Comparison

JAX SPECTRO Series vs Anacru

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time spectral analysis
  • 128 frequency bands
  • Chromatically mapped bands
  • Musical semitone scale visualization
  • MIDI note range coverage
  • Universal build for Apple devices
Features
Read full description

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.

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

JAX SPECTRO Series4 screens
Anacru4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
JAX SPECTRO Series versus Anacru: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJAX SPECTRO SeriesAnacru
Price$5.99$4.99 — better
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings22
Update frequency—Monthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJens GuellEVAN TRACEN POWERS

Customer experience

JAX SPECTRO Series

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Anacru

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

In-app purchases

None

JAX SPECTRO Series

No in-app purchases

None

Anacru

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JAX SPECTRO Series free?
JAX SPECTRO Series costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Anacru free?
Anacru costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JAX SPECTRO Series or Anacru?
Anacru is rated higher. JAX SPECTRO Series averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Anacru averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do JAX SPECTRO Series or Anacru have ads?
Neither JAX SPECTRO Series nor Anacru shows ads.

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