Comparison

VAPolyTS vs Heavier Metal

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

Head to head
About

VAPolyTS

Create iconic electronic music sounds with this polyphonic synthesizer. It offers advanced oscillator stacks, a step sequencer, and built-in effects for crafting Trance, House, and Techno. Seamlessly share projects across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Polyphonic subtractive synthesizer
  • Stack oscillators with detuned and octave-shifted outputs
  • Analog style step sequencer with piano roll editor
  • Built-in delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, EQ, and compressor
  • Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) and Ableton Link support
  • MIDI 2.0 and Bluetooth MIDI compatibility
  • iCloud Drive project sharing across Apple devices
Features
Read full description

VAPolyTS is polyphonic synthesizer for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It is inspired by the synthesizers which contributed to shape iconic sounds of Trance, House and Techno Music in 1990’s. It operates as a stand alone or as an AudioUnit Extension (AUv3). Stand Alone supports Ableton Link, MIDI and audio file export. The synthesizer features two stack oscillators. The one of them can generate mix of detuned seven oscillator outputs. The other one can generate mix of several octave shifted oscillator outputs. It also features a mixer, a resonant low pass filter, a resonant hight pass filter, an amplifier, two envelope generators, two LFO and analog style step sequencer. Built-in Effects include delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, eq and compressor. VAPolyTS also includes sequencer which features piano roll editor and parameter automation. Project files can be saved in iCloud Drive, so that the project can be accessed from iPhone, iPad or Mac. Main Features Polyphonic subtractive synthesizer. Stack oscillator which can generate mix of seven detuned oscillator outputs. Stack oscillator which can generate mix of several octave shifted oscillator outputs. Analog Style Step Sequencer. Eight Assignable Controllers. Maximum 8 voice polyphony. it depends on performance of the device it is running. Built-in effects and piano roll sequencer. Audio Export. Linear PCM format (AIFF, WAV and CAF) and compressed format (AAC) Support Audio Unit Extension (AUv3). Support MIDI 2.0. Support Foot Pedal and Per Note Control. Support Ableton Link, Bluetooth MIDI, MIDI In / Out. Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Support iCloud Drive to share project files between the platforms. Include 256 Factory Presets. Improvements Support MIDI Foot Pedal (CC#11, CC#64) Support MIDI2.0 Per Note Control Messages MIDI CC Settings are saved. It will be recovered when the app launched in the next time. System Requirements iOS 17.0 or later Devices with Apple Silicon are recommended. A13 Fusion or above is highly recommended. if sound is distorted when using a device with less CPU power, reduce number of voices. AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) requires host application which support AudioUnit Extension. AudioUnit Extension is supported by Apple Logic and Apple Garage Band on iOS and macOS. For any other DAW, it depends on the application and some of them don’t support AudioUnit Extension.

About

Heavier Metal

This music plugin emulates a classic 1990s distortion pedal with advanced digital modeling. It offers full parametric control, capturing the original circuit's behavior for a wide range of guitar tones. Optimized for low CPU usage and low latency, it's compatible with various AUv3 hosts.

Highlights
  • Parametric NAM distortion model
  • Recreates original pedal behavior
  • Mid-forward gain, tight low-end
  • AUv3 plugin for Mac/iOS
  • Native Apple Silicon support
  • Ultra-low CPU, near-zero latency
Features
Read full description

Heavier Metal is a modern distortion plugin based on one of the most aggressive pedals of the 1990s. Built using Artera DSP’s Parametric NAM engine, it delivers not just the sound — but the full behavior of the original circuit. Every knob. Every nuance. Captured with precision. This isn’t a snapshot. Heavier Metal is fully parametric — meaning all front-panel controls respond just like the original analog pedal. From razor-sharp riffs to soaring leads, it gives you the full expressive range of the original hardware, with the flexibility of a native plugin. Key Features – Fully parametric NAM model — not a static capture – Recreates the full tone-shaping behavior of the original HM-style pedal – Mid-forward gain structure with massive sustain and tight low-end – AUv3 plugin for macOS and iOS – Native support for Apple Silicon (M1/M2) – Ultra-low CPU usage and near-zero latency Compatibility Heavier Metal runs in any AUv3-compatible host such as Logic Pro (Mac/iPad), GarageBand (Mac/iOS), AUM, Cubasis, and more. Available exclusively on the App Store.

Screenshots

VAPolyTS4 screens
Heavier Metal4 screens

Verdict

The call

VAPolyTS and Heavier Metal both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Heavier Metal's written reviews are positive against 50% of VAPolyTS's. Heavier Metal also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). VAPolyTS's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $12.99). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

VAPolyTS costs $3.99 and Heavier Metal $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for VAPolyTS against 5.0 for Heavier Metal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of VAPolyTS's written reviews are positive against 100% of Heavier Metal's.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
VAPolyTS versus Heavier Metal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVAPolyTSHeavier Metal
Price$3.99 — better$12.99
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyEvery 10 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRyo TogawaReinarc LLC

Customer experience

VAPolyTS

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Heavier Metal

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

VAPolyTS

No in-app purchases

None

Heavier Metal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VAPolyTS free?
VAPolyTS costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Heavier Metal free?
Heavier Metal costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VAPolyTS or Heavier Metal?
VAPolyTS and Heavier Metal are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do VAPolyTS or Heavier Metal have ads?
Neither VAPolyTS nor Heavier Metal shows ads.

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