Comparison

TB Lowtone vs Know the Notes

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

Head to head
About

TB Lowtone

This app is an innovative bass synthesizer and AUv3 plugin that uses loudness-domain harmonic synthesis for deeper, more consistent bass sounds. It features multiple oscillators, modulation options, and built-in effects, plus an AI randomizer for creating new patches.

Highlights
  • Loudness-domain harmonic synthesis
  • 3 analog-simulated oscillators
  • Voltage-controlled noise synthesizer
  • AI randomizer for patch generation
  • Extended LFOs and ADSR envelope
  • Pro quality effects (reverb, chorus, delay)
  • AUv3 plugin support
Currently charting
Read full description

TB Lowtone is an innovative bass synthesizer app and AUv3 plug-in featuring three analog-simulated, voltage-controlled oscillators with a large variety of waveform algorithms, continuous pulse-width modulation (PWM), Frequency Modulation (FM) and oscillator hard sync, complemented by a voltage-controlled noise synthesizer, parameter modulation a re-designed non-linear voltage controlled filter. TB Lowtone is the world's first bass synthesizer featuring loudness-domain harmonic synthesis, creating deeper, more consistent and production-ready bass sounds compared to conventional synthesizers operating in the (linear) amplitude domain. TB Lowtone also features an AI randomizer that generates new patches with a single click, and which learns from the patches you have already created to generate new, personalized patches! Loudness-domain synthesis Loudness perception of tones and harmonics is known to be highly non-linear and intricately frequency and level dependent. Equal loudness contours, or Fletcher-Munson curves demonstrate this drastic effect for sine tones, which is especially relevant for low frequencies. The loudness of a synthesizer bass note, and all its individual harmonics, will therefore depend strongly on what note you play on your synth's keyboard. To overcome the resulting inconsistencies in loudness and timbre, TB Lowtone features innovative, loudness-domain synthesis algorithms that adjust each harmonic individually to compensate for loudness deviations across frequency. Modulation and FX TB Lowtone provides two extended low-frequency oscillators (X-LFOs) featuring a wide range of waveforms. The LFOs can be beat and key synced, with a configurable onset delay and a specific number of cycles to run. In addition, a conventional ADSR envelope with configurable onset delay is provided. To top if all off, a gate editor designed to quickly put together modern production modulation patterns is available as well to modulate a range of VCO, VCN and VCF parameters. Reverb, chorus, and delay effects and a high-quality peak limiter are provided to produce production-ready sounds. Features: - 3 VCOs plus a VCN featuring a wide range of waveform algorithms - All VCOs support hard sync, pulse-width modulation (PWM) and frequency modulation (FM) - Lots of filter types for spectral shaping - 2 LFOs, one extra envelope and a gate editor for parameter modulation - Pro quality effects (reverb, chorus, delay, peak limiter) - Unique loudness domain synthesis algorithms - A smart randomiser that learns from your patches - AUv3 with resizable UI and dozens of color themes to choose from - Preset management including import and export options - Undo, redo, A/B switching What you should know: - Licenses acquired for this platform are not compatible with other platforms. - Audio Unit (AUv3) extensions require an iPad mini 2, iPad 4 or later models.

About

Know the Notes

Features
Read full description

Unlock your musical potential with Know the Notes, the ultimate ear training companion for musicians of all levels. Whether you're a beginner learning to identify notes or an advanced player refining your pitch, our app offers a responsive simple to use practice environment. Realistic Audio Experience Forget static, low-quality samples. Know Your Notes uses advanced real-time audio synthesis to generate sounds instantly. Piano: Rich, synthesized piano tones. Guitar: Plucked strings using the Karplus-Strong algorithm. Tone: Pure sine waves for focused frequency training. Practice Mode: Freely explore notes on an interactive keyboard with immediate visual feedback. Track your streaks and improve at your own pace. Quiz Mode: Test your skills with customizable quizzes. Choose your quiz length and difficulty. Delayed Feedback enhances real ear-training exams by hiding results until the end of the quiz. Customizable and Learning Difficulty Control: Toggle sharps and flats (black keys) to match your skill level. Settings: Adjust quiz lengths and feedback styles to suit your learning preference. Stop guessing and start knowing. Download Know Your Notes and tune your ear today!

Screenshots

TB Lowtone2 screens
Know the Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Know the Notes at $1.99 against TB Lowtone's $9.99. Know the Notes also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). TB Lowtone's advantage is chart position (#189 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases 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

TB Lowtone costs $9.99 and Know the Notes $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TB Lowtone ships an update every 3 months, Know the Notes fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
TB Lowtone versus Know the Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTB LowtoneKnow the Notes
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.4 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#189 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperToneBoostersDAVID MAYR LERNER

In-app purchases

None

TB Lowtone

No in-app purchases

None

Know the Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TB Lowtone free?
TB Lowtone costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Know the Notes free?
Know the Notes costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do TB Lowtone or Know the Notes have ads?
Neither TB Lowtone nor Know the Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TB Lowtone or Know the Notes?
TB Lowtone ships an update every 3 months, and Know the Notes fortnightly. Most recently, TB Lowtone was updated on November 3, 2026 and Know the Notes on November 5, 2026.

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