Comparison

Steve Roach Immersion I vs RingsFX

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

Head to head
About

Steve Roach Immersion I

Create infinite ambient music soundscapes from the soundworlds of pioneer Steve Roach. This interactive tool allows you to mix loops to craft the perfect atmosphere for deep listening, meditation, work, reading, or sleep.

Highlights
  • Create custom soundscapes from source loops
  • Infinite mix combinations from five loops
  • Save and control custom mixes
  • Evolve function for new mixes
  • Background playback
  • CD quality sound
Features
Read full description

A re-release of the classic Immersion Station App. Immersion Station brings you infinite ambient music, created from the soundworlds of ambient music pioneer Steve Roach. Use Immersion Station to create the perfect atmosphere for deep listening, meditation and supportive sound spaces for working at the computer, reading, and sleeping. Immersion Station is an elegant interactive sound immersion tool. Create infinite mix combinations from five different loops of varied lengths for endless playback. These sounds have been extracted from the heart of Steve Roach’s soundworlds and carefully chosen for a congruent relationship allowing the user to sculpt constantly changing ambient music. The Immersion Station interface and application, created by Software Artist Eric Freeman (working closely with Steve), allows you to mix loops using a simple, intuitive, interactive and organic interface that is reflective of Steve's work. You can visit http://www.immersionstation.com for a complete demonstration. FEATURES * Easily create custom soundscapes from Steve Roach's source loops * Includes 80 megabytes of loops custom crafted by Steve Roach * Includes five custom mixes from Steve Roach * Each mix provides constantly changing ambient music * Save your own mixes at any time * Control the volume or stereo pan of each loop * Incubate new mixes using the evolve function * Plays music in the background with iOS 4 * Optimized with HD Images for iPhone 4 Retina display * CD quality sound * Supports Apple's remote interface for controlling playback * User's guide provided in the App and online Recommended for headphones or external speakers. ATTENTION iPhone/iPod touch 3.1 Users iOS 3.1 does not support stereo pan, but that's okay, the Immersion station still sounds wonderful. To enable control of stereo pan, just freely upgrade to iOS 4.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Steve Roach Immersion I4 screens
RingsFX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Steve Roach Immersion I at Free against RingsFX's $14.99. RingsFX's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 43 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Steve Roach Immersion I is free to download; RingsFX costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RingsFX holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 29 and 26 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Steve Roach Immersion I's written reviews are positive against 100% of RingsFX's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steve Roach Immersion I ships an update every 43 months, RingsFX fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Steve Roach Immersion I versus RingsFX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteve Roach Immersion IRingsFX
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating4.6 (29 ratings)4.9 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings29 — better26
Update frequencyEvery 43 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size121 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEric Freeman4Pockets.com

Customer experience

Steve Roach Immersion I

All ratings29 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%

RingsFX

All ratings26 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Steve Roach Immersion I

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • My mixes scroll issue
  • Pause on lock screen issue
  • Cannot save mixes anymore (iOS 7)
  • Cannot enter track name when saving
  • Default title save doesn't work
Show 3 more
  • No new mix appears in list after saving
  • Save new mix doesn't work on iOS7
  • Scroll on loop selection page doesn't allow reaching mixes at the bottom

Requested features

48 requests
  • Sleep timer function
  • More loops available
  • More spheres
  • More stations for variety
  • Ability to pause on lock screen
Show 43 more
  • More complexity
  • More spheres, especially chants or angelic choirs
  • Customizable spheres
  • More sphere-loops added
  • More presets (by composer) and/or tracks
  • Automatic updates of loops and other acoustic components
  • Option to keep screen lit while charging
  • Access to additional loops (paid option)
  • iPad version
  • More sounds
  • Sleep timer
  • More options for setting a sleep timer
  • More sounds please
  • More balls/loops
  • Reverb adjuster
  • More sound orbs
  • Upgrade to evolve feature (randomly turn spheres on/off)
  • Add more balls
  • Put your own wallpaper (photo) in the background
  • Mixes run in the background
  • Background play is awesome
  • Evolve feature changes sounds, not just mix
  • More spheres, especially chants or angelic choirs
  • Customizable spheres
  • More sphere-loops added
  • More presets (by composer) and/or tracks
  • Automatic updates of loops and other acoustic components
  • Option to keep screen lit while charging
  • Access to additional loops (paid option)
  • iPad version
  • More sounds
  • Sleep timer
  • More options for setting a sleep timer
  • More sounds please
  • More balls/loops
  • Reverb adjuster
  • More sound orbs
  • Upgrade to evolve feature (randomly turn spheres on/off)
  • Add more balls
  • Put your own wallpaper (photo) in the background
  • Mixes run in the background
  • Background play is awesome
  • Evolve feature changes sounds, not just mix

RingsFX

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Steve Roach Immersion I

No in-app purchases

None

RingsFX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Steve Roach Immersion I free?
Steve Roach Immersion I is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RingsFX free?
RingsFX costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Steve Roach Immersion I or RingsFX?
RingsFX is rated higher. Steve Roach Immersion I averages 4.6 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while RingsFX averages 4.9 from 26 ratings.
Do Steve Roach Immersion I or RingsFX have ads?
Neither Steve Roach Immersion I nor RingsFX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Steve Roach Immersion I or RingsFX?
Steve Roach Immersion I ships an update every 43 months, and RingsFX fortnightly. Most recently, Steve Roach Immersion I was updated on October 14, 2026 and RingsFX on October 16, 2026.

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