Comparison

Additive Drum Machine vs MixSurface

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

Head to head
About

Additive Drum Machine

Create unique drum beats with additive rhythm and traditional drum machine functionality. Design sequences of any length and structure, easily switching steps on and off to craft complex patterns. Ideal for practicing odd meters and exploring diverse rhythmic structures.

Highlights
  • Additive rhythm concept
  • Traditional drum machine interface
  • Customizable sequence length
  • Step sequencing
  • Odd meter support
  • Symmetrical and asymmetrical rhythms
Features
Read full description

With Additive Drum Machine you can create drum beats using the concept of “additive rhythm” in combination with the sounds and ease of use of a traditional drum machine. Construct step sequences of any length and structure by the chaining of "long" and "short" beats. Then switch on and off individual steps to create a drum pattern. Whether used as a practice tool or composition sketchpad, its intuitive interface allows you to easily make drum patterns that use odd meters, symmetrical and asymmetrical rhythmic structures, and various subdivisions of the pulse. With Additive Drum Machine your musical imagination is the limit.

About

MixSurface

Features
Read full description

MixSurface is a wireless control surface for the REAPER digital audio workstation. Set it up once and mix, tweak, and perform from your iPhone or iPad. REQUIRES REAPER running on your Mac or PC on the same local network, plus a small free extension. MixSurface is a remote controller, not a copy of REAPER. No REAPER handy? Tap Try Demo on the connect screen and explore the app with a simulated session, no setup required. * FADERS THAT FEEL GREAT Faders, pan, mute, solo and metering, with touch response tuned for real mixing: fast, precise and smooth under your fingers. Bank across every track, or group them into custom layers you switch in a tap. * SENDS ON FADER, INCLUDED FREE Flip the whole mixer into send mode and ride one destination across every channel, the classic console monitor-mix workflow. Pin the buses you reach for most so they are always one tap away. * BUILT-IN EQ ADAPTERS A multi-touch parametric EQ, pre-mapped to popular EQ plugins. Drag bands on the curve, pinch to set Q, and read live values straight from REAPER, with no per-plugin setup. * CUSTOM TEMPLATES Control any plugin with knobs and faders that read and write in real time, including gain-reduction metering for compressors that report it. Use the built-in templates, or map your own in seconds with listen mode: touch a control in REAPER and it binds. * GLOBAL CONTROL SURFACES Build your own pages from plugin controls, transport and one-tap REAPER actions, then make them global so they follow you into every project. * AUTOMATION AND TRACK SETUP Read and write automation from the surface, with each fader showing the automation value rather than just the trim. Name tracks, set colours, choose record inputs and set monitoring without going back to the computer. * KEEP THE VIEWS IN STEP Show only the tracks REAPER is showing, or drive REAPER's mixer from a layer you tap. Run several phones and tablets on one session and they all stay in sync. * FREE, PLUS ONE PURCHASE The mixer, track layers and Sends on Fader are free, forever. One purchase, no subscription, unlocks Channel Details, the multi-touch EQ, plugin control, custom templates and the global Control View. Family Sharing supported. Built for people who run REAPER and want a control surface that just works. Requires REAPER 7 or later on macOS or Windows, the free MixSurface extension, and a shared local network (Wi-Fi or wired). MixSurface connects over your local network only, with no account and no cloud. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Cockos Incorporated. "REAPER" is a trademark of Cockos Incorporated.

Screenshots

Additive Drum Machine4 screens
MixSurface4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MixSurface at Free against Additive Drum Machine's $2.99. MixSurface also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 15 months). Additive Drum Machine's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads, 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

MixSurface is free to download; Additive Drum Machine costs $2.99 up front. MixSurface sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Additive Drum Machine asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Additive Drum Machine ships an update every 15 months, MixSurface every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Additive Drum Machine versus MixSurface: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAdditive Drum MachineMixSurface
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.5 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGiovanny BermudezSoulful Music

In-app purchases

None

Additive Drum Machine

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

MixSurface

One-time1
  • Unlock REAPER Features$29.99

Questions

Is Additive Drum Machine free?
Additive Drum Machine costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MixSurface free?
MixSurface is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Additive Drum Machine or MixSurface have ads?
Neither Additive Drum Machine nor MixSurface shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Additive Drum Machine or MixSurface?
Additive Drum Machine ships an update every 15 months, and MixSurface every 5 days. Most recently, Additive Drum Machine was updated on September 21, 2026 and MixSurface on October 6, 2026.

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