Comparison

iSequence HD vs XPad

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

Head to head
About

iSequence HD

Create professional music on your iPad with an intuitive 8-track sequencer, a vast library of instruments, and flexible mixing with DSP effects. Record, edit, and arrange loops, beats, and melodies in real-time, controlling every aspect of your music project.

Highlights
  • 8-track sequencer
  • 160+ built-in instruments
  • Custom instrument sampler
  • Real-time recording and automation
  • Step sequencer and FX editor
  • Flexible mixer with DSP effects
  • Wi-Fi file sharing
Read full description

iSequence is a long-running iPad music app appreciated for its speed, simplicity, and distinctive workflow. Build beats, melodies, and arrangements with an intuitive 8-track sequencer with 32-step patterns, shape sounds with its sampler, and mix everything with flexible DSP effects. Whether you are sketching loops or building full tracks, iSequence keeps music creation direct and hands-on. FAST, FLUID WORKFLOW Create patterns, record parts in real time, and edit them without interrupting playback. Switch between tracks, instruments, step sequencing, and automation as you build your song. iSequence is built for sketching ideas quickly, jamming with loops, and arranging complete tracks in a simple, focused environment. INSTRUMENTS • 160 built-in instruments, including acoustic sounds, drum kits, pads, leads, sweeps, and ambient textures • Additional sound banks available in the BankShop • Play with the on-screen piano keyboard or drum pads • Create custom instruments with the built-in sampler • Supports CoreMIDI and MIDI instruments REAL-TIME RECORDING AND AUTOMATION • Record notes as you play • Change tracks and instruments during playback • Use the metronome and slowdown mode for easier recording • Record parameter changes in real time STEP SEQUENCER • 8 tracks with FX curve editing • 32 steps per row / pattern • Instruments are not tied to tracks, allowing flexible sequencing and layering • Edit notes with the piano keyboard, drum pads, and other controls • Adjust note duration, panning, velocity, and gliss • Copy, paste, move, and transpose patterns and selections • Arrange patterns into full song structures MIXER AND EFFECTS • Adjust tempo, master volume, and shuffle • Mute, solo, and set levels for each track • Route tracks to 5 configurable effect channels • Includes Filter, Reverb, Flanger, Delay, Ring Modulator, EQ, Lo-Fi Crusher, Live Looper, and Distortion SAMPLER • Import, record, or paste samples to build custom instruments • Edit loop points, ADSR envelope, and sample mapping • Slice loops and synchronize them to tempo automatically FILE SHARING • Export songs as HSQ, MIDI, or WAV • Import samples and presets • Copy tracks to the audio clipboard • Import HSQ songs

About

XPad

This app provides professional pad sounds for keyboardists, aiming to replicate warm analog synth tones with advanced digital features. It offers intuitive glissando control, real-time sound morphing, and extensive MIDI compatibility for a dynamic playing experience.

Highlights
  • Modern pad sounds
  • Realistic glissando control
  • Tone Width morphing
  • Sensible sound controls
  • MIDI remote control
  • Extensive sound library search
Features
Read full description

XPad is a professional sound module app and Audio Unit v3 plugin with focus on modern pad sounds for iPad. Goal was to get the warm and vibrant sound of analogue synths onto the convenient platform of an iPad and combining those sounds with the benefits of state of the art digital features while still preserving that analogue tone and feeling. Glissando XPad introduces a new way that we were developing for our apps to achieve realistic large interval Glissando. You can glide a tone continuously e.g. from the lowest octave up to the highest octave and vice versa, in any desirable speed and without causing an artificial impression to the listener. We were also thinking about how to improve the usability aspects for playing Glissando in a much more intuitive & convenient way for a keyboard player, while still preserving the player's full control. Foremost this app allows you to mix Glissando with regular polyphonic notes (e.g. chords) simultaneously or switch between these playing styles quickly at any time without leaving your hands off the keyboard. For instance you might be playing and holding a chord with your right hand while playing a Glissando slide with your left hand and punching through the right hand's chord from an octave lower than the chord, up to some octave higher than the chord. Tone Width Replicating some analogue boutique pad synthesizers is nice, but what about having a huge stack of them? That's where "Tone Width" control comes into play. Especially the important pad sounds of this app allow you to morph the sound with the "Tone Width" knob in real-time steplessly between a very thin and clean sound up to a huge and fat tonal sound as if an army of pad synths was working under your finger tips. Sensible Control Controls for the individual sound aspects is good. But it should be in a sensible way. Nothing is hard wired here. Every sound of this app presents controls that make sense for the individual sound. All controls presented are always fine tuned to the individual elements of that sound. You can alter all controls remotely by MIDI e.g. with sliders at your keyboard. The most important controls for each sound are mapped to things that you are most likely using anyway at your keyboard. For instance all sounds use the Aftertouch information of your keyboard to bring more dynamic behaviour into the sound even while just holding some notes. And just grab your modulation wheel at your keyboard to bring in some more variance. Never Lost XPad offers up to 462 sounds, but don't worry, it never lets you down and always assists you finding just the sound you need in a glimpse. You can quickly search for sounds with any combination of several criteria like sound characteristics, articulations, controls and more. Connectivity Like all our apps, XPad is very easy to use and start with. Just connect your keyboard with your iPad and you are ready to go. And of course if needed, you can simply tweak the setup, e.g. use a Bluetooth MIDI wireless connection to your keyboard instead of a cabled one, restrict MIDI input to certain devices or apps, connect to other apps with Inter-App Audio or use the sounds of this app as Audio Unit v3 plugin directly in the DAW app of your choice. Recorder The app comes with a built-in MIDI recorder that allows you to quickly record your musical ideas. You can share them as audio files with other people or transfer them as MIDI files for further work e.g. on your Mac. Sound Sets XPad is divided into 14 optional sound sets of different sound categories and provide up to 462 sounds in total. Even though the app is focused on pad sounds, this is not all this app has to offer sound-wise. The "Atmo" pack for instance contains atmospheric sounds for generating very emotional sound bases and backgrounds e.g. for film and entertainment. The "Perc" sound set contains drums and percussive sounds. The "Silicon" sound set covers synthesizers also offside the pad field, and much more.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iSequence HD at 77% against XPad's 50%. iSequence HD also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.8). XPad's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. iSequence HD sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and XPad sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iSequence HD holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 24 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of iSequence HD's written reviews are positive against 50% of XPad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iSequence HD ships an update every 3 months, XPad every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iSequence HD versus XPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriSequence HDXPad
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (33 ratings) — better3.8 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB1.2 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeepStreetChristian Schoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte

Customer experience

iSequence HD

All ratings32 ratings
Positive78.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral9.0%
Negative14.4%

XPad

All ratings23 ratings
Positive73.9%
Neutral4.3%
Negative21.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

iSequence HD

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup or during use
  • Issues with sample loading and playback
  • Inconsistent behavior with certain features
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

6 requests
  • Expanded track count
  • More effects and sound design capabilities
  • Audiobus and Inter-App Audio integration
  • Improved sample import and management
  • Support for more time signatures and rhythms
Show 1 more
  • Ability to save and load full projects

XPad

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

iSequence HD

One-time8
  • Funny farm bank$1.99
  • Chiptunes bank$1.99
  • Acoustic bank$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Electro/house bank$2.99
  • Trance waves$2.99
  • Loops vol.1$2.99
  • Loops vol.2$2.99
  • Beat elements bank$2.99
10 purchases

XPad

One-time10
  • Metal Sound Set$3.99
  • Bass Sound Set$3.99
  • Choir Sound Set$3.99
Show 7 more
  • Altro Sound Set$3.99
  • Percussive Sound Set$3.99
  • Vintage Sound Set$4.99
  • Atmo Sound Set$5.99
  • Space Sound Set$5.99
  • Nature Sound Set$5.99
  • Sequence Sound Set$5.99

Questions

Is iSequence HD free?
iSequence HD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is XPad free?
XPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iSequence HD or XPad?
iSequence HD is rated higher. iSequence HD averages 4.2 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while XPad averages 3.8 from 24 ratings.
Do iSequence HD or XPad have ads?
Neither iSequence HD nor XPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iSequence HD or XPad?
iSequence HD ships an update every 3 months, and XPad every 4 weeks. Most recently, iSequence HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and XPad on November 2, 2026.

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