Comparison

ZX Plectrum vs SimplEQ

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

Head to head
About

ZX Plectrum

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a musical instrument by recreating the iconic loading sounds of the ZX Spectrum. Customize phase and pitch to generate unique audio and visuals, and integrate with AUv3 hosts for advanced music production.

Highlights
  • ZX Spectrum loading sound recreation
  • Adjustable phase and pitch
  • Visual customization
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Live performance integration
Features
Read full description

Play the ZX Spectrum loading sounds as a musical instrument on your iPhone or iPad! Relive the crisp sounds of your youth! Change the loading sounds (and visuals) phase and pitch to make some weird, wonderful and familiar sounds! Plugin to your favourite AUv3 host and make unique music unlike anything else. BeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeBOP!! "As seen on TV" on Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit Used by multi-Platinum band Placebo in their live envents. "ZX Plectrum lets you make music Spectrum style on your iPhone" pocket-lint.com "Utterly pointless but also utterly engaging" bamm.tv "For Nostlagia lovers of a very specific demographic this will sound like heaven" calmdowntom.com "The Greatest iPad App of ALL TIME" conoroneill.net

About

SimplEQ

This audio effect plugin offers a streamlined approach to sound sculpting, perfect for quick adjustments without overwhelming complexity. It provides broad tonal shaping capabilities with interactive frequency bands, ideal for fast mixing and mastering tasks.

Highlights
  • Standalone or AUv3 compatible
  • Simple, broad EQ adjustments
  • Interactive, overlapping frequency bands
  • +/-6dB cut/boost per band
  • Adjustable output gain trim
  • CPU-friendly design
Read full description

SimplEQ Processor Plugin (AUv3) SimplEQ is an audio effect plugin that can run standalone, or in any AU compatible host application such as Logic Pro or GarageBand. To configure audio settings in standalone mode, tap the Settings button. Please note that the input will be muted by default to avoid nasty feedback! Overview SimplEQ is a very simple EQ - the clue is in the title! For those times when you don't need "surgical precision" and seemingly endless parameter options to tweak, SimplEQ might be just the thing for "broader brushstroke" EQ tweaks. SimplEQ is also very kind to your CPU. The frequency bands have been tuned so that they overlap and interact slightly, giving a surprisingly flexible range of tonal sculpting. Whether you're doing a quick rock mix master, or simply want to warm-up or add presence to a track, SimplEQ might get you there - fast and simple! For a super-simple lightweight "mastering suite" you could partner SimplEQ with the LevLr2 dynamics processor. Controls Active - Toggles the EQ On or Off. You can use this control to A/B your settings with the original signal and this will fade gradually between the two with no distracting pops or clicks! Each of the frequency bands can be cut or boosted by +/-6dB and because they overlap, they are very interactive, so use your ears, and dial-in to taste! Sub - Adjusts extremely low frequencies centred around 50Hz. Bass - Adjusts low frequencies centred around 100Hz. Lo Mid - Adjusts low midrange frequencies centred around 250Hz. Hi Mid - Adjusts high midrange frequencies centred around 1KHz. Treble - Adjusts high frequencies centred around 5KHz. Presence - Adjusts very high frequencies centred around 10KHz. Out - Applies a final stage gain trim to the output at the very end of the internal signal chain, between -24dB and +6dB. For more info and support please visit: www.waverley-instruments.com/robjackson

Screenshots

ZX Plectrum4 screens
SimplEQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SimplEQ at 5.0 against ZX Plectrum's 3.8. SimplEQ also leads on price ($0.99 vs $3.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). ZX Plectrum's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On 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

ZX Plectrum costs $3.99 and SimplEQ $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SimplEQ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ZX Plectrum ships an update every 4 months, SimplEQ every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ZX Plectrum versus SimplEQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZX PlectrumSimplEQ
Price$3.99$0.99 — better
Rating3.8 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDave Sapien Ltd.Rob Jackson

Customer experience

ZX Plectrum

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative16.0%

SimplEQ

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ZX Plectrum

No in-app purchases

None

SimplEQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ZX Plectrum free?
ZX Plectrum costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SimplEQ free?
SimplEQ costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ZX Plectrum or SimplEQ?
SimplEQ is rated higher. ZX Plectrum averages 3.8 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while SimplEQ averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ZX Plectrum or SimplEQ have ads?
Neither ZX Plectrum nor SimplEQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ZX Plectrum or SimplEQ?
ZX Plectrum ships an update every 4 months, and SimplEQ every 2 months. Most recently, ZX Plectrum was updated on September 18, 2026 and SimplEQ on October 12, 2026.

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