Comparison

501 Chorus Echo vs Anacru

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

Head to head
About

501 Chorus Echo

This audio plugin meticulously models the iconic Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo, offering authentic analog warmth with modern digital flexibility. It provides producers with classic tape delay, BBD chorus, and spring reverb sounds, enhanced by DAW tempo sync and expanded controls for any music genre.

Highlights
  • Authentic analog sound reproduction
  • Extended creative control with DAW sync
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Versatile for any music genre
  • Independent SOS timings
  • Linear preamp option
Features
Read full description

"Legendary Analog Warmth: Authentic Spring Reverb, Classic Tape Delay, and Lush BBD Chorus in a Cutting-Edge Plugin" Rediscover the iconic sound of the Roland RE-501 Chorus Echo*, now reborn as the NA 501 Chorus Echo plugin by Nembrini Audio. This meticulously modeled plugin captures the essence of the legendary tape echo, BBD chorus, and spring reverb, enhanced with modern digital functionality for today's music producers. Ideal for adding rich, analog textures to any genre, the NA 501 is a versatile tool for musicians and producers seeking that classic sound with contemporary flexibility. Key Features:: 1 - Authentic Sound Reproduction: Delivers the classic warmth and character of the Roland RE-501 through precise digital modeling. 2 - Extended Creative Control: Offers advanced features like DAW tempo sync, expanded chorus and delay parameters, and independent SOS timings. 3 - Intuitive User Interface: Designed for ease of use, blending vintage aesthetics with modern digital efficiency. 4 - Versatility for Any Genre: Whether you're producing rock, electronic, ambient, or beyond, the NA 501 fits seamlessly into any musical project. Equipped with features tailored for modern production, the NA 501 includes DAW tempo synchronization, a wide parameter range for the BBD chorus and analog tape delay, separate left and right SOS timings, and a linear preamp option. These technical enhancements ensure that the NA 501 not only emulates the classic sound but elevates it to new levels. Works as a standalone app, AudioUnit v3 effect, or Inter-App Audio effect Legal Disclaimer: RE-501 Chorus Echo is a registered trademark of Roland Inc. NA 501 Chorus Echo was developed by Nembrini Audio SRL based on its modeling techniques. Roland has not endorsed nor sponsored the NA 501 Chorus Echo in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.

About

Anacru

Build complex rhythms with interlocking meters, tempo changes, and nested tuplets. Visualize and hear intricate polyrhythms and metric modulations. Export your creations as MIDI files for use in digital audio workstations.

Highlights
  • Construct advanced rhythms
  • Interlocking meters and phase shifts
  • Metric modulation with tempo changes
  • Nested tuplets
  • Interactive visual wheel
  • Export MIDI files to DAWs
  • Private by design, no account needed
Features
Read full description

Anacru is a scratchpad for constructing advanced rhythm. Most rhythm apps measure time — Anacru builds it. Instead of tapping along to a click, you assemble the rhythm you're hearing in your head from its parts: interlocking meters, tempo modulations, phase shifts, and tuplets nested inside tuplets. Then you play it back, watch it move, and export it to your DAW. Built for composers, drummers, producers, and teachers who work past 4/4 — and for students trying to finally *feel* how these ideas fit together. WHAT YOU CAN BUILD • Polymeter — stack independent layers, each with its own meter, subdivision, accent pattern, and phase offset. Watch 5/4 drift against 4/4 and snap back into alignment, locked to one shared pulse. • Metric modulation — pick the note value before and after a tempo change and get the exact new BPM instantly, with the direction never ambiguous. Chain modulations into a timeline the playback steps through as it loops. • Nested tuplets — put a quintuplet inside a triplet inside a bar. The engine handles the math; you just stack them. • Phase & accents — tap a pulse to accent it, or drag a layer's ring to rotate its phase. The wheel is the instrument. THE INTERACTIVE WHEEL Every layer is a ring of pulses on a single wheel, color-coded and voiced so you can follow each stream by eye and by ear. A playhead sweeps the cycle so you can see the relationships, not just hear them. HEAR IT PROPERLY Each layer gets its own pitch, stereo position, and selectable voice — woodblock, marimba, pluck, sine, or a kick/hi-hat drum kit — so interlocking parts read as separate instruments instead of one wash. SEE IT NOTATED Each layer is rendered on its own staff with correct meter, beaming, accents, and tuplet brackets. TAKE IT WITH YOU • Save and recall your patterns on-device. • Export a MIDI file — a clean tempo map carrying your modulation timeline, plus one track per layer — and drop it straight into any DAW. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No sign-up. No tracking. No internet required. Everything lives on your device. One purchase, yours to keep.

Screenshots

501 Chorus Echo1 screens
Anacru4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Anacru at $4.99 against 501 Chorus Echo's $14.99. Anacru also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (monthly vs every 17 months). 501 Chorus Echo's advantage is ratings volume (8 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

501 Chorus Echo costs $14.99 and Anacru $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Anacru holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

501 Chorus Echo ships an update every 17 months, Anacru monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
501 Chorus Echo versus Anacru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter501 Chorus EchoAnacru
Price$14.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.5 (8 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNembrini AudioEVAN TRACEN POWERS

Customer experience

501 Chorus Echo

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Anacru

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

501 Chorus Echo

No in-app purchases

None

Anacru

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 501 Chorus Echo free?
501 Chorus Echo costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Anacru free?
Anacru costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 501 Chorus Echo or Anacru?
Anacru is rated higher. 501 Chorus Echo averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Anacru averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do 501 Chorus Echo or Anacru have ads?
Neither 501 Chorus Echo nor Anacru shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 501 Chorus Echo or Anacru?
501 Chorus Echo ships an update every 17 months, and Anacru monthly. Most recently, 501 Chorus Echo was updated on October 13, 2026 and Anacru on October 12, 2026.

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