Marimba vs SimplComp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Marimba
This app offers a high-quality sampled marimba instrument for iOS devices. It functions as a standalone application or an AUv3 plugin, featuring adjustable keyboard settings and built-in effects like reverb and delay. It supports external MIDI input for enhanced musical expression.
- Standalone app and AUv3 plugin
- High-quality sample-based marimba
- Configurable keyboard
- Reverb and delay effects
- MIDI input support
- Mac support
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Marimba is a polyphonic sampled AUv3 instrument and standalone app for iPhone and iPad. It features a configurable keyboard, reverb and delay effects. It can be played using an external midi keyboard over Wifi or Bluetooth, or loaded in your favourite AUv3 compatible DAW, such as Garageband. Features • Standalone app and AUv3 • High quality sample based marimba instrument • Configurable keyboard key count • Reverb • Delay • Midi input support • Mac support System Requirements: iOS 15.0 or later
SimplComp
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Introduction SimpleComp is very simple general purpose compressor that’s easy to use and very light on CPU. Sometimes you just need some basic dynamics processing that doesn’t add “character”, or that relies on sophisticated techniques or performance expensive DSP. SimplComp was designed for those times! SimpleComp is an AUv3 effects plugin that can run standalone, or in any AUv3 compatible host such as Logic Pro, GarageBand or AUM. SimpleComp currently runs on iPadOS / iOS (iPad & iPhone) and macOS (Intel & Silicon) and is available as a Universal Purchase from the Apple App Store. If you’re planning on using SimpleComp on Mac / desktop, please ensure that your favourite DAW / host supports AUv3 (not just AU). Parameters ACTIVE - toggles the effect on or off. IN - sets the level of the incoming signal. Typically you would leave this as 0dB, i.e unity gain. The meters to the left of the panel show the level of the incoming signal. COMP - sets the compression threshold. Note that unlike many compressor plugins, the threshold is reduced as you turn up the control, so as you turn it up, you get more compression effect. The bar meter below this control will give an indication of how much over the threshold the input signal is. RATIO - sets the compression ratio. A higher ratio results in a more noticeable “squashing” effect on the signal. OUT - sets the level of the output signal. You may need to adjust this is you wish to manually make up the gain lost by the compression effect, e.g. when AUTO is off (see below). ATK - sets the attack time of the compressor. REL - sets the release time of the compressor. AUTO - toggles automatic makes gain. When switched on, SimplComp will automatically adjust the gain to compensate for the gain reduction that occurs when compression is applied. This is calculated using the compression threshold and ratio. MIX - sets the balance between the compressed and original / dry signal. This allows SimplComp to be used for parallel compression. Factory Presets There are a few factory presets included to get you going. The overall compression will be dependent on the level of the input signal so you will need to select an appropriate factory preset as a starting point, then adjust the COMP parameter up or down for more or less compression indicated by the bar meter below the control.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: SimplComp at 4 against Marimba's 2. SimplComp also leads on price ($1.99 vs $2.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On 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
Marimba costs $2.99 and SimplComp $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Marimba | SimplComp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 92 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mellowmuse Ltd | Rob Jackson |
In-app purchases
Marimba
No in-app purchases
SimplComp
No in-app purchases









