Comparison

Surreal Machines Diffuse vs sumFX

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

Head to head
About

Surreal Machines Diffuse

This audio effect plugin blends analog-modeled delay with classic digital reverb, allowing users to morph between the two for unique soundscapes. It offers intuitive control over smearing, echoes, and damping, inspired by vintage hardware.

Highlights
  • Analog-modeled delay
  • Classic digital reverb
  • Morphing between delay and reverb
  • Nonlinearities and tape-style delay
  • Intuitive control over smearing, echoes, damping
  • AUV3 plugin compatibility
Read full description

Diffuse is inspired by classic hardware delay and reverb effects from the 1970’s and 1980’s. It takes a Surreal Machines look at the frontier between delays and reverbs. It's an analog/digital hybrid - an analog modeled delay fused with a classic reverb design used in early digital units. In Diffuse you get more than the best of both worlds - you can morph between delays and reverbs, and find all kinds of fantastical sounds in between the two. You’ll also find plenty of nonlinearities and smooth tape-style delay changes. Diffuse gives you complete control over smearing, echoes and damping in the most intuitive ways possible. ****** Diffuse is an Audio Unit V3 plugin; it benefits from an AUV3 host like Logic, GarageBand, Cubasis, FL Studio Mobile, AUM, etc.

About

sumFX

This app is a versatile audio effects processor for musicians. It offers a modular design with multiple high-quality FX modules and customizable slots, allowing for quick creation of unique sounds. Focus on your music with intuitive controls and visual feedback.

Highlights
  • Modular multi-FX processor
  • 8 high-quality FX modules
  • 8 FX slots with Wet/Dry control
  • 2 LFOs per slot
  • 50+ cross-platform presets
  • Pre/post waveform view
Features
Read full description

sumFX is a modular multi-FX processor for Mac/PC and iOS. Designed with simplicity in mind, to help keep you focused on the music and the sum of your efforts. Packed with 8 high quality FX modules and an available 8 slots, each loaded with Wet/Dry control, Global Wet/Dry, and 2 LFOs per slot, creating new unique sounds is quick and easy. 50+ cross-platform slot & chain presets are included to get you to any sound you need quickly and we’ve packed in an easy to use pre/post waveform view to help keep you focused on the result of your FX. Modules: -syncDynamics - Multimode dynamic FX with BPM sync attack/release (Noise Gate, Expander, Compressor, Limiter) -stereoFilter - Stereo filter with link or individual channel controls (LPF12, HPF12, BPF12, LPF24, HPF24, BPF24, Notch, & Formant options). -variMod - Multimode modulation FX with stereo offset (Chorus, Flanger,  Vibrato, Phaser, Tremolo,  & Auto Pan) -EQuator - Full high quality EQ module (3 Parametric Bands, High/Low Shelf, & HPF/LPF). -frostReverb - Multi-Mode (Original, Plate, Spring, Room) Stereo Reverb.  -bucketDelay - Stereo Analog Style Delay with individual channel control. -variPitch - Stereo Pitch Shifter with 3X Modes (Doubler, Harmonizer, & Full Control) -powerPhase - Multimode Saturation, Utility Gain In/Out, Mono Maker, Channel msDelay, & Phase inverter.

Screenshots

Surreal Machines Diffuse1 screens
sumFX3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surreal Machines Diffuse at 100% against sumFX's 55%. Surreal Machines Diffuse also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and price ($7.99 vs $9.99). sumFX's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14). On ratings volume, 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

Surreal Machines Diffuse costs $7.99 and sumFX $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surreal Machines Diffuse holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Surreal Machines Diffuse's written reviews are positive against 55% of sumFX's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Surreal Machines Diffuse versus sumFX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurreal Machines DiffusesumFX
Price$7.99 — better$9.99
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better4.4 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better54.5% of reviews
Number of ratings612 — better
Update frequency—Every 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS1412.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurreal MachinesOSC Audio

Customer experience

Surreal Machines Diffuse

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

sumFX

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative27.3%

In-app purchases

None

Surreal Machines Diffuse

No in-app purchases

None

sumFX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surreal Machines Diffuse free?
Surreal Machines Diffuse costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is sumFX free?
sumFX costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Surreal Machines Diffuse or sumFX?
Surreal Machines Diffuse is rated higher. Surreal Machines Diffuse averages 5.0 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while sumFX averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.
Do Surreal Machines Diffuse or sumFX have ads?
Neither Surreal Machines Diffuse nor sumFX shows ads.

Other comparisons