Comparison

MINI vs Tape Loop Machine

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

Head to head
About

MINI

Create music with a free, 16-step sequencer featuring basic synthesizer waves and drum loops. Enjoy multi-touch note input and Wi-Fi sync for collaborative jamming. A simple and fun tool for electronic music enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • 16-step sequencer
  • Multi-touch note input
  • 32 polyphonic tones + 1 drum track
  • 4 synthesizer waves
  • 4 drumbeat loops
  • Wi-Fi sync play
Features
Read full description

Karl Bartos (electronic musician, ex-KW, co-composer of songs like The Robots, The Model, Computer World,...) and Masayuki Akamatsu (media artist and author of various iPhone apps such as Banner, Oscillator, Echochops,...) create a 16 step music sequencer which is free, simple and fun. The executive producer is Jean-Marc Lederman. We have created this simple music app for fun: it implements the basic waves of a synthesizer with a 16 step sequencer. This app is completely free, but we would be glad if you would consider a donation to the Red Cross. In 2011, the year we were making this app, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, and we released it as donationware to support the people affected. The damage from that disaster has still not fully healed, and disasters have continued to occur around the world since then. We continue to ask for your support. This application has the functions listed below. - 16 steps sequencer - Start/stop sequence - Multi-touch note input - 32 polyphonic tones + 1 drum track - 4 waves (saw, triangular, square, sine) - 4 drumbeat loops - Drums on/off - Random notes - Clear notes - Additional information Please enjoy our music and think World.

About

Tape Loop Machine

Create warm, evolving ambient soundscapes with tape-style looping and sound-on-sound layering. This audio effect plugin offers long delay times and analog degradation simulations for experimental music creation. Explore presets or use it within your favorite AUv3-compatible host.

Highlights
  • Tape-style loop and delay
  • Sound-on-sound overdubbing
  • Long delay times
  • Analog degradation and tone coloring
  • Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation
  • Preset library
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Read full description

Tape Loop Machine is a free AUv3 audio effect built around tape-style looping, sound-on-sound layering, and long ambient delays. Use it inside any AUv3-compatible host to create warm repeats, evolving drones, layered guitar textures, synth soundscapes, and slow-moving experimental loops. Simple enough to pick up in minutes. Deep enough to get lost in. Features: - Tape-style loop and delay behavior - Sound-on-sound overdub layering - Long delay times for ambient and drone use - Analog degradation and tone coloring - Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation - Presets for quick sound exploration - AUv3 plugin support The standalone app is included for exploring presets and quickly auditioning sounds. For the full experience, load Tape Loop Machine BA2 as an AUv3 audio effect inside your favorite host, connect a guitar, synth, microphone, or any audio source, and start building evolving loops.

Screenshots

MINI4 screens
Tape Loop Machine3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tape Loop Machine at 5.0 against MINI's 3.9. Tape Loop Machine also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 74%). MINI's advantage is ratings volume (24 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tape Loop Machine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MINI has 24 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of MINI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tape Loop Machine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MINI ships an update monthly, Tape Loop Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MINI versus Tape Loop Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMINITape Loop Machine
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (24 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings24 — better4
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMasayuki AkamatsuBaturay Koc

Customer experience

MINI

All ratings24 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral4.2%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive73.8%
Neutral7.1%
Negative19.0%

Tape Loop Machine

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

MINI

No in-app purchases

None

Tape Loop Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MINI free?
MINI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tape Loop Machine free?
Tape Loop Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MINI or Tape Loop Machine?
Tape Loop Machine is rated higher. MINI averages 3.9 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Tape Loop Machine averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do MINI or Tape Loop Machine have ads?
Neither MINI nor Tape Loop Machine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MINI or Tape Loop Machine?
MINI ships an update monthly, and Tape Loop Machine fortnightly. Most recently, MINI was updated on October 16, 2026 and Tape Loop Machine on October 15, 2026.

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