Comparison

Surface Builder vs AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Surface Builder

Create custom MIDI control surfaces for audio applications. Design interfaces with buttons, knobs, and faders to send and receive MIDI data, control audio clips, and customize appearance. Supports AUv3 plugins and standalone use.

Highlights
  • Customizable MIDI control surfaces
  • AUv3 plugin and standalone modes
  • Send/receive MIDI data (notes, controllers, pitch bend)
  • Audio clip playback control
  • Multi-scene interface design
  • Drag and drop interface customization
Features
Read full description

Surface Builder is a tool for creating control surfaces that send MIDI data to one or more audio components in order to simplify remote control tasks. You start by creating a surface of a given size, adding buttons, knobs, faders, etc. to the surface and configuring them to generate the required MIDI output. Surface Builder allows you to send note on/off, controller change and program change values as well as being able to emulate modulation wheel and pitch bend data. Buttons can also be configured to send bulk MIDI data using a single key press. You can build surfaces that span multiple scenes and link between them for large complex interfaces. Incoming MIDI data can also be used to control or trigger elements of the interface, giving a bi-directional stream of MIDI data. Surface Builder can be added as a pure MIDI plugin which allows processing of MIDI only, or as an instrument plugin, allowing you to process audio passing through it. You can even load it as an intrument and configure a surface to start and stop audio clips either manually or remotely. Surface Builder was designed to be used as an AUv3 plugin within your favourite DAW, but it can also be used in standalone to send MIDI directly to MIDI hardware using direct access to their MIDI ports. Many different object types are supported including buttons, switches, lights, rotary knobs, faders, sliders, XY-Pad, keyboards, as well as text, image and box objects. Each object has many different styles and colours, so no two surfaces look the same. Drag and drop an audio file onto a button and that button becomes a clip player. Attach rotary knobs to control the clips volume and pan. Throw on top of that a LP/HP filter knob and you are cooking on gas. Drop PNG transparent image icons on buttons to customise the look and feel. A button can record and playback bulk MIDI commands, on both button press and release. So pressing a button could send the notes of a chord when pressed, and appropriate note offs on release. A surface can consist of up to 6 scenes for really complex designs. Buttons and switches can be used to switch scenes and also to show and hide other objects to make better use of screen space. Once your surface is complete switch to presentation mode to hide all the toolbars. Each surface can be saved with compressed audio and images all in a single surface file. Features ○ AUv3 and standalone modes. ○ Bluetooth MIDI support. ○ Drag and Drop interface. ○ Send and Receive Note On/Off. ○ Supports all Control Change parameters. ○ Supports Program Change commands with bank support. ○ Multiple Audio Clip playback. ○ Record and playback bulk midi data. ○ Multi-Scene. ○ Multi-level undo/redo. ○ MIDI Monitor ○ Presentation Mode. ○ iPhone and iPad compatible.

About

AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer

Organize, explore, and share your AUv3 plugin collection with this comprehensive tool. Discover new plugins, track favorites, and manage your library efficiently across devices. Features include advanced search, filtering, and community sharing.

Highlights
  • AUv3 plugin organization by group, category, and features
  • Search and filter by device compatibility and keywords
  • Track favorites and create wishlists
  • Community sharing of plugin collections
  • Mac and iOS versions with universal purchase
  • Keyboard extension for quick plugin searches
Features
Read full description

AUBE keeps your AUv3 collection organized and ready to explore. Browse a constantly updated catalog, discover and launch your plugins, and quickly find what you need, all in one place! Get a clear overview of your AUv3 plugins, whether they’re installed on your device or offloaded. Browse the AUv3 plugin catalog and discover plugins you're interested in. With a simple, intuitive interface, AUBE organizes your AUv3 plugins by group, category, and features, making it easy to find the right plugin for your creative needs. You can search quickly using keywords, filter by device compatibility, or browse related plugins within the same group. Instantly launch, preview, and test your installed AUv3 plugins. Easily track your favorites, wishlist, and custom tags across devices, share your collection with friends, explore new plugins by importing their selections, and create custom badges to showcase your top picks on social media. It also supports iPad multitasking, allowing you to work side by side with other apps. It includes a convenient keyboard extension for fast plugin searches directly within your AUv3 host apps. With AUBE, managing and discovering AUv3 plugins has never been easier. • Provides full catalog browsing with over 1.8k AUv3 plugins • Database updates are included with the one-time purchase • AUv3 host for instantly exploring and testing your installed plugins* • Preview effects, instruments, and MIDI plugins • Export parameter trees and run plugin validation tests • Widget Extension: Get your AUv3 plugin stats, always in view • Keyboard Extension: Search and locate your AUv3 plugins inside hosts that have a text search field** • "Wishlist" to track plugins you want to acquire • Community Sharing: Share your collection with friends or browse others' collections • Precise filtering to view only plugins compatible with your device • Browse related plugins within the same group or category • Quick launch actions and split-screen support for working with multiple apps, including the App Store • Export installed AUv3 plugins to CSV • Universal Purchase: Includes the Mac version (**keyboard extension and *AUv3 hosting are currently iOS only) Check the documentation at fredantoncorvest.com/AudioUnitBoxExplorer.html for more information

Screenshots

Surface Builder4 screens
AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Surface Builder at $14.99 against AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer's $19.99. Surface Builder also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13 vs 18.0). AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer's advantage is review sentiment (93% 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Surface Builder costs $14.99 and AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Surface Builder against 4.6 for AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 22 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Surface Builder's written reviews are positive against 93% of AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surface Builder ships an update every 3 weeks, AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Surface Builder versus AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurface BuilderAUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer
Price$14.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.7 (15 ratings) — better4.6 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews93.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1522 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4Pockets.comFrederic Corvest

Customer experience

Surface Builder

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative6.7%

AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer

All ratings22 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral4.5%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%

In-app purchases

None

Surface Builder

No in-app purchases

None

AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surface Builder free?
Surface Builder costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer free?
AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Surface Builder or AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer?
Surface Builder is rated higher. Surface Builder averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.
Do Surface Builder or AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer have ads?
Neither Surface Builder nor AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Surface Builder or AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer?
Surface Builder ships an update every 3 weeks, and AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer every 2 months. Most recently, Surface Builder was updated on October 1, 2026 and AUBE 2 Audio Unit Box Explorer on October 1, 2026.

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