Comparison

Black Distortion vs Live Tabs

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

Head to head
About

Black Distortion

This audio plugin emulates a classic distortion pedal, offering versatile gain levels from mild overdrive to fuzzy tones. It features a unique filter control to shape high-end frequencies and a volume control for perfect integration with your existing sound. Use it as a primary distortion, a dirty channel for amplifiers, or a boost for solos.

Highlights
  • RAT2 distortion pedal emulation
  • Adjustable gain from overdrive to fuzz
  • Legendary filter control for treble shaping
  • Volume control for clean tone matching
  • Standalone, AudioUnit v3, and Inter-App Audio support
Features
Read full description

The Black Distortion plugin modeled on RAT2* distortion pedal will be your go-to distortion plugin for every recording, whether it’s rock, blues, punk, or jazz. The beauty of the Black Distortion plugin lies in its versatility. Used as a primary distortion, it excels at arena rock rhythm tones and soaring leads. Do you have an amplifier plugin with too much headroom? Let the Black Distortion plugin be your dirty channel. Maybe you already love your amplifier plugin distortion. Use the Black Distortion plugin as a boost for solos and get the extra kick you need. The Black Distortion plugin features the legendary filter control. Turn it to the right to roll off brittle high-end frequencies. Having trouble cutting through the mix? Turn it to the left and allow the natural brightness of your instrument to shine through. Black Distortion plugin dials in the perfect amount of gain, from mild overdrive to full out fuzzy assault, and the volume control lets you dial it in just perfectly against your bypassed clean tone. Legal Disclaimer: *All product names are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Nembrini Audio SRL. These product names, descriptions and images are provided for the sole purpose of identifying the specific products that were studied during Nembrini Audio’s sound design process. Works as a standalone app, AudioUnit v3 effect, or Inter-App Audio effect

About

Live Tabs

Features
Read full description

Live Tabs keeps your guitar charts and set lists ready for rehearsal and live performance. Build a personal song library with lyrics, chords, tablature, tags and performance notes. Organize songs into set lists and keep your next performance in order. Read comfortably on stage with adjustable text, chord transposition, capo settings and auto-scroll. Open Performance Mode to focus on the chart while you play. Use Live Tabs without an account to keep a local library on your device, or sign in to sync songs and set lists across devices. Account libraries are cached for offline use, and pending changes sync when you reconnect. Export and restore your library as a JSON backup. Import compatible charts from the web and find linked YouTube videos while signed in. Web imports, video search and video playback require an internet connection. Live Tabs is a tool for your personal chart collection, not a licensed song catalogue.

Screenshots

Black Distortion1 screens
Live Tabs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Black Distortion at Free against Live Tabs's $3.99. Live Tabs's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 61 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Black Distortion is free to download; Live Tabs costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Black Distortion ships an update every 61 months, Live Tabs every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Black Distortion versus Live Tabs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlack DistortionLive Tabs
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (24 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings24 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 61 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS1514.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNembrini AudioFERNANDO MIGUEL FERRAO DO AMARAL

In-app purchases

None

Black Distortion

No in-app purchases

None

Live Tabs

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Black Distortion free?
Black Distortion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Live Tabs free?
Live Tabs costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Black Distortion or Live Tabs have ads?
Neither Black Distortion nor Live Tabs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Black Distortion or Live Tabs?
Black Distortion ships an update every 61 months, and Live Tabs every 3 weeks. Most recently, Black Distortion was updated on October 24, 2026 and Live Tabs on October 30, 2026.

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