Comparison

K3 Tones vs Grainsmith Field

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

Head to head
About

K3 Tones

Features
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A fun and free tone generation app. Choose Prime numbers, Healing frequencies; Earth Pulse derivatives, Schumann resonance (audible), and make your own Custom tones. Load and Save from Files (including Cloud). Choose the number of channels to generate tones with, from Mono (1 channel) all the way up to Atmos 9.1.6 (16 channels), with cool waveform graphs (pinch-able) to show each category of tone being generated, and a summary waveform graph for the entire mess that you have created! Three selectable Phase Adjustments can also be applied (None, Tri-Phase, and Five-Phase). And don't worry that you can't get a 16-channel amplifier and speaker setup connected to your Apple Device - you can click on the "Mix Spatial" button and get Spatial Audio output generated (best listened through Air Pods).

About

Grainsmith Field

Transform any sound into unique sonic textures using a powerful granular synthesizer. Manipulate audio with multiple playheads, record live input, and play it like an instrument via MIDI. Optimized for mobile, it offers extensive control and export options.

Highlights
  • Granular synthesis engine
  • Multiple independent playheads
  • Live audio recording and manipulation
  • MIDI instrument mode
  • AUv3 music effect
  • Performance recording with Live Activity
  • Built-in reverb and filter
Features
Read full description

Grainsmith Field is a granular instrument for iPad and iPhone. Load a sound or record one live, then pull it apart into grains. Stretch and scatter it until it stops sounding like the source, or pitch it and play it like an instrument. It shares its granular engine with our desktop Grainsmith plugin, but it's rebuilt for touch. Field is a single multitouch screen: four XY pads control paired parameters (Density and Size, Jitter and Spread, Pitch and Reverse, Cutoff and Resonance), and a Morph control sweeps several at once. THREE PLAYHEADS Run up to three independent grain streams from one sample at the same time. Each head has its own position, speed, pitch, level, pan, grain size, and spread. Grab a playhead line on the waveform to move it independently, or move them as a group. Double-tap to gather them. Set a second head a fifth or an octave away and the streams blend into a single granular texture. MODULATION Six modulation slots drive the controls: LFOs and Euclidean patterns with per-route depth, assigned by long-pressing a knob. The MOVE dial sets the Morph macro itself in motion, and each destination drifts on its own phase. Rates sync to tempo, in the app or from the host clock. RECORD AND MANGLE Capture audio from your hardware input and granulate it as it comes in, or loop a phrase and let the engine chew on it. Scrub the waveform directly. Freeze the grain cloud to hold a sound for as long as you want. Run the stereo delay to smear the grain tails into echoes; it syncs to tempo too. Export captures as WAV to the Files app. RECORD YOUR PERFORMANCE Start a recording from the presets menu and everything you play is captured to a WAV file. Keep playing through app switches and screen locks; a Lock Screen Live Activity shows while recording runs. Recordings save to the Files app and share straight from Field. PLAY IT AS AN INSTRUMENT Switch to Instrument mode and play the grain engine from a MIDI keyboard: four-voice polyphony, an attack/release envelope, and a root-note control. The pitch ribbon snaps to musical intervals: Free, Chromatic, Scale, Octaves, or Oct+5ths, with twelve scale options and a probability control. Works with hardware MIDI in the standalone app and with host MIDI in AUv3. USE IT IN YOUR HOST The AUv3 music effect loads in AUM, Logic for iPad, and other AUv3 hosts. Parameters are exposed for host automation and MIDI learn. Your patch saves and restores with the session, including head count, every per-head control, the modulation slots, and pitch snap mode. ALSO IN THE BOX - Ten factory presets grouped by character, with a browser and a Favorites section for your own - Background audio: the standalone keeps playing when you switch apps - Reverb, stereo delay with tempo sync, filter, grain-shape windows, pitch randomization - Runs on iPhone with a compact layout No account and no subscription. Field collects no data.

Screenshots

K3 Tones3 screens
Grainsmith Field3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: K3 Tones at Free against Grainsmith Field's $11.99. Grainsmith Field's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 months). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

K3 Tones is free to download; Grainsmith Field costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

K3 Tones ships an update every 8 months, Grainsmith Field every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
K3 Tones versus Grainsmith Field: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterK3 TonesGrainsmith Field
PriceFree — better$11.99
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB81 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerkadosh3, llcPlastic Factory LLC

In-app purchases

None

K3 Tones

No in-app purchases

None

Grainsmith Field

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is K3 Tones free?
K3 Tones is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Grainsmith Field free?
Grainsmith Field costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do K3 Tones or Grainsmith Field have ads?
Neither K3 Tones nor Grainsmith Field shows ads.
Which is updated more often, K3 Tones or Grainsmith Field?
K3 Tones ships an update every 8 months, and Grainsmith Field every 3 days. Most recently, K3 Tones was updated on October 27, 2026 and Grainsmith Field on October 28, 2026.

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