GCL1 vs ShowMIDI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GCL1
This AUv3 plugin integrates a gate, compressor, and limiter into a single unit for audio processing. It offers precise control over dynamic range, noise reduction, and peak levels, mimicking a real hardware unit with clear displays.
- Gate for noise reduction
- Compressor for dynamic response
- Limiter to prevent clipping
- AUv3 plugin compatibility
- Realistic hardware interface
- Precise VU meters
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Please note: this is an AUv3 plugin that can be used with compatible host Apps. GSi GCL1 features three dynamic processors in one unit: - Gate: typically used to interrupt background noise when there's no musical content in a noisy track - Compressor: a device that automatically adjusts the dynamic response of a sound source to make it constant and stable - Limiter: a device that limits the highest peak levels to prevent unwanted distortion or clipping The initial of these three devices make the name G, C and L... and the number 1 is because you never know... Using this plugin is very simple, every control is rendered like on a real unit, with absolute values on knobs and precise vu-meters.
ShowMIDI
This application provides a real-time, glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. It visualizes various MIDI messages and allows you to pause the flow for a data snapshot. It can be used as a standalone tool or an AUv3 plugin within your DAW.
- Real-time MIDI visualization
- Auto-hides irrelevant messages
- Pause and snapshot data
- Standalone application
- AUv3 plugin support
- Supports MPE configuration
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ShowMIDI is an open-source multi-platform GUI application to effortlessly visualize MIDI activity. Instead of wading through logs of MIDI messages to correlate relevant ones and identify what is happening, ShowMIDI visualizes the current activity and auto-hides what you don't care about anymore. It provides you with a real-time glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. ShowMIDI is designed to be always on, using the spacebar or play/pause button you can pause the flow and focus on a data snapshot with the latest state of any MIDI entity. ShowMIDI can be ran as a standalone application that automatically detects all your MIDI devices, or as an AUv3 plugin in your DAW or host to visualize MIDI data in your sessions. ShowMIDI visualizes: * MIDI ports * channels * program change * note on/off * channel pressure * polyphonic pressure * continuous control change * pitchbend * RPN and NRPN * MPE configuration and channel modes ShowMIDI supports: * themes * standalone operation * AUv3 operation
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShowMIDI at 88% against GCL1's 0%. ShowMIDI also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (4.8 vs 4.0). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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
ShowMIDI is free to download; GCL1 costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ShowMIDI holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ShowMIDI has 18 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of GCL1's written reviews are positive against 88% of ShowMIDI's.
GCL1 ships an update every 38 months, ShowMIDI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GCL1 | ShowMIDI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (2 ratings) | 4.8 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Genuine Soundware | Uwyn, LLC |
Customer experience
GCL1
ShowMIDI
In-app purchases
GCL1
No in-app purchases
ShowMIDI
No in-app purchases









