MIDI Tape Recorder vs PatternBud
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MIDI Tape Recorder
This app offers a unique approach to MIDI recording, capturing performances with audio-like precision. It focuses on preserving the nuances of your playing without altering timing, ideal for expressive MPE performances. Simple controls make it fun to record, play back, and loop MIDI.
- Sample accurate MIDI recording
- MPE support
- Four independent MIDI tracks
- Overdub and punch-in recording
- MIDI file import/export
- Undo/redo functionality
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MIDI Tape Recorder takes a radically different approach to MIDI recording. Now in version 2.0, it runs both as an Audio Unit v3 plugin inside your favorite host and as a standalone app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. MIDI messages are recorded and played back with the same accuracy and precision as audio recordings. Most modern DAWs, even at their highest resolution, still change the timing of MIDI messages to accommodate their editing features. These changes impact the playback of your performance as MIDI messages get reordered and delayed, altering how they influence sound, sometimes in very significant ways. MIDI Tape Recorder records your performance exactly as you play it, just like an audio recorder, accurately reproducing every nuance. It purposefully has no MIDI note editing, no quantization, no individual CC tweaking, nothing you wouldn't do with audio. Instead, very expressive and ultra-dense MIDI streams are perfectly stored and reproduced. It excels at capturing and playing back expressive performances with MPE controllers and MPE plugins. The controls are purposefully simple and intuitive, like a traditional four-track tape recorder, making it fun to record, play back, and loop your MIDI performance. Even with non-MPE MIDI, it keeps you in the flow and creative, without being interrupted by the technical nature of most DAWs. New in the standalone app: run MIDI Tape Recorder on its own, with CoreMIDI input and output to route your performance to any of your MIDI apps, synths, and hardware. Sessions are autosaved and can be saved, opened, and shared as documents. Recording keeps running in the background and with the screen locked, so you never lose a take. MIDI Tape Recorder makes no sound on its own: as a plugin it records inside your host; as a standalone app it routes MIDI to your instruments. Features: • Runs as an AUv3 plugin or as a standalone app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Four independent tracks for recording MIDI channel voice messages • Sample-accurate MIDI recording and playback • Real-time display of active recorded notes and other received messages • Full MPE support • Continuous loop recording that re-records over the loop on each cycle instead of stopping at the loop end • Multi-level undo and redo • Overdub recording, with punch-in/punch-out for automated regional overdubbing • CoreMIDI input and output routing in the standalone app • Autosaved, shareable session documents in the standalone app • Background and screen-locked recording in the standalone app • Automated storage and recall of all recordings inside the AUv3 host project • MIDI file import and export, for the whole project or each individual track • Repeated playback with start and stop locators • AUv3 parameters for all controls • Snap-to-beat positioning for the playhead and locators • Per-track MPE configuration (MCM) detection and envoy • Host transport and host tempo sync • Clear all recordings or a single track, and crop the session to a new duration • Fully resizable UI with per-track input/output activity indicators • Optional per-track record enable, input monitoring, and mute • Four virtual MIDI cable inputs, with optional routing of the first cable to all tracks • AUv3 user presets when the host supports them • Open source, freely distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
PatternBud
This app sequences MIDI CC and Program Change messages to control patterns in music applications. It allows for sophisticated song arrangements by timing pattern changes in synthesizers and drum machines. Features include multi-track sequencing, flexible step durations, and an advanced action system for dynamic control.
- Multi-track sequencing
- MIDI CC and Program Change support
- Flexible step durations
- Advanced action system
- Tempo synchronization
- AUv3 plugin format
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PatternBud is a MIDI CC and Program Change sequencer designed for controlling patterns across your music applications. Create sophisticated song arrangements by sequencing pattern changes in your synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers based on musical timing such as bars, beats, or note values. Key Features: - Multi-track sequencer with unlimited tracks and steps per track - Individual MIDI channel and CC number assignment per track - MIDI CC and Program Change message support for each step - Flexible step durations: bars, beats, note values, seconds, or minutes - Advanced action system for dynamic pattern control - Random value generation with customizable min/max ranges - Step-based actions including pattern jumps and random pattern selection - Copy, paste, insert, and delete operations for efficient workflow - Real-time step progress visualization with duration indicators - Tempo synchronization with host applications - Pattern switching via MIDI CC input - Comprehensive MIDI input and output routing - AudioKit-powered MIDI engine for precise timing - AUv3 plugin format for seamless DAW integration - Standalone app operation for hardware setups - iCloud based preset manager Advanced Action System: - Jump to specific steps or patterns - Trigger random steps within tracks - Send custom MIDI notes, CC, or PC messages - Execute actions at step start or end points - Chain multiple actions per step Perfect for controlling: - Pattern-based synthesizers and drum machines - Sequencer applications with multiple patterns - Hardware devices via MIDI CC/PC messages - Complex song arrangements and live performances - Any audio app supporting MIDI CC or AU parameter control PatternBud serves as the conductor for your electronic music setup, enabling you to create evolving compositions by orchestrating pattern changes across your entire rig. The application produces no audio itself - it focuses purely on MIDI control and timing. For AUv3 plugin usage, you'll need a compatible host application such as AUM, Cubase, apeMatrix, BeatMaker, or similar DAW software.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MIDI Tape Recorder at 79% against PatternBud's 44%. MIDI Tape Recorder also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (62 vs 6). PatternBud's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
MIDI Tape Recorder costs $9.99 and PatternBud $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MIDI Tape Recorder holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MIDI Tape Recorder has 62 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of MIDI Tape Recorder's written reviews are positive against 44% of PatternBud's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MIDI Tape Recorder | PatternBud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (62 ratings) — better | 4.3 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.4% of reviews — better | 44.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 62 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Uwyn, LLC | Cem Olcay |
Customer experience
MIDI Tape Recorder
PatternBud
In-app purchases
MIDI Tape Recorder
No in-app purchases
PatternBud
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MIDI Tape Recorder free?
Is PatternBud free?
Which has better reviews, MIDI Tape Recorder or PatternBud?
Do MIDI Tape Recorder or PatternBud have ads?
Which is updated more often, MIDI Tape Recorder or PatternBud?
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