Comparison

Combustor vs Secta

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Time bending resonator effect
  • Creates distorted textures and physical resonance
  • Envelope follower for dynamic control
  • MIDI input for melodic control
  • Performative interface
  • AUv3 compatible
Features
Read full description

*** 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.

About

Secta

This audio effect dynamically splits incoming sound into two distinct processing paths, allowing for independent sculpting of each layer. It shapes accents, amplifies details, and guides each sonic dimension for unique timbral results. Designed for sound designers and musicians seeking unconventional audio manipulation.

Highlights
  • Dynamic audio splitting
  • Independent effect processing per layer
  • Amplitude threshold control
  • Envelope shaping
  • Customizable sonic dimensions
  • Colorizer with no mix parameters
  • AUv3 extension compatibility
Read full description

Secta is an audio effect that dynamically splits incoming audio in two sections and processes each with an exclusive kit of effects, sculpting silence, shaping accents and amplifying hidden details, guiding each layer into a parallel sonic dimension.  A sound-designer (unforeseen) dream. Secta is part of totem/ series by K-Devices: unconventional audio effects coming in a compact format, easy to use, at a lower, convenient price. Building on the concept of a multidimensional gate, Secta processes the audio in a unique way, adding an ephemeral and dramatic touch to acoustic instruments, warmly disintegrating loops, injecting abrupt drops and re-texturizing your lines, or throwing down any beat into a dark path of fragmentation. Hard-to-describe with classic effect categories, Secta processes both sides of a gated source independently, acting as a counterpoint amplitude sculptor.
  Secta cuts to (re)generate.  Secta is a colorizer, no mix parameters are available: just load Secta onto your track and let it inspire you with its timbrical shades.  A gate, a dynamic multi-distortion, a double headed tectonic monster, a trembling detuned textures generator, and more… so many uses of Secta have yet to be discovered! HOW IT WORKS At first, Secta splits the incoming signal acting as a gate effect: the user sets an amplitude threshold using the Verge and Boost parameters. The signal’s amplitude portion greater than the threshold value generates an envelope which controls the Above and Below sections. The envelope itself controls the frequency of a lowpass filter in the Above section (resulting similar to a lowpass gate), while its inverse value controls the amplitude of the Below section. Such envelope can be shaped using several global parameters: Smooth, Retain, and S/C. Above and Below sections process sounds using a different set of effects each: the more rumbling Above, the more textural and looney Below. Using one section at a time holds interesting sculpting results, while combining and balancing them is great for creating richer textures. SHAPE THE ENVELOPE /// Set Verge and Boost to create the envelope that will control Above and Below; use Smooth and Mode to shape it in different ways. 2 WORLDS /// Above and Below, two sides of the same sound, individual paths (different effects and moods), which eventually converge in a new sonic entity. SCULPT /// Above and Below sections come with Drive and Lo/Hi pass filter the get the perfect shape for any sound project. MANDATORY PROCESS /// No dry/wet here: embrace the totem wisdom and get processed! LOCK PARAMETERS /// Enable lock toggle to preserve key parameters values while browsing presets. IN-GUI INFOS /// Enable Infos toggle to get all parameters details always in sight; just tap on a parameter. 2 FLAVOURS /// Dark and light skin. *** Please note: Secta is an Audio Unit extension (AUv3) – it only works in an AUv3 host app like AUM, Logic, Drambo, Cubasis, etc... ***

Screenshots

Combustor1 screens
Secta3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Secta at 5.0 against Combustor's 4.7. Secta also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 14.0). Combustor's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $6.99). 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

Combustor costs $4.99 and Secta $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Secta holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Combustor's written reviews are positive against 100% of Secta's.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Combustor versus Secta: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCombustorSecta
Price$4.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (19 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeepStreetK-Devices

Customer experience

Combustor

All ratings19 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative10.0%

Secta

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Combustor

No in-app purchases

None

Secta

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Combustor free?
Combustor costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Secta free?
Secta costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Combustor or Secta?
Secta is rated higher. Combustor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Secta averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Combustor or Secta have ads?
Neither Combustor nor Secta shows ads.

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