Comparison

TC vs JAX ESSENTIALS

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

Head to head
About

TC

This app is a fully programmable multi-touch synthesizer for iPad. Create unique sounds using touch gestures, device motion, and a variety of on-board modules. Explore a vast sonic landscape with extensive customization options.

Highlights
  • 185 built-in presets
  • Unlimited user patches
  • Multi-touch and device motion control
  • 23 modular synthesis objects
  • Built-in recording and AudioCopy
  • Audiobus support
Read full description

TC-11 is the only fully programmable multi-touch synthesizer for the iPad. Choose from the 160 included presets, or build your own using touch controls, device motion, and on-board modules. Create music with the next evolution of synthesizer control! iDesignSound App of the Week 12.17.2011 - idesignsound.com "This thing is ALIVE! TC-11 is really fascinating and I'm having some fun experimenting with it. It is very, very cool!" - Jordan Rudess, keyboardist, Dream Theater "TC-11 is making my jaw drop every few minutes; realizing new and increasingly complex routing options. Rating: Essential." - Tim Webb, discchord.com "Creating, routing, configuring, and general tweaking is unbelievably robust and complex. This is a big leap forward in design. A madhouse of sonic possibilities at your touch." - David Israel, smitematter.com FEATURES: √ 185 built-in presets √ Unlimited user patches √ Audiobus + State Saving √ Fully controlled by multi-touch / device motion √ Built-in recording + AudioCopy √ 23 modular synthesis objects √ 22 oscillator waveforms √ 4 controller modules: AHDSR, LFO, Table, Sequencer √ Email custom patches to your friends √ Full display customization MULTI-TOUCH CONTROL: There are no on-screen knobs, keys, or sliders to fiddle with; all synthesis is driven by your multi-touch performance. Touch relationships like distances / angles / timings perform all the controller functions. It's just you and the full screen multi-touch performance area. EVERY synthesis parameter can be controlled by ANY multi-touch controller. The patch possibilities are limitless! DEVICE MOTION CONTROL: Use the iPad's accelerometer, gyroscope, and even the compass to attack your synthesis patch! Tilt and move the iPad to change any filter, effect, or module. You can create real vibrato by moving the iPad during performance, or change the speed of a sequencer by tilting forward and backward! SYNTHESIS: TC-11 has 8 voice polyphony for full, real-time synthesis. The audio engine has been highly optimized to deliver crisp, responsive performance. Choose from 22 oscillator waveforms, 3 oscillator types, 3 filter types, 4 unique effects, amplitude modulation, and panning control. Fully programmable AHDSR, LFO, and sequencer modules make TC-11 the most capable iOS synthesizer in the world. Use TC-11 in your band during live performances. Add TC-11 into your laptop orchestra. Experiment and create with the next evolution of synthesizer control! Download the complete user guide to read more: http://www.bitshapesoftware.com/instruments/tc-11/tc-11-user-guide-2.0.pdf

About

JAX ESSENTIALS

This AudioUnit plugin creates multi-stage chorus effects for music production. It allows for micro pitch shifting and low-frequency oscillation to add depth and movement to audio signals, compatible across Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Multi-stage chorus modulation
  • Low-frequency oscillator control
  • Cross-device preset sharing
  • Includes ~200 factory presets
  • User-created preset import/export
  • Universal app for iOS, macOS, visionOS
Features
Read full description

( THIS IS AN AUDIOUNIT. AudioUnits are app extensions, requiring an audio host application to perform. ) Use the same AudioUnits across all modern Apple devices, including the iPhone , the Vision Pro and the Mac (Apple Silicon). Native MacOS apps like GarageBand, MainStage 3 and Logic Pro X are tested and supported. Any 3rd-party AUv3 supporting host should be able to host the plugin too. The JAX ESSENTIAL SERIES Chorus is a multi stage chorus modulation effect that uses multiple copies of the audio signal, micro pitch shifted, to produce all kinds of the famous chorus effect. A low frequency oscillator modulates depth and speed of the pitch shift on both stereo channels for various living and moving sound nuances. Make static sounding voices more interesting or create swirrling special effects. You may share the presets for this effect across all your supported devices. Around 200 factory presets are included, you can make and export/import your own. The manual is included and can be previewed on our support website. For advanced usage (i.e. mastering and exciting), we recommend to select the chorus from our SELECTIVE RANGE SERIES, which allows to limit the frequency range for processing. This build is truly 'universal', meaning, the audio unit is available for: - iOS (all actual iPhones) - iPadOS (all actual iPads) - macOS (Apple Silicon) - visionOS (Apple Vision Pro) Requirements: MacOS 10.15++ iOS 14.0++ Behaviour on all devices is identical. The parametric interface is resizeble and adopts to any screen size and orientation. This especially applies to Logic Pro X and all hosts with adjustable window sizes on all platforms. Display contrast can be adjusted freely and is now saved with each preset.

Screenshots

TC4 screens
JAX ESSENTIALS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: JAX ESSENTIALS at $4.99 against TC's $24.99. JAX ESSENTIALS also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). TC's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (68 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

TC costs $24.99 and JAX ESSENTIALS $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TC holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TC has 68 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TC ships an update every 5 weeks, JAX ESSENTIALS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
TC versus JAX ESSENTIALS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTCJAX ESSENTIALS
Price$24.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.8 (68 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews87.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings68 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBit ShapeJens Guell

Customer experience

TC

All ratings68 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive87.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative9.9%

JAX ESSENTIALS

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

TC

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes upon opening after recent updates
  • Black screen crashes when launching
  • Crashes when adding patches to folders
  • Crashes within Audiobus after 13.1 update
  • AudioCopy button crashes on iPad 3
Show 4 more
  • Unable to download latest version
  • Glitches and crashes with complex patches
  • Audiobus integration issues causing crashes
  • Performance issues on older iPad models

Requested features

12 requests
  • MIDI support and DAW synchronization
  • Ability to record and playback motion gestures
  • Sample import and granular synthesis capabilities
  • Microtonal tuning support (Scala files)
  • Note hold function per surface
Show 7 more
  • Mixer for oscillator volume balancing
  • Scale constraint for melodic playing
  • Garage Band export support
  • Real-time preview during patch editing
  • Polyphonic aftertouch support
  • Multiple FM oscillators
  • Bluetooth MIDI connectivity

JAX ESSENTIALS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

TC

No in-app purchases

None

JAX ESSENTIALS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TC free?
TC costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is JAX ESSENTIALS free?
JAX ESSENTIALS costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TC or JAX ESSENTIALS?
TC is rated higher. TC averages 4.8 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while JAX ESSENTIALS averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do TC or JAX ESSENTIALS have ads?
Neither TC nor JAX ESSENTIALS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TC or JAX ESSENTIALS?
TC ships an update every 5 weeks, and JAX ESSENTIALS fortnightly. Most recently, TC was updated on October 17, 2026 and JAX ESSENTIALS on October 12, 2026.

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