Additive Drum Machine vs TEMPO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Additive rhythm concept
- Traditional drum machine interface
- Customizable sequence length
- Step sequencing
- Odd meter support
- Symmetrical and asymmetrical rhythms
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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.
TEMPO
Create beats quickly with a 12-voice drum machine featuring deep sequencing, live capture, and resampling. Shape sounds with modeled drums, samples, or your own WAVs, then mix and add effects to finish your tracks anywhere.
- 12-voice drum workstation
- Playable pads and step sequencing
- Up to 64 steps per pattern
- Modeled drums and user WAV import
- Live capture and resampling
- Mixer, FX, and automation
- AUv3 extension
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TEMPO-1 is a sampler groovebox for fast beat making, deep sequencing, live capture, resampling, MIDI workflows, and finishing ideas anywhere. Build beats with a 12-voice workstation: Kick, Snare, Closed Hat, Open Hat, Clap, Tom, Cymbal, Perc, Keys, Bass, Synth, and Sounds. Tap ideas on playable pads, shape each voice, arrange patterns, route effects, and keep the rhythm moving from the first touch. The sequencer is built for feel. Create patterns up to 64 steps, then shape each step with velocity, probability, microtiming, ratchets, conditional playback, and pitch. Push hits ahead or behind the grid, add rolls, thin out busy parts, and turn programmed rhythms into grooves with movement. Sampling stays immediate. Record live audio, import WAVs, edit samples in place, and assign them to any voice. Browse modeled drums and bundled sounds, build custom kits, then bounce sounds or recordings back into pads for resampling. Capture pad or MIDI performances directly into patterns, with quantized recording when you want tight timing. Mix with level, pan, mute, solo, master controls, and meters. Add motion with Phaser, Slicer, Delay, Reverb, Filter, routing, and automation. TEMPO-1 gives you practical ways to finish ideas. Export loops as WAV, export patterns as MIDI, or capture a live performance as WAV. Use it on its own, map controls with MIDI learn, send MIDI from pads and sequenced tracks, or run it as an AUv3 in supported hosts. Key features: - 12-voice sampler groovebox - Playable pads and step sequencing - Up to 64 steps per pattern and 64 pattern slots - Velocity, probability, microtiming, ratchets, conditional steps, and chromatic pitch per step - Live quantized recording from pads or MIDI - Record, import, edit, and resample WAVs - Modeled drums, bundled sounds, and custom sample kits - Mixer, FX, routing, and automation - External MIDI output for pads and sequenced tracks - MIDI learn for performance controls - AUv3 extension for host-based workflows - Loop WAV export, MIDI export, and live WAV capture - User presets plus bank import and export - Designed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac TEMPO-1 is for beatmakers who want hardware-style speed, deep sequencing, portable sampling, MIDI flexibility, and practical export tools in one focused instrument.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Additive Drum Machine at 5.0 against TEMPO's 4.3. Additive Drum Machine also leads on price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (14.5 vs 17.0). TEMPO's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 15 months). On review sentiment, 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
Additive Drum Machine costs $2.99 and TEMPO $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Additive Drum Machine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Additive Drum Machine ships an update every 15 months, TEMPO every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Additive Drum Machine | TEMPO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | 4.3 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 99 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Giovanny Bermudez | Richard Gillespie |
Customer experience
Additive Drum Machine
TEMPO
In-app purchases
Additive Drum Machine
No in-app purchases
TEMPO
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Additive Drum Machine free?
Is TEMPO free?
Which has better reviews, Additive Drum Machine or TEMPO?
Do Additive Drum Machine or TEMPO have ads?
Which is updated more often, Additive Drum Machine or TEMPO?
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