Triqtraq vs SAND
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Triqtraq
Create original music on the go with a smooth, one-window interface. Record sound tweaks in real-time, sample your own sounds, and use advanced automation for unique musical patterns. Compose, tweak, and arrange beats fluently without stopping.
- One-window interface for composing
- Real-time sound tweaking and automation
- Sample your own sounds
- Advanced rhythmic and pattern features
- Ableton Link for syncing
- Export tracks to SoundCloud or Mail
Read full descriptionHide full description
Create music on the go with Triqtraq. Compose original beats in the smooth one-window interface, record sound tweaks in realtime and sample your own sounds for direct use. Use the advanced automation and rhythmic features to create musical patterns that never sound the same. “There are expensive hardware synths/sequencers not capable of that!" - Sound On Sound magazine “One of the best jamming tools I've encountered on iOS” “A delight to use" - Sound On Sound magazine “Brilliant lay-out... Absolutely recommended." “You can get a punchy track out of it in a few minutes.” - WIRED Germany “The deal of the century. One of the deepest sequencers…” - Ask Audio “Excellence Award” - Music Tech magazine (10/10 stars) “Something rather special” “The polyrhythmic loop manipulation is awesome.” - Computer Music magazine (9/10 stars) “Brilliant fun to use” - Music App Blog “Warning: it’s addictive!” - Audio News Room “Easily one of the best” “Quality app that could be used in a live situation without breaking a sweat.” - Synth Universe “You create really cool ideas for tracks. Awesome fun!” - Richard Devine SUPER QUICK INTERFACE • Compose and tweak beats fluently in an all-in-one window interface, without ever hitting stop. • It’s all about touch: build up, vary, mangle and break your patterns with a swipe of your finger. • Compose up to 16 patterns, and arrange them in the 16 step queue to build entire songs. TWEAK YOUR OWN SOUND • Have endless fun with the real-time sound manipulation by recording various effect and parameter sliders (Automation). • Add that personal touch and record your own sounds while jamming, with the super fast microphone recording feature. • Get creative with a large library of over 400 included samples in 4 categories: Drums, Bass, Percussion and Keys. • Take your custom sample library on the road by importing or pasting sounds from other apps. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES • Surprise yourself and make endless variations of one loop: give each of the four channels a different length. • Every recorded parameter automation can have its own length too, resulting in ever evolving rhythms or melodies. • Create your own original grooves by changing the swing amount and BPM per step. GREAT TEAM PLAYER • Play together with Ableton Link and sync multiple apps and devices over WiFi. • Get your recorded tunes out there and export your tracks to Soundcloud or Mail. • Move ideas to other apps and store audio recordings on Dropbox (via Open in…). • Get an even bigger sonic palette by using it along other apps with Audiobus and Inter-app-audio. KEY FEATURES Sequencer: - Four Channels, each with 8 playable Sample Pads - 16 Patterns per Session - Step Editor - Recordable Automation - Pitch, Filter, Delay, Pan, Level and Decay per Channel - Loop Range: individual track and automation lengths - Loop Speed: individual speed per track or automation - Multi-selection and recording - Chaining of Patterns with the Queue - Real-time switching between patterns - Automation option for BPM and Swing Sounds: - Library with more than 400 one-shot samples included - Import your own sounds - Sample swapping during playback - Sample recording with the internal microphone, also during playback Support for: - Ableton Link - Audiobus - AudioShare - Audio Copy/Paste - Inter-App Audio - Background Audio Export to: - Ableton Live 11 - SoundCloud, Allihoopa, Audio Copy, E-mail or iTunes - Open In... (Dropbox, Airdrop etc.) Extra: - License for Ableton Live 11 Lite included - User Guide Check out www.triqtraq.com for demo video’s and tutorials!
SAND
This mobile music creation tool allows you to sketch ideas, compose with MIDI and audio clips, and host AUv3 plugins. It's designed for a fast and creative workflow, enabling you to build musical projects anywhere. The app offers a free trial before unlocking full features via in-app purchases.
- Grid sequencer for MIDI and audio clips
- Instrument and MIDI tracks with effects
- Audio tracks for recording and editing
- AUv3 plugin hosting
- Song mode for arranging sections
- Automation of parameters
- MIDI routing and mapping
Read full descriptionHide full description
Have SAND in your pocket. Create music anywhere. Sketch your ideas, compose with MIDI and audio clips, host your favorite plugins. All designed for creative flow, whether you're at home or on the go. SAND is a music sketchpad for AUv3, MIDI, and audio clips—built so you can try ideas quickly, without setup getting in the way. Please note: SAND does not generate sound on its own—it relies on AUv3 plugins you can find on the App Store. Try SAND free for 14 days; in-app purchases unlock features after the trial. GRID SEQUENCER Arrange MIDI and audio clips on a grid to build your ideas. Copy, duplicate, merge, combine, and drag-and-drop clips to shape your project. Quick clip tools: quantize, length, legato, transpose from the clip menu. Render MIDI clips as audio by dropping them onto an audio track. MIDI TRACKS Work with instrument and MIDI tracks in your projects. Load an instrument and unlimited audio and MIDI effects on each track. Hide tracks and assign custom icons to keep sessions organized. Save tracks as templates for future projects. Edit MIDI in a piano-roll clip editor: quantize, legato, split, duplicate, copy, and paste. Build chords with the chord selector. Adjust note position, pitch, duration, and velocity. Handle bars edit position and pitch on the note. Use an adjustable grid or free placement. Scale highlighting helps you stay in key. Record with an optional count-in or from the first note. Quantize recordings for tighter timing. AUDIO TRACKS Add dedicated audio tracks alongside your MIDI material. Import audio into clips from other apps or the clip import flow, with preview before committing. Record audio into clips with per-track input settings and track arming. Set loop or one-shot playback, beat-aligned or immediate start, and optional clip BPM. Looping clips follow project tempo. The audio editor supports copy, paste, crop, gain adjustment, normalize, silence, fades, reverse, pitch, stretch, and split. With automatic or manual preview. PLUGIN HOST Host AUv3 instruments, audio effects, and MIDI processors. Control parameters and presets, and save default states for new instances. Record notes and MIDI from plugin interfaces, and capture output from MIDI plugins. Mark plugins as favorites for faster access. SONG MODE Arrange clips in sections with independent lengths, played back seamlessly in order. Launch every clip in a section at once, sections work as scene launchers. Set a different time signature per section when needed. AUTOMATION Automate volume, pan, effect parameters, and MIDI for dynamic changes across your tracks. MASTER TRACK Apply effects globally across the project. Use the master track's clip to generate bass lines and chord progressions. MIDI ROUTING Record from external MIDI devices, including hardware synths. Send MIDI out for real-time playback and route MIDI between tracks. Use SAND as a virtual MIDI input and output. MIDI MAPPING Map a MIDI controller to control the app with a flexible, customizable layout. "Shift" mappings extend what a single controller surface can do. PROJECT VERSIONS Save and restore named snapshots of a project—experiment freely, then return to an earlier state. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Rename projects and branch copies with Save As…. (iOS 18+) Start new work from project templates. (iOS 18+) SYNC Sync with other apps and DAWs using Ableton Link. ON-SCREEN KEYBOARD AND PADS Record with a velocity-sensitive on-screen keyboard. Choose scale and root to limit keys to a scale, and adjust visible keys to match how you play. Play and record beats with on-screen drum pads. IMPORT / EXPORT Export clips as audio or MIDI. Export projects as Ableton Live sets. Record performances and export audio, including stems for separate processing.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SAND at Free against Triqtraq's $7.99. SAND also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). Triqtraq's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
SAND is free to download; Triqtraq costs $7.99 up front. SAND sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Triqtraq asks for nothing beyond the download.
SAND holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 90 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Triqtraq's written reviews are positive against 80% of SAND's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Triqtraq ships an update every 4 months, SAND every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Triqtraq | SAND |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (47 ratings) | 4.6 (90 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 86.4% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 47 | 90 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 48 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zaplin Music | Matteo Caldari |
Customer experience
Triqtraq
SAND
User reviews
Triqtraq
From 47 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great for beginners
- 💡 Unique workflow
- 🎵 Inspiring for ideas
- 💰 Good value for money
- 🎧 High-quality sounds
Room to improve
- 🎛️ Limited FX options
- 🎹 No keyboard
- 🔄 Limited loop length (1-bar)
- 📱 Not optimized for iPad landscape
- 🔊 No audible metronome
SAND
From 90 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great UI and features
- 💡 Potential for music creation
- 🚀 Fast and creative workflow
- 👍 Easy to use, no instructions needed
- 💡 Most usable studio on small screen
Room to improve
- 🐛 Record function always starts
- 🐛 Sand not opening in overview
- 🐛 Integration with other apps seems off
- 🐛 Record does not pick up data
- 🐛 Cannot save ideas from one app to another
Bugs and requests
Triqtraq
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on iOS 5.1 (older review)
- Audiobus not working / cutting out sound (older review)
- App crashes and loses everything (older review)
Requested features
30 requests- Landscape mode for iPad
- Metronome/click track
- MIDI mapping
- Shift start/end points of samples
- Sample waveform editor with trim, stretch, and slicer
Show 25 moreShow fewer
- New sounds/sound banks
- User manual
- Universal iPad version
- More granular control over chords
- Audiobus support (mentioned in older reviews, may be implemented)
- Audioshare support (mentioned in older reviews, may be implemented)
- Sample editor with trim, stretch, and slicer
- More FX
- Ability to change subdivisions
- Dropbox support for sample imports
- MIDI sync in & out
- Audio copy/paste
- Individual sample volume control
- Ability to not 'choke' each sample
- Loop samples for break combos
- More than 16 steps per grid
- Stutter effect
- Draw values in sequencer
- Performance record
- Export in 24-bit format
- Change Level, Pan, Attack, and Decay of each individual sample
- Automate LOOPSPEED function
- Additional effects (Bitcrusher, Foldback Distortion, Reverb, Glitch)
- Record lead parts with X/Y Pad
- Additional Pattern Banks
SAND
Reported bugs
27 issues- Record function always starts when entering Midi Instrument or FX
- Sand not opening in overview
- Integration with other apps seems off
- Record does not pick up data
- Cannot save ideas from one app to another
Show 22 moreShow fewer
- Auv3 interfaces don't scale well
- Note editing, snapping/quantization awkward and buggy
- Sand won't run within AUM anymore
- Sand not recognized within AUM
- Sand wouldn't recognize other apps as host
- Rendering issues
- Editing notes in pitch grid flies up
- Entering note values difficult
- Changing note length has issues
- Bugs not worked out, more brought in
- Clips out of sync when manually triggered
- Unpredictability for creating new notes
- Selecting notes for editing difficult
- Synchronizing between tracks problematic
- Occasional crashes
- Notes editing/selection/moving process is a pain
- No BT headphone support
- Less than 50% of synths/plugins show up
- Many plugins don't work properly
- App prompts for purchase again after buying
- Pattern length adjustment by 1 is crazy
- No snapping for note length stretch
Requested features
58 requests- Sand always open in overview
- Long press in sequence track window
- Random/chance abilities in clips (Polyend Play style)
- Semi-generative function or scale-based patterns/sequences
- Save AUv3 presets
Show 53 moreShow fewer
- Audio integration with audio quantization
- Audio clips
- Return to zero button
- More clip actions for performance (fire clip/scene, count in, repeat, single shot)
- Trigger sequences not just on bars
- Packaged as a MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet time signatures (3/4, 6/8)
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- More clip actions for performance
- MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet Time Signatures
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- Pattern length adjustment in note editor
- Snapping for note length stretch
- More clip actions for performance
- MIDI AUv3 processor
- Sequencer for patterns and automation curves
- Triplet Time Signatures
- MIDI channels for instruments
- Export to MIDI file
- Deep piano roll note editing
- Song mode
- Stem support
- Automation
- Lower OS requirement
- Selection of multiple notes in sequencer
- Separate lane for MIDI control of FX plugins
- Proper mixer view
- Support for Bluetooth headphones
- Pattern length adjustment in note editor
- Snapping for note length stretch
In-app purchases
Triqtraq
No in-app purchases
SAND
- 14-day trialFree
- 14 Days TrialFree
- Unlock$9.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Audio Tracks$9.99









