StrandOrgan vs VB3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Strand pipe organ samples
- Carillon sounds
- MIDI keyboard support
- iOS and macOS compatibility
- Creative Commons licensed samples
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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/ .
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. VB3 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. StrandOrgan asks for nothing beyond the download.
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.
| Parameter | StrandOrgan | VB3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33 ratings) — better | 3.7 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 87.7% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | 17 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | — |
| Ads | No | — |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | — |
| Requires iOS | 12.5.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 860 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Markus Sigg | Genuine Soundware |
Customer experience
StrandOrgan
VB3
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
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- 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
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- 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
StrandOrgan
No in-app purchases
VB3
- Log-in to your GSi account$0.99
- Unlock All Pro Features$99.99









