Comparison

S98Player for iPhone vs Waveguide Flute

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

Head to head
About

S98Player for iPhone

This app plays sound logs in S98 format and PMD files from Yamaha FM sound chips. Enjoy chiptunes with features like album art, loop/shuffle playback, adjustable volume, and CarPlay support for on-the-go listening.

Highlights
  • Plays S98 and PMD file formats
  • High-quality FM synthesis
  • Adjustable sound source volumes
  • Loop and shuffle playback
  • CarPlay support
  • File transfer via Files app
Features
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S98Player plays the FM synth music of the PC-9801 and X68000 on your iPhone and iPad. Alongside sound logs (S98), the PMD, FMP and MDX drivers are built into the app, so you can drop the original song files straight in and play them. Formats - S98 (Version 1 / 3) — .s98 - PMD — .m / .m2 / .mz / .mp / .ms / .pmd - FMP — .opi / .ovi / .ozi / .mfm / .mf2 / .m86 / .m26 - MDX — .mdx (put .pdx in the same folder for songs that use ADPCM) Voiced for the machine The same FM chip sounded different on each computer: the external DAC and the analogue stage after it were not the same. PC-98, PC-88, X68000 and X1turboZ each have their own DAC, output stage, cutoff and per-chip mix. The machine is chosen from the S98 system tag, and can also be set in Settings.plist. Channel monitor Watch every channel on a piano-style keyboard while the music plays, with level meters, stereo panning, rhythm pads and a spectrum analyser. Tap a row to mute it, long-press to solo, and study each part on its own. Waveform seek bar The seek bar is a waveform. It draws the intro and one turn of the loop, and shows which time around you are on by how dark it is. Drag it to jump anywhere. More - Rotate your iPhone for a two-pane view: keyboard and spectrum analyser - Song info shows everything the file contains, unmodified - Album and song details can be edited in the app, album art included - You are told when a PCM file is missing - CarPlay support - Shuffle, and looping over an album Rhythm samples To hear the OPNA rhythm section you need ym2608_adpcm_rom.bin, or the rhythm files (2608_BD.WAV / 2608_HH.WAV / 2608_RIM.WAV / 2608_SD.WAV / 2608_TOM.WAV / 2608_TOP.WAV). Put them in the S98Player folder under "On My iPhone" in the Files app. Song files go there too, in a folder per album. Third-party software - PMDWin Ver. 0.52 Copyright & Programmed by C60 - ymfm Copyright (C) Aaron Giles - 98Fmplayer (fmdriver) Copyright (c) 2016 Takamichi Horikawa - portable_mdx (MXDRV) Copyright (C) 2018 Yosshin (MXDRV: milk. / K.MAEKAWA / Missy.M / Yatsube / GORRY / m_puusan)

About

Waveguide Flute

Features
Read full description

Waveguide Flute turns your iPad or iPhone into a physically modeled wind instrument — a Cook/STK-style waveguide flute you play from an on-screen piano roll or a MIDI wind controller (EWI). FEATURES • Authentic waveguide physical modeling — not a sample library • Deep Sound page: shape jet ratio, reflection, loop damping, noise, and more • Expression controls for live performance: blow intensity, breathiness, pitch bend, auto-vibrato • Built-in reverb with 7 factory spaces • On-screen piano roll with velocity and breath control • Full MIDI support — notes, breath (CC#2), pitch bend • Compatible with Akai EWI and other MIDI wind controllers that send breath and pitch bend • Remembers your last settings, with one-tap reset to defaults • Bluetooth MIDI support, plus a configurable Breath Control input (Mod Wheel or custom CC) for keyboard players without a wind controller Play it like a real wind instrument: breathe into the sound, bend pitch, add vibrato — all rendered by a genuine physical model, not recordings.

Screenshots

S98Player for iPhone4 screens
Waveguide Flute2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Waveguide Flute at every 3 days against S98Player for iPhone's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

S98Player for iPhone ships an update every 2 months, Waveguide Flute every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
S98Player for iPhone versus Waveguide Flute: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterS98Player for iPhoneWaveguide Flute
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHiroaki KimuraTomonori Yamasaki

In-app purchases

None

S98Player for iPhone

No in-app purchases

None

Waveguide Flute

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is S98Player for iPhone free?
S98Player for iPhone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Waveguide Flute free?
Waveguide Flute is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do S98Player for iPhone or Waveguide Flute have ads?
Neither S98Player for iPhone nor Waveguide Flute shows ads.
Which is updated more often, S98Player for iPhone or Waveguide Flute?
S98Player for iPhone ships an update every 2 months, and Waveguide Flute every 3 days. Most recently, S98Player for iPhone was updated on September 28, 2026 and Waveguide Flute on October 6, 2026.

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