Aurora (MIDI Controller) vs RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aurora (MIDI Controller)
Transform space weather data into musical expression with this live MIDI controller. Connect to your DAW and map real-time electromagnetic readings to create unique soundscapes and dynamic tracks.
- Live data streaming from observatories
- Flexible MIDI mapping
- Connects to DAWs like Ableton Live
- Cross-platform compatibility (iOS, macOS)
- Creates ambient and techno music
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Aurora is a live MIDI controller powered by real-time data from space weather observatories and satellites. Connect Aurora to your favorite DAW (like Ableton Live) and transform electromagnetic readings into musical expression. Features: • Live data streaming from NOAA and Dombås observatory • Flexible MIDI mapping for CC controls • Works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac Catalyst Whether you're crafting ambient soundscapes or building dynamic techno tracks, Aurora connects your music to the rhythms of the planet.
RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX
This app provides creative audio effects for rhythmic sound shaping, including stutters, rolls, and trance gate styles. It features an expressive XY-pad with MIDI control and recording capabilities, and integrates seamlessly as an AUv3 FX plugin.
- Rhythmic sound shaping
- Stutter, roll, and slip effects
- Trance gate-style effects
- Expressive XY-pad control
- MIDI control and recording
- AUv3 FX plugin integration
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RollBud is a creative audio effect that lets you shape sound in fun and rhythmic ways. Whether you're going for stutters, rolls, reverse rolls, slips, or trance gate-style effects, RollBud makes it easy to explore new textures and grooves—right from your iPad or iPhone. Expressive XY-Pad with MIDI Control & Recording - Touch & Perform: Control beat divisions on the X-axis and envelope shaping on the Y-axis. - MIDI Controllable: Trigger effects and highlight beats with external MIDI controllers. - Record & Playback: Capture your XY movements and play them back like an advanced LFO. - iCloud Integration: Save, manage, rename, or delete recordings from the settings menu. - MIDI Assignable: Map recordings to a MIDI note and channel for instant recall in live sets. Perfect for Any Genre From electronic, techno, house, and hip-hop to ambient, glitch, experimental, and cinematic, RollBud adds a unique rhythmic dimension to any production. AUv3 FX Plugin for Seamless Integration RollBud is a fully-featured AUv3 audio effect, compatible with top AUv3 hosts like AUM, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubasis, and Loopy Pro. More Features - Flexible FX Modes – Switch between Roll and Trance Gate modes for unique playback styles. - Customizable Envelope – Control rise/fall ratio, curve shape, and intensity for dynamic shaping. - Latch Mode – Hold XY positions for continuous effect application. - Quantized & Free Play – Perform with precision or experiment freely. Transform your sound and elevate your performance with RollBud!
Screenshots
Verdict
Aurora (MIDI Controller) and RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX's written reviews are positive against 50% of Aurora (MIDI Controller)'s. RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). Aurora (MIDI Controller)'s advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and price ($2.99 vs $5.99). 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
Aurora (MIDI Controller) costs $2.99 and RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX $5.99 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 — 5.0 for Aurora (MIDI Controller) against 5.0 for RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Aurora (MIDI Controller)'s written reviews are positive against 100% of RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX's.
Aurora (MIDI Controller) ships an update every 8 days, RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 3, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aurora (MIDI Controller) | RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $5.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jason Snell | Cem Olcay |
Customer experience
Aurora (MIDI Controller)
RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX
In-app purchases
Aurora (MIDI Controller)
No in-app purchases
RollBud Trance Gate & Roll FX
No in-app purchases





