : C1 - G2 Fill + Play/Stop : A2 Fill : C2 Fill + Toggle Hats/Ride D2 Toggle Hats/Ride Db2 Fill with LivePad Change E2 Load Live Pad C3 Preview LivePad Db3 Next Live Pad D3 Select Live Pad Set Eb3 Tap Tempo Bb2 Crash Cymbal B2 Next Song Ab2 Previous Song Gb2 Jam CC 1 Intensity CC 2 Master Volume CC 7 Swing CC 11 Reverb Level CC 91 Bank CC 32 Rhythm CC 0 Soundset PC

About

Thereminator 2

This app brings the iconic theremin sound to your mobile device and computer. It offers touch-controlled virtual instrument capabilities with extensive sound shaping options and MPE support for DAWs.

Highlights
  • Touch-controlled virtual theremin
  • AUv3 instrument plugin
  • MPE protocol support
  • Over 50 factory presets
  • Virtual-Analog resonant filter
  • Modeled tape delay
  • 51 musical scales
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

“I’ll be Bach.” Stop the presses! Load up the inkwells! For it's the return of one of the first — if not the first — instruments made for iOS: the infamous “pocket theremin” is back. A lot has changed since those heady days of 2008, and so has Thereminator. Although it is not made of T-1000 grade liquid metal (well...not yet), the all-new Thereminator 2 has evolved into a bona fide touch controlled virtual theremin with ample helpings of tone, expression, versatility, and technology. And it’s now an AUv3 plugin, too! Using a special adaptation of the MPE protocol, Thereminator 2 can inject its eerie sounds directly into your DAW, whether on your iPhone, iPad or Apple Silicon powered computer. Whether you have your plan 9 ready, or just lurking in dark shadows, it is a thrill to bring back the app that started it all for us. Thank Y’all for the support, for it’s been an amazing journey! :: Specifications :: • Touch-controlled Virtual Theremin • AUv3 instrument plugin included • Compatible with DAWs that are MPE friendly, including GarageBand, Logic, and Cubasis • Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon powered computers • Over 50 factory presets Sound engine includes, • 8 waveforms, including the original, unique Thereminator waveform • 8 octave frequency range • Special drive stage for fattening up the sound • Virtual-Analog resonant filter • Dedicated vibrato and tremolo operators with adjustable rate & amount • Portamento • Custom chorus / expander effect for big stereophonic sounds • Modeled tape delay capable of self-oscillation — plenty of vintage mojo • Vertical touch control for volume, filter, vibrato and tremolo Built-in touch controller includes, • Horizontal pitch and vertical expression control • 51 musical scales • Selectable musical key • Note Snap feature that can dial in any amount of glide between adjacent notes • Lock feature to preserve above setting during preset changes • Scrollable control surface with adjustable key size MIDI / MPE and other features include, • MIDI Learn • MPE • Can be used with regular MIDI keyboards on MIDI channel 1 (channels 2-16 are optimized for MPE) • Save & share unlimited banks and presets • Standalone app includes virtual “Tapedeck” for recording & sharing your creations

Screenshots

Jazz Drummer4 screens
Thereminator 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Thereminator 2 at $7.99 against Jazz Drummer's $17.99. Thereminator 2 also leads on chart position (#197 vs unranked). Jazz Drummer's advantage is ratings volume (268 vs 14). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Jazz Drummer costs $17.99 and Thereminator 2 $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 — 4.7 for Jazz Drummer against 4.7 for Thereminator 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Jazz Drummer has 268 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Jazz Drummer's written reviews are positive against 88% of Thereminator 2's.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Jazz Drummer versus Thereminator 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJazz DrummerThereminator 2
Price$17.99$7.99 — better
Rating4.7 (268 ratings) — better4.7 (14 ratings)
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews — better87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings268 — better14
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#197 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size330 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLumbeatYonac Inc.

Customer experience

Jazz Drummer

All ratings266 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.1%
Negative3.1%

Thereminator 2

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Jazz Drummer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when changing patterns or settings
  • MIDI learn feature crashes on certain devices
  • Compatibility issues with iOS 26 and newer

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add AUv3 support for better integration with DAWs
  • Improve MIDI functionality and connectivity
  • Provide more detailed tutorials and user guides
  • Implement preset saving and recall options

Thereminator 2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Jazz Drummer

No in-app purchases

None

Thereminator 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jazz Drummer free?
Jazz Drummer costs $17.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Thereminator 2 free?
Thereminator 2 costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Jazz Drummer or Thereminator 2?
Jazz Drummer is rated higher. Jazz Drummer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 268 ratings, while Thereminator 2 averages 4.7 from 14 ratings.
Do Jazz Drummer or Thereminator 2 have ads?
Neither Jazz Drummer nor Thereminator 2 shows ads.

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