ChannelStrip LE vs Combustor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChannelStrip LE
This app offers a modeled tube preamp with a 3-band EQ and an oscilloscope. It's designed for music production to add smooth tube saturation and gentle tone-shaping, allowing users to monitor waveform compression.
- Modeled tube saturation
- 3-band equalizer
- Oscilloscope waveform monitoring
- Adjustable oversampling
- AUV3 and standalone app support
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ChannnelStrip is a modeled tube preamp with 3 band EQ and a simple oscilloscope available as AUV3 and standalone app. Controlling dynamics with saturation is an often overlooked technique in music production. ChannelStrip is intended as an end-of-chain effect giving you smooth modeled tube saturation combined with an oscilloscope to monitor how the waveform is compressed. The integrated 3-band equalizer will furthermore help you apply gentle, unobtrusive tone-shaping. Even as a simple distortion effect or equalizer, ChannelStrip will make a great addition to your FX collection. Features: - Modeled tube saturation with character control - Gentle 3-band equalizer - Oscilloscope - Adjustable oversampling factor (WARNING: uses a lot of resources on higher settings and may cause audio dropouts)
Combustor
This audio effect extension transforms tracks with a unique time-bending resonator. Create vibrant textures, subtle resonances, and dynamic sweeps. It's designed for electronic musicians and producers seeking to add wild or organic qualities to their sounds.
- Time bending resonator effect
- Creates distorted textures and physical resonance
- Envelope follower for dynamic control
- MIDI input for melodic control
- Performative interface
- AUv3 compatible
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*** Note: Combustor is an Audio Unit effect extension and requires an AUv3 compatible host app, like Logic Pro, Drambo or GarageBand. It does not run as a standalone app *** Combustor is a unique, wild resonating body fashioned to spice up or extremely transform your tracks. At the heart of Combustor is a custom time bending resonator that doesn't sound like anything you have heard before. You can create anything from vibrant, distorted texture, perfectly suited for "hardcore" electronic musicians, to subtle physical resonance, which is often lacking in synthesized sounds. Combustor contains an envelope follower, to create dynamic-controlled pitch or filter sweeps. It also has MIDI input, that controls resonator's pitch, to make something melodic and organic out of non-melodic sounds, like drums. With just a few knob turns, a boring sound can be turned into screaming madness that sounds like it went out of control. A simple and straightforward interface makes Combustor a performative tool that allows you to directly interact with your sound.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ChannelStrip LE at Free against Combustor's $4.99. ChannelStrip LE also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
ChannelStrip LE is free to download; Combustor costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for ChannelStrip LE against 4.7 for Combustor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 20 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of ChannelStrip LE's written reviews are positive against 80% of Combustor's.
ChannelStrip LE ships an update every 4 days, Combustor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChannelStrip LE | Combustor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (12 ratings) | 4.7 (20 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 80.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 20 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14 | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christopher Herb | BeepStreet |
Customer experience
ChannelStrip LE
Combustor
In-app purchases
ChannelStrip LE
No in-app purchases
Combustor
No in-app purchases









