TheGaits vs MIDIWriter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TheGaits
This app transforms your footsteps into unique musical sounds as you walk through designated outdoor spaces. Explore different areas to trigger various sound families and become a part of the music.
- Footsteps create musical chords
- Explore sound families in different areas
- Interactive musical experience
- Location-based soundscapes
- Transforms walking into music
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Gaits turns footsteps into electric guitar chords, zen gongs, and more...the user becomes a musical instrument as he or she strolls down the High Line in New York City. The user moves through a series of composed spaces, with various families of sounds tied to each area. Created by Cameron Britt, Lainie Fefferman, Daniel Iglesia, and Jascha Narveson. Produced by Friends of the High Line and Make Music New York, in association with MATA. Presented as part of Make Music Winter on December 21, 2011. For more information, visit makemusicny.org/thegaits Please note, this app only functions within the geographic bounds of the High Line in downtown New York City. Your device will require location services (i.e. GPS) in order to detect your location.
MIDIWriter
This app transforms keyboard input into musical notes and sounds. Type characters to instantly generate MIDI messages, or input phrases to create musical sequences with adjustable tempo and looping. It includes a built-in sound engine and supports external MIDI devices and apps.
- Text to MIDI conversion
- Built-in General MIDI sound engine
- Phrase playback with tempo control
- Drum mode with multiple kits
- External MIDI output
- Hardware keyboard support
- Wi-Fi MIDI networking
Read full descriptionHide full description
[[ A STRANGE MUSIC TOOL FOR MANIAC MUSIC LOVERS! ]] MIDIWriter is a unique app that converts keyboard input into MIDI note messages. Each character you type instantly produces sound. You can also enter a phrase and play it back as a sequence with adjustable tempo and loop options. KEY FEATURES: Built-in Sound Engine: No external app required! MIDIWriter includes a built-in General MIDI sound engine with 128 instruments and 9 drum kits. Just type and hear the sound immediately. Phrase Playback: Enter any text and play it as a musical sequence. Adjust the tempo (1-480 BPM), enable loop mode, and let your words become music. Space characters can be used as rests. Drum Mode: Switch to drum mode to play percussion sounds. Choose from 9 GM drum kits including Standard, Room, Power, Electronic, 808/909, Jazz, Brush, and Orchestral. MIDI Output: Send MIDI to other apps or external devices. Configure MIDI channel (1-16), program change (0-127), and destination. Works with Virtual MIDI and MIDI Network Session. Can be used simultaneously with the built-in sound engine. Keyboard Support: Use the on-screen software keyboard, or connect a Bluetooth/USB hardware keyboard for a real typing experience. Supports Japanese input with proper IME handling. MIDI Network Session: Connect to Mac or other iOS devices over Wi-Fi to control CoreMIDI-compatible sound generators remotely. Dark Mode & Rotation: Full support for light and dark modes. Works in portrait and landscape orientations on both iPhone and iPad. Note: Playback stops when the app goes to background. Using the Built-in Sound: Simply launch MIDIWriter and start typing. Each key produces a unique sound based on its character code. Enable drum mode in Settings for percussion sounds. Using with External MIDI Apps (Virtual MIDI): 1. Open a CoreMIDI sound generator app. 2. In MIDIWriter Settings, turn on "MIDI Output" and select the destination. 3. Type any key to hear sound from the external app. Using with Mac (MIDI Network Session): 1. Connect iPhone and Mac to the same Wi-Fi network. 2. Open MIDIWriter on iPhone. 3. On Mac, open "Audio MIDI Setup" and configure Network MIDI. 4. Connect your iPhone to the session. 5. Open a CoreMIDI app on Mac and select the network session as MIDI input. 6. Type on MIDIWriter to play sounds on Mac. Credits: Built-in sound engine uses "GeneralUser GS" SoundFont by S. Christian Collins. https://schristiancollins.com/generaluser.php
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TheGaits at Free against MIDIWriter's $0.99. TheGaits also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.5) and update cadence (every 6 months vs every 35 months). On review sentiment, ratings volume, 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
TheGaits is free to download; MIDIWriter costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TheGaits holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 0% and 0% positive.
TheGaits ships an update every 6 months, MIDIWriter every 35 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TheGaits | MIDIWriter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 1.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months — better | Every 35 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Iglesia Intermedia | Masayuki Akamatsu |
Customer experience
TheGaits
MIDIWriter
In-app purchases
TheGaits
No in-app purchases
MIDIWriter
No in-app purchases









