Comparison

FineEar~Chord vs RingsFX

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

Head to head
About

FineEar~Chord

Train your musical ear to distinguish between various chord types. This app presents chords in groups of increasing complexity, helping you learn to identify major, minor, diminished, and augmented sounds.

Highlights
  • Chord recognition training
  • Major, minor, diminished, augmented chords
  • Grouped chord exercises (pairs, trios, quartets)
  • Develop musical ear
  • Ear training for musicians
Features
Read full description

Do you want to learn to distinguish different types of chords? train yourself with “FineEar - Chords” and start to tune your ear! Press "Play" and recognize what type of chord was played: it can be a major chord, a minor chord, a diminished chord, or a reached chord. Little by little you will "tune your ear", learning to recognize how each type of chord sounds. ** How the app is organized ** Chord types are grouped into pairs, trios, and quartets. For example: Pairs -Major or Minor -Augmented or Diminished -Mayor or Diminished -Minor or Diminished -Minor or Diminished -Augmented or Diminished Trios -Major, Minor or Diminished -Major, Minor or Augmented -Mayor, Diminished or Augmented Quartet -Major, Minor, Diminished or Augmented Learn, train and challenge yourself using the most valuable instrument you have as a musician: your own ear.

About

RingsFX

This music app emulates a renowned physical modeling synthesizer, offering diverse synthesis techniques and polyphonic capabilities. It allows for real-time parameter manipulation and can process external audio, creating unique sonic textures and rhythms.

Highlights
  • Physical modeling synthesis emulation
  • Multiple polyphony modes (Mono, Duo, Quad, True Polyphonic)
  • Supports MIDI MPE and velocity sensitivity
  • External audio excitation
  • Mod Matrix for real-time parameter control
  • 7 unique synthesis modes
  • 6 mod-able and 6 global effects
Features
Read full description

RingsFX is an AUv3 plugin based on the famous Mutable Instruments Rings, one of the most dedicated and fully-featured Physical Modeling Eurorack modules ever created. At its core is a resonator that needs to be 'excited' or 'strummed' by MIDI input, noise, or external audio excitation. RingsFX emulates vibrations of structures simulated by 3 different synthesis techniques that can be plucked or process external signals: Modal Synthesis, Sympathetic Strings, and Inharmonic Strings. Traditionally, Rings was only monophonic but used a unique approach to polyphony that allowed the previous note to 'ring' out and decay while a new note was played. Rings FX provides these same modes (Mono, Duo, and Quad), but expands it with a true Polyphonic mode. RingsFX also expands the capabilities of the original engine by adding support for velocity sensitivity and MIDI MPE mode. The new polyphonic mode allows RingsFX to play up to 12 notes of true polyphony, depending on the settings. Doing so requires RingsFX to use multiple Rings resonators, but the more true polyphony you use, the more processing power it requires. Running in the traditional Monophonic, Duophonic, or Quadrophonic modes may be preferred in order to keep CPU usage under control. RingsFX has 7 modes in total, by combining the 3 basic modes with additional properties such as chords or specially tuned reverbs. The original hardware also had a secret 'Easter Egg' mode, which in RingsFX is simply calling 'Synthesizer' mode, rumoured to be based on one of the early Korg synthesis methods. This mode supported a number of mutable effects which now work on in all resonator modes. RingsFX also has a Mod-Matrix which allows you to combine the built-in LFOs and FEGs to great effect by manipulating parameters and mutable effects in realtime. Finally, RingsFX can be loaded as an AUv3 effect plugin. Set the Exciter Source to 'INPUT', and you can pass any audio through RingsFX and use this audio as an external exciter. For example, it can be used to great affect on a drum beat to create some crazy rhythms. Use the Output Mix to combine the original audio with the synthesised resonator output to create some stunning effects. Features ○ 7 unique synthesis modes. ○ Supports Mono, Duo, Quad and true polyphony. ○ Supports 2 fluid LFO's per note. ○ Up to 4 FEG's per note. ○ External Exciter modes. ○ White noise Pulse Sequencer. ○ Supports 6 mod-able effects and 6 global effects. ○ Mod Matrix ○ Input and white noise filters. ○ Program Manager with drag and drop. ○ Preset Search and Favourites. ○ Easy export and import of banks and presets. ○ Extensive help manual. ○ Web Transfer for backing up to PC/Mac. ○ MPE Support.

Screenshots

FineEar~Chord4 screens
RingsFX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FineEar~Chord at Free against RingsFX's $14.99. FineEar~Chord also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). RingsFX's advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On rating, review sentiment, 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

FineEar~Chord is free to download; RingsFX costs $14.99 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 — 5.0 for FineEar~Chord against 4.9 for RingsFX. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RingsFX has 27 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FineEar~Chord ships an update every 5 days, RingsFX fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
FineEar~Chord versus RingsFX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFineEar~ChordRingsFX
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.9 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings327 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuciano Schillagi4Pockets.com

Customer experience

FineEar~Chord

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

RingsFX

All ratings26 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

FineEar~Chord

No in-app purchases

None

RingsFX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FineEar~Chord free?
FineEar~Chord is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RingsFX free?
RingsFX costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FineEar~Chord or RingsFX?
FineEar~Chord is rated higher. FineEar~Chord averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while RingsFX averages 4.9 from 27 ratings.
Do FineEar~Chord or RingsFX have ads?
Neither FineEar~Chord nor RingsFX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FineEar~Chord or RingsFX?
FineEar~Chord ships an update every 5 days, and RingsFX fortnightly. Most recently, FineEar~Chord was updated on October 9, 2026 and RingsFX on October 20, 2026.

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