Comparison

Looperator vs OtherDesertCities

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

Head to head
About

Looperator

This app chops up audio and transforms it into new rhythmic patterns and effects. It offers intuitive tools for creating complex soundscapes, from subtle enhancements to dramatic sonic transformations, with extensive modulation and sequencing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Audio slicing into 16 segments
  • Rhythmic stutter and loop sequencing
  • Per-step filter control
  • Multi-effects sequencing
  • User-defined effect steps
  • Motion and modulation system
  • MIDI integration
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Looperator is the ultimate slicing and processing plugin for all styles of electronic music. It chops up your audio and turns it into something new. Thanks to its quick & intuitive interface it makes designing subtle rhythmic enhancements to spectacular effect pyrotechnics easy and fun. In the process, you can dispose of the classics like Filters and Reverbs, but also trippy Loop and Vinyl manipulations. Build a looping effects sequence, with discrete settings for each of Looperator's stunning engines, then bring everything to life using the comprehensive modulation system on a per-step basis. Looperator makes you sound as if you worked on your track for hours and hours and really all it took was a click of a button. ::FEATURES:: • Audio Unit v3 & Standalone • Rearrange your groove! Chop the input signal into 16 slices and freely assign them to each sequence step on the Slice track, then rhythmically stutter selected steps on the Loop track. • Flexible filters Looperator’s Filter provides per-step frequency shaping of the left and right channels independently. • Multi-effects galore Two User FX modules each deliver dynamic effects sequencing via a rich and varied line-up of high-quality processors. • User steps Each sequencer track offers 20 ready-made step options. Much of the time, you won’t need to go any further than that, but when you do, the four User-defined steps also available to each track give you full and precise control of five processor parameters per effect. • Motion and modulation Every User step configuration features five adjustable parameters, each automated using a simple knob, a Randomizer, an Envelope Follower or one of 20 preset parameter modulation curves with adjustable start and end points. When it comes to animating your Looperator effects sequences, the possibilities are literally endless! • Fast, focused workflow Like all Sugar Bytes software, Looperator has been developed with operational fluidity at the top of the agenda. Looperator’s snappy workflow keeps up with even the fastest-moving producer. • There’s more… The feature list just keeps on giving! Seven per-module and global Mix blending modes; intelligent randomization options throughout; super-smooth step transitions; deep MIDI integration and control; limitless undo/redo; standalone functionality and more. It all comes together to make Looperator nothing less than a state-of-the-art loop design powerhouse that no electronic musician should be without.

About

OtherDesertCities

Explore a versatile audio effect with six unique delay algorithms, offering everything from classic stereo delays to experimental granular pitch-shifting. Extensive modulation and I/O controls allow for deep sonic manipulation and creative sound design.

Highlights
  • Six unique delay algorithms
  • Extensive modulation capabilities
  • Tempo-synced LFOs
  • Envelope follower
  • Diffusor for feedback smearing
  • Advanced I/O control
  • Granular pitch-shifting
Features
Currently charting
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Other Desert Cities, named for a famous sign on the I-10 highway leaving Los Angeles, is a workshop for creativity. As its namesake implies, there are many strange and wonderful things lurking inside. With six delay algorithms, each with its own personality, and extensive modulation, Other Desert Cities covers everything from basic stereo dual delays to never-before-heard granular pitch-shifting chaos. ALGORITHMS 01 Desert Shores Stereo Delay. A standard dual delay, with basic EQ, saturation, crossfeed, and spread. 02 Mecca Reverse Delay. A normal dual delay, except the repeats play backwards, with smooth crossfading and an optional Reflect mode that alternates direction on each repeat. 03 Cactus Dual-Delta Delay. More like a pair of tape decks in use, with individual speed controls from zero to 2x in either direction, and pitch quantizing to octaves, fifths, or semitones. 04 Thermal Multi-Tap Delay. A dual multi-tap with sixteen taps per side, spread, crossfeed, and basic EQ. 05 Mirage Multi-Head Delay. Imagine a tape delay, but the head is the rotating head of a VCR. Experimental, strange, and wonderful. 06 Sky Valley Granular Delay. A pitch-shifting granular delay, with control over grain size and scatter, and EQ. TEMPO Sync to your host, or don't: set the sync source to Tap and everything synced follows the tap button instead. Tap on screen, or assign a MIDI note or CC and tap from your controller; the AUv3 accepts MIDI input directly. MODULATION Other Desert Cities includes a full suite of modulation. Two tempo-synced variable-waveshape LFOs and an envelope follower, sourced from the main input or a sidechain, can modulate nearly every control in the user interface. DIFFUSOR A built-in diffusor smears the feedback path, pushing Other Desert Cities toward reverb territory, especially with the Thermal algorithm. LEVELS The secret superpower is I/O control. Every aspect of the signal chain's gain structure can be controlled and modulated: ducked, panned, oscillated, and enveloped to your heart's content. Mute and Input Level feed only the delay block, not the dry signal, so you get natural tails and send-style behavior from an insert. PRESETS A full factory bank, plus designer presets from Matthew Lyon, Red Means Recording, and Time Rival. Presets are cross-platform (patches made on the desktop version work on iOS, and vice versa) and appear in your host's own preset list, so you can change sounds without opening the UI. FEATURES - AUv3 plugin and standalone app - Delay times up to 2 seconds free, 10 seconds tempo-synced - Tap tempo from the screen or MIDI - Resizable, scrolling user interface - Cross-platform XML preset manager Also available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in CLAP, VST3, AAX, AudioUnit, and LV2 formats at audiodamage.com.

Screenshots

OtherDesertCities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Looperator at Free against OtherDesertCities's $6.99. OtherDesertCities's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (86% vs 70%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Looperator is free to download; OtherDesertCities costs $6.99 up front. Looperator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. OtherDesertCities asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Looperator against 4.8 for OtherDesertCities. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 82 and 59 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Looperator's written reviews are positive against 86% of OtherDesertCities's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Looperator ships an update every 4 months, OtherDesertCities every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Looperator versus OtherDesertCities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLooperatorOtherDesertCities
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (82 ratings)4.8 (59 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews86.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings82 — better59
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#191 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size197 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSugar Bytes GmbHAudio Damage, Inc.

Customer experience

Looperator

All ratings82 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral4.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral14.8%
Negative14.8%

OtherDesertCities

All ratings59 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.8%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Looperator

One-time1
  • Looperator Full Version$24.99
None

OtherDesertCities

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Looperator free?
Looperator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OtherDesertCities free?
OtherDesertCities costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Looperator or OtherDesertCities?
OtherDesertCities is rated higher. Looperator averages 4.7 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while OtherDesertCities averages 4.8 from 59 ratings.
Do Looperator or OtherDesertCities have ads?
Neither Looperator nor OtherDesertCities shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Looperator or OtherDesertCities?
Looperator ships an update every 4 months, and OtherDesertCities every 2 months. Most recently, Looperator was updated on October 23, 2026 and OtherDesertCities on October 21, 2026.

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