Note to Be vs GlitchStep
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Note to Be
This app offers advanced MIDI quantization for iOS musicians. It allows precise control over note selection, octave flexibility, and MIDI CC integration for crafting harmonious compositions and dynamic live performances. Supports microtonal scales and multi-synth setups.
- Customizable note and octave selection
- MIDI CC to note conversion
- Multi-synth channel assignment
- Live performance toggles
- Microtonal scale support (Scala Library)
- MPE polyphonic playback
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Take full control of your MIDI experience with Note to Be—the powerful iOS app designed to transform how you interact with your music. Whether you're working with a MIDI keyboard, sequencer, or MIDI CC input, Note to Be ensures your notes are perfectly quantized to the nearest selected note, allowing you to craft precise, harmonious compositions with ease. Key Features: - Customizable Note Selection: Choose individual notes from any octave, or apply your selection across the full -1 to +8 octave range. - Octave Flexibility: Work within the entire octave spectrum, selecting and unselecting notes with a simple tap. - MIDI CC Integration: Use MIDI CC from hardware controllers or apps like ShiftBud to convert control changes into quantized notes. Easily create chord voicings and dynamic live performances. - Multi-Synth Support: Assign different MIDI channels to multiple synths, allowing each to respond to the quantized MIDI output independently. - Live Performance Enhancement: Engage the 'all notes' toggle to instantly apply note selections across all octaves or quickly select notes in a specific key and scale. - Microtonality: Select a microtonal scale from the Scala Library with +5000 microtonal scales, or import your own to the iCloud folder. Play the MPE supported synths polyphonically. With Note to Be, your music becomes a canvas, and every note is a brushstroke. Unlock new creative possibilities and refine your sound with the precision of MIDI quantization, right from your iOS device. Note to Be is a MIDI app and does not produce any sound on its own. You need a MIDI input source and an audio output destination in order to work with Note to Be. The AUv3 plugin requires an AUv3 host app such as AUM, Logic Pro for iPad, Loopy Pro, Cubasis, Nanostudio, apeMatrix, Audiobus etc.
GlitchStep
This music app is a monophonic 16-step MIDI sequencer and AUv3 MIDI processor extension. It allows for real-time sequence rearrangement, song building with playlists, and dynamic performance variations. Integrate it with your favorite AUv3 hosts for enhanced music production.
- 16-step monophonic sequencer
- AUv3 MIDI processor extension
- Real-time sequence rearrangement
- Pattern and slice playlists
- Glitch effects with XY pad
- Extensive scale options
- Customizable sequence controls
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Unleash Your Creativity with GlitchStep GlitchStep is a cutting-edge monophonic 16-step, performance-oriented sequencer and AUv3 MIDI processor extension. Dive into a world of musical possibilities as you play with your sequence and perform dynamic, captivating variations. Next-Level Sequence Manipulation: Inspired by GlitchCore, GlitchStep employs a slice grid for real-time sequence rearrangement. Both patterns and slices can be compiled into playlists, allowing you to build and modify songs on-the-fly for live performance or studio sessions. Effortless Integration: Load GlitchStep as an AUv3 MIDI Processor/MIDI FX in your favorite AUv3 hosts like AUM, Logic, Loopy Pro, Drambo, and more. Note: Standalone use is not supported. Features to Elevate Your Music: - 16 Steps - 8 Patterns - Unlimited Pattern Playlist Entries - Slice Grid with Drawing Mode - 8 Slice Patterns - Unlimited Slice Pattern Playlist Entries - Glitch Your Sequence with XY Pad and Sliders - Aggressive Glitch Capabilities - Extensive Scale Options - Customizable Start and End Sequence Positions - Control Sequence Direction - Global Sequence Rate Adjustments - Individual Pattern Rates - Pattern Note Slides - Swing - Randomize, Shift, Shuffle, Copy/Paste, and Initialize Patterns - Randomization Thresholds - Selective Randomization for Notes, Gates, Velocity, and Probability - Randomize, Shift, Copy/Paste, and Initialize Slices - Scale Key Adjustment - Minimum Octave and Octave Range Settings - 16 Themes Transform your music production with GlitchStep. Whether you're looking to add subtle variations or go all-in on aggressive glitches, this app has you covered.
Screenshots
Verdict
Note to Be and GlitchStep both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of GlitchStep's written reviews are positive against 50% of Note to Be's. GlitchStep also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). Note to Be's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.2). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Note to Be costs $3.99 and GlitchStep $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Note to Be against 4.9 for GlitchStep. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 19 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Note to Be's written reviews are positive against 89% of GlitchStep's.
Note to Be ships an update every 9 days, GlitchStep every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Note to Be | GlitchStep |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (7 ratings) | 4.9 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 88.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 19 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 71 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cem Olcay | Alex Matheu |
Customer experience
Note to Be
GlitchStep
In-app purchases
Note to Be
No in-app purchases
GlitchStep
No in-app purchases







