iotaTONE vs Locus
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iotaTONE
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Isomorphic, Polyphonic, Microtonal, Just Intonation Musical Instrument & MIDI Controller for tablets & mobile phones Touch & Tilt - Intuitive playing mechanism Motion Detector - Camera input controls pitch & volume. Isomorphic Keyboard - precision numeric & graphic display Play melodies, chords, scales, instant inversions, effortless Arpeggios 4 Distinct Playing Modes - Polyphonic / Monophonic x Touch / Hold Expressive - realtime FX Box controls. User configurable Volume settings. Basic Drum Machine - 50+ practice patterns Quantized Output for Rhythmic Effects Microtonal Capabilities - explore Just Intonation & Pythagorean Tunings Includes Harmonic Table, Tonnetz, Wicki-Hayden + more Create your own microtonal mappings iotaTONE combines touchscreen technology with mobile hardware device orientation & continuous controls to define a distinct new paradigm in music instrument design.
Locus
This app generates evolving melodic MIDI sequences for electronic music production. It offers thirteen generative archetypes and extensive editing capabilities, allowing users to create unique musical ideas and arrange them into full compositions. It functions as a standalone application or an AUv3 MIDI effect within compatible hosts.
- Generative MIDI sequencing
- 13 unique generative archetypes
- Seed-derived, reproducible patterns
- Evolve, Feel, and Edit controls
- Per-note slides with 303-style legato
- 25 scales and snap-to-scale pitch
- Standalone and AUv3 MIDI effect
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Locus is a generative MIDI sequencer that creates evolving melodic motifs and sends them to your favorite synths. Designed for techno, ambient, IDM, and experimental electronic music, it turns a single seed into fresh musical ideas across thirteen generative archetypes, from acid-style grooves and cascading arpeggios to sparse fractals and interlocking pulses. Use Locus as a standalone app or as an AUv3 MIDI effect inside hosts like AUM, Logic, Cubasis, and Drambo. Every generated pattern plays in sync with your host and routes over MIDI to any instrument you choose. GENERATION Press CREATE and Locus composes a new motif from the current archetype, rooted in your chosen key and scale. Each archetype has its own rhythmic and melodic character: Groove, Cascade, Arc, Wander, Call & Answer, Chaos, Pulse, Even Pulse, Sparse Fractal, Interlock, Cluster, Puncture, and Thump. Generation is seed-derived, so the same settings always reproduce the same pattern. EVOLVE Push EVOLVE to generate controlled variations of the current motif. Keep what works, mutate what doesn't. Rhythm and pitch shift in musically coherent ways without losing the pattern's identity. FEEL Shape the musical foundation with Root, Scale, Timing, Steps, Octave range, Swing, Dynamics, and Density. 25 scales keep everything in key. Raise density to fill the grid or thin it out for space. EDIT & SLIDE Engage Pattern Lock to edit the authored pattern directly: rotate, move, and transpose notes, or undo and redo. The SLIDE knob adds per-note slides with 303-style legato, gliding between pitches for classic acid phrasing. Slides even carry across density-thinned notes. SCENES Capture complete musical setups in sixteen scene slots and chain them into full arrangements. Each scene remembers its pattern, archetype, feel settings, and slide amount. STANDALONE & AUV3 Use Locus as a standalone app or as an AUv3 MIDI effect. It runs in AUv3 hosts such as AUM, Logic, Cubasis, and Drambo, following host transport and clock. KEY FEATURES • Generative MIDI sequencer for melodic ideas • 13 archetypes: Groove, Cascade, Arc, Wander, Call & Answer, Chaos, Pulse, Even Pulse, Sparse Fractal, Interlock, Cluster, Puncture, Thump • Seed-derived generation, reproducible from your settings • Evolve, Feel, and Edit scopes for total musical control • Per-note slides with 303-style legato • 25 scales with snap-to-scale pitch • Swing, dynamics, and density shaping • Pattern Lock with rotate, move, transpose, undo/redo • 16 scenes with chain editor for full arrangements • AUv3 MIDI effect + standalone app • Host sync and MIDI routing to any instrument MANUAL & TUTORIALS • See the "Help" page in the app for the full manual and tutorials • Alternatively, visit https://terrarum.net/locus.html to read them online
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Locus at $3.99 against iotaTONE's $14.99. iotaTONE's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases 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
iotaTONE costs $14.99 and Locus $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iotaTONE ships an update every 9 days, Locus every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iotaTONE | Locus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 179 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bond Institute Music Corporation | Joe Topjian |
In-app purchases
iotaTONE
No in-app purchases
Locus
No in-app purchases









