JAX SPECTRO Series vs Anacru
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
JAX SPECTRO Series
This application provides real-time spectral analysis of audio streams, dividing them into 128 chromatically mapped frequency bands across the MIDI note range. It visualizes these bands in a musical semitone scale, offering detailed frequency analysis for music production and study.
- Real-time spectral analysis
- 128 frequency bands
- Chromatically mapped bands
- Musical semitone scale visualization
- MIDI note range coverage
- Universal build for Apple devices
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Note: AudioUnits (AUv3) require a supporting host application to perform. JAX SPECTRO SERIES AudioUnits (AUv3) are special spectral processors, which divide the audio stream in 128 frequency bands. These bands are chromatically mapped and visualized consequently in the scale of musical semitones across the entire MIDI notes range. These tools are useful for frequency analysis in a musical context. This build is truly 'universal', meaning, unit is available for: - MacOS (Apple Silicon) - iOS (iPhone) - iPadOS (iPads) - visionOS (Apple Vision Pro) Please note, that the MacOS Catalyst (Intel) versions may be sold separately, as the AppStore does not allow to bundle none-silicon apps.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Anacru at 5.0 against JAX SPECTRO Series's 3.0. Anacru also leads on price ($4.99 vs $5.99). On ratings volume, 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
JAX SPECTRO Series costs $5.99 and Anacru $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Anacru holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | JAX SPECTRO Series | Anacru |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | $4.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | — | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jens Guell | EVAN TRACEN POWERS |
Customer experience
JAX SPECTRO Series
Anacru
In-app purchases
JAX SPECTRO Series
No in-app purchases
Anacru
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is JAX SPECTRO Series free?
Is Anacru free?
Which has better reviews, JAX SPECTRO Series or Anacru?
Do JAX SPECTRO Series or Anacru have ads?
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