Comparison

Samplr vs Sound/Waves

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

Sound/Waves

This app generates real-time ambient music and visuals based on live ocean data from NOAA buoys. It offers two distinct musical models, Spectral and Chromatic, to interpret wave frequencies and surf report data into unique soundscapes. Users can also explore hourly buoy photos, creating an immersive sensory experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time ambient music synthesis
  • Live ocean data integration (NOAA buoys)
  • Spectral and Chromatic music models
  • Hourly buoy photo visuals
  • Customizable scan mode for visuals
  • Interactive soundscape creation
Read full description

Sound/Waves creates ambient music from live ocean data pulled from NOAA buoys around North America. The music is synthesized in real time within the app based on data that is updated every 10 minutes; nothing is pre-recorded. I built Sound/Waves as a composer and surfer. I want the music to create an immediate sonic image — clear enough to give a surfer some idea of current ocean conditions — while also engaging the listener with subtle, constantly changing variations in harmony, timbre, dynamics, and melody. There are two models, Spectral and Chromatic. SPECTRAL The Spectral model transposes ocean wave frequencies into the range of human hearing. These are extremely low: a 15-second wave is just 0.067 Hertz (Hz). Multiply by 1000 and you get 67 Hz, about two octaves below Middle C on a piano. Using this method for the 46 discrete wave bands reported by NOAA buoys every hour allows you to "hear" which waves have the most energy at that particular point in the ocean, at that particular time. CHROMATIC The Chromatic model maps the same data surf reports use — wave height, wave period, wind speed, tide, and others — to musical parameters such as harmony, rhythm, and timbre. wave height → polyphony wave period → amplitude wave quality → harmony swell direction → tuning wind → timbre tide → reverb A large groundswell with ideal wind conditions, for example, will create stacked, widely spaced, consonant chords with a smooth timbre, breathing in and out with the slow wave period. Choppy, short period wind waves will have a quicker rhythm and sound harmonically dissonant, with a distorted texture. VISUALS Sound/Waves also has a visual component. The tiled photos are taken automatically every hour by the buoys themselves, looking out in six directions. If a buoy snaps its photo while on the crest of a wave, the normally flat horizon tilts to a jagged angle. Scan mode crossfades the images between locations, creating an abstract, painterly drift that shifts with the time of day. Sunrise and sunset are bright pastel. Occasionally a boat or ship appears like a ghost, then fades away. Night images can show the moon and other strange colors amidst the black. A migrating bird may get caught in the frame. The scan rate — how fast the images crossfade — can be set from fast to slow, or turned off altogether. These buoy images convey a sense of isolation and non-intention that I want the music to amplify. — Sound/Waves requires an internet connection to fetch current observations. Ocean and weather data courtesy of NOAA's National Data Buoy Center and NOAA Tides & Currents. Sound/Waves is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA. Data is provided as is and is not for navigation.

Screenshots

Sound/Waves4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sound/Waves at Free against Samplr's $19.99. Sound/Waves also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Samplr's advantage is ratings volume (149 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Sound/Waves is free to download; Samplr costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sound/Waves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samplr has 149 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Samplr's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sound/Waves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Samplr ships an update every 3 months, Sound/Waves every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Samplr versus Sound/Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSamplrSound/Waves
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (149 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings149 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcos AlonsoNathan Michel

Customer experience

Samplr

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

Sound/Waves

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Sound/Waves

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Samplr

No in-app purchases

None

Sound/Waves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Samplr free?
Samplr costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sound/Waves free?
Sound/Waves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Samplr or Sound/Waves?
Sound/Waves is rated higher. Samplr averages 4.7 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while Sound/Waves averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Samplr or Sound/Waves have ads?
Neither Samplr nor Sound/Waves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Samplr or Sound/Waves?
Samplr ships an update every 3 months, and Sound/Waves every 4 days. Most recently, Samplr was updated on October 11, 2026 and Sound/Waves on September 30, 2026.

Other comparisons