The Oscillator vs Aparillo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Oscillator
Generate tones and noise with adjustable lowpass filters and panning. Choose from sine, triangle, sawtooth, and square waveforms. Precisely tune frequencies in Hz or MIDI notes.
- Two oscillators
- One noise generator
- Individual lowpass filters
- Panning control
- Four waveforms (sine, triangle, sawtooth, square)
- Precise frequency tuning (Hz/MIDI)
- Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support
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Simple and elegant tone generator with two Oscillators and one Noise generator, each with individual lowpass filters. The oscillators also has panning, and can produce one of four waveforms: sine, triangle, sawtooth and square. The oscillator frequencies can be tuned precisely in Hz or fractional MIDI note pitch. Use it for testing purposes or to make old-school electronic drone music. Supports Audiobus and Inter-App Audio: Stream the audio output in real time into other compatible apps!
Aparillo
This advanced FM synthesizer is designed for creating complex, evolving soundscapes and atmospheres ideal for film, TV, and games. It offers deep sound design capabilities with two interacting synthesizers, integrated effects, and an intuitive 'mass-controller' for one-touch sound morphing. Seamlessly integrate it into your mobile studio setup with extensive MIDI and syncing options.
- 16-voice FM Synthesizer
- Formant Shifting, Wave Folding & Shifting
- Multi-Mode Filter with Spacializer
- Orbiter for one-touch Sound Morphing
- 500 handpicked Presets
- Full MIDI Support
- Preset iCloud Sync
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The Cinematic Machine Aparillo is an advanced 16 voice FM synth tailored for complex sound structures , majestic motions, moving and evolving soundscapes and atmospheres that are perfect for film, TV or games. It‘s not limited to the conventional fm sounds but also delivers a huge range of styles from basses to brasses, pads to leads to even percussion. ••• SYNTH ••• It is based on two interacting FM Synthesizers capable of forming the most complex timbres. A clever arrangement of synthesis, wave shaping, filtering, FX and modulation unfolds into a serious sound design tool for epic sonic creation. Aparillo uses many parameters that can be modulated for individual adjustments PER voice. Each of the sixteen voices interact with almost two dozen targets in a variety of ways for a continuous transformation and to create endless rhythms and melodic progressions. ••• FX ••• The integrated effects include a free-signalflow Filter/Spacial Comb device, a polyphonic Auto Pan with multiple waveforms, the obligatory Delay, our finest Reverb algorithm, and a Sugar Bytes innovation, the Spacializer. This is a very special breed of delay based effect, which can work as a delay, reverb or tuned comb filter and can add room, plucked strings or even pinged percussion to your sound. ••• ORBITER ••• The superstar of Aparillo is the Orbiter, an instinctual "mass-controller" you move through Aparillo's endless sonic universes for one-touch sound morphing. That finally gives you unlimited control over new grounds of sound manipulation. Aparillo for iPad will seamlessly integrate with your mobile studio setup. We built in MIDI support (Virtual, Network, External, Bluetooth), Audio Unit v3 and Ableton Link. Syncing your presets to use them accross other devices couldn't be easier with iCloud. Enjoy Aparillo, the more you dig into it the more you fall in love with it! Features: • Standalone & Audio Unit v3 • FM Synthesizer with 16 Voices • Formant Shifting, Wave Folding & Shifting • Multi-Mode Filter with Spacializer • Orbiter for one-touch Sound Morphing • 500 handpicked Presets • Ableton Link Support • Full MIDI Support (Virtual, Network, External, Bluetooth), MIDI Learn & Host Automation • Preset iCloud Sync • Preset Share
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Aparillo at 4.9 against The Oscillator's 4.3. Aparillo also leads on ratings volume (507 vs 58). The Oscillator's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Aparillo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Oscillator asks for nothing beyond the download.
Aparillo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aparillo has 507 ratings behind it against 58, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of The Oscillator's written reviews are positive against 89% of Aparillo's.
The Oscillator ships an update every 5 months, Aparillo every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Oscillator | Aparillo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (58 ratings) | 4.9 (507 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.8% of reviews | 88.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 58 | 507 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 55 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kymatica AB | Sugar Bytes GmbH |
Customer experience
The Oscillator
Aparillo
User reviews
The Oscillator
From 58 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for various purposes (sleep, tinnitus, testing)
- 🎵 Good for sound experimentation
- 🔊 Precise frequency and gain control
- 🎚️ Multiple oscillators and noise generator
Room to improve
- 🐛 Stopped working properly
- 🐛 Only noise comes out
- 🐛 Output levels wildly different
- 🐛 Not working in new version
- ❌ Basic and incomplete
Aparillo
From 507 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful sound design capabilities
- 👍 Intuitive and creative interface
- 🎨 Cinematic and otherworldly sounds
- 💡 Innovative orbit and spatial features
- 🔥 Excellent presets and sound quality
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Lack of clear documentation and tutorials
- 📱 UI not optimized for larger iPad screens
- 💰 Paid upgrade required for full functionality
Bugs and requests
The Oscillator
Reported bugs
7 issues- Stopped working properly
- Only noise comes out
- Output levels wildly different
- New version is not working
- Can't play one osc without the other
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Doesn't support Bluetooth
- Button labels are confusing (ON/OFF)
Requested features
18 requests- More functions (e.g., shorten waves, good bass)
- Multiple layers for simultaneous playback
- AUV3 support
- Run in background and mix with audio
- Four oscillators simultaneously
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Sweep function
- LFO section for modulation
- Pulse width control
- Keyboard interface for chords
- Filter
- Third oscillator
- Way to save setups
- Other color noises (pink noise)
- Higher frequencies
- Direct frequency input via keyboard
- Panning controls on tone generators
- Presets for setups
- JACK support
Aparillo
Reported bugs
2 issues- Saved patches not compatible across versions
- Orbiter parameters not accessible on latest iOS
Requested features
4 requests- More preset packs and sound libraries
- Improved MIDI and automation support
- Custom tuning and scale options
- Expanded keyboard and note range
In-app purchases
The Oscillator
No in-app purchases
Aparillo
- Aparillo Full Version$24.99







