MIDI Guitar vs Overloud THU
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MIDI Guitar
Transform your guitar into a MIDI controller in real-time. This app accurately transcribes your playing into MIDI data, allowing you to control any synth or virtual instrument. It offers low latency and high accuracy, comparable to professional hardware.
- Real-time guitar to MIDI transcription
- Low latency and high accuracy
- Control any synth or virtual instrument
- AudioUnit (AUv3) plugin support
- Standalone app for hosting other synths
- MIDI output to DAWs like GarageBand
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Play any synth or virtual instrument with your trusted guitar. ##### Lots of user videos: jamorigin.com ##### MIDI Guitar is the World’s first app to transcribe guitar playing into MIDI in real-time, with latency and accuracy comparable to expensive and inconvenient hardware MIDI guitar solutions. MIDI Guitar is over 10 years in development(!) and based upon state-of-the-art polyphonic pitch detection and –prediction technology that can accurately recognize guitar playing and -articulation with very low latency and without spurious hits. The technology has been validated by thousands of guitarists over the years. MIDI Guitar comes as AudioUnit plugin (AUv3) and as a standalone app which can host other iOS synth apps or send virtual midi to Garageband or other DAWs. You need a guitar interface for best results. We recommend a digital interface (using the lightning connector) over analog (via headphone jack), preferably with input gain control. Using an acoustic guitar with the built in microphone works for some purposes but is not optimal. The free version will interrupt every few minutes, asking you to buy an in-app purchase. If you have problems please refer to the website: www.jamorigin.com/docs or the user forum: jamosapien.com.
Overloud THU
Transform your iOS device into a powerful guitar and bass amplifier and effects simulator. Build custom rigs with a vast library of amps, cabinets, and pedals, and utilize advanced features for recording, live performance, and practice.
- Guitar and bass amp simulation
- Extensive cabinet and pedal effects library
- IR Loader
- Rig Player for captured tones
- AUv3 support for DAWs
- MIDI pedalboard control
- Amp Tweak customization
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Overloud TH-U turns your iOS device into a Guitar and Bass amp simulator, to let you play live, practice or record: standalone and AUv3, with IR Loader included. Build your own rig by using an unlimited number of amplifiers, cabinets, stompboxes and studio processors in your sound chain. You can connect your guitar to the iOS device using any digital audio interface. Overloud TH-U includes: • 86 guitar amplifiers and 4 bass amplifiers • Official Randall, THD, DVmark and Brunetti models • 47 guitar cabinets and 2 bass cabinets • 73 pedal and rack effects • 1000+ Presets • 5000+ Captured Rigs Overloud TH-U includes the Rig Player, the Overloud processor which allows to reproduce captured Amps, Cabs and Rigs. Several Rig producers already joined TH-U to provide their top quality captured tones, which are now available on iOS too. The FREE version includes 3 amplifiers, 3 cabinets, 4 stompbox effects, the Rig Player, a master effect section, 18 microphones and a looper. Sign up to the Overloud account to: - unlock 17 additional FREE models and Rigs - get the iOS license of all models and Rigs at a very competitive price if you already own TH-U and Rig Libraries for Desktop Overloud TH-U for iOS runs the same DSP full processing of the Desktop version for an unprecedented simulation quality. The AUv3 included format allows you to process your DAW guitar tracks with the full power of the TH-U audio engine. You can share presets with the Desktop version using the most common cloud services, like iCloud, Dropbox or Google Drive. Overloud TH-U is stage ready: you can fully control it using any MIDI pedalboard and play with no gaps thanks to the seamless preset change feature. Overloud TH-U can process your guitar sound while the device is playing a backing track through your preferred App (Music, Youtube, Anytune, …). Overloud TH-U has a flexible sound chain: you can add any number of effects, change their order with no limitations, and set up parallel chains of effects. With the Amp Tweak feature, you can customize the amplifiers by changing the preamp and power amp tubes, and simulate the action of a Variac. The ReSPiRe 2 technology allows you to choose between the real response of the cabinet and a processed version optimized to fit into a mix and avoid frequency overlap with other instruments.
Screenshots
Verdict
MIDI Guitar and Overloud THU both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 72% of MIDI Guitar's written reviews are positive against 60% of Overloud THU's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. MIDI Guitar sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Overloud THU sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for MIDI Guitar against 4.1 for Overloud THU. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 136 and 97 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of MIDI Guitar's written reviews are positive against 60% of Overloud THU's.
MIDI Guitar ships an update every 2 weeks, Overloud THU every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MIDI Guitar | Overloud THU |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (136 ratings) — better | 4.1 (97 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 71.8% of reviews — better | 60.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 136 — better | 97 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 1.7 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jam Origin | Almateq SRL |
Customer experience
MIDI Guitar
Overloud THU
User reviews
MIDI Guitar
From 136 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎸 Exceptional polyphonic MIDI tracking accuracy
- 💡 Innovative pitch-to-MIDI conversion technology
- 🎵 Works with any guitar without special pickups
- ⚡ Low latency performance on modern devices
- 🎹 Seamless integration with synths and virtual instruments
Room to improve
- 💸 Multiple in-app purchases required for full functionality
- 🔐 Confusing IAP structure and pricing model
- ⏱️ Noticeable latency on older iOS devices
- 🎼 Requires adjusted playing technique and style
- 🔊 Struggles with fast lead lines and complex fingerpicking
Overloud THU
From 97 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎸 Excellent amp and guitar tones
- 🔊 Great sound quality and feel
- 🎨 Impressive range of amps, cabs, and effects
- 🤖 Faithful desktop version port to iOS
- 🔍 Detailed and customizable presets
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤔 Unintuitive and cluttered user interface
- 🔇 Compatibility issues with certain audio interfaces
- 🔍 Lack of clear documentation and tutorials
- 🔀 Difficulty managing and navigating presets
Bugs and requests
MIDI Guitar
Reported bugs
12 issues- App crashes on iOS updates
- AU3 controls unresponsive (rotary knobs snap back to zero)
- Freezing in AUM with buzzing sound
- Audio cutouts despite full purchases
- Microphone input cannot be disabled
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- AU3 not discoverable in some hosts after purchase
- Latency locked at 256ms on newer iPhones
- Contact form and support registration issues
- Occasional dropped notes in external MIDI mode
- AU3 fascia too small to read on large screens
- Beta version pulled repeatedly
- Compatibility issues with GarageBand on iOS
Requested features
12 requests- Lower tuning support (below D, baritone guitars, 8-string support)
- 432Hz tuning option
- Audiobus and IAA compatibility improvements
- Higher sample rate support (96kHz standalone)
- Pitch bending and slide detection
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- MIDI FX slots for MIDI-only effect plugins
- Improved AU3 interface scaling and controls
- Cross-platform IAP compatibility (iOS to macOS)
- Better bass guitar tracking
- Faster iOS beta release cycle
- Restore purchases functionality
- Unified pricing model instead of multiple IAPs
Overloud THU
Reported bugs
3 issues- MIDI issues and temporary locking up of the app
- Crashes and stability problems with recent updates
- Incompatibility with newer iPad Pro models
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for loading custom impulse responses
- Implement AUv3 support for better DAW integration
- Improve preset management with better organization
- Add more iconic amp models and effects
- Enhance the looper functionality and usability
In-app purchases
MIDI Guitar
- AudioUnit Hosting$9.99
- MIDI Outputs$19.99
Overloud THU
- TH-U FREE PackFree
- 11201 pack$0.99
- TH-U RockGuy for Desktop$0.99
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- American Classics Rig Library$17.99
- FX Pack$24.99
- TH-U Rock Collection$29.99
- TH-U Metal Collection$29.99
- TH-U RockGuy Collection$29.99
- TH-U Full for Desktop Owners$59.99
- TH-U Premium$119.99
Questions
Is MIDI Guitar free?
Is Overloud THU free?
Which has better reviews, MIDI Guitar or Overloud THU?
Do MIDI Guitar or Overloud THU have ads?
Which is updated more often, MIDI Guitar or Overloud THU?
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