Velvet Machine vs OtherDesertCities
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Velvet Machine
This audio effect plugin generates unique sonic textures by blurring and stretching sounds. It can create reverb-like qualities, act as a delay, and offers extensive control over its volume envelope and timing. Requires a compatible host app and a relatively modern device for optimal performance.
- Real-time convolution with enveloped velvet noise
- Sound stretching and blurring up to 10 seconds
- Reverb-like textures with flexible volume envelope
- Variable density random multi-tap delay
- Host tempo sync for time and predelay
- High cut and low cut filters
- Adjustable dry/wet mix
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Sonic texture generator / blur / non-linear reverb *** WARNING *** Velvet Machine is an Audio Unit v3 plugin and requires a compatible host such as GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Audiobus etc. The provided standalone app does NOT support the currently deprecated Inter-App Audio. *** Velvet Machine is a CPU-intensive effect at high settings. A *minimum* of 5th Gen iPad, iPhone 6s or 1st Gen iPhone SE is required to run a single instance at maximum settings. However, shorter times and/or lower densities use much less CPU. *** Velvet Machine is a unique audio effect based on real-time convolution with enveloped velvet noise. It's designed to: - Stretch and blur out even short sounds to lengths of up to 10 seconds - Produce reverb-like textures with flexible volume envelope (including reverse, fading in and out, pulsating etc.) - Work as a variable density random multi-tap delay (bordering on granular-like sounds) PDF manual and video demos are available on developer website. Features: - Flexible volume envelope with arbitrary number of segments and curvature - Effect time ranging from 50 ms to 10 s - Response density adjustable from 1 to 2000 repeats per second - Predelay up to 1 s - Host tempo sync for time and predelay parameters - High cut and low cut filters for the effected signal - Mix adjustable from 100% dry to 100% wet - Mix Lock to switch presets while keeping the dry/wet mix constant
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.
- Six unique delay algorithms
- Extensive modulation capabilities
- Tempo-synced LFOs
- Envelope follower
- Diffusor for feedback smearing
- Advanced I/O control
- Granular pitch-shifting
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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
Verdict
Velvet Machine and OtherDesertCities both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Velvet Machine's written reviews are positive against 86% of OtherDesertCities's. Velvet Machine also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). OtherDesertCities's advantage is price ($6.99 vs $7.99). 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
Velvet Machine costs $7.99 and OtherDesertCities $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Velvet Machine against 4.8 for OtherDesertCities. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 59 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Velvet Machine's written reviews are positive against 86% of OtherDesertCities's.
Velvet Machine ships an update every 3 months, OtherDesertCities every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Velvet Machine | OtherDesertCities |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | $6.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (47 ratings) — better | 4.8 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 86.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 47 | 59 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Yuri Turov | Audio Damage, Inc. |
Customer experience
Velvet Machine
OtherDesertCities
In-app purchases
Velvet Machine
No in-app purchases
OtherDesertCities
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Velvet Machine free?
Is OtherDesertCities free?
Which has better reviews, Velvet Machine or OtherDesertCities?
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