DM1 for iPhone vs SetNotes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DM1 for iPhone
Transform your iPhone into a powerful beat-making machine with this advanced vintage drum machine. Create intricate rhythms with a step sequencer, play beats on drum pads, and apply a wide range of real-time effects. Easily compose songs and export your creations.
- 154 electronic drum kits
- Step sequencer
- Drum pads with quantized recording
- Mixer with channel controls
- Real-time FX trackpads
- Song composer with timeline editing
- Instrument mode for melodies
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DM1 is an advanced vintage Drum Machine. It turns your iPhone into a fun and creative beat making machine. Easy and fast to use, loaded with 154 superb electronic drum kits and beautiful hyper-realistic graphics, DM1 has been designed for a lot of instant fun. As electronic musicians ourselves, we, at Fingerlab, have developed DM1 with the intention of delivering the perfect mix between fun playability and powerful sonic capacities. We always keep in mind the importance of a beautiful design with the right balance of powerful abilities while avoiding clumsy, overbusy interfaces. Check our 154 electronic drum kits. 42 classic vintage drum kits plus 112 in-house produced electronic kits, edited and mastered at Fingerlab professional studio. DM1 offers 5 main sections: 1 - THE STEP SEQUENCER frees your imagination with a smart use of the multi-touch screen. Just turn on and off steps in your sequence with the tip of your fingers to create cool beats, or unexpected rhythms! 2 - THE DRUM PADS simply lets you play and record the beat that tickles your fingers. No need to be a first-class drummer, automatic quantize does the work for you. 3 - THE MIXER for quick and subtle sound mixing of your drum kits. Featuring settings for volume, pitch, sample length, custom drum kit element for each channel, mute and solo mode. 4 - THE FX TRACKPADS a creative FX trackpad to distort, modulate and transform your beats. The effects include: Overdrive, Delay, Reverb, Phaser, Formant, Dalek, Filter, Compressor, Envelope follower, Dub Delay, Texturizer, Robotizer, and Noise Gate. 5 - THE SONG COMPOSER allows you to quickly make a song with the beat patterns you have created. Just drag and drop the patterns onto the timeline. Fast and easy. Specifications: - Retina Display - Graphic design by Jonas Eriksson - Smart ergonomy for fast creativity and fun - 108 vintage and produced drum kits, mastered at in-house Fingerlab Sound Studios - 48 additional drum kits available with In-App Purchases - Instrument mode allowing to add bassline, chord and melody - 3 instruments: Piano, Korg MicroPreset and Cello Strings - 3 other instrument (Clavinet, Marimba, MiniLogue) are available with In-App Purchases - Step Sequencer with multi-touch matrix - Mixer page with pitch, length and level rotary controls, pan controls, and custom drum kit per channel - 9 Drum pads, quantized recording - FX Trackpad for real-time sonic destruction - 16 or 32 Steps per patterns - The Randomizer tool - Extra fast drum kit loading - Playable pattern selection for extra creativity - Mode song with intuitive editing - High-quality export to SoundCloud, DropBox, Email, iTunes shared folder, AudioCopy or any other apps - Audio background mode - Audiobus support - Import & Export your song project (DropBox, Mail, iTunes folder) - Full Midi implementation - Inter-App Audio support Watch DM1 video trailer on YouTube Fingerlab's channel: http://www.youtube.com/fingerlab Feel free to let us know what you think and what you'd like to see in the next DM1 update. Enjoy! Watch us : vimeo.com/ fingerlab Visit us : fingerlab.net Follow us : twitter.com/ fingerlab Contact us : contact@fingerlab.net Powered by Fingerlab http://www.fingerlab.net
SetNotes
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The best setlist app built for working musicians. Tailored to exactly what you need on stage, SetNotes is developed in cooperation with internationally touring artists, session musicians, and tour managers. Whether you’re playing a massive gig with too many chord changes to keep in your head, or prepping for a last-minute subbing gig where you need a foolproof system for song structures, SetNotes has you covered. No need to bring a massive iPad on stage anymore – unless you want to, because SetNotes looks great there too. ARE YOU A TOUR MANAGER? Keep track of your setlists, easily share them with the band, and enjoy custom-scripted PDF exports that automatically utilize the entire page. No more juggling font sizes just to fill the sheet. KEY FEATURES: STAGE READY: Performance Mode keeps your screen unlocked and blocks accidental taps while you play. Choose between full screen mode with metronome available or scrolling mode to keep the cards stacked underneath each other. MUSICIAN-CENTRIC LAYOUT: A well-thought-out design for notes and editing, tailored to give you the exact information you need at a glance. INSTANT SHARING: Share full, interactive setlists with bandmates in seconds via text, mail, or AirDrop using smart links. DYNAMIC PDF EXPORT: Automatically generate beautifully scaled PDFs that fill the page for maximum readability on paper. ICLOUD SYNC: Create and organize your setlists on your Mac, and find them fully synced on your iPhone instantly.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SetNotes at none against DM1 for iPhone's 1. SetNotes also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). DM1 for iPhone's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, 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
DM1 for iPhone costs $4.99 and SetNotes $4.99 up front. DM1 for iPhone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SetNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.
DM1 for iPhone ships an update every 3 months, SetNotes every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DM1 for iPhone | SetNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (79 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 253 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fingerlab | Bard Kristian Kylland |
Bugs and requests
DM1 for iPhone
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes on launch
- Audio distortion and glitches
- Sync and timing issues when exporting to other apps
- Unresponsive controls and UI elements
Requested features
7 requests- Add support for more time signatures (3/4, 5/4, etc.)
- Implement Ableton Link for better sync with other apps
- Allow importing and using custom samples
- Add more effects and per-channel processing
- Implement a save/revert function to avoid losing progress
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- Improve tempo controls with finer adjustment and tap tempo
- Provide individual track export options
SetNotes
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DM1 for iPhone
- All Packs$3.99
SetNotes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DM1 for iPhone free?
Is SetNotes free?
Do DM1 for iPhone or SetNotes have ads?
Which is updated more often, DM1 for iPhone or SetNotes?
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