MIDIWriter vs Mid
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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
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[[ 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
Mid
This app offers unique stereo transformations, allowing for smooth, continuous intervals between L/R and M/S representations. It enables new modulation possibilities and can be used as a width-preserving panner or to transform any stereo effect into an M/S one.
- Continuous mid-side interval
- Width-preserving panning
- Spatial modulation effect
- Transform stereo effects to M/S
- Lossless stereo field preservation
- Tempo sync capable LFO
- Paired mode for effect modulation
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Ever wonder what lies between the L/R and M/S representations? Mid-Side Continuum extends the definition of mid-side encoding to create a smooth, continuous interval allowing in-between values and gradual changes. Channel mode switches can now be turned into faders, opening up new modulation possibilities as well. The algorithm used by the plugin is a true extension of the mid-side encoder/decoder concept and doesn't involve any cross-fading or other artificial constructs. The plugin can be used in two ways: • In standalone mode, as a width-preserving panning effect, or a special modulation effect for spatially balanced sounds • In paired mode, allowing other effects to operate anywhere between L/R and M/S modes, with modulation options available FEATURES: • Provides a new kind of spatial modulation effect for stereo signals • Can be used as a panner that doesn't squash wide components (existing ambience, reverb, stereo FX), strongly panning narrow parts at the same time • A great companion for delays or delay-based effects: explore adding space or change the panoramic character without re-configuring delay taps • Turn any stereo effect or effects chain into a M/S one (or any graduation on the L/R - M/S curve), by sandwiching them between a pair of Mid-Side Continuum instances • Unlike panning, stereo panning, or binaural panning, Mid-Side Continuum preserves the exact geometry of the stereo field by using a lossless transform • Higher rates of change can be used to create additional kinds of effects (chorus, warble/flutter), depending on the width characteristics of the original input • A tempo sync capable LFO is available to add automatic modulation; the LFO phase can be offset to allow precise timing control and alignment THE PANNER FOR REVERB-RICH SOUNDS: Panning high-ambience and reverb-rich sounds need no longer result in squashed stereo images. The exact, full width of the stereo field is preserved when using Mid-Side Continuum as a panning tool. Unlike binaural panning, the overall stereo frequency response is kept maximally flat, thanks to the used algorithm's audio engineering-focused feature set. In fact, Mid-Side Continuum's algorithm is a lossless, completely reversible one (based on True Pan's technology). WRAP ANY EFFECT TO CHANGE / MODULATE THEIR STEREO MODE: Two Mid-Side Continuum instances can be conveniently linked in a way that the second one cancels out the transformation, restoring the original sound. Once linked, the second plugin will automatically re-align if parameters are changed in the first one, without missing a single sample. Between these two points, any number of audio effects can be inserted, all of which will receive the transformed signal instead of the original L/R one. This setup can be used in multiple ways: either to just turn any stereo plugin into a M/S one, or to modulate the stereo field of the wet signals (while keeping the dry signal intact) without the need for setting up additional routing, thus keeping tracks neatly self-contained. VERSATILE EXTENSION TO DELAY-BASED EFFECTS: • Alter stereo delay patterns or turn a mono multi-tap delay into a stereo one on the fly • Instead of having to choose from the two, explore any setting between L/R and M/S delay modes to select the best-fitting stereo response • Remove excessive L/R slappiness without losing any stereo width by spatially equalizing the delay output, filling in directions not populated by L/R taps • Improve the clarity of the mid channel / mono mix when combining panned delays with shorter notes or more rhythmic passages • Lessen any "clockwork-like" quality of panned delays that may be experienced with some instruments or passages • Change or fine-tune delay patterns that emerge in the mono mix when using stereo delays PLEASE NOTE: • An Audio Unit v3 compatible host app is required to use this plugin
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mid at 100% against MIDIWriter's 0%. Mid also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.5) and update cadence (every 14 months vs every 35 months). MIDIWriter's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $5.99). On ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
MIDIWriter costs $0.99 and Mid $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mid holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of MIDIWriter's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mid's.
MIDIWriter ships an update every 35 months, Mid every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MIDIWriter | Mid |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $5.99 |
| Rating | 1.5 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | Every 14 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 12.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 31 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masayuki Akamatsu | quantovox |
Customer experience
MIDIWriter
Mid
In-app purchases
MIDIWriter
No in-app purchases
Mid
No in-app purchases









