Different Drummer vs TerribleSync
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Different Drummer
This app generates unique and complex rhythmic music patterns for any instrument, including drums. It offers extensive control over rhythm, harmony, and expression through wave-based synthesis. Explore endless possibilities for creating innovative beats and sequences.
- Rhythmic music generation for any instrument
- Complex pattern and rhythm creation
- MIDI controller and file creator
- Wave-based control for expression
- Multi-track music output
- Audiobus 3 and Ableton Link 3 support
- Progression Composer for arpeggios
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"Different Drummer blows my mind and that's pretty hard to do."—Dave Taub, drummer for Billy Idol, John Lennon, Yes and many more. Don't let the name fool you. Different Drummer is a powerful rhythmic MUSIC generator for ANY instruments or samples (with harmonies) that happens to work Very Well for drums too. It's also an amazing Midi Controller and MIDI file creator. Create everything from simple or complex patterns, non-repeating music, straight or poly rhythms, human or robot feel, arpeggios, chord progressions, fills, sequences and much at your fingertips using this one-of-a-kind app. This may be the best music idea finder anywhere in the galaxy! This is an essential tool for those seeking new beats and sequences but our customers say it best: Most used app in the toolbox ***** "I have plenty of music apps...synths, DAWs, sequencers, beat boxes, effects, drum machines...you name it, but Different Drummer has been the MOST used of all of them." by Sattech27 This is your secret weapon in the quest for innovative beats and music that make sense yet defy the status quo. Different Drummer taps into the primal source of all rhythm—waves. DD puts out multi-track music which is lifelike and primal at times and out of this world at others. It's a rhythmic music synthesizer that uses waves to play any sound in astonishing ways that vary from electro to dubstep to tribal to classical. This software was created with music in mind—but in the spirit of discovering what is next in music, not just finding a new way to do the same thing like so many music apps do so well. If you are a pioneer or care about where music is going, this app is for you. Easy to start learning, always discovering more. Adjust note, rest, tie, panning, beat and dynamics waves for the ultimate range of expression. You will never exhaust the endless possibilities of Different Drummer and you are guaranteed to discover legit beats that no one has ever heard before. No matter how many apps you have...not having Different Drummer is a loss. To not possess this musical wonder is committing a Groove Crime in your studio or live setup! Features: • 8 Sampler Tracks + Jam-along track with 6-wave Cyclophone Controls plus 2 harmonies on each main track. • AudioBus 3 with State Saving, Remote Triggers and Inter-App audio out & background play • Stereo audio recording. Export via Audioshare, Dropbox or iTunes or AudioCopy or General Pasteboard (to GarageBand for example) • Ableton Link 3 enabled • Zenterface™ let's you work in a more simplified radial view and is just fun! • Progression Composer makes it easy to create guide tracks or multi-track arpeggios • Jammer panel to play along with the music • Jamlets panel lets you create endless action buttons for live jamming, saved with your presets • Control drum pitches, rests, ties, dynamics, panning and beat value using additive waves • Instant Capture in case you hear a killer beat you want saved on auto random • Save Wave Presets to Wave Library and share with other users in Community • 37 Preset Drum styles you can fully mess with (these are for fun, not the main purpose) • String Wave Sets together in saved Sequences and share in Community • Export Wave Sets or Sequences as MIDI Files (via iTunes, AudioShare, Email or Dropbox) • Over 190 drum and sound FX samples with more added every update • Add your own 24-bit samples via iTunes (WAV or CAF), AudioPaste or DropBox • Over 75 musical scales to assign drums or instruments to as well as key • Channel Volume, Filter, Distortion and Reverb Mixer • Set Key, Tempo, Swing and Time Signature • Automation for randomizing and morphing playback with snap-back option • MIDI Sync Out and In • Up to 8 Channels of MIDI Out • Dedicated Wave for any Midi CC with Learn • Core MIDI lets you play other synthesizers and drum machines on your iPad such as Animoog and NLog Pro or external hardware To hear Different Drummer in action and learn more please go to www.technemedia.com
TerribleSync
Control the tempo of music hardware like synthesizers and drum machines using your iPhone or iPad. Features include tap tempo, precise dial adjustment, and buttons for performance effects. Requires a 3.5mm audio cable for connection.
- Tap tempo
- Rotary tempo dial
- Pause/mute button
- Performance effect buttons
- Clear interface
- Open source project
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Use your iPhone or iPad to control the tempo of impulse-sync-enabled synthesizers, drum machines, and other music hardware. Features: • Tap tempo • Supports 20.0 - 999.0+ BPM • Rotary tempo dial for precise, tactile tempo adjustment • Pause/mute button • ?, !, and :fire: buttons to introduce character and chaos into your performance • Clear, simple interface designed to be easy to use in a stage/performance setting This app works with any instrument you own that takes voltage impulses as a tempo control, such as: • KORG SQ-1, Volca, Monotribe, etc. • Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator • Moog MOTHER-32 (choose the "single clock advance" setting on the instrument) This project is open source. Try building it yourself at https://github.com/terribleben/terrible-sync or contact twitter.com/terribleben with feedback! Notes: • 3.5mm audio cable is required to connect your iPhone or iPad to your sync-enabled instruments. • If the instrument isn't responding, you may need to increase the iPhone's volume. • This software is not produced by, endorsed by, or affiliated with KORG, Teenage Engineering, Moog Music, or other instrument manufacturers.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TerribleSync at Free against Different Drummer's $2.99. Different Drummer's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and update cadence (monthly vs every 35 months). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
TerribleSync is free to download; Different Drummer costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Different Drummer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Different Drummer has 31 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Different Drummer's written reviews are positive against 83% of TerribleSync's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Different Drummer ships an update monthly, TerribleSync every 35 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Different Drummer | TerribleSync |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (31 ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.5% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 31 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 35 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Techné Media | Benjamin Roth |
Customer experience
Different Drummer
TerribleSync
Bugs and requests
Different Drummer
Reported bugs
8 issues- Crashes with IAA/Audiobus
- Doesn't sync MIDI clock / Ableton Link properly
- Hanging MIDI notes with automation
- Crashes when sending to Dropbox
- Emailing MIDI file issues
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- Audio doesn't start playing until wave is tweaked
- Inaccurate sliders
- Buggy with iOS 7 (older review)
Requested features
8 requests- AUv3 support
- MIDI clock / Ableton Link sync improvements
- Revamp sample import (e.g., zip support)
- Add presets
- MIDI-in support
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- Landscape view
- Grid mode
- Dark mode option
TerribleSync
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Different Drummer
No in-app purchases
TerribleSync
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Different Drummer free?
Is TerribleSync free?
Which has better reviews, Different Drummer or TerribleSync?
Do Different Drummer or TerribleSync have ads?
Which is updated more often, Different Drummer or TerribleSync?
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