sumFX vs ChipWave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
ChipWave
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Make music that sounds like it came straight from a 16-bit game console. ChipWave is a chiptune DAW built around a faithful recreation of the classic 16-bit console sound chip: 8 voices, BRR-compressed samples, ADSR envelopes, hardware-style echo and a noise generator — all running at an authentic 32 kHz. COMPOSE ON A PIANO ROLL • 8 tracks mapped 1:1 to 8 hardware voices • Draw, move and resize notes with your finger • Pinch to zoom, grid snapping from 1/4 to 1/32 notes • Full undo/redo, mute/solo while playing • Up to 256 bars, tempo 20–300 BPM AUTHENTIC SOUND ENGINE • BRR sample decoding with 4-point Gaussian interpolation • ADSR and GAIN envelope modes, per-voice stereo volume • Hardware-style echo: delay, feedback and an 8-tap FIR filter • Shared LFSR noise with 32-step frequency control (NCK) • Pitch modulation driven by the previous voice (PMON) • A strict 64 KB audio RAM budget, just like the real hardware BRING YOUR OWN SOUNDS • Import WAV / AIFF / CAF — converted to chip-native BRR by an adaptive encoder • Import BRR samples directly • Analyze SPC snapshot files you have rights to: extract samples, registers and echo settings, and turn the performance into an editable piano roll • Built-in pulse, triangle, saw and organ waves so you can start right away EXPORT & SHARE • Render your song to 32 kHz stereo WAV • Export individual BRR samples • Save and open projects as portable JSON files MADE FOR iPHONE AND iPAD • Three-pane studio layout on iPad, focused tab layout on iPhone • Touch keyboard for instant sound preview • Works completely offline PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything runs on your device. No account, no ads, no tracking. Please import only audio and music data for which you have the necessary rights. ChipWave does not include any copyrighted game content.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ChipWave at $6.99 against sumFX's $9.99. sumFX's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
sumFX costs $9.99 and ChipWave $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | sumFX | ChipWave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | $6.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | OSC Audio | Code and DESIGN inc. |
In-app purchases
sumFX
No in-app purchases
ChipWave
No in-app purchases









