Comparison

Performance Sampler vs Resonance Orb

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

Head to head
About

Performance Sampler

Create malleable, performative sound with dynamic, real-time effects. This app offers a tactile approach to sample-based music creation with multi-touch gestures to sculpt audio. Explore new sounds, jam on the go, or perform live with a clean, fluid interface and robust sound-shaping tools.

Highlights
  • Real-time audio manipulation
  • Multi-touch gestures for sound sculpting
  • Customizable sample pads with FX chains
  • Parametric EQ and tuner per pad
  • Sequencer with up to 512 steps
  • Ableton Link integration
  • Resampling and mic/line in recording
Read full description

Samposium is a performance sampler built for real-time audio manipulation. Through fluid, multi-touch gestures inspired by modular synthesizers and the spirit of improvisation, you bend, shape, twist, and sculpt samples into rich, textured arrangements — sample putty you mold live, not just trigger. Whether you're playing live, jamming on the go, or exploring new sounds, Samposium turns your iPad or iPhone into an interactive musical instrument, welcoming to complete beginners and seasoned musicians alike. New in this release: Sequences just leveled up into Patterns. Build and edit up to 8 patterns (A–H) live, without ever stopping playback, so a simple loop can grow into a full arrangement without you ever losing the moment. Grab a Bluetooth MIDI controller and take hands-on control — every mapping in your project now lives in one screen, so you always know exactly what's wired to what. Professional beat-making and sound design at your fingertips • Create fully customizable sample pads - adjust colors, sizes, positions, and behaviors to match your style • Design unique sounds with independent effects chains on every pad, complete with 3-band EQ, tuning, and full effect order control • Layer drums realistically with choke groups, mute or solo any pad at a glance, and craft intricate beats with a powerful 64-step sequencer, up to 512 unique steps • Instantly clear every mute or solo with one tap when things get chaotic mid-set • Tap anywhere on a waveform to hear that exact moment instantly, even while the sequencer keeps running Record and capture your sound • Connect a USB audio interface and choose exactly which input channel feeds which pad, with mono/stereo recording and channel metering • Record your own samples or layer in royalty-free sounds with live Mic/Line In recording and resampling • Bundled project demos and 300+ MB of royalty-free samples to spark creativity immediately Make music your way, anywhere • Adaptive interface that flows seamlessly between portrait and landscape orientations • Choose from multiple layouts designed for different workflows - prioritize what matters to you • Show or hide views to keep your focus exactly where it needs to be • Fully customizable colors and colorblind-friendly options with light and dark modes Collaborate and create without limits • Sync seamlessly with other music apps and hardware using Ableton Link • Full MIDI control with visual feedback - map every pad, effect, and sequencer action with "push to learn," using wired or Bluetooth MIDI controllers • Per-pad MIDI settings for advanced production control • Get quick inspiration with intelligent randomization that respects your settings Stay in the creative flow • Quick-save and auto-save so your ideas are never lost, plus quick access to your 5 most recent projects • Intuitive multi-touch gestures and controls designed for fast, expressive playing • Effect range controls and step-size quantization for precise sound sculpting Everything you need, nothing you don't • One purchase, no subscriptions - create forever • Comprehensive user guide to master every feature • Works as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin, with full audio recording support • Run multiple instances of Samposium side-by-side inside your DAW What people are saying: "I'm always excited about any new, powerful multi-layer sampler for iOS. In this, I really like how fluid the interface and workflow are here." - Synth Anatomy "It's for music creation with your samples and it's for live jamming and it does all kinds of cool stuff. It's very elegant with the way it's been designed." - The Sound Test Room "It's fun, it is a performance sampler. There are no in-app purchases with this, you pay for it once! It works on your iPhone, it works on your iPad" - JadeStarr Questions? help@synthfamdsp.com Join our community on Discord https://www.synthfamdsp.com/#community

About

Resonance Orb

Explore harmonic soundscapes with a visual instrument. Tap to play tones from generative chord progressions, with each semitone mapped to a unique color. Switch between various instrument textures for a calming and immersive listening experience.

Highlights
  • Ambient audiovisual instrument
  • Generative chord movement
  • Expressive touch interaction
  • Real-time visuals
  • Multiple instrument textures (piano, pad, marimba, Rhodes, vibraphone)
  • Harmonic exploration
Features
Read full description

Resonance Orb is an ambient audiovisual instrument for slow listening, touch, and harmonic exploration. Choose a sequence and watch cascading arpeggios ripple across a luminous sphere. Each chord shift blooms into a new color, with every semitone mapped to its own visual palette. Tap the orb to play tones from the current harmony, or switch instruments to reshape the mood with piano, pad, marimba, Rhodes, and vibraphone textures. Designed as a calming music experience, Resonance Orb blends generative chord movement, expressive touch interaction, and real-time visuals into a calm space for listening, focus, and play.

Screenshots

Performance Sampler4 screens
Resonance Orb3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Resonance Orb at Free against Performance Sampler's $14.99. Performance Sampler's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 2). On rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Resonance Orb is free to download; Performance Sampler 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 Performance Sampler against 5.0 for Resonance Orb. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Performance Sampler versus Resonance Orb: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPerformance SamplerResonance Orb
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (7 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size411 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoshua TotemwongseDERRICK LAWWAH CHANSEW

Customer experience

Performance Sampler

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Resonance Orb

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Performance Sampler

No in-app purchases

None

Resonance Orb

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Performance Sampler free?
Performance Sampler costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Resonance Orb free?
Resonance Orb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Performance Sampler or Resonance Orb?
Performance Sampler and Resonance Orb are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Performance Sampler or Resonance Orb have ads?
Neither Performance Sampler nor Resonance Orb shows ads.

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