Comparison

Atom | Piano Roll 2 vs BLEASS Slow Machine

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

Head to head
About

Atom | Piano Roll 2

This advanced AUv3 MIDI editor and sequencer allows for complex musical composition and live performance. It functions as a plugin within compatible music hosts, enabling users to create intricate patterns, launch clips, and customize workflows with scripting.

Highlights
  • AUv3 MIDI note editor
  • Modular sequencer
  • Clip launcher
  • Step input and real-time recording
  • Customizable layouts and themes
  • Scripting for custom workflows
  • Ghost lanes for harmonies and counterpoint
Features
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Reached #1 on the App Store in the Top Paid Music App Category. The most advanced AUv3 MIDI note editor, modular sequencer and clip launcher on iOS. Notes: - This plugin does not run as a standalone app and requires a compatible host. - MIDI is not sound. To make sound you'll have to feed the MIDI into a synthesizer or instrument app. Bring your own synths! - Hardware integration with controllers requires iCloud Drive. Compatibility: - Special integration with hosts: AUM and Drambo. - Tested hosts: ApeMatrix, Audiobus, BeatMaker, Cubasis, MTS, Zenbeats. Limited support by NanoStudio 2. Not supported by GarageBand. Build live sets for clip launching, or an entire track with unlimited length. Play the whole sequence, or adjust the loop markers to iterate over a single section. Step input, or record as played, all with perfect timing accuracy. Write your own code, share it with the community! You can control hardware devices, adding support for new controllers or completely changing the behavior of existing ones. Build your own styling with custom layouts and themes. Change colors, fonts, sizes… make it yours! Piano Roll 2 takes all the features you love about the first installment, and expands them into an entirely new breed of modular sequencer and clip launcher, unparalleled in flexibility and depth on iOS. We redesigned it from the ground up to incorporate a plethora of new features and workflows. - It's a sequencer that augments the capabilities of your host or DAW. - It's a composition tool that helps you to write beautiful melodies and complex polyrhythmic patterns. - It's a clip launcher that integrates seamlessly with supported hardware controllers. - It's a scripting playground that lets you customize your workflow with code. - It's a swiss-army knife of possibilities when working with MIDI. Here are just some of the many use cases this modular architecture supports: - Build live sets for clip launching. - Compose patterns with touch, Apple Trackpad and Apple Pencil, or use the step input mode to write melodies step-by-step. - Capture performances in real time and export your patterns as MIDI files. - Import and edit MIDI files created in other apps, or from commercial packs. - Record generated MIDI of other plugins or sequencers. - Write harmonies and counterpoint melodies by superimposing the patterns of other Atoms as ghost lanes. - Construct complex polyrhythms by taking advantage of custom time signatures and grid fractions. - Sequence the sequencers for full modular mayhem.

About

BLEASS Slow Machine

This music effect app offers creative ways to manipulate audio, allowing you to slow down tracks, create tape stop effects, and program speed variations. It provides precise control over rhythm, pitch, and timing for unique sound design.

Highlights
  • Creative slow down effect
  • Tape stop effect with performance controls
  • Speed sequencer for programmed variations
  • Adjustable loop size and speed
  • Filter for frequency band control
  • Multiple time stop modes
Currently charting
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Thanks to 3 different yet complementary ways of manipulating time with creativity, BLEASS Slow Machine can deepen any beat by completely or partially slowing down the audio signal, transform epic leads into heavy basses, and add some “tape stop” effect with precision either by touching the X/Y Stop trigger, or by dialing in precise sequence automations. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: BLEASS Slow Machine offers both sequenced and live ways to manipulate time thanks to 3 stages: ____ SLOW DOWN stage: Creative and straightforward slow down effect that modulates both rhythm and pitch. - Loop Size: Slow Down resets its reading position according to the Loop Size. A Loop Size of ‘1 bar’ means that the reading position is resynced with the host reading position every 1 bar. - Speed: controls the speed of the played loop relative to the default speed. (For example ‘½’ means that audio is played back at half its original speed, which means one octave lower). - Quantization: When this option is ON, every change in Loop Size and in Speed will wait until the end of the current loop to be effective. When it is set to OFF, the change is immediate. - Filter: keep a selected frequency band of the slowed signal. When the filter is ON, the middle colored band is processed by the effect while the low and high bands remain unchanged. - Fade: Sets the duration of the crossfade between loops. - State: Activates or deactivates the SLOW DOWN stage - Dry/Wet: mixes the dry and wet signals ____ TIME STOP stage: Especially made for performance, TIME STOP gives an intuitive and visual way to instantly create a classic tape stop effect. - Trigger: the “Stop” button triggers the time stop effect within a given duration (set by the position of your finger along the Y-axis) and following a curve (set by the position of your finger along the X-axis). - Mode: choose between 4 time stop modes: ‘Step’, ‘Ramp Up & Down, ‘Ramp Down’ and ‘Ramp Up’. _ In ‘Step’ mode, the speed instantly goes to 0 when the trigger is hit and goes back to 1 when the trigger is released. _ In ‘Ramp Up & Down’ mode the speed is ramped down to 0 when the trigger is hit and ramped up to 1 when it is released. The duration and curve of the ramp is set by the position of your finger on the control. _ In ‘Ramp Down’ mode, the speed is ramped down to 0 when the trigger is hit and instantly goes back to 1 when released. _ In ‘Ramp Up’ mode the speed instantly goes to 0 when the trigger is hit and is ramped up to 1 when released. - Hold: when Hold is ON, the trigger is not released until Hold is turned OFF. - Speed: precise control of the play speed. - State: Activates or deactivates the TIME STOP stage - Dry/Wet: mixes the dry and wet audio signals ____ SPEED SEQUENCER stage: The speed sequencer stage offers a unique way to program speed variations in your music. - Length: sets the number of steps in the sequencer. - Resolution: sets the duration of a sequencer step. - Grid Snap: when ON, steps snap to the grid allowing a precise rhythmic and harmonic editing. - Sequencer: sets a playing speed per step. Each step has 4 different curve modes: ‘Step’, ‘Link’, ‘Ramp Up’ and ‘Ramp Down’. Change the curve mode by tapping the curve icon at the bottom of each step. - Amount: controls the amount of sequencer speed modulation. 100% means that speed can go from 1 to 0 (50% means that speed can go from 1 to 0.5). - Randomness: sets the amount of randomness of the sequencer. If randomness is 50%, a step value will be a random value between stepValue +/- 0.5 - Fade: controls the crossfade duration between each step. - State: Activates or deactivates the Speed Sequencer stage - Dry/Wet: mixes the proportion of dry and wet signals Check out www.bleass.com for video tutorials and more info! * PLEASE NOTE: this is an Audio Unit Effect plugin (AUv3) which requires a compatible host such as AUM, GarageBand, Cubasis, BM3 or Auria. Standalone mode also available for demo purposes.

Screenshots

Atom | Piano Roll 23 screens
BLEASS Slow Machine3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BLEASS Slow Machine at $6.99 against Atom | Piano Roll 2's $19.99. BLEASS Slow Machine also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 68%) and chart position (#184 vs unranked). Atom | Piano Roll 2's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 28 months). On rating, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Atom | Piano Roll 2 costs $19.99 and BLEASS Slow Machine $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BLEASS Slow Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 96 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Atom | Piano Roll 2's written reviews are positive against 82% of BLEASS Slow Machine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Atom | Piano Roll 2 ships an update weekly, BLEASS Slow Machine every 28 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Atom | Piano Roll 2 versus BLEASS Slow Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAtom | Piano Roll 2BLEASS Slow Machine
Price$19.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.5 (96 ratings)4.6 (38 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.5% of reviews81.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings96 — better38
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 28 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#184 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.112.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB27 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperVictor PorofBLEASS

Customer experience

Atom | Piano Roll 2

All ratings96 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive67.5%
Neutral11.3%
Negative21.3%

BLEASS Slow Machine

All ratings38 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%

Bugs and requests

Atom | Piano Roll 2

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Crashes when saving sessions in AUM
  • Notes get corrupted during playback
  • White background display issue
  • Position indicator jumps when loop doesn't start at bar 1
  • Buttons for adding bars disappear after certain point
Show 8 more
  • MIDI input processed incorrectly even in passthrough mode
  • Notes don't play after being added to piano roll
  • App doesn't appear in AU list on MacBook Pro
  • Launchpad Pro MK3 session clip launch mode not working
  • iOS 12 compatibility crashes
  • Incompatibility with Cubasis 3 and GarageBand
  • Responsiveness issues with Apple Pencil (resolved in updates)
  • GUI rendering problems on some iPad models

Requested features

17 requests
  • MIDI CC editing and visualization
  • Mouse and trackpad input support
  • Logic Pro for iPad support
  • Chord entry in step input mode
  • Velocity editing improvements and visual feedback
Show 12 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Drag and drop from Suggester
  • Time stretch/MIDI stretch functionality
  • Standalone mode without requiring AUM
  • Launchpad Pro MK3 full compatibility
  • Grid-style interface similar to Launchpad
  • Step input for multiple notes simultaneously
  • Better zoom and selection for longer patterns
  • Undo last recording feature
  • Parameter automation curves
  • Easier MIDI channel switching
  • Tutorials and documentation

BLEASS Slow Machine

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Atom | Piano Roll 2

No in-app purchases

None

BLEASS Slow Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Atom | Piano Roll 2 free?
Atom | Piano Roll 2 costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is BLEASS Slow Machine free?
BLEASS Slow Machine costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Atom | Piano Roll 2 or BLEASS Slow Machine?
BLEASS Slow Machine is rated higher. Atom | Piano Roll 2 averages 4.5 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while BLEASS Slow Machine averages 4.6 from 38 ratings.
Do Atom | Piano Roll 2 or BLEASS Slow Machine have ads?
Neither Atom | Piano Roll 2 nor BLEASS Slow Machine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Atom | Piano Roll 2 or BLEASS Slow Machine?
Atom | Piano Roll 2 ships an update weekly, and BLEASS Slow Machine every 28 months. Most recently, Atom | Piano Roll 2 was updated on October 27, 2026 and BLEASS Slow Machine on October 27, 2026.

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