FunkBox Drum Machine vs RingsFX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FunkBox Drum Machine
This app offers a collection of vintage drum machine sounds for composing, recording, and performing music. It allows users to create custom drum kits, edit patterns, and export loops. It's compatible with various iOS devices and integrates with other music apps and hardware.
- Vintage drum machine sounds
- Compose, record, and play music
- Create custom drum boxes
- Edit and create rhythm patterns
- Export audio and MIDI loops
- Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio support
- Ableton Link and CoreMIDI sync
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Funkbox contains all your favorite vintage drum machine sounds in one funky quirky little app! FunkBox is a full featured drum machine that you can use to compose, record and play your songs live. It has been used in the studio by electronic artists such as Gorillaz (on their album “The Fall”) Tom Middleton (Global Communications, Jedi Knights) and Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia), and also by alternative/indie musicians such as tUnE-yArDs, Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA), Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), and Reggie Pace (Bon Iver, No BS Brass). It's also been used on stage by rock/pop musicians such as Joan Osborne and Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) live in concert. Its quirky vintage sounds, ease of use and advanced features have made it popular with many musicians worldwide who use it to make all sorts of different styles of music. FunkBox was featured in Computer Music Magazine's "Amazing Music Apps" special issue and Electronic Musician magazine's "Attack of the Killer Apps" best music tools for the iPad. FunkBox 4.0 features: The look, feel, sound and quirks of a classic vintage drum machine. iOS 10 compatible, iPhone 5 retina graphics compatible, iPad retina graphics compatible. Universal app that works great on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Buy it once and you can use it on all your iOS devices. Fourteen classic boxes to choose from, including favorites like the 808, 909, CR-78, LM-2, MRK-2, DX, TOM, and more. Create your own custom boxes by mix and matching preset samples, or even import and use your own custom samples. Includes 36 preset rhythm patterns, plus several more bonus banks. Easily edit the included patterns to create your own beats. Export your drum loops as audio or midi via email, audio pasteboard, or the iTunes folder. Easily share your custom boxes and patterns via email with your friends, or between your devices. Use Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio to exchange live audio with other apps. Use Ableton Link or CoreMIDI to sync up with “real” music equipment or other music apps, multi-tasking in the background or on other nearby iOS devices. Use the bonus MIDI bass sequencer to play a bassline along with your beat using another iOS app or a “real” hardware synth! …and lots more. Need some old school beats? Grab yourself some funk in a box.
RingsFX
This music app emulates a renowned physical modeling synthesizer, offering diverse synthesis techniques and polyphonic capabilities. It allows for real-time parameter manipulation and can process external audio, creating unique sonic textures and rhythms.
- Physical modeling synthesis emulation
- Multiple polyphony modes (Mono, Duo, Quad, True Polyphonic)
- Supports MIDI MPE and velocity sensitivity
- External audio excitation
- Mod Matrix for real-time parameter control
- 7 unique synthesis modes
- 6 mod-able and 6 global effects
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RingsFX is an AUv3 plugin based on the famous Mutable Instruments Rings, one of the most dedicated and fully-featured Physical Modeling Eurorack modules ever created. At its core is a resonator that needs to be 'excited' or 'strummed' by MIDI input, noise, or external audio excitation. RingsFX emulates vibrations of structures simulated by 3 different synthesis techniques that can be plucked or process external signals: Modal Synthesis, Sympathetic Strings, and Inharmonic Strings. Traditionally, Rings was only monophonic but used a unique approach to polyphony that allowed the previous note to 'ring' out and decay while a new note was played. Rings FX provides these same modes (Mono, Duo, and Quad), but expands it with a true Polyphonic mode. RingsFX also expands the capabilities of the original engine by adding support for velocity sensitivity and MIDI MPE mode. The new polyphonic mode allows RingsFX to play up to 12 notes of true polyphony, depending on the settings. Doing so requires RingsFX to use multiple Rings resonators, but the more true polyphony you use, the more processing power it requires. Running in the traditional Monophonic, Duophonic, or Quadrophonic modes may be preferred in order to keep CPU usage under control. RingsFX has 7 modes in total, by combining the 3 basic modes with additional properties such as chords or specially tuned reverbs. The original hardware also had a secret 'Easter Egg' mode, which in RingsFX is simply calling 'Synthesizer' mode, rumoured to be based on one of the early Korg synthesis methods. This mode supported a number of mutable effects which now work on in all resonator modes. RingsFX also has a Mod-Matrix which allows you to combine the built-in LFOs and FEGs to great effect by manipulating parameters and mutable effects in realtime. Finally, RingsFX can be loaded as an AUv3 effect plugin. Set the Exciter Source to 'INPUT', and you can pass any audio through RingsFX and use this audio as an external exciter. For example, it can be used to great affect on a drum beat to create some crazy rhythms. Use the Output Mix to combine the original audio with the synthesised resonator output to create some stunning effects. Features ○ 7 unique synthesis modes. ○ Supports Mono, Duo, Quad and true polyphony. ○ Supports 2 fluid LFO's per note. ○ Up to 4 FEG's per note. ○ External Exciter modes. ○ White noise Pulse Sequencer. ○ Supports 6 mod-able effects and 6 global effects. ○ Mod Matrix ○ Input and white noise filters. ○ Program Manager with drag and drop. ○ Preset Search and Favourites. ○ Easy export and import of banks and presets. ○ Extensive help manual. ○ Web Transfer for backing up to PC/Mac. ○ MPE Support.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RingsFX at 4.9 against FunkBox Drum Machine's 4.2. RingsFX also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 81%). FunkBox Drum Machine's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $7.99) and chart position (#97 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
FunkBox Drum Machine costs $4.99 and RingsFX $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RingsFX holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of FunkBox Drum Machine's written reviews are positive against 100% of RingsFX's.
FunkBox Drum Machine ships an update every 2 months, RingsFX fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FunkBox Drum Machine | RingsFX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $7.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (70 ratings) | 4.9 (26 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 — better | 26 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #97 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synthetic Bits, LLC | 4Pockets.com |
Customer experience
FunkBox Drum Machine
RingsFX
Bugs and requests
FunkBox Drum Machine
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on iOS 7 for iPhone 5s
- Presets disappearing after update, unable to load saved banks
Requested features
11 requests- Please refresh and update the app a bit
- Add ability to customize drum sounds beyond just volume and panning
- Implement copy/paste functionality for sequences
- Allow programming in 3/4 time signature
- Add ability to adjust the pitch and tuning of drum sounds
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- Implement song mode to chain patterns together
- Add ability to export each instrument as a separate WAV file
- Implement Ableton Link support
- Add ability to adjust the speed of the roll button
- Implement more effects and sound manipulation options
- Add a drop-down list for recalling presets instead of individual buttons
RingsFX
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FunkBox Drum Machine
No in-app purchases
RingsFX
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FunkBox Drum Machine free?
Is RingsFX free?
Which has better reviews, FunkBox Drum Machine or RingsFX?
Do FunkBox Drum Machine or RingsFX have ads?
Which is updated more often, FunkBox Drum Machine or RingsFX?
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