Comparison

Music Studio vs SampleTank CS

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

Head to head
About

Music Studio

This app provides a comprehensive music production environment for mobile devices. It features a virtual keyboard, a multi-track sequencer, and a wide array of studio-quality instruments and real-time effects. Users can record, edit, and mix their music with professional-level tools.

Highlights
  • Virtual piano keyboard with pitch bend
  • 194 studio-recorded instruments
  • 127-track sequencer with extensive note editing
  • 10 real-time audio effects
  • Microphone recording and audio track editing
  • Sampler for custom instruments
  • MIDI import/export
Read full description

Music Studio offers a complete music production environment for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch with features and a sound quality previously only known to desktop applications and expensive audio hardware. It combines a piano keyboard, 124 studio-quality instruments with sustain, a fully fledged 127-track sequencer, extensive note editing, reverb, real-time effects and much more on a user-friendly interface. Try the free Lite version! AWARDS & REVIEWS • "A recent composition of mine started on the iPhone with Music Studio" - Jason Hayes, lead composer of "World of Warcraft" • "GarageBand on your iDevice" - TouchMyApps.com • "Music Studio is loaded to the brim with features and is a no brainer for composers" - AppAdvice.com • "If you’re at all serious about your music you can’t really afford to miss out on this app." - razorianfly.com • "Music Studio justifies the purchase of an iDevice if you're really into it." - appfreakblog.com • Awards from BestAppEver.com, iPhoneAppsPlus.com, apps4idevices, Palm Sounds FEATURES • Photorealistic dynamically configurable 85-key keyboard • Instant positioning via the slide gesture and resize with the pinch gesture • Drum pads, chord pads and chord programming • 194 studio-recorded instruments (16bit 44.1kHz sampled from real instruments) • 124 free instruments, 70 available in the in-app shop • 6 categories: symphonic, classical, band, electronic, world, drum kits • Release and attack time configurable per instrument • Sustain samples • Pitch bend wheel and accelerometer control • Audio tracks: • Microphone recording • AudioCopy & AudioPaste • iPod library or wav/mp3/AAC/ogg file import • Waveform and audio region editing • Record up to 24 channels simultaneously with CoreAudio (class compliant) hardware • Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support (input & output) • Sampler to create custom instruments and kits from audio files and recordings • Background audio playback and recording • Low-latency, highly optimized, 128x polyphony, battery saving audio engine • 100 drum loops • 10 real-time effects with lots of parameters: Reverb, Delay, 3-Band-Equalizer, Filter, Phaser, BitCrusher, Amp, Compressor, Limiter, StereoWidener • 127-track sequencer • Beat & metronome settings (tempo and signature) • Mute, solo, effect bus, pan and volume adjustment for each track • Edit tracks, bars and even individual notes: Draw, quantize, transpose, repeat, move, length, velocity, etc. • MIDI import and export • Save and load your songs and export to wav and AAC formats • iOS Files app support allows you to create and manage folders • Share your songs via email, Dropbox, iCloud Drive, AudioCopy and SoundCloud • Wi-Fi and iTunes file transfer to your computer • Songs and MIDI files can be opened directly from Safari and Mail • Unlimited undo and redo • Detailed in-app help • Play or record 2 different instruments at the same time with 2 keyboard rows • iPhone and iPad Retina Display supported • Compatible with CoreMIDI (MIDI in and out), Virtual MIDI and MIDI hardware. Video tutorials are available on the Xewton YouTube channel.

About

SampleTank CS

This professional mobile sound and groove workstation brings desktop-level virtual instrument power to your iPhone and iPad. It offers a vast array of world-class instruments and patterns for live performance and composition, with expandable sound libraries available for purchase.

Highlights
  • 23 free instruments in 16 categories
  • 8-part multitimbral sound module
  • Expandable sound library with 2300+ instruments
  • Over 1,200 melodic and rhythmic patterns
  • 8-track MIDI recorder with audio export
  • Intuitive interface and new sound engine
  • Song and Live environments
Read full description

SampleTank 2 for iOS is a professional, fully featured mobile sound and groove workstation that brings the sound, power and features of desktop virtual instruments to your iPad and iPhone — without compromise. It is designed for professional live performance, song composition and puts a comprehensive array of world-class instruments, sounds and patterns right at your fingertips. SampleTank CS provides all the functionality of the full app, with 23 instruments in 16 categories, so you can try out this powerful workstation for free. Additional sounds are available a la cart via in-app purchase. SampleTank gives you 8 multitimbral instrument slots that you can easily layer or split. Choose from a comprehensive, expandable sound collection that covers virtually every acoustic and electronic sound imaginable. Plus, each instrument category includes instrument riffs and grooves so you can start composing and playing in no time. The included instruments and the new sound engine are derived from the desktop version of SampleTank, IK's flagship workstation, offering you unmatched realism, variety of sound and audio performance. For the first time on iOS, thousands of professional sample-based sounds and patterns can be easily accessed, layered and used for playing live or in the studio. What’s more, SampleTank offers an ever-growing library of sounds and are available via in-app purchase: • Elektronika - a series of electronica and EDM-oriented groove libraries and sound collections that make it easy to create hits in today’s most popular styles • Miroslav Philharmonik — the legendary orchestral libraries, now available on your mobile device! Stunningly realistic and expressive samples of a wide range of orchestra and percussion instruments. • SampleTank PRO - the latest and most high-end sounds and grooves available, letting you create professional-grade compositions on your mobile device • Plus additional libraries covering cinematic sounds, the finest pianos, drum libraries from iconic drummers and much more! SampleTank for iOS offers over 2,300 instruments and over 1,200 MIDI patterns — the largest collection of sounds available for any virtual instrument for iOS. Features: • 23 sounds in 16 categories included free • 8-part multitimbral professional quality sound and groove module • Expandable sound library with 2300+ instrument • Over 1,200 melodic and rhythmic patterns • 8-track MIDI recorder with audio export • Totally redesigned intuitive interface • New sound engine derived from SampleTank 3 for Mac/PC • Zones feature lets you easily create splits & layers on your controller • Song and Live environments for composing and playing • Built-in insert effects and master reverb • MIDI learn feature makes programming external controllers easy • Plug-and-play compatibility with iRig interfaces and controllers • Polyphony: up to 64 voices on new Apple devices

Screenshots

Music Studio4 screens
SampleTank CS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SampleTank CS at Free against Music Studio's $14.99. Music Studio's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (69% vs 29%). On ratings volume, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

SampleTank CS is free to download; Music Studio costs $14.99 up front. Music Studio sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and SampleTank CS sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Music Studio holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 421 and 144 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Music Studio's written reviews are positive against 29% of SampleTank CS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Music Studio versus SampleTank CS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMusic StudioSampleTank CS
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating3.7 (421 ratings) — better3.1 (144 ratings)
Positive reviews69.3% of reviews — better28.9% of reviews
Number of ratings421 — better144
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size775 MB1.5 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSteinberg Media Technologies GmbHIK Multimedia US, LLC

Customer experience

Music Studio

All ratings421 ratings
Positive67.7%
Neutral5.5%
Negative26.8%
Written reviews430 reviews
Positive69.3%
Neutral7.7%
Negative23.0%

SampleTank CS

All ratings144 ratings
Positive52.1%
Neutral8.3%
Negative39.6%
Written reviews298 reviews
Positive28.9%
Neutral10.4%
Negative60.7%

User reviews

Music Studio

From 421 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful music production capabilities
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🎨 Wide selection of instruments and sounds
  • 💡 Ability to record audio and MIDI tracks
  • 🔌 Good integration with external devices and apps

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • 🔇 Audio playback problems
  • 📁 Difficulty organizing and managing projects
  • 🕹️ Unintuitive controls and navigation
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases required

SampleTank CS

From 144 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great sound quality
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 💡 Excellent for live performances

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🔒 Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
  • 🔋 High memory usage
  • 👎 Lack of updates and support

Bugs and requests

Music Studio

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Bluetooth/wireless audio not working
  • Crashes and freezes when using certain features
  • Recorded audio files not saving properly
  • Syncing issues between devices and cloud storage
  • Instrument sounds distorting or cutting out

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add pitch correction and speed adjustment tools
  • Improve audio file management and organization
  • Implement inter-app audio support for better integration
  • Add more natural-sounding instrument samples
  • Provide a more modern and customizable user interface

SampleTank CS

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatible with latest iOS versions
  • MIDI issues and lack of device detection
  • Purchased content not properly restored

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add AU/AUv3 support for better DAW integration
  • Improve MIDI functionality and mapping
  • Allow importing custom samples
  • Enhance performance controls (e.g., pitch bend, modulation)

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Music Studio

One-time6
  • 80s Retro Kits$2.99
  • Classic Pack$3.99
  • Band Pack$3.99
Show 3 more
  • Electro Pack$3.99
  • World Pack$3.99
  • 60 Instrument Bundle$6.99
15 purchases

SampleTank CS

One-time15
  • Organ$4.99
  • Strings$4.99
  • Brass$4.99
Show 12 more
  • Synth Leads$4.99
  • Synth Pads$4.99
  • Woodwinds$4.99
  • Acoustic Drums$4.99
  • Electric Piano$7.99
  • The Grid$14.99
  • Upgrade to SampleTank$24.99
  • Miroslav Philharmonik - Mobile Edition$24.99
  • Sample Moog - Mobile Edition$24.99
  • Sonik Synth - Mobile Edition$24.99
  • All Sounds$64.99
  • SampleTank PRO - All Sounds Pack$64.99

Questions

Is Music Studio free?
Music Studio costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is SampleTank CS free?
SampleTank CS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Music Studio or SampleTank CS?
Music Studio is rated higher. Music Studio averages 3.7 out of 5 from 421 ratings, while SampleTank CS averages 3.1 from 144 ratings.
Do Music Studio or SampleTank CS have ads?
Neither Music Studio nor SampleTank CS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Music Studio or SampleTank CS?
Music Studio ships an update every 2 months, and SampleTank CS every 2 months. Most recently, Music Studio was updated on October 16, 2026 and SampleTank CS on October 13, 2026.

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