Tabletop vs Cubasis LE 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tabletop
Create music with a modular studio environment. Mix and match over 40 virtual instruments, effects, and sequencers to compose songs, beats, and mashups. Expand your sound palette by purchasing additional devices.
- Modular music creation environment
- Over 40 virtual instruments and effects
- Mix and match devices
- Create beats, songs, and mashups
- Piano roll timeline editor
- MIDI support
- Share music to SoundCloud
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Tabletop is an expandable studio with over a dozen included musical devices. Tabletop is a modular environment where you can mix and match different devices. Select from over 40 devices including samplers, mixers, effects, sequencers and more. Buy only the gear you need from an expanding catalog. Need help? Email support@retronyms.com and we’ll answer your questions. Retronyms has partnered with industry giants like Akai Professional and Arturia to create some of the Tabletop-Ready Apps, like iMPC, iMini, and iProphet! Using the Tabletop features of time stretching and pitch shifting, you can slice loops and time stretch them to different tempos and pitches in iMPC Pro. You can also use sliced loops from purchased AudioCopy sound packs inside Gridlock and iMPC Pro. Loops from these sound packs will automatically match the tempo of your sessions. Tabletop is an audio playground where you can create beats, compose songs, mix live, make mashups with samples from your iPod library, and more... the possibilities are endless. Plug the output of a keyboard into a delay to add an echo, or wire it up to a mixer and adjust the pan. Chain up multiple effects to create new and evolving sounds. FEATURES: • 43 devices including effects, sequencers, drum machines, and synths • 14 devices are included for free • 64 bit audio support • Access powerful Tabletop-Ready Apps • Piano Roll style timeline editor • Cut, copy, paste, duplicate, and create notes • Control Tabletop’s keyboards, drum pads, knobs, faders, and other parameters • Correct note timing with Fix to Grid • Edit note length and velocity • Undo changes and edits with Tabletop’s History Menu • Features Core MIDI Support • Works with any MIDI-compatible hardware • Customize control mapping with Midi Learn mode • Connect multiple devices • Share your music to SoundCloud and interact with other Tabletop users
Cubasis LE 2
This mobile music creation system allows users to record, edit, and mix audio and MIDI tracks. It features virtual instruments, effects, and editors for polishing songs. Projects can be exported to desktop versions for further refinement.
- Up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks
- Virtual instrument with virtual keyboard
- Integrated editors and mixer
- Selected effects including reverb
- Export projects to Cubase
- MIDI over Bluetooth LE support
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*** CUBASIS LE 3 IS NOW AVAILABLE *** Enjoy a brand-new and fully redesigned Cubasis app, which runs on the iPhone and iPad, and adds many user-requested features and improvements! *** Please note that a supported hardware device is required to unlock the feature set of Cubasis LE (unless unlocked Cubasis LE runs in demo mode). Please visit http://www.steinberg.net/cubasisle for more details. *** Cubasis LE is the compact version of Steinberg’s streamlined, multitouch sequencer for the iPad, providing the same look and feel of its bigger brother Cubasis. Specially designed for quick and easy operation, Cubasis LE makes recording, editing and mixing a breeze. With MicroSonic, Cubasis LE includes a virtual instrument to be played in real-time using the flexible virtual keyboard. Song ideas can be captured with up to four audio and four MIDI tracks and further edited and polished to perfection with the integrated editors, mixer and selected effects. Thanks to the Cubasis project importer, Cubasis LE projects can be even opened in Cubase — both on Windows and OS X. With touch-intuitive production tools, Cubasis LE opens up a new world of possibilities for your creativity. Key features • Up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks • 2 assignable physical inputs and stereo output • 32-bit floating point audio engine • Audio I/O resolution of 16-bit/44.1 kHz • iOS 32 and 64-bit support (depending on the device used) • MicroSonic with 25 virtual instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic and Allen Morgan drum kits • Mixer with 5 effect processors • Super-versatile RoomWorks SE reverb effect* with intuitive graphical display • Virtual keyboard with note repeat control • Sample Editor and Key Editor • Refreshed MIDI Editor with ultra-intuitive and spot on handling to edit MIDI tracks and compose • Track Duplicate • Export to Cubase • Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported • MIDI Auto Quantize • MIDI over Bluetooth LE support • Import audio from your iTunes music library • Audio mixdown and MIDI export • Unlock all the features of the full Cubasis version via in-app purchase Technical support http://www.steinberg.net/cubasisleforum Polyphony: 48 voices: iPad 2, iPad mini 128 voices: iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro *User registration required to unlock RoomWorks SE reverb effect. Audio Unit extension (in-app purchase) requires iPad Mini 2, iPad 4 or later models. Audio Unit (in-app purchase) and Waves plug-in (in-app purchase) automation requires iOS 10 or higher. Audio Unit MIDI and Files app require iOS 11 or higher. Project export to Cubase requires Cubase Pro 9/Pro 9.5, Cubase Artist 9/9.5, Cubase LE/AI/Elements 9 or higher. Cubasis project importer extension must be installed and is available at http://www.steinberg.net/cubasisimporter Please check the Steinberg End User License Agreement on this website: http://www.steinberg.net/eula
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Tabletop at 3.3 against Cubasis LE 2's 2.8. Tabletop also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 36%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Tabletop sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Cubasis LE 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Tabletop holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 41 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Tabletop's written reviews are positive against 36% of Cubasis LE 2's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tabletop | Cubasis LE 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (85 ratings) — better | 2.8 (41 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews — better | 35.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 85 — better | 41 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.4 GB | 1.1 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Retronyms Inc | Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH |
Customer experience
Tabletop
Cubasis LE 2
User reviews
Tabletop
From 85 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful features
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 💡 Innovative modular design
- 🎨 Versatile music creation
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔋 High CPU usage
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔇 Poor sound quality
Cubasis LE 2
From 41 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great DAW for iOS
- 👍 Good for MIDI and audio
- 👍 Stable on iPad Pro
- 👍 Works well with hardware
- 👍 Good value on sale
Room to improve
- 👎 Demo mode is restrictive
- 👎 Requires specific hardware to unlock
- 👎 Expensive full version
- 👎 Limited functionality in LE version
- 👎 Not intuitive for beginners
Bugs and requests
Tabletop
Reported bugs
3 issues- Synth parameters not saving properly
- Incompatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable audio export
Requested features
4 requests- MIDI support
- Improved sequencing capabilities
- More free sound modules
- Waveform editing and sample management
Cubasis LE 2
Reported bugs
24 issues- Crashes on loading
- App crashes after update
- Demo mode does not unlock
- Hardware not recognized for unlocking
- Purchases not restoring
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- Bluetooth audio issues
- USB device disconnects frequently
- In-app purchases not working
- App not unlocking with specific hardware
- Audio interface not recognized
- App crashes on startup
- Upgrade not reflected in App Store
- Icon remains LE after upgrade
- MIDI device connection problems
- Audio routing issues
- AUv3 plugin display issues
- Purchase restoration problems
- Demo mode not unlocking properly
- Bluetooth audio quality issues
- Audio interface recognition problems
- In-app purchase errors
- Purchase not showing in App Store
- Demo song limitations
- Gesture control in score editor issues
Requested features
25 requests- Tempo track and markers
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Punch in/out function
- Tempo and time signature changes mid-song
- Chord track
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- Peak meter
- Step input via MIDI keyboard
- Vari Audio / pitch correct / DeEsser
- Vertical scroll in note editor
- Language support (Italian, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, German)
- Ability to import Cubase projects (.cpr files)
- More individual in-app purchase options
- Fix for AUv3 plugin display issues
- Fix for purchase restoration issues
- Fix for icon display after upgrade
- Fix for MIDI device connection issues
- Fix for audio routing issues
- Fix for crashes after updates
- Fix for demo mode not unlocking
- Fix for Bluetooth audio quality
- Fix for audio interface recognition issues
- Fix for in-app purchase errors
- Fix for purchase not showing in App Store
- Fix for demo song limitations
- Fix for gesture control in score editor
In-app purchases
Tabletop
- EKKO$1.99
- WHIRL$2.99
- Verve$2.99
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- XFADE$2.99
- TT-303$2.99
- Cueboard$2.99
- GLITCHBOARD$3.99
- Deadbeat$3.99
- X0X Drum Deranger$7.99
- RS4000$9.99
- Bundle E$24.99
Cubasis LE 2
- Micrologue ARP$4.99
- Waves Tune Real-Time$4.99
- FX Pack 1: Reverbs & Delays$6.99
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- FX Pack 2: Vintage FX$6.99
- Classic Machines$6.99
- Waves AudioTrack$7.99
- Waves L1 Ultramaximizer$7.99
- Waves Q10 Equalizer$7.99
- Cubasis LE 2 Full Feature Set$14.99
- Waves Plug-in Bundle$19.99








