Comparison

Post vs Microtonal Lab

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

Head to head
About

Post

This app provides tools for analyzing post-tonal music, including pitch-class set and tone row calculations. It helps users identify Forte names, normal forms, prime forms, and relationships within musical sets.

Highlights
  • PC Set Calculator
  • Subset/Superset Calculator
  • Matrix Calculator
  • Forte name analysis
  • Normal form calculation
  • Prime form identification
  • Tone row analysis
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Post-Tonal Tool Kit is designed to be a one-stop app for pitch-class and tone row analysis of post-tonal music. Features include a PC Set Calculator, a Subset/Superset Calculator, and a Matrix Calculator. –This app is perfect for the music theory student analyzing post-tonal music. –This app is also designed for the classroom and pedagogical uses. * With an Apple Dock Connector the screen can be projected in the classroom. * Analytical assignments can be designed to incorporate the features of the app that highlight relationships within sets and rows. The PC Set Calculator analyzes sets ranging from three to twelve pitches and provides: * Forte name * Normal form * Prime form * IC Vector * Z-Mate * Tn Invariance * TnI Invariance The calculator also will provide the inversion and complement sets with all the above information and all sets can be analyzed for subset and superset relationships (a very handy tool when analyzing Webern!). **WHAT’S NEW!!!** The Matrix Calculator will generate a matrix with any number of pitches up to twelve. The rows are numbered using the Straus/Roig-Francoli system (Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory/ Understanding Post-Tonal Music), where the P and I row labels correspond to the starting pitch class. Any number of pitch classes within the matrix can be highlighted and the selected set then sent back into the PC Set Calculator. This feature is extremely helpful when comparing trichords, tetrachords, and hexachords!

About

Microtonal Lab

Explore music beyond the traditional 12-note scale with this comprehensive microtonal studio. Create custom scales, play a microtonal keyboard, sequence patterns, and perform live with a launchpad. Export your creations as MIDI files for further production.

Highlights
  • Harmonic Galaxy visualizer
  • Microtonal keyboard with custom scales
  • 32-step sequencer with FX
  • Launchpad for live performance
  • Extensive world scale library
  • Multiple tuning systems support
  • MIDI export for DAWs
Features
Read full description

Microtonal Lab is a complete microtonal music studio for iOS. Break free from the 12-note octave and explore the infinite space between the notes. AUv3 PLUGIN Use MicrotonalLab as a plugin inside GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Drambo, and any AUv3-compatible host. The full step sequencer, tuning system, and SF2 instruments are available directly in your DAW. Record sequences as MIDI regions with automatic tempo sync. HARMONIC GALAXY Discover musical intervals as a visual universe. Every dot is an interval above the root — its size shows consonance, its color shows its position in the octave, and its number shows the exact distance in cents. Pinch to zoom and new microtones emerge from the depths. Build custom scales by tapping intervals and save them to your library. MICROTONAL KEYBOARD A fully playable keyboard with exact microtonal tuning. Choose from piano, strings, marimba, vibes, bass, pad, flute, or synthesized waveforms. Activate any scale from the library and the keyboard reconfigures to show precisely those notes. Supports glide between notes for expressive playing. STEP SEQUENCER A 16-step sequencer with microtonal note assignment per step, velocity, gate, and swing control. Syncs to the host tempo in AUv3 mode. LAUNCHPAD A grid-based launchpad for live performance. Rows correspond to scale degrees, columns to time — tap to toggle notes and play your patterns in real time. SCALE LIBRARY Browse world scales from dozens of musical traditions, including Arabic maqam, Indian ragas, Persian dastgah, Javanese gamelan, and many more. Preview any scale, then activate it across all views with one tap. TUNING SYSTEMS Switch between 12-TET, 19-TET, 24-TET, 31-TET, and 53-TET. Full access to all scale degrees in the sequencer for every tuning system. MIDI EXPORT Export your sequences to standard MIDI files with full microtonal pitch bend on each channel. Import directly into any DAW for further production. FX Filter (low-pass with cutoff and resonance), reverb (from small room to cathedral), and delay — all controllable via XY pads in real time during playback. Microtonal Lab is built for composers, sound designers, music theorists, and anyone curious about the music that lives between the keys.

Screenshots

Post4 screens
Microtonal Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Post at 4.3 against Microtonal Lab's 1.0. Post also leads on chart position (#182 vs unranked) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Post costs $4.99 and Microtonal Lab $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Post holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Post has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Post versus Microtonal Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPostMicrotonal Lab
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#182 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperA Squared ApplicationsMartin Adler

Customer experience

Post

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

Microtonal Lab

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Post

No in-app purchases

None

Microtonal Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Post free?
Post costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Microtonal Lab free?
Microtonal Lab costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Post or Microtonal Lab?
Post is rated higher. Post averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Microtonal Lab averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Post or Microtonal Lab have ads?
Neither Post nor Microtonal Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Post or Microtonal Lab?
Post ships an update every 2 months, and Microtonal Lab every 2 months. Most recently, Post was updated on October 26, 2026 and Microtonal Lab on October 28, 2026.

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