Comparison

sumFX vs Note to Be

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

Head to head
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.

About

Note to Be

This app offers advanced MIDI quantization for iOS musicians. It allows precise control over note selection, octave flexibility, and MIDI CC integration for crafting harmonious compositions and dynamic live performances. Supports microtonal scales and multi-synth setups.

Highlights
  • Customizable note and octave selection
  • MIDI CC to note conversion
  • Multi-synth channel assignment
  • Live performance toggles
  • Microtonal scale support (Scala Library)
  • MPE polyphonic playback
Features
Read full description

Take full control of your MIDI experience with Note to Be—the powerful iOS app designed to transform how you interact with your music. Whether you're working with a MIDI keyboard, sequencer, or MIDI CC input, Note to Be ensures your notes are perfectly quantized to the nearest selected note, allowing you to craft precise, harmonious compositions with ease. Key Features: - Customizable Note Selection: Choose individual notes from any octave, or apply your selection across the full -1 to +8 octave range. - Octave Flexibility: Work within the entire octave spectrum, selecting and unselecting notes with a simple tap. - MIDI CC Integration: Use MIDI CC from hardware controllers or apps like ShiftBud to convert control changes into quantized notes. Easily create chord voicings and dynamic live performances. - Multi-Synth Support: Assign different MIDI channels to multiple synths, allowing each to respond to the quantized MIDI output independently. - Live Performance Enhancement: Engage the 'all notes' toggle to instantly apply note selections across all octaves or quickly select notes in a specific key and scale. - Microtonality: Select a microtonal scale from the Scala Library with +5000 microtonal scales, or import your own to the iCloud folder. Play the MPE supported synths polyphonically. With Note to Be, your music becomes a canvas, and every note is a brushstroke. Unlock new creative possibilities and refine your sound with the precision of MIDI quantization, right from your iOS device. Note to Be is a MIDI app and does not produce any sound on its own. You need a MIDI input source and an audio output destination in order to work with Note to Be. The AUv3 plugin requires an AUv3 host app such as AUM, Logic Pro for iPad, Loopy Pro, Cubasis, Nanostudio, apeMatrix, Audiobus etc.

Screenshots

sumFX3 screens
Note to Be4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Note to Be at 4.9 against sumFX's 4.4. Note to Be also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On review sentiment, 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

sumFX costs $9.99 and Note to Be $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Note to Be holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 7 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of sumFX's written reviews are positive against 50% of Note to Be's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

sumFX ships an update every 6 months, Note to Be weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
sumFX versus Note to Be: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametersumFXNote to Be
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.4 (12 ratings)4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOSC AudioCem Olcay

Customer experience

sumFX

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

Note to Be

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

sumFX

No in-app purchases

None

Note to Be

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is sumFX free?
sumFX costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Note to Be free?
Note to Be costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, sumFX or Note to Be?
Note to Be is rated higher. sumFX averages 4.4 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Note to Be averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.
Do sumFX or Note to Be have ads?
Neither sumFX nor Note to Be shows ads.
Which is updated more often, sumFX or Note to Be?
sumFX ships an update every 6 months, and Note to Be weekly. Most recently, sumFX was updated on September 23, 2026 and Note to Be on October 7, 2026.

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