Different Drummer vs Agonizer
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
Agonizer
This app is a monophonic synthesizer focused on bass sounds, developed with a synth bass expert. It features dual wavetable oscillators, a mangle section, and built-in stereo effects. It supports MPE controllers and various audio/MIDI connectivity options for standalone or app-to-app use.
- Monophonic synth engine for bass
- Dual wavetable oscillators
- Built-in stereo effects
- MPE controller support
- Standalone and AUv3 operation
- 140+ factory presets
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Agonizer is a monophonic synthesizer designed in collaboration with YouTuber and synth bass expert Jakob Haq of haQ attaQ Overview: * Monophonic Synth Engine with focus on Bass * Built-in stereo effects * 140+ fine tuned factory presets designed by Jakob Haq * Supports ROLI Seaboard and other MPE controllers out of the box * Standalone operation with support for USB audio interfaces, wired, network & bluetooth MIDI * Audio Unit v3 Extension * Inter App Audio support * Audiobus support * Ableton Link Synth Voice: * Dual Wavetable Oscillators with 40+ Wavetables, Morphing & X-Mod * Dedicated sub osc & noise source * Mangle Section with pre-filter Drive, Bitcrush, Lift and Push controls * VA Ladder filter * Wobulator (Highly tweak-able Sequenced LFO) * LFO with Key and BPM Sync * Variable Slope AD & ADSR Envelopes * Tube based master drive Effects: * 2x stereo effect units * Vintage Chorus * Digital Delay Presets: * Factory bank including 140+ presets designed by Jakob Haq * Preset Management with Templates & Categories * Shared User Presets between Standalone and AUv3 versions * Preset Export & Import Connectivity: * Standalone * AUv3 Instrument * Inter-App Audio Instrument * Audiobus Instrument Requirements: * iOS12+ * iPad Air 2 or newer
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Different Drummer at $2.99 against Agonizer's $19.99. Different Drummer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). Agonizer's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (203 vs 31). On review sentiment, ads 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
Different Drummer costs $2.99 and Agonizer $19.99 up front. Agonizer sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Different Drummer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Agonizer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Agonizer has 203 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Different Drummer's written reviews are positive against 78% of Agonizer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Different Drummer ships an update monthly, Agonizer every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Different Drummer | Agonizer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (31 ratings) | 4.8 (203 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.5% of reviews — better | 77.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 31 | 203 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 362 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Techné Media | Kai Aras |
Customer experience
Different Drummer
Agonizer
User reviews
Different Drummer
From 31 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative and unique approach
- 🚀 Powerful and deep functionality
- ✨ Inspiring creative tool
- 🎨 Visually appealing GUI
- 🎧 Great sound quality
Room to improve
- 🤯 Steep learning curve
- 😵 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🎛️ Cluttered UI design
- ⏳ Time-consuming to master
Agonizer
From 203 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎵 Excellent sound quality and unique bass tones
- 🎨 Intuitive and well-designed user interface
- ⚙️ Powerful modulation and sound design capabilities
- 🎛️ Wobulator feature for creative bass manipulation
- 📦 Great presets included with the app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Keyboard legato/mono-synth behavior inconsistent
- 🐛 Frequent crashes in host applications (AUM, Cubasis, Audiobus)
- 🐛 No sound output in GarageBand and some AU hosts
- 🐛 App freezes on splash screen with iOS 18.3
- 🐛 UI responsiveness issues and knob lag
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
Agonizer
Reported bugs
16 issues- Keyboard does not properly handle legato/mono-synth note priority
- Crashes in Audiobus, AUM, and Cubasis host applications
- No sound output when used as AUv3 plugin in hosts
- No sound in GarageBand integration
- App freezes on splash screen with iOS 18.3
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- Stuck notes and failed note triggering
- Scream button malfunction when switching presets
- Cutoff knob lag in AUv3 scenarios
- UI jitter and text cutoff on iPhone
- Favorite preset feature not working on iPhone
- Program change not working properly in hosts
- Always opens with init preset in host applications
- Modulation matrix sensitivity too high (2% movement = large range)
- Audio output peaks in red with no sound
- Permanent clipping/damaged audio output
- Misleading IAP pricing display (showing 'FREE' for paid content)
Requested features
10 requests- Polyphony mode or toggle between mono and poly
- Envelope drawing capability instead of preset selection
- Menu-based waveform selection instead of cycling
- Arpeggiator function
- Preset browser search and favorites filter
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- Extended automation control for all knobs
- Keytracking for filter
- Reverb effect
- Accelerometer/gyroscopic velocity sensitivity
- Customizable number of keyboard keys
In-app purchases
Different Drummer
No in-app purchases
Agonizer
- Chrome Oasis Pack$3.99
- Circuit Bender Pack$3.99
- Neon Nightmare Pack$4.99









