Comparison

StrandOrgan vs VB3

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

Head to head
About

StrandOrgan

Experience the rich sounds of the Strand pipe organ and Carillon from your MIDI keyboard on iOS or macOS. This app provides high-quality samples for musical exploration and performance.

Highlights
  • Strand pipe organ samples
  • Carillon sounds
  • MIDI keyboard support
  • iOS and macOS compatibility
  • Creative Commons licensed samples
Read full description

StrandOrgan lets you play Lars Palo's sample set of the Strand pipe organ of the church in Kalvträsk, Sweden, on a MIDI keyboard attached to your iOS or macOS device. The Kalvträsk Church sampleset is provided by Lars Palo under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license, see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/. If you would like to use the sampleset with other software, you can get it at http://www.familjenpalo.se/vpo/download. Starting with version 10.0, the app also offers Carillon sounds. These are derived from the Lurie Carillon recordings that are freely available at https://gobluebells.wordpress.com/2016/09/21/lurie-carillon-samples/ . For more information, please consult the app support page http://polaron.de/StrandOrgan/ , the Napo documentation at http://polaron.de/Napo/ and in particular the Napo user manual at http://polaron.de/Napo/manual . For hearing sound examples of the app, please visit the support page http://polaron.de/StrandOrgan/ .

About

VB3

This app emulates a classic tonewheel organ, offering advanced sound modeling and effects. It includes a session recorder, audio player for backing tracks, and extensive MIDI control for live performance and production.

Highlights
  • Tonewheel engine and rotary simulator
  • Ring Modulator and Delay effects
  • Session Recorder (MIDI & WAV)
  • Built-in Audio Player
  • Extensive MIDI control and mapping
  • Touch-friendly interface with drawbar views
Read full description

Released in 2023, this is the second version of GSi's most famous product: VB3-II Tonewheel Organ emulator. This marks 20 years of research and development of this instrument. New VB3-II 2023 edition features: - Added both the tonewheel engine and the rotary simulator from VB3 v.1.4 - The V1 rotary simulator features 3 variations, for a total of 4 different amplifiers - Added 1 new tonewheel generator - Added Ring Modulator and Delay effects (pre) - Added FET Limiter (post) - Sub-Presets for Rotary effect and Digital reverb sections - Session Recorder: silently records everything is played and imports/exports standard Midi Files and renders to WAV files - Built-in Audio Player plays the most common audio formats to add a backing track to your music - Octave transposers for upper and lower separately - New Program browser shows full list with move, swap, delete functions along with import/export of banks and single Programs - Built-in function to import/export from/to VB3-II 2018 (and Crumar Mojo Desktop) Program and Bank formats - New Midi Map with reverse, latch and lock functions for each parameter - Quick Midi Learn for main screen/performance controls, normal Midi Learn for all other parameters - New advanced Midi Javascript processor for custom event transformations (supports SysEx and RPN/NRPN) - Multiple outputs (Main + Organ Only) - Separate plugin for remote Audio and Midi input - includes the exclusive VoMidiCoder - New bigger touch-friendly interface - Four different drawbar view styles - On-screen keyboards with two different viewing styles - Random program generator - Added rotary effect speed control from Channel Aftertouch - Supports Midi Output, can send whole "snapshots" when loading and when changing Programs - Supports different curves for the Swell Pedal - Built-in Midi Monitor for monitoring incoming Midi messages - Free Cloud service for sharing Programs, Midi Maps and Midi Processor Scripts with other users Features already present in the 2018 edition: - Full polyphony (61 upper + 61 lower + 25 pedals = 147 notes) - 91 modeled tonewheels with accurate phase synchronization - Adjustable leakage noise and cross modulation between tonewheels - A total of 22 different tonewheel generators to choose from - Generator shaping for a total of 154 generator combinations - Adjustable global tuning from 430 to 450 Hz - Foldback on 16" deactivatable - Complex wheels - Resistor wiring with multiple options - Realistic "run" motor wow and flutter - Busbars and 9 key contact simulation - Two separate sets of drawbars per manual - Full "inverted octave" presets - String Bass with adjustable release time - Loudness "robbing" effect - Single triggered percussion with natural capacitor discharge/recharge - Adjustable Percussion Level and Decay - Vibrato/Chorus virtual scanner - Adjustable Vibrato Scanner depth and mix - Separated Upper and Lower V/C tablets with smooth switching - Dynamic tube overdrive simulation - Spring Reverb (pre) and Digital stereo reverb (post) - Rotary speaker simulation with virtual microphone positioning, tube overdrive, tube feedback - Rotors "Front Stop" brake position with adjustable preferred position - Very low CPU consumption - Advanced MIDI Learn function with import/export of custom mappings - Upper and Lower manuals SPLIT with adjustable split point - Supports pedal sustain - Custom programmer with import/export of Programs and Banks Available for iPad as standalone App with IAA support or AUv3 plugin, compatible with all plugin hosts.

Screenshots

StrandOrgan2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StrandOrgan at 4.6 against VB3's 3.7. StrandOrgan also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ratings volume, monetization model and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. VB3 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. StrandOrgan asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StrandOrgan holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of StrandOrgan's written reviews are positive against 50% of VB3's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
StrandOrgan versus VB3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrandOrganVB3
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (33 ratings) — better3.7 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews87.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNo—
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better—
Requires iOS12.5.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size860 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarkus SiggGenuine Soundware

Customer experience

StrandOrgan

All ratings33 ratings
Positive87.9%
Neutral6.1%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral1.5%
Negative10.8%

VB3

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

StrandOrgan

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Trumpet sounds out of tune (resolved by settings)
  • Image of a horn popping up
  • Demo tunes not working
  • Stops make a noise when selecting them
  • Login screen freezes
Show 1 more
  • No sound

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add more stops
  • Add pedals
  • Add organ song Gigue Fugue by Johann S Bach
  • AUv3 Version for Logic Pro
  • Plugin for Cubasis
Show 5 more
  • Add MIDI input channel specification
  • More organs to sample
  • More different organs
  • MIDI out for sound
  • Time-limited fully functional demo

VB3

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

StrandOrgan

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

VB3

One-time2
  • Log-in to your GSi account$0.99
  • Unlock All Pro Features$99.99

Questions

Is StrandOrgan free?
StrandOrgan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is VB3 free?
VB3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StrandOrgan or VB3?
StrandOrgan is rated higher. StrandOrgan averages 4.6 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while VB3 averages 3.7 from 17 ratings.

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