Comparison

RTA vs MGP Editor

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

Head to head
About

RTA

Analyze audio frequencies, test speakers, and tune rooms with this professional-grade acoustical analysis tool. It offers octave and 1/3 octave modes, peak hold, and averaging, with automatic microphone compensation for accurate results.

Highlights
  • Real-time acoustical analysis
  • Octave and 1/3 Octave modes
  • Peak Hold and Average modes
  • Automatic microphone compensation
  • Save, recall, and export graphs
  • Interactive touch GUI
  • Noise curve overlays
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

A Real Time Analyzer for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Test your speakers, tune your room, do acoustical analysis work or just have a better understanding of audio frequencies. RTA is a professional-grade acoustical analysis tool. All filters meet or exceed ANSI and IEC Class 1 specifications. Includes Octave and 1/3 Octave modes, with selectable decay times, as well as Peak Hold and true linear Average mode. *** iOS Microphones We have analyzied every iOS device, including all of the iPads, all iPhones, and iPod touches, and have created microphone compensation files that are applied automatically. You can trust the results you are getting, often within just a few dB of a far more expensive analyzer. Calibration is updated regularly, automatically, from our cloud-based calibration database. Upgrade to our iTestMic or iAudioInterface2 to bring your system up to full professional specs. *** Save and Recall Graphs You can save and recall graphs, marked with the GPS location, date & time, and your comment, as well as store the image to your photo roll. Export the data as an XLS formatted file to your computer for inclusion in reports or further analysis. *** Max and Min Bars You can also turn on resettable Max/Min bars (see image #4) to capture peaks. Double-tap to reset the bars. *** Specifications and Devices The internal iPhone mic has a noise floor near 30 dB, and if your are running iOS 6, clips around 120 dB. *** Touch GUI Fully interactive touch GUI features includes scroll up/down, pinch to zoom or compress the vertical dB scale, or swipe horizontally to get a cursor that reads out the exact dB level and frequency across the screen. To make the cursor disappear, swipe it off the graph to the left. The landscape-mode display flips 180 degrees so that you can face the internal mic in either direction. *** Overlay Curves Also included are optional noise curve overlays, in NCB, RC, PNC, NC, X-Curve and NR mode. See picture #2 for an example. Use this feature to get a quick reading on the noise levels in a room. Also includes the cinema large-room X-curve overlay. *** Calibration RTA can be fully calibrated, whether you are using it with the internal iOS microphone, or one of our professional test & measurement mic solutions. And, if you are using iTestMic, the mic calibration is transmitted directly to the app, so you are always calibrated. *** RTA or FFT? If you are wondering if you should download this app or our FFT app, check out our website, we have a page devoted to this topic. See our other acoustics and audio apps, including AudioTools.

About

MGP Editor

Control your MGP mixer's DSP settings remotely from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Adjust effects parameters, compressor, and ducker settings with an intuitive graphic display. Ideal for live sound, studio, and commercial applications.

Highlights
  • Remote DSP control
  • Effects parameter editing
  • Hybrid Channel control
  • Intuitive graphic display
  • Direct play function
  • Detail parameter editing
Read full description

MGP Editor is a free software application that gives you additional control of your MGP mixer's DSP settings via your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. With a simple and intuitive graphic display, MGP Editor gives you additional, detailed control of your REV-X and SPX effects parameters—as well as Hybrid Channel's Priority Ducker, Leveler and attenuator. Not just for live sound reinforcement and studio environments, MGP Editor is a valuable tool that can benefit any commercial, corporate or institutional applications. - Requires a MGP mixing console - Using a USB cable, connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to the MGP’s dedicated USB port. - Funcitions for MGP32X/24X Editor of detail parameter for FX1, FX2, GEQ, Master COMP, DUCKER, LEVELER And also individual music player and ""direct play"" function are newly added. - Functions for MGP16X/12X Editor of detail parameter for FX1, FX2, DUCKER, LEVELER

Screenshots

RTA4 screens
MGP Editor3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MGP Editor at Free against RTA's $4.99. MGP Editor also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). RTA's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 20 months). On ads and device support 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

MGP Editor is free to download; RTA costs $4.99 up front. RTA sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. MGP Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RTA holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of RTA's written reviews are positive against 50% of MGP Editor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RTA ships an update every 3 months, MGP Editor every 20 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
RTA versus MGP Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRTAMGP Editor
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (27 ratings) — better3.7 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 20 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#163 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew SmithYamaha Corporation of America

Customer experience

RTA

All ratings26 ratings
Positive73.1%
Neutral11.5%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews118 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral11.0%
Negative28.0%

MGP Editor

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral33.3%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

RTA

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • App crashes after iOS updates (iOS 13, 15, 16, 17, 18)
  • App freezes or crashes on startup
  • App only displays half the screen
  • App does not save analysis readings to photo roll
  • App stops working on older iPads after updates
Show 13 more
  • Accessory found/removed loop with iTestMic 2
  • App continues to run in background, draining battery
  • Calibration not supported for specific iPad models
  • App not installing after purchase/update
  • App not opening on iPhone 4 after update
  • dB/input level is useless after update
  • Screen not expanding after updates
  • App not compatible with iOS 7
  • App crashes when saving screen
  • App not working with iMM-6 microphone
  • App overcompensates for low frequencies
  • App crashes on 3G S after update
  • Low frequency response cut due to voice recognition

Requested features

8 requests
  • Add German language support
  • Add NC and NR curves
  • Make background mode optional
  • Improve compatibility with newer iOS versions
  • Add option to overlay readings
Show 3 more
  • Add zoom functionality for frequencies
  • Improve calibration for external mics
  • Add pink noise output

MGP Editor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

RTA

One-time2
  • STC -- Transmission Loss$9.99
  • Reference Curve Files$9.99
None

MGP Editor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RTA free?
RTA costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is MGP Editor free?
MGP Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RTA or MGP Editor?
RTA is rated higher. RTA averages 4.0 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while MGP Editor averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.
Do RTA or MGP Editor have ads?
Neither RTA nor MGP Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RTA or MGP Editor?
RTA ships an update every 3 months, and MGP Editor every 20 months. Most recently, RTA was updated on November 6, 2026 and MGP Editor on November 6, 2026.

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