Comparison

Samplr vs Drambo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Samplr

This app offers a unique multitouch interface for exploring and manipulating audio samples. Create music through various play modes, record gestures for sequencing, and experiment with audio effects. It's designed for audio experimentation, composition, and live performance.

Highlights
  • 8 distinct play modes (Slicer, Looper, Granular, etc.)
  • Gesture recorder for sequencing
  • Audio input recording and resampling
  • 6 sample slots with 16 voices each
  • 5 per-sample effects (Distortion, Reverb, etc.)
  • Import audio from cloud storage and other apps
Read full description

The app used by renowned musicians like Fred again.., Richard Devine, Apparat, Weval or Matmos live and in the studio. Samplr introduced a brand new way to make music, only possible on multitouch devices. Explore the samples melody and texture using the different play modes and create compositions with the gesture recorder. Samplr is the ideal tool for audio experimentation, music composition and live performance. USER REVIEWS “The most profound audio manipulation tool on iOS” 5 stars “There is NOTHING on the market hardware or software like this” 5 stars “Stunningly beautiful interface and exceptionally easy to use” 5 stars “This is the most musical app I've ever used. It's polished, it's musical, it's fun, it's inspiring” 5 stars “It’s the best realization of what touch screen sampling should be” 5 stars FEATURES • 8 play modes: Slicer, Looper, Granular, Tape, Scratch, Arpeggiator, Keyboard and Loop Player • Gesture recorder for sequencing • Audio input recording and resampling • 6 sample slots (x16 voices) • 5 effects per sample: Distortion, Filter, Amplitude Modulator, Feedback Delay and Reverb COMPATIBILITY • Ableton Link • MIDI Keyboard, Controller and Sync input • IAA (Inter-App Audio) • Audiobus Input and Output • WAV and AIFF file support • Import files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, AudioShare, etc Learn more and see how it works on samplr.net. For feedback or support please reach out to support@samplr.net

About

Drambo

This app offers a flexible sound design experience, allowing users to build beats, create synthesizers, and process audio with effects. Its innovative modular system simplifies connections and organization, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced musicians. It functions as a standalone application or a plugin within a DAW.

Highlights
  • Modular sound design
  • Intuitive cable-less connections
  • Advanced sequencer
  • Standalone and AUv3 plugin
  • Over 140 modules
  • Polyphonic stereo processing
Features
Read full description

"Drambo changes the face of iOS music apps." Cult of Mac Drambo is your all-in-one sound laboratory that adapts to your workflow: build beats as a groovebox, design synths, or transform audio with effects, standalone or inside your favorite DAW. At the core of Drambo is a fresh approach to modular design that makes creating with modules easy, fun, and accessible. Connections happen automatically as you add or move modules, so there are no messy cables to slow you down. The interface adapts to your workflow, generating modulation controls when you need them, and even lets modules contain other modules for perfect organization. You’re always free to override the automatic connections, but most of the time, you can just dive in, experiment, and shape sounds without getting tangled in wires. Use a deep and innovative sequencer to compose patterns and whole tracks, for production or live performance. Go beyond simple looping sequences with parameter locking, conditional step components, parameters automation and powerful scene morphing. Drambo works equally well as a self-contained standalone app or audio unit plugin with audio and MIDI connectivity as an AUV3 instrument, audio effect and MIDI effect. You can use Drambo as • A Complete Studio: Produce entire tracks and perform live in a self-contained, multitrack environment. • An Endless modular playground, that allows you to build, modify and store custom instruments and effects. For instance: build a custom synth, sample and resample, build a Theremin using a gyroscope module, or turn your table into a playable surface, by processing microphone input with physical modelling modules. • An Advanced MIDI Sequencer: Control hardware or AUv3 instruments. Generate custom MIDI CC messages or send modulation signals to physical modular synths via DC-coupled interfaces. • The Ultimate AUv3 Plugin: Load Drambo inside other DAWs as an instrument, audio effect, or MIDI processor. Replace dozens of standard plugins by building your own complex modular delays, reverbs, decimators, or modulators in seconds. • A Unified Audio-Visual Studio (Drambo Visual IAP): Arts united. Step into another realm of modular visual synthesis to build complex generative video art, or seamlessly patch your audio and visual engines together for deeply integrated performances. Features: • Polyphonic, stereo processing and audio-rate modulation. All signals are equal. Up to 16 voices per modular instrument rack. • Unique modular concept: cable-less, drag'n'drop, color coding dynamic interface, automatic connections, and customizable compact, rack views. • Directional flow makes Drambo routing and patching straightforward. Signal flows only left to right, so there are no instant feedback routings in Drambo. Delayed feedback is possible using certain modules. • Simple and clean interface, that scales to every size and device orientation • Over 140 modules available, such as: oscillators, samplers, physical modelling modules, LFOs, envelope generators, filters, audio effects, mixers, MIDI processors, sequencers and math functions. (Includes a macro oscillator based on the famous Eurorack Plaits module, with 24 synth engines) • Custom modular racks that can be nested, with presets at the track, rack, and module level. • Clip launcher / song arrager. • 16-tracks, polyphonic sequencer with parameter locks, automation and step components. 8 dedicated step sequence editor types, piano-roll, powerful automation designer with drawing modes and cubic Bezier curves. • Audio Units hosting ( standalone app only ) • Morph groups: you can morph many parameters using a single slider. • Available as a standalone app, AUv3 instrument, effect and MIDI effect. • MIDI and Ableton Link support Drambo is all about control. Control things that other apps don’t even give you access to. Visit the BeepStreet page for help and tutorials, and Patchstorage for community content.

Screenshots

Drambo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Samplr at none against Drambo's 5. Samplr also leads on price ($19.99 vs $24.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Drambo's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Samplr costs $19.99 and Drambo $24.99 up front. Drambo sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Samplr asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Samplr against 4.8 for Drambo. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 149 and 325 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Samplr's written reviews are positive against 87% of Drambo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Samplr ships an update every 3 months, Drambo monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Samplr versus Drambo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSamplrDrambo
Price$19.99 — better$24.99
Rating4.7 (149 ratings)4.8 (325 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews86.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings149325 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcos AlonsoBeepStreet

Customer experience

Samplr

All ratings149 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.3%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews404 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative13.4%

Drambo

All ratings325 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews225 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative10.2%

User reviews

Samplr

From 149 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and responsive interface
  • 🎨 Powerful sample manipulation capabilities
  • 🎶 Excellent for live performance and sound design
  • 💰 Great value for the price
  • 🎉 Inspiring and creative app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 🔌 Lack of audio import/export options
  • 🔀 Difficulty with sample organization and management
  • 🔇 Missing features like panning, MIDI support, and AUv3

Drambo

From 325 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Incredibly powerful and flexible
  • 🎨 Endless creative possibilities
  • 👍 Intuitive and well-designed interface
  • 🔧 Modular synth capabilities
  • 🎛️ Excellent sequencing and groove box features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Limited undo/redo functionality
  • 🔊 Audio export issues (pitch/tempo problems)
  • 🔀 Lack of dedicated audio track support

Bugs and requests

Samplr

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Recording functionality not working as expected
  • Dropbox integration causing crashes
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Implement Ableton Link for better sync
  • Add support for more audio file formats
  • Improve sample import/export workflow
  • Introduce a more robust sequencing and automation system
  • Provide multi-channel audio output

Drambo

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Audio cutting out after 5 minutes of use
  • Presets and patches not loading properly
  • Incompatibility with certain iOS devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Stem/track export functionality
  • MIDI CC learn and external control
  • Ableton Link support
  • More parameter control and modulation options
  • Improved piano roll and sequencing tools

In-app purchases

None

Samplr

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Drambo

One-time5
  • Granular extension$4.99
  • Waves extension$4.99
  • Formants extension$4.99
Show 2 more
  • DSP extensions 1$4.99
  • Visual extension$14.99

Questions

Is Samplr free?
Samplr costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Drambo free?
Drambo costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Samplr or Drambo?
Drambo is rated higher. Samplr averages 4.7 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while Drambo averages 4.8 from 325 ratings.
Do Samplr or Drambo have ads?
Neither Samplr nor Drambo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Samplr or Drambo?
Samplr ships an update every 3 months, and Drambo monthly. Most recently, Samplr was updated on October 1, 2026 and Drambo on October 2, 2026.

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