Comparison

Decent Sampler vs PaulXStretch

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

Head to head
About

Decent Sampler

This music app lets you use professional-quality sample libraries on your mobile device. It supports Decent Samples libraries and SFZs, and can be used within other music production apps as an AUv3 plugin.

Highlights
  • Use professional sample libraries
  • Supports Decent Samples libraries
  • Supports SFZ files
  • AUv3 plugin compatibility
  • Standalone app functionality
  • New libraries added weekly
Features
Read full description

Did you ever wish you could use professional quality sample libraries on your mobile device? Now you can! The Decent Samples plugin is a sample player that allows you to use your favorite Decent Samples sample libraries on the go (as well as SF2s, SFZs, and EXS files). Many of the most popular Decent Samples releases are available through the app with more being added every week. Because it's also an AUv3 plugin, you can use it from within GarageBand or with AUM.

About

PaulXStretch

Transform audio into extended ambient soundscapes with this powerful time-stretching tool. Ideal for sound design and ambient music creation, it can stretch short clips into hours of audio. Capture sounds or load files, then manipulate parameters for radical sonic transformations.

Highlights
  • Extreme time stretching algorithm
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Radical sound transformation
  • Ambient music and sound design focus
  • Capture audio or load files
  • Offline rendering and live recording
  • Adjustable looping and parameters
Features
Read full description

This application and AUv3 plugin is based on the PaulStretch algorithm, (Paul’s Extreme Time Stretch, originally developed by Nasca Octavian Paul), and specifically the PaulXStretch version from Xenakios. The UI has been updated and adapted for various platforms and screen sizes. The plugin/application is most suitable for radical transformation of sounds. It is *not* designed for subtle time or pitch corrections! Ambient music and sound design are probably the most suitable use cases. It can turn any short audio into an hours long ambient soundscape without batting an eye! You can get audio into it either by using the "Capture" feature, or by loading an existing audio file. Once you have something in there, then you can start tweaking all the parameters, choose the portion of the audio to use and loop over, etc. Be sure to press the play button inside to enable the processing. To get your audio out, you can do an offline render of the output to a file (where all parameters are fixed), or you can do a live recording of your session to capture the output as you hear it. Either way, you can then share or access the saved audio from the Files app or by sharing it. The AUv3 plugin version has the same capabilities, except you can feed it the live input of your choice (to capture internally for stretching). This software is free, please enjoy it!

Screenshots

Decent Sampler3 screens
PaulXStretch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PaulXStretch at 94% against Decent Sampler's 52%. PaulXStretch also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 58) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. Decent Sampler sells 58 one-off in-app purchases. PaulXStretch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PaulXStretch holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 72 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Decent Sampler's written reviews are positive against 94% of PaulXStretch's.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Decent Sampler versus PaulXStretch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDecent SamplerPaulXStretch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (52 ratings)4.9 (72 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.2% of reviews94.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5272 — better
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDecidedly, LLCSonosaurus LLC

Customer experience

Decent Sampler

All ratings52 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral14.9%
Negative32.8%

PaulXStretch

All ratings72 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%

Bugs and requests

Decent Sampler

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Instant crash on load
  • App stopped working after iOS update
  • AUV3 crashes out of nowhere
  • Unresponsive upon opening
  • Server issues for login
Show 18 more
  • Instrument remains stuck on a note
  • Projects need to be reloaded to show app
  • Crash when loading samples
  • Failing to load presets when reloading host project
  • Adding unwanted temp presets
  • Crashing when selecting different samples
  • Login prompt won't let paste text
  • Can't paste password to login
  • Login screen covered by keyboard
  • Error 500 when downloading
  • Restore Purchases button not working
  • Forgotten Password button not working
  • Invalid email address for registration
  • No URL found when downloading sound packs
  • Clicking sounds while using
  • Glitching, clicking, and ghost sounds on held notes
  • Instrument crashes after a few minutes
  • Earthquake pad 02 glitching

Requested features

14 requests
  • Add user/pass fill from password keeper
  • Implement a download manager for multiple instruments
  • Allow running within IAA or Audiobus
  • Add ability to clear cache
  • Fix multi-track support in AUV3
Show 9 more
  • Add MIDI sequencing
  • Add pitch bend functionality
  • Add velocity response curve knob
  • Add filter stage and more flexible envelope
  • Allow disabling iOS auto-lock
  • Configure receiving MIDI channel
  • Improve preset selection
  • Add dark mode
  • Support VoiceOver

PaulXStretch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

58 purchases

Decent Sampler

One-time58
  • Box ViolinFree
  • Dave ChoirFree
  • Resonator GlockenspielFree
Show 55 more
  • Banjo UkuleleFree
  • KalimbaFree
  • Ukelin$0.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 3$2.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 4$3.99
  • Weber 1929 Baby Grand$4.99
  • Ramshackle Zither$4.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 5$4.99
  • Music Major Sample Library$4.99
  • Sawblade Kalimba Library$4.99
  • Melodica$4.99
  • Distance: Zero$4.99
  • Little Church Organ$4.99
  • Indie Guitar$5.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 6$5.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 7$6.99
  • Paper Drums$6.99
  • Relic Keyboard$7.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 8$7.99
  • HS-3715 Keyboard$7.99
  • Malevolence by Venus Theory$8.99
  • Viola Ensemble$9.99
  • Indie Bass$9.99
  • Metal Cups$9.99
  • Phonoharp$9.99
  • Violin Ensemble$9.99
  • Ethereal Vocals$9.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 10$9.99
  • Kalimba by Darel$9.99
  • Dangerous Undertones$9.99
  • Chroma Vol. 1$9.99
  • Luminate$9.99
  • Horror Box$9.99
  • Tape Violins Sample Library$10.99
  • Interlaced Sample Library$14.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 15$15.00
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 16$16.00
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 19$19.00
  • alt.strings$19.99
  • Felt & Fog$19.99
  • Organic Orchestra$19.99
  • Indie Drums$19.99
  • Bitscape 95$19.99
  • Thyssia by Venus Theory$19.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 20$20.00
  • Decent Samples Store Item 24$24.00
  • The Void$24.99
  • Processed Guitars$24.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 25$25.00
  • String Flows$29.99
  • 70s Summer Camp Sample Library$29.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 30$30.00
  • LoFi VaporTones Ds$33.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 39$39.00
  • Chamberlin M1 by Jamie Lidell$49.99
None

PaulXStretch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Decent Sampler free?
Decent Sampler is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PaulXStretch free?
PaulXStretch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Decent Sampler or PaulXStretch?
PaulXStretch is rated higher. Decent Sampler averages 4.6 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while PaulXStretch averages 4.9 from 72 ratings.
Do Decent Sampler or PaulXStretch have ads?
Neither Decent Sampler nor PaulXStretch shows ads.

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