MidiWrist Unleashed vs Solderbox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MidiWrist Unleashed
Transform your Apple Watch into a standalone MIDI controller. Directly connect to Bluetooth LE MIDI devices without your iPhone, offering tactile control with haptic feedback and the digital crown. Customize knobs, buttons, and pages for a personalized music production experience.
- Standalone Apple Watch MIDI controller
- Direct Bluetooth LE MIDI connection
- Digital Crown control with haptic feedback
- Configurable knobs, buttons, and pages
- Transport control for DAWs
- Motion data transmission
- Save and manage presets
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MidiWrist Unleashed turns your Apple Watch into a standalone MIDI controller that directly connects to any advertised Bluetooth LE MIDI device, without the need of your iPhone or any other proxy. The tactile feel of the digital crown combined with haptic feedback, gives you control over any MIDI device by touching your wrist, even when you're not looking. MidiWrist Unleashed makes no sound on its own and can't advertise itself as a Bluetooth LE MIDI device. NOTE: The reliability of Bluetooth LE MIDI support in hardware devices varies. MidiWrist Unleashed was tested with iPhone, iPad, Mac and CME WIDI devices. We can't guarantee the connection stability nor MIDI message latency with other devices. IMPORTANT: MidiWrist Unleashed can only connect to Bluetooth MIDI devices, and doesn't support Siri commands. If you need to connect to other MIDI devices or use the Siri features, the original MidiWrist app is still available with those features. Features: • Standalone MIDI controller for your Apple Watch • Fully configurable on your Watch, no external app is required • Watch face complication to launch the app straight from your watch face • Any number of knobs can be controlled with the Digital Crown • Macro control over multiple MIDI parameters from the Digital Crown • Remotely Play / Stop / Pause / Record / Rewind / Fast Forward your DAW from your Watch • Knobs can be controlled individually or simultaneously • Knobs can be linked to preserve their offsets • Any number of buttons can be toggled by tapping the Watch • Buttons can either be stateful or momentary • Double tap to actuate controls on Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 and later • Buttons and triggers can send a single CC or channel pressure value instead of switching between a minimum and a maximum • Pages can be created with any combination of controls choosing from buttons and knobs • Program changes through the Digital Crown or by tapping the Watch • Transport control over MIDI Machine Control (MMC) or Mackie Control Universal (MCU) • Scrub transport with the Digital Crown • Save / Undo / Redo / Toggle Cycle / Toggle Click / Enter through MCU • XY pad with individual messages for each axis • Stepper panel to step through MIDI values with plus and minus buttons, accelerating as you hold • Motion data (pitch, roll, yaw, acceleration) can be sent in real time • Trigger thresholds for motion data to send discrete messages instead of a continuous stream • Configurable accelerometer range, so a strong movement can be told apart from an ordinary one when you wear the watch somewhere other than your wrist • Optional haptic feedback • Configurable colors for all knobs, buttons and panels • Configurable labels for knobs, buttons and panels • Configurable MIDI channels and MIDI messages (continuous control, program change, channel pressure, note) • Create any number of controller pages you need • Delete and rearrange controller pages • Save your configurations to presets for easy retrieval • MIDI learn for easy controller configuration • Delete and rearrange presets • Connect to other Bluetooth MIDI devices • Low latency and fast response
Solderbox
This app is a compact, semi-modular synthesizer designed for generative music creation. It offers a comprehensive set of modular functions, aiming for analog-like sound and behavior with unique digital effects and an 'Instability Engine' for organic fluctuations.
- Generative synthesis tools
- Analog-like sound emulation
- Instability Engine for organic fluctuations
- Audio Unit (AUv3) compatibility
- Built-in Pulsequencer melody generator
- Multiple filter modes
- Stackable patch cables
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Solderbox is a compact semimodular synthesizer, made in collaboration with Jakob Haq. It is heavily based on Jakob's own modular rack design (which features a lot of modules made by hand). The app is designed to offer a set of modular functions that is both comprehensive and eclectic, including several tools for generative synthesis, random signals and the surgical mangling of audio waves and modulation signals. A lot of effort went into making everything sound and behave as analog as digitally possible (with the exception of the unashamedly digital Entropy lo-fi effect processor). Additionally, the built-in Instability Engine injects the subtle fluctuations simulating the effects of crosstalk, leaky signals and expired electrical components. This is a living instrument with a soul of its own. - Full Audio Unit compatibility (AUv3 instrument, audio effect) - Universal design (iPhone, iPad, MacOS AUv3) - Built-in Pulsequencer (LFO-based generative melody generator with custom scales) - 4 mode Low-pass filter (6, 12, 18, 24 dB) - 3 voice polyphony - Drone mode - Stackable patch cables - DIY Lo-Fi digital delay circuit emulation - All synth settings exposed a AU Parameters (for automation and MIDI learning in your host of choice) Find the user manual on ruismaker.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Solderbox at 5.0 against MidiWrist Unleashed's 4.2. Solderbox also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 80%) and price ($12.99 vs $14.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
MidiWrist Unleashed costs $14.99 and Solderbox $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Solderbox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of MidiWrist Unleashed's written reviews are positive against 90% of Solderbox's.
MidiWrist Unleashed ships an update every 3 weeks, Solderbox every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MidiWrist Unleashed | Solderbox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $12.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 27 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Uwyn, LLC | Bram Bos |
Customer experience
MidiWrist Unleashed
Solderbox
In-app purchases
MidiWrist Unleashed
No in-app purchases
Solderbox
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MidiWrist Unleashed free?
Is Solderbox free?
Which has better reviews, MidiWrist Unleashed or Solderbox?
Do MidiWrist Unleashed or Solderbox have ads?
Which is updated more often, MidiWrist Unleashed or Solderbox?
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