Chaos Audio vs Cab ML
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chaos Audio
This app allows users to control powerful guitar effects pedals and amp modelers, leveraging AI to create custom sounds from text descriptions. It offers a comprehensive platform for practice, recording, and performance, compatible with specific hardware.
- AI FX Builder for custom sound creation
- Tone Shop for downloading third-party effects
- Built-in tuner
- 5-minute hands-free looper
- Unlimited preset saving and sharing
- Multi-effect chaining
- Hands-free switching via Preset Control or MIDI
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THE APP FOR STRATUS® & NIMBUS® Control the most powerful guitar effects pedal and amp modeler on the market, both powered by AI. AI FX BUILDER — CREATE ANY EFFECT YOU CAN IMAGINE Just describe the sound you want: "Give me a dynamic tremolo/phaser that's more tremolo-y and slower when I play softly, but smoothly gets more phaser-y and faster as I dig in." The AI builds it. Not just a preset... a brand new algorithm. No other guitar gear on earth can do this, and it comes FREE with Stratus and Nimbus. --- NEURAL AMP MODELER — 300,000+ AMP & GEAR CAPTURES In partnership with TONE3000, get instant access to a massive community library of Neural Amp Modeler captures — real tube amps, cabs, and gear, modeled with stunning accuracy. Browse, load, and A/B between model variants right in the app, and share NAM-powered presets with anyone through Chaos Cloud. Need cabs too? Add Impulse Responses (IRs) as their own effect, also available from TONE3000 for free in the app. --- BRING YOUR OWN — UPLOAD YOUR CAPTURES & IRs Got your own amp captures or impulse responses? Upload your private NAM captures (.nam) and IRs (.wav) straight from the app and drop them onto your board like any other effect. They stay private to your account — your personal tone collection, ready on any device you sign into. --- TWO PRODUCTS. ONE APP. UNLIMITED TONES. STRATUS® — The Compact Multi-Effects Pedal • Fits anywhere on your pedalboard • Replaces overdrive, distortion, delay, reverb, chorus, phaser, wah & more • 5-minute looper built-in • Built-in tuner • Chain up to 7 effects in any order NIMBUS® — The Most Powerful Modeling Amp • World-class amp modeling with built-in speakers • Dual inputs for guitar, bass, vocals, or any instrument • Full effects platform — same Tone Shop® library as Stratus • Everything a musician needs in one portable unit • Practice, record, and perform with a single device --- KEY FEATURES: • AI FX Builder — Create custom effects from text prompts • Neural Amp Modeler — 300k+ amp & gear captures via TONE3000 • Impulse Responses — Add IRs as effects for cabs, rooms & spaces • Upload your own — Bring your private NAM captures & IRs into the app • Open marketplace — Download effects from top 3rd party brands • Live chromatic tuner — A full-screen tuner keeps you in tune • 5-minute looper — Record, layer, and loop hands-free • Cloud preset backup — Presets auto-saved to your account and restored on any device • Unlimited presets — Save, load, and share (NAM included) with friends • Chain multiple effects — Build complete signal chains, with drag-and-drop reordering • Hands-free switching — Use Preset Control or MIDI • Optimized for iPad & Mac — Big-screen layouts, not a stretched phone view • Regular updates — New effects and features added constantly --- PERFECT FOR: • Worship & church musicians • Rock, blues, jazz & metal players • Tone chasers hunting real amp & gear captures • Singer-songwriters & loopers • Gigging musicians who need portability • Home studio recording • Bedroom players exploring new tones • Anyone tired of hauling heavy gear --- Whether you want classic tube amp tones, ambient soundscapes, or sounds no one's ever heard — Stratus and Nimbus have you covered. Two devices. One app. Unlimited possibilities. Powered by AI. *Note: Stratus or Nimbus hardware required
Cab ML
This app generates custom impulse responses using a neural network, allowing interactive sound shaping. It also includes a poweramp and microphone reverb generator for further audio manipulation.
- Neural network impulse response generation
- Interactive tag-based sound shaping
- Poweramp with multiple options
- Microphone reverb generator
- AUv3 plugin support
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Cab ML is both a standalone app and an AUv3 plugin that provides a neural network for impulse response generation. By moving tags in a window you can change the impulse response in an interactive way. Underlying a neural network will generate an impulse response based on the position of the tags. Instead of trying out all your impulse response files through a classic impulse response loader, you can now find the right sound interactively by moving the marks until you like what you hear. Furthermore Cab ML also provides a poweramp with many options and a microphone reverb generator. The free version allows you to test Cab ML completely, but every minute the plugin will be silent for 3 seconds. To remove these limits there is a one time in-app purchase. You need an audio interface to connect your instrument to your Mac. Known audio interface brands for guitar or bass are for instance Focusrite or iRig. If you don't have an audio interface, you can use the AUv3 plugin in a DAW such as GarageBand or Logic Pro. Any (guitar/bass) sound you have recorded can be fed through the Cab ML audio unit.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chaos Audio at 94% against Cab ML's 50%. Chaos Audio also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (27 vs 4). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Chaos Audio sells 41 one-off in-app purchases and Cab ML sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Chaos Audio holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chaos Audio has 27 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Chaos Audio's written reviews are positive against 50% of Cab ML's.
Chaos Audio ships an update every 2 weeks, Cab ML every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chaos Audio | Cab ML |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (27 ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.1% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 27 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 152 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chaos Audio | Jan Maes |
Customer experience
Chaos Audio
Cab ML
In-app purchases
Chaos Audio
- ApolloFree
- JCVM Lite$9.90
- Twin Classic Lite$9.90
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- Tweaker Lite$9.90
- MORNING STAR$9.99
- TALKING HEAD$9.99
- Smooth Reverb by ChowDSP$10.00
- Muff Drive by ChowDSP$10.00
- Opto Phase by Chow DSP$10.00
- Poly Octave$10.00
- LUPAN$12.99
- Schnobel Tone$12.99
- Galileo$14.90
- Constellation$14.90
- Spring Reverb$14.90
- SUPERNOVA$14.90
- Tycho$14.90
- Eclipse$14.90
- ROTISSERY$14.90
- Gravity$14.90
- GEMINI$14.90
- INVASION$14.90
- PLUTO$14.90
- Artemis$14.90
- URSA MAJOR$14.90
- ORBITER$14.90
- URANUS$14.90
- Cosmos$14.90
- VOID$14.90
- Luna$14.90
- Astro$14.90
- WORMHOLE$14.90
- MARINER$14.90
- PEGASUS$14.90
- URSA MINOR$14.90
- WARP SPEED$14.90
- ODYSSEY$14.90
- The Leveler by magnetophon$19.49
- ARES$19.90
- Dark Matter$24.90
- Daily Driver$27.90
Cab ML
- Cab ML Activation$11.99









