Comparison

AD 480 basic vs Horn Section HD

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

Head to head
About

AD 480 basic

This app offers professional-quality studio reverb effects for music production. It features variable room sizes, multiple acoustic spaces, and extensive filter options. Integrate with other audio apps for enhanced creative workflows.

Highlights
  • Professional studio reverb effect
  • Variable room size
  • Multiple acoustic spaces
  • Extensive filter layout
  • Audiobus 2 integration
  • Inter-app Audio support
Read full description

Pro quality studio reverb effect. - Use it with Audiobus and Interapp Audio. The AD 480 basic is the small brother of the AD 480 pro, the ultimate reverb for your iDevice (more about the AD 480 pro below). Features: - one hour trial period of the pro features - professional reverb sound effect with variable room size - 4 beautiful acoustic spaces with the possibility to tweak all parameters - extensive filter layout for a wide spectrum of sound - supports internal and external (USB class compliant or MFi) audio interfaces - full Audiobus 2 integration (input, filter and output position) - Interapp Audio Support - Dynamic Upgrade (AD 480 basic is automatically upgraded to pro features when AD 480 pro is installed) - InApp Purchase for upgrading to AD 480 pro ____________________________________________ ABOUT THE AD 480 pro: Pro quality studio reverb. - Use it with Audiobus, Inter-app Audio, iTunes music library and multichannel audio interfaces. Enhance and enrich your recordings and live sound with the perfect sonic texture of your choice. Record, process and export directly for lightning fast creative work! The AD 480 delivers a realistic acoustic sound with a fine sonic character in best studio quality. From small boxes to the Grand Canyon – practically any size and shape is possible. The highly intuitive user interface is designed from the ground up for today’s touch screens. It gives you quick and responsive access to all parameters and on the iPad it offers a special graphics mode (stage mode) for low light environments. The MIDI functions let you fully remote control / automate the AD 480 and the audio routing matrix gives you greatest flexibility in a multi app / multi channel environment. Features: - professional reverb sound effect with variable room size - InterApp Audio Support - 108 beautiful presets - professional preset management for MIDI, audio routing and reverb settings - extensive filter layout for a wide spectrum of sound - supports internal and external (USB class compliant or MFi) audio interfaces - routing matrix, which supports up to 24 input and 24 output channels - full Audiobus 2 integration (input, filter and output position) with State Saving - supports full MIDI communication via network and USB-MIDI interfaces, as well as inter-app MIDI - supports sample rates of 44.1 kHz - 96 kHz - latencies down to 64 samples - special low-light mode for live use on stage ("stage mode", iPad only) - background audio for multitasking with other apps - Audio Recording, Playback, Offline Processing - Audio Import & Export via AudioCopy/AudioPaste/AudioShare - Dynamic Upgrade (AD 480 free & AD 480 basic are automatically upgraded to pro features when AD 480 pro is installed) - Itunes Library Access for preset sharing - Itunes Music playback ======= “I’ve just played with it and I have to say I’m impressed. I’m not a sound designer but your presets seem to do exactly what their names imply. AD 480 should be really useful for a lot of folks out there!” Sebastian Dittmann Audiobus Software ======= The AD 480 pro was rated "killer app" on Apps4iDevices.com. Read everything at http://apps4idevices.com/read/ad-480-pro.html ======= more info, audio demos, video demos and manual on: fiedler-audio.com

About

Horn Section HD

Add professional horn section sounds to your music productions. This app offers a library of live-recorded licks, stabs, and swells performed by a professional horn section. Easily integrate these sounds into your tracks on iOS devices, with full support for DAWs and GarageBand.

Highlights
  • Live horn section recordings
  • Apple Loops for GarageBand
  • Copyable to any DAW
  • Audiobus and Inter App Audio support
  • Over 300 licks, stabs, and swells
  • Multiple keys and tempos
Features
Read full description

Real live horns for your songs, played by the first call horn section in The Netherlands, the Jayhorns! Right in your back pocket and recorded for IOS only! An app for iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch with dedicated design for all devices and full Audiobus and Inter App Audio support. Enhance your tracks with these licks, stabs and swells and enjoy the live feel of a real horn section! And in GarageBand the licks follow tempo and key, the perfect 'brass' add-on! Perfect for producers and songwriters….. licks, stabs, swells and more in 7 chapters performed in 3 bpms and 4 essential keys, over 300 in total. Perfect for Garageband users on IOS, all licks were performed with minor third intervals and are presented as Apple Loops so copied to GB the licks follow the key set in GB with ease, as well as tempo! (these features are 'Garageband only') Copy any lick to any other paste equipped DAW (and use built in time stretching and transposing functions if you like) and enhance your tracks with a live horn section at your finger tips as if you had them in your own studio. The lines were composed based on often requested parts as experienced by the incredible Jayhorns (see bio for tours/albums and credits). MAIN FEATURES: * All licks can be copied as Apple Loops to GB, following tempo and key changes * All licks can be copied to any other paste equipped daw * Full horn section library for anyone making music on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch * Audiobus compatible * Inter App Audio compatible * Easy auditioning of licks as they all loop within the app * Performed, recorded and built only for IOS * Many styles in relevant bpms (check content list) * Lines, swells, stabs and other content were produced with your compositions in mind * Uncut, not time stretched, actual high end recordings * Audio quality: 44.1 kHz, 16 bit (cd) * All licks, stabs and swell actually played separately in all bpms and keys, by the first call horn section in The Benelux * All licks can be cut, altered and moved for more complex arranging * Any lick can be used creatively outside the mentioned style with ease The licks were edited and mastered to a logical length, depending on style/meaning and use for you to place them quickly and get them automatically in the 'right spot" but they can be moved for different effects and placed freely within your sequencer of choice. And of course, licks can be stacked as well. Line up: Trumpet-Trumpet-Trombone-Saxophone (with Flugelhorn and Baritone Sax variations within the chapters). Content: * Funk, Disco 'n Dance: 9 section licks performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb * Pop: 9 section licks performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb * Soul: 9 section licks performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb (4 licks in 130 bpm soul) * Jazz: 9 section licks performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb * Stabs: 5 section licks performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb * Swells: one horn swell performed at 90, 110 and 130 bpm, all in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb and major and minor swells in the keys of Bb, Db, E and G * Fx 'n Moods: 4 fast and 4 slow shakes in the keys of A, C, Eb and Gb 'Down Boy' lick at 90, 110 and 130 bpm in A, C, Eb and Gb 'James' lick at 90 bpm Forte Piano and 130 bpm Sforzando in A, C, Eb and Gb 'What Goes Up' lick at 90 and 110 bpm in A, C, Eb and Gb 'Hornlike' lick at 90 bpm in A, C, Eb and Gb * Instructions/credits and Jayhorns info Don't settle for synth imitations or 'sounds like brass' solutions, go for the real thing and enjoy the experience, energy and full sound of the Jayhorns in your own song production, this is a living and breathing section and a purpose built release for IOS only. www.hornsectionhd.com (support site with soon to be released trailers) Also you will find DAW specific instructions on this page.

Screenshots

AD 480 basic4 screens
Horn Section HD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Horn Section HD at 3.0 against AD 480 basic's 2.3. Horn Section HD also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). AD 480 basic's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 51 months) and price ($3.99 vs $8.99). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

AD 480 basic costs $3.99 and Horn Section HD $8.99 up front. AD 480 basic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Horn Section HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Horn Section HD holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of AD 480 basic's written reviews are positive against 17% of Horn Section HD's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AD 480 basic ships an update monthly, Horn Section HD every 51 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
AD 480 basic versus Horn Section HD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAD 480 basicHorn Section HD
Price$3.99 — better$8.99
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)3.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 51 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better12.1
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB409 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas FiedlerGo Independent Records

Customer experience

AD 480 basic

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

Horn Section HD

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

AD 480 basic

One-time1
  • AD 480 pro capabilites (upgrade)$10.99
None

Horn Section HD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AD 480 basic free?
AD 480 basic costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Horn Section HD free?
Horn Section HD costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AD 480 basic or Horn Section HD?
Horn Section HD is rated higher. AD 480 basic averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Horn Section HD averages 3.0 from 3 ratings.
Do AD 480 basic or Horn Section HD have ads?
Neither AD 480 basic nor Horn Section HD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AD 480 basic or Horn Section HD?
AD 480 basic ships an update monthly, and Horn Section HD every 51 months. Most recently, AD 480 basic was updated on October 23, 2026 and Horn Section HD on October 27, 2026.

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