Decent Sampler vs PaulXStretch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decent Sampler
This music app lets you use professional-quality sample libraries on your mobile device. It supports various sample formats and can be used standalone or within other music production apps. Explore a growing collection of high-quality instruments for on-the-go music creation.
- Use Decent Samples libraries on mobile
- Supports SF2, SFZ, and EXS files
- AUv3 plugin compatibility
- Standalone app functionality
- Growing library of instruments
- Jamming and music creation tool
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: PaulXStretch at 94% against Decent Sampler's 52%. PaulXStretch also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) 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
Both are free to download. Decent Sampler sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PaulXStretch asks for nothing beyond the download.
PaulXStretch holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 75 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Decent Sampler's written reviews are positive against 94% of PaulXStretch's.
| Parameter | Decent Sampler | PaulXStretch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (53 ratings) | 4.9 (75 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | 94.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 53 | 75 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Decidedly, LLC | Sonosaurus LLC |
Customer experience
Decent Sampler
PaulXStretch
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
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- 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
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- 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
Decent Sampler
- Ukelin$0.99
- Weber 1929 Baby Grand$4.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 5$4.99
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- Indie Guitar$5.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 7$6.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 8$7.99
- Viola Ensemble$9.99
- Indie Bass$9.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 10$9.99
- Decent Samples Store Item 20$20.00
PaulXStretch
No in-app purchases






