The Oscillator vs Magic Switch
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!
Magic Switch
This audio effect plugin provides a lush, one-button chorus inspired by analog synthesizers. It adds dimension and depth to music tracks with a dark, detuned character. A mix slider allows for blending the effect to your preference.
- One-button lush chorus effect
- Juno-60 analog chorus inspiration
- Dark and detuned character
- Adds dimension and depth
- Mix slider for blending
- Based on Super VHS plugin's 'Magic' button
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Since its original release, Baby Audio's Magic Switch has been one of the most popular free plugins on the desktop market. Now it's finally available as an AUv3 plugin. Features: * Lush one-button chorus effect loosely inspired by the Juno-60 analog chorus * Dark and detuned character, perfect for adding dimension and depth to your tracks * Mix slider lets you blend the effect to taste * Based on the "Magic" button in Baby Audio's award-winning Super VHS plugin Note: This is an Audio Unit Effect Plugin (AUv3), which requires a host such as AUM or Audiobus – or a DAW such as GarageBand or Cubasis.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Magic Switch at free against The Oscillator's paid. Magic Switch also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3). The Oscillator's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Magic Switch holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 58 and 33 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of The Oscillator's written reviews are positive against 83% of Magic Switch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Oscillator ships an update every 5 months, Magic Switch every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Oscillator | Magic Switch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (58 ratings) | 4.8 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.8% of reviews — better | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 58 — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kymatica AB | Baby Audio Inc. |
Customer experience
The Oscillator
Magic Switch
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
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- 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
Magic Switch
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
The Oscillator
No in-app purchases
Magic Switch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is The Oscillator free?
Is Magic Switch free?
Which has better reviews, The Oscillator or Magic Switch?
Do The Oscillator or Magic Switch have ads?
Which is updated more often, The Oscillator or Magic Switch?
Other comparisons
