Midi Poly Grid vs VAPolyTZFM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Midi Poly Grid
This app functions solely as a MIDI controller, requiring a host application or DAW to produce sound. It offers intuitive pad controls for melodies and finger drumming, with advanced modulation options like MPE and polyphonic aftertouch. Connect virtually or via USB/Bluetooth to other devices and DAWs.
- Size-adjustable grid of pads
- MPE and polyphonic aftertouch modulation
- Custom grid creation
- Virtual MIDI connection
- Preset saving
- Multiple layouts and colors
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# Midi Poly Grid This App is Open Source. Access the code here: https://github.com/anzbert/beat_pads ## Important Disclaimer This App is **ONLY** usable as a Midi Controller. It does **NOT** produce any sound on its own and requires a host application or a second device with a DAW or other sound production app. ## Information Midi Poly Grid is a lightweight Midi Controller app for mobile phones and tablets for melodies and finger drumming at home and on the go. Connections can be made virtually to other apps via platform midi channels, or via USB or Bluetooth Midi to other devices. This app aims to be an easy-to-use pad input device featuring a variety of layouts, intuitive playability and modern modulation options, such as MPE and Polyphonic Aftertouch. It was designed for people that prefer pads to pianos! The focus of this app is not to be a jack-of-all-trades Midi swiss army knife, but instead to be a great at one thing: Intuitive and versatile pad controls. ## Features - A size-adjustable grid of pads for finger drumming and melody input - Various layouts and colors, inspired by the Ableton Push - Presets can be saved with different pad setups - Innovative MPE and polyphonic Aftertouch modulation with graphical feedback - Push Style MPE pitchbend and slide - Send Velocity by Y position on pad, randomly or with a fixed value - Usable as a standard MIDI device with any PC, Mac or other USB or Bluetooth device - Optional controls, such as Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel and Sustain - Highligh a large number of musical scales - Receives Midi Notes, making the pads usable like a Launchpad - Custom grid creation based on the note intervals on the X and Y Axis to create Grids inspired by the Harmonic Table, Wicki Hayden, MidiMech and others - Supports virtual Midi connection to other apps on your device - Built-In support for the popular finger drumming courses from XpressPads.com - And more... ## Feedback and Contributions Anyone is most welcome to contribute, report an issue or start a discussion in the Github repository. Thanks! ## Licence Licenced under GPL3. The code in this project is freely usable in any other open source project. Enjoy! ## iOS Specific Information Can be used with any Mac via USB, Bluetooth Midi or WiFi. Usage with PC is limited to WiFi with free third-party software (rtpMidi), and USB with third-party USB midi connectors, due to Apple's limited implementation of USB Midi on iOS. AUv3 is unfortunately not supported at this time, as it is currently impossible with Flutter. More info about that here: https://github.com/flutter/flutter/issues/16092
VAPolyTZFM
This app is a polyphonic synthesizer that utilizes Through Zero FM for musical sound generation. It offers a standalone mode with Ableton Link and MIDI support, as well as an AudioUnit Extension for use with other music software. Built-in effects and iCloud Drive integration enhance its creative capabilities.
- Through Zero FM synthesis
- AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) support
- Ableton Link and MIDI connectivity
- Built-in effects suite
- iCloud Drive project sharing
- Analog style step sequencer
- Up to 8 voice polyphony
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VAPolyTZFM is polyphonic synthesizer featuring Through Zero FM, which is a type of linear frequency modulation and it is capable to maintain the pitch therefore it can deliver more musical results. VAPolyTZFM operates as a stand alone or as an AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Stand Alone supports Ableton Link, MIDI and audio file export. Built-in Effects include delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, eq and compressor. Project files can be saved in iCloud Drive, so that the project can be accessed from iPhone, iPad or Mac. Main Features Through Zero FM Analog Style Step Sequencer. Eight Assignable Controllers. Maximum 8 voice polyphony. it depends on performance of the device it is running. Built-in effects and piano roll sequencer. Audio Export. Linear PCM format (AIFF, WAV and CAF) and compressed format (AAC) Support Audio Unit Extension (AUv3). Support MIDI 2.0. Support Foot Pedal and Per Note Control. Support Ableton Link, Bluetooth MIDI, MIDI In / Out. Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Support iCloud Drive to share project files between the platforms. Include 256 Factory Presets. Improvements Support MIDI Foot Pedal (CC#11, CC#64) Support MIDI2.0 Per Note Control Messages MIDI CC Settings are saved. It will be recovered when the app launched in the next time. System Requirements iOS 17.0 or later Devices with Apple Silicon are recommended. A13 Fusion or above is highly recommended. if sound is distorted when using a device with less CPU power, reduce number of voices. AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) requires host application which support AudioUnit Extension. AudioUnit Extension is supported by Apple Logic and Apple Garage Band on iOS and macOS. For any other DAW, it depends on the application and some of them don’t support AudioUnit Extension.
Screenshots
Verdict
Midi Poly Grid and VAPolyTZFM both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Midi Poly Grid's written reviews are positive against 50% of VAPolyTZFM's. Midi Poly Grid also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 9 months) and price ($3.99 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
Midi Poly Grid costs $3.99 and VAPolyTZFM $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 Midi Poly Grid against 5.0 for VAPolyTZFM. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of Midi Poly Grid's written reviews are positive against 50% of VAPolyTZFM's.
Midi Poly Grid ships an update every 11 days, VAPolyTZFM every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Midi Poly Grid | VAPolyTZFM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $5.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Andreas Mueller | Ryo Togawa |
Customer experience
Midi Poly Grid
VAPolyTZFM
In-app purchases
Midi Poly Grid
No in-app purchases
VAPolyTZFM
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Midi Poly Grid free?
Is VAPolyTZFM free?
Which has better reviews, Midi Poly Grid or VAPolyTZFM?
Do Midi Poly Grid or VAPolyTZFM have ads?
Which is updated more often, Midi Poly Grid or VAPolyTZFM?
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