LH Rubbing vs Polywave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LH Rubbing
This virtual analog synthesizer app for iPad offers a rich, analog sound. It features multiple oscillators, filters, and LFOs for extensive sound shaping. Control pitch, cutoff, and resonance with an ADSR envelope and add vibrato with keyboard interaction.
- Polyphony synthesizer
- Three wave oscillators
- One noise oscillator
- Two LFOs
- Three type embedded filter
- ADSR envelope generator
- Keyboard vibrato control
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LH Rubbing is a polyphony synthesizer app for iPad running on iOS 9.3 or later. It sounds very analog. There are three wave oscillators, one noise oscillator, two LFOs and one three type embedded filter (low-pass, hi-pass and bandpass). Each wave oscillator can generate three kinds of waveform which are triangle, square and saw wave. LFO can be attached to different modul for different modulation or control such as OSC Pitch, PW, Filter Cutoff Frequency, Filter Resonance and OSC Output Mixing. The frequency and amplitude of the 1st LFO can be modified by the 2nd LFO. Pitch, Filter Cutoff Frequency and Resonance can be controlled by the ADSR envelope generator. The Keyboard Rubbing brings up vibrato while control the vibrato rate and depth.
Polywave
Create unique, evolving sonic experiences with a novel wavetable sequencer inspired by vintage synths. Draw your own waveforms, explore a vast library, and connect to external keyboards or DAWs. Record your creations directly within the app.
- Wavetable sequencer
- Custom waveform drawing
- Expansive waveform library
- 100+ factory presets
- MIDI and Audio Unit support
- Live recording module
- 8-voice polyphony
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From Fingerlab (multiple-time winner of Music App of the Week, 2012 Apple Design Award) and Jordan Rudess (keyboardist of Dream Theater), comes Polywave — a revolutionary wavetable sequencer synthesizer for iPhone, iPad & Mac. Inspired by the legendary Korg Wavestation, Polywave lets you draw your own waveforms with your finger and create unique, ever-evolving sounds that are truly yours. Draw your own waveforms directly on screen 100+ factory presets: leads, pads, loops & FX Connect any MIDI keyboard or load as AUv3 in your DAW Live recording built-in Free version includes 12 factory presets and a selection of core features. Get the Full Version IAP to unlock everything. Features: • 8-voice polyphony & 6 octaves • Wavetable & waveform sequencer • VCO & FM Oscillators • FM Modulation & Detune • ADSR Envelope editor • Moog Ladder filter with ADSR • 2 LFOs with custom modulation waveform • LFO Sync & Loop mode • Waveform drawing editor & library (100 waveforms) • Preset Randomizer & export/import • 5 FX: Tube Amp, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay & Reverb • Live recording & export • Full MIDI & MIDI Mapping support • AudioBus & Inter-App Audio (iOS) • Full AudioUnit AUv3 support • iCloud Family Sharing Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Polywave at 4.7 against LH Rubbing's 4.2. Polywave also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 26 months) and device support (4 vs 1). LH Rubbing's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Polywave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. LH Rubbing asks for nothing beyond the download.
Polywave holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 34 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of LH Rubbing's written reviews are positive against 80% of Polywave's.
LH Rubbing ships an update every 26 months, Polywave every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LH Rubbing | Polywave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (19 ratings) | 4.7 (34 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 19 | 34 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 昊 刘 | Fingerlab |
Customer experience
LH Rubbing
Polywave
In-app purchases
LH Rubbing
No in-app purchases
Polywave
- Full Version$11.99
