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
Read full description

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
Read full description

Other Desert Cities is a multi-mode delay plugin built for sound designers, producers, and anyone who thinks regular delays are getting a little boring. Named after the famous sign on the I-10 leaving Los Angeles, Other Desert Cities takes you down less-traveled roads. Six algorithms, each with its own distinct personality. A full suite of modulation. A diffuser that smears feedback toward reverb. And gain-structure controls deep enough to duck, pan, and route almost anything. ALGORITHMS Desert Shores — a clean dual stereo delay with saturation, filtering, spread, and crossfeed. Mecca — a reverse delay with smooth crossfading and an optional Reflect mode that alternates playback direction on each repeat. Cactus — a dual-delta delay. Each side runs as a variable-speed looper, playing forward or backward at any speed from zero to 2x, with pitch quantized to octaves, fifths, or semitones. Thermal — a multi-tap delay with up to sixteen equally-spaced taps per side, each with its own level. Mirage — a variable-speed multi-head delay inspired by the 1967 Eltro Information Rate Changer. One to four rotating heads play through a circular buffer at any speed from -2 to +2. Sky Valley — a granular delay with independent control over grain size, scatter, and pitch randomization. Transpose from three octaves down to one octave up. MODULATION Two tempo-syncable LFOs with variable shape and skew, plus an envelope follower with sidechain input. Almost every parameter in the plugin can be modulated. Click any knob and assign modulation depth from each of the three sources independently. DIFFUSER A diffusion processor sits inside the feedback path, with controls for size, diffusion amount, modulation rate and depth, and a dedicated low-cut filter. At high settings it takes the delay into reverb territory, especially paired with the Thermal algorithm. LEVELS Full input/output gain control, stereo width, independent delay pan, regeneration balance, and wet balance. Input level and mute sit before the delay block, so the plugin works correctly as both an insert and a send, with proper tails behavior. PRESETS Factory presets from Chris Randall, Matthew Lyon, Red Means Recording, and Time Rival, plus a cross-platform XML-based preset manager with import, export, and clipboard paste. FEATURES Six distinct delay algorithms Two LFOs and an envelope follower with sidechain Diffuser with independent modulation Tempo sync on delay times and LFO rates Delay times up to two seconds free, ten seconds synced Cross-platform XML preset format AUv3 and standalone Also available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in VST3, AU, AAX, and CLAP formats from Audio Damage.

Screenshots

OtherDesertCities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Looperator at Free against OtherDesertCities's $4.99. OtherDesertCities's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (86% vs 70%). On rating, ratings volume 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 $4.99 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 — 81 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. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Looperator versus OtherDesertCities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLooperatorOtherDesertCities
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (81 ratings)4.8 (59 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.4% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings81 — better59
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSugar Bytes GmbHAudio Damage, Inc.

Customer experience

Looperator

All ratings81 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral4.9%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral14.8%
Negative14.8%

OtherDesertCities

All ratings59 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

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 $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Looperator or OtherDesertCities?
OtherDesertCities is rated higher. Looperator averages 4.7 out of 5 from 81 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 2, 2026 and OtherDesertCities on October 2, 2026.

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