Comparison

bFaaaP Pro & Switch vs ARPJAM Studio

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

Head to head
About

bFaaaP Pro & Switch

This app works with a special device to allow individuals with leg disabilities, young children, and the elderly to play the piano with sustained tones using head movements. An iOS device detects head motion and transmits signals to activate an electric piano pedal.

Highlights
  • Head motion detection via iOS device
  • Sustained piano tones without foot pedal
  • Electric piano pedal activation
  • Accessibility for leg disabilities
  • User-friendly setup guide
Features
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bFaaaP Pro & Switch turns head movements into piano sustain-pedal control, so you can play the pedal completely foot-free. It is the companion app for the bFaaaP barrier-free assist pedals — one app that drives two devices, depending on your instrument: - bFaaaP Pro (acoustic pianos): a motorized device that physically presses the real sustain pedal. It anchors with an inflatable "airback" — non-destructive, no bolting — and self-calibrates. - bFaaaP Switch (digital pianos): switches the sustain electronically through the pedal jack. Small, light and motor-free. Using the front camera, the app detects the angle of your head and converts it into pedal ON/OFF signals, sent over Bluetooth Low Energy to the bFaaaP device on your instrument. The same head-angle control works for both devices. This lets people who cannot use a foot pedal — including wheelchair users and players with limited leg mobility — enjoy expressive, pedal-based performance. WHO IT IS FOR - Pianists who cannot operate a foot pedal - Music therapy, special-needs and inclusive music education - Anyone exploring accessible, barrier-free music making HOW IT WORKS - Detects head angle with the front TrueDepth camera (ARKit face tracking) - Converts the angle into sustain pedal ON/OFF - Sends the signal over Bluetooth Low Energy to bFaaaP Pro or bFaaaP Switch PRIVACY - The camera is used ONLY to read your head/face angle. - That value is processed on-device, used to generate the pedal signal, then discarded. - No face data, image or video is stored or shared with anyone. AN OPEN-SOURCE PROJECT bFaaaP is an open-source, open-hardware barrier-free project by Shishido & Associates. The source code, hardware build details, the story behind it, and ways to contribute are public: - Project & community: https://bfaaap.com - Source code (open source): https://github.com/bfaaap/bfaaap_opensource - Developer & related services: https://saaipf.com SEE IT IN ACTION Watch bFaaaP being played in real concerts and recitals, with setup and how-to guides: - How the system works (overview): https://youtu.be/iyRqPa8TLgE - Live concert — grand piano + bFaaaP Pro: https://youtu.be/V3cXeNW9jXY - How to use bFaaaP Switch (electronic piano): https://youtu.be/XOVENtBsOp4 - Full performance & demo collection (English): https://saaipf.com/en/bfaaap/#videos - Build & set up your own — step-by-step guide (English): https://bfaaap.com/en/build/ - All videos (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAvTy1k8rHs2WrEKPx1amg The app's source code is open and free on GitHub, so anyone can build and run it themselves. This App Store version is free, too — just install it and start playing. If you would like to help keep bFaaaP free and open for everyone, donations and support are always welcome (see the links above and at saaipf.com). Thank you for your support. You will need a bFaaaP Pro or bFaaaP Switch device to control a real pedal. Both are open hardware — visit bfaaap.com to learn how they are built and how to take part.

About

ARPJAM Studio

This app offers a generative synthesizer experience focused on sound design without requiring keyboard skills. It allows users to shape waveforms, filters, and effects in real-time as music plays, offering a unique approach to music creation for those who enjoy sound sculpting.

Highlights
  • Generative arpeggios with multiple waveforms
  • Probability-based drum generation
  • Chord progression locking
  • Real-time XY pad parameter control
  • Assignable LFOs for dynamic sound shaping
  • Play pad for layering live input
  • Preset saving and sharing
Features
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No sequence. No play button needed. An instrument that keeps going without you programming anything. Two generative engines invent phrases endlessly inside the scale and chord you choose. What you shape is not a song — it is a way of sounding. Move a control and the sound changes shape without ever stopping. Density, contour, filter, tape movement. It is built so that nothing you touch can break it. And you can play it. On the key pad or from a MIDI keyboard, right on top of the stream it is generating. What you play can be captured into the looper. Now your own sound can go in too. Record a bar into SAMPLE, the fifth machine, and chopping it up and rearranging it is the app's job. ■ Generate • Two independent arpeggio engines (waveform, filter, envelope, effects) • Eight arpeggio types, chord progressions, ten time signatures • BASS — a bass machine of its own (STEP / COMPLEXITY / OMIT / PATTERN) • Drum machine • Six LFOs, XY pad, performance FX ■ Slice (SAMPLE) • Record one bar from a mic or line input, with count-in and click • Record the app itself (ARP A / ARP B / drums), and overdub onto it • Load audio files — and the audio from a video file • Up to 32 slices, ordered by the same rules as the arps: direction, reverse, octave, probability, groove • STRETCH (on by default) — change tempo without changing pitch • Its own filter, envelope and delay / reverb sends ■ Play • On-screen key pad — always in scale • MIDI keyboard input (damper pedal, pitch bend, standard control changes) • One-bar looper that records how hard you played ■ Sound • Piano — three velocity layers, stereo, damper release • Electric piano — harmonics shift with how hard you strike • Kalimba, handpan and chime — struck metal, measured from the real instruments and synthesised • Waveforms (sine / triangle / saw / square) plus an acid filter • Delay, reverb, Glitch, Granular, overdrive • DRIFT / FLUTTER — tape movement on the synth voices and the live input alike • Concert pitch A=415–444 Hz ■ Connect • AUv3 plug-in — as an instrument and as an effect • Ableton Link, MIDI Clock, MIDI out • External audio input (line / microphone) • WAV recording and export One-time purchase. No subscription.

Screenshots

bFaaaP Pro & Switch4 screens
ARPJAM Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: bFaaaP Pro & Switch at Free against ARPJAM Studio's $12.99. ARPJAM Studio's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 20 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

bFaaaP Pro & Switch is free to download; ARPJAM Studio costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

bFaaaP Pro & Switch ships an update every 20 months, ARPJAM Studio every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
bFaaaP Pro & Switch versus ARPJAM Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterbFaaaP Pro & SwitchARPJAM Studio
PriceFree — better$12.99
Rating—5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.5 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB84 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomoyuki ShishidoTakashi Tsunoda

In-app purchases

None

bFaaaP Pro & Switch

No in-app purchases

None

ARPJAM Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is bFaaaP Pro & Switch free?
bFaaaP Pro & Switch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARPJAM Studio free?
ARPJAM Studio costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do bFaaaP Pro & Switch or ARPJAM Studio have ads?
Neither bFaaaP Pro & Switch nor ARPJAM Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, bFaaaP Pro & Switch or ARPJAM Studio?
bFaaaP Pro & Switch ships an update every 20 months, and ARPJAM Studio every 2 days. Most recently, bFaaaP Pro & Switch was updated on October 4, 2026 and ARPJAM Studio on October 10, 2026.

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