Comparison

BK Partner vs Patch Base

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

Head to head
About

BK Partner

Control your Roland BK-series instrument's sounds and accompaniments from your iPad. It mirrors the instrument's front panel for quick access to functions, tones, and rhythms. Supports Core MIDI and Roland Wireless Connection.

Highlights
  • Browse and select instrument tones
  • Control musical accompaniments
  • Duplicate instrument's front control panel on iPad
  • Fast visual access to main functions
  • Support for Core MIDI
  • Support for Roland Wireless Connection
Read full description

This software application for iPad let you browse, select, and control the sounds ("Tones") and musical accompaniments ("Rhythms") of your Roland BK-series instrument. When using BK Partner you can: - Play your BK-series instrument while using your iPad as a duplication of its front control panel. This provides fast visual access to the BK's main functions, Tones, and Rhythms. Work with Core MIDI or Roland Wireless Connection (if supported by BK Instrument) *Note: The BK Partner can only display English texts.

About

Patch Base

This app allows users to visualize, edit, and organize patches for a wide range of hardware synthesizers. It offers real-time parameter editing, patch bank management, and the ability to create random or initial patches. Users can also test sounds with an on-screen keyboard.

Highlights
  • Visualize synth patches
  • Real-time parameter editing
  • Manage patch banks
  • Create random patches
  • On-screen keyboard for sound testing
  • Extensive synthesizer support
Read full description

Patch Base is a collection of patch editors and librarians for new and vintage synthesizers, enabling easy visualization, editing, and organization of patches. * See what patches on your synth look like * Edit the parameters of your synth in real time, while you play * Manage your patch banks directly from the app * Save patches in Patch Base, and back them up using iCloud * Access your patch files on your computer via iCloud Drive * Create random patches, and "init" patches as starting points for new sounds * Play your synth for sound testing using the on-screen keyboard Patch Base currently has editors for the following synthesizers, with more to come: * Access Virus C, Virus TI, Virus TI Snow * Akai Miniak * Alesis Micron * Behringer Deepmind 12 * Casio CZ-1, CZ-101, CZ-1000, CZ-3000, CZ-5000 * Clavia Nord Lead 2, Nord Lead 2X * DSI Mopho, Mopho Keyboard, Evolver, Evolver Keyboard, Tetra * E-mu Proteus/1, Proteus/2, Proteus 2000, Proteus 1000, Orbit-3, Virtuoso 2000, Xtreme Lead-1, Mo'Phatt, Planet Earth * Ensoniq ESQ-1, SQ-80, and ESQ-M * Korg Volca FM, Volca FM2, Minilogue, microKORG, MS2000, MS2000R, MS2000B, MS2000BR, DW-8000, EX-8000, Prophecy * Novation Circuit, Bass Station II * Oberheim Matrix-1000, Matrix-6, Matrix-6r * Roland JD-Xi, JV-1080, JV-2080, JV-1010, XP-80, XP-60, XP-50, XP-30, D-50, D-550, D-05, D-110, D-10, D-20, D-5, JV-880, JV-80, XV-5080, XV-3080, XV-5050, XV-2020, Alpha Juno-1, Alpha Juno-2, MKS-50, JD-800, JD-990, JX-8P, JP-8080 * Waldorf Blofeld, Micro Q * Yamaha DX7, DX7II, TX7, TX802, TX816, TX81Z, DX100, FB-01, FS1R, TG33, DX200, TG77, SY77, DX21, DX11, Reface DX The app is free for download and to try out, ensuring that the app works with your hardware setup. For full access to all editor features, each editor is available as an individual In-App Purchase, or via an All Access subscription. ** Unlock Every Editor with All Access ** Patch Base now offers the All Access subscription, giving you access to every editor that Patch Base offers for a single subscription price. You can subscribe on a monthly or annual basis. Subscription payment is charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of subscription purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your iTunes account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can turn off auto-renewal and manage your subscription at any time from your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://coffeeshopped.com/patch-base-privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://coffeeshopped.com/patch-base-terms-conditions

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BK Partner at 4.0 against Patch Base's 3.4. BK Partner also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 31) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 13.0). Patch Base's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (85 vs 6). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Patch Base sells 31 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. BK Partner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BK Partner holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Patch Base has 85 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of BK Partner's written reviews are positive against 53% of Patch Base's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BK Partner ships an update every 12 months, Patch Base every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BK Partner versus Patch Base: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBK PartnerPatch Base
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (6 ratings) — better3.4 (85 ratings)
Positive reviews60.9% of reviews — better52.9% of reviews
Number of ratings685 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS8.1 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoland CorporationCoffeeshopped LLC

Customer experience

BK Partner

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive60.9%
Neutral13.0%
Negative26.1%

Patch Base

All ratings85 ratings
Positive56.5%
Neutral3.5%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral3.8%
Negative43.3%

Bugs and requests

BK Partner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Patch Base

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes on iOS 14.2 and other versions
  • MIDI buffer full errors with DX7IIFD
  • Sysex transfer stalls and timeouts
  • Cannot access operators 4-6 on Volca FM
  • Algorithm changes crash app
Show 7 more
  • Patches randomly deleted after app restart
  • MIDI port assignment not persisting
  • Unable to send patches to synths
  • App hangs during patch transitions
  • Unmute function unavailable while editing
  • iCloud file synchronization not working
  • XV-5080 editor stuck on loading screen

Requested features

13 requests
  • MFB Dominion 1 editor
  • Arturia Microfreak randomizer
  • Novation Circuit Tracks support
  • Korg Wavestate editor
  • Roland MKS-70 and MKS-80 controllers
Show 8 more
  • Access Virus Ti2 character section and banks
  • Custom randomization options
  • Yamaha EX5/r and Motif XF editors
  • Prophet 6 support
  • Korg Minilogue enhancements
  • Undo button functionality
  • Pass-through MIDI option
  • Dropbox and Google Drive cloud support

In-app purchases

None

BK Partner

No in-app purchases

31 purchases

Patch Base

Subscriptions2
  • Patch Base: Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • All Access: Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time29
  • Casio CZ-101$29.99
  • Oberheim Matrix-6r$29.99
  • Yamaha DX7$29.99
Show 26 more
  • Yamaha TX7$29.99
  • Ensoniq ESQ-1$29.99
  • Korg Volca FM$29.99
  • Korg microKorg$29.99
  • Roland JD-Xi$29.99
  • Korg Minilogue$29.99
  • Roland JV-1080$29.99
  • Waldorf Blofeld$29.99
  • Roland D-50$29.99
  • Roland D-05$29.99
  • Roland D-110$29.99
  • Novation Bass Station II$29.99
  • Yamaha DX100$29.99
  • Access Virus TI Snow$29.99
  • Yamaha TG33$29.99
  • Roland JV-1010$29.99
  • Yamaha SY77$29.99
  • Roland XV-5050$29.99
  • Yamaha TX81Z$29.99
  • Oberheim Matrix-1000$29.99
  • Korg Volca FM2$29.99
  • Oberheim Matrix-6$29.99
  • Yamaha DX7II$29.99
  • Roland JV-880$29.99
  • Yamaha Reface DX$29.99
  • All Access$99.99

Questions

Is BK Partner free?
BK Partner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Patch Base free?
Patch Base is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BK Partner or Patch Base?
BK Partner is rated higher. BK Partner averages 4.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Patch Base averages 3.4 from 85 ratings.
Do BK Partner or Patch Base have ads?
Neither BK Partner nor Patch Base shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BK Partner or Patch Base?
BK Partner ships an update every 12 months, and Patch Base every 3 weeks. Most recently, BK Partner was updated on October 1, 2026 and Patch Base on October 2, 2026.

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