Comparison

RedNova vs Spectral Hold

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

Head to head
About

RedNova

This audio plugin offers intelligent compression and spatial positioning for professional sound design. It adapts to your audio, allowing you to control dynamics and place sounds forward for presence or back for warmth. Transform recordings into spatially positioned compositions with intuitive controls.

Highlights
  • Intelligent adaptive compression
  • VCA compressor with analog saturation
  • Forward/back spatial positioning
  • Visual position orb feedback
  • Advanced sidechain control
  • AUv3 plugin format
Features
Read full description

RedNova: Intelligent Compressor + Spatial Positioning Welcome to a new genre of professional audio plugins. RedNova is the first of the Nova series of plugins by Simon Alexander that combines unique and musical audio effects with intuitive forward/back spatial positioning. Intelligent processing adapts to your audio while giving you complete control over effect dynamics and mix placement. From punchy upfront compression to warm distant textures, discover how one brilliantly designed plugin transforms flat or unruly recordings into professionally processed, spatially positioned compositions! Instantly Transform Your Dynamics & Depth: * Intelligent compression that adapts to your source material automatically * Professional VCA compressor with musical saturation and life-like analog circuitry dynamics * Move sounds forward for clarity and presence or back for warmth and space * Watch the position orb grow larger as sounds move forward, smaller as they recede * Advanced sidechain control over compression AND spatial positioning Made for Everyone: * Producers: Get broadcast and album-quality compression with professional spatial control * Beatmakers: Compress drums while positioning elements in mix depth * Singer-Songwriters: Gentle vocal compression to driving saturation with forward positioning for presence * Podcasters: Broadcast-safe compression with spatial separation for voice and music * Beginners: Set-and-forget intelligent processing with simple visual controls * Experts: Advanced sidechain routing with multi-parameter control Professional Features, Intelligently Simple: Intelligent Compressor: 1. Adaptive Processing - Content-aware compression that automatically adjusts to your source material 2. Safety-First Design - Multi-stage limiting ensures broadcast-safe output 3. Musical Response - Professional VCA style compressor with enhanced musical saturation 4. Thread-Safe Architecture - Lock-free processing prevents audio dropouts in demanding sessions SuperSitter Positioning: 1. Forward - Brings sounds closer with intelligent EQ and transient enhancement 2. Back - Creates warm distance with spatial processing and controlled filtering 3. Center - Complete transparency when positioning isn't needed 4. Visual Feedback - Dynamic orb scaling shows exact spatial position Advanced Sidechain Control: 1. Multi-Target Control - Route sidechain to compression threshold, ratio, AND forward/back position 2. Global or Individual - Control all parameters together or individually 3. Self-Signal Mode - Use the track's own signal for dynamic control (DAW dependent) 4. LED Indicators - Color-coded feedback shows which parameters are under sidechain control Technical Excellence: * AUv3 Plugin Format for all iOS/iPadOS DAWs that utilize them * Real-time intelligent content analysis with adaptive processing * CPU-efficient design allows multiple instances without performance issues * Zero-latency processing with automatic phase alignment * Broadcast-safe output limiting with extended dynamic range * Full parameter automation support with smooth transitions * Touch-optimized interface with floating value displays * 20 professionally crafted presets to get you started on any kind of track RedNova represents a new genre of audio plugins combining unique and intelligent audio effects with easy and intuitive spatial positioning. Download RedNova now and hear professional results in seconds! RedNova's intelligent design makes studio and broadcast-quality compression and spatial positioning accessible to everyone.

About

Spectral Hold

This audio processor analyzes sound in real-time, allowing you to tilt the frequency spectrum or freeze a moment into a sustained drone. Shape your audio with adjustable gain and pivot frequencies.

Highlights
  • Spectral tilt EQ
  • Spectral freeze effect
  • Adjustable pivot frequency
  • Real-time audio analysis
  • Dry/wet mix control
  • Delay compensation
Features
Read full description

SPECTRAL HOLD A spectral processor that combines a frequency-domain tilt EQ with a spectral freeze. Audio is analyzed with a short-time Fourier transform (1024-point FFT, 75% overlap, Hann window). Each frame's bins can be tilted around a pivot frequency, and the most recent frame can be frozen and held indefinitely, turning any moment of the input into a sustained spectral drone. ------ CONTROLS TILT Applies a spectral tilt around the pivot frequency. The gain of each bin is scaled by tilt * 3 dB per octave of distance from the pivot. Negative values darken the sound by attenuating highs and boosting lows; positive values brighten it by boosting highs and attenuating lows. At 0 the spectrum passes unchanged. Range: -1.00 to +1.00 (so +/-3 dB/octave at the extremes). PIVOT Sets the frequency around which the tilt rotates. Bins above the pivot are affected in one direction and bins below in the other; the pivot itself is left at unity gain. Lower the pivot to pivot the tilt around the low end, raise it to rotate around the highs. Range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (exponential), automatically clamped below the host Nyquist frequency. FREEZE Captures and holds the most recently analyzed spectral frame. While engaged, the stored magnitude and phase of every bin are replayed on each hop instead of the live input, producing a continuous frozen texture. Tilt and pivot remain active on the held spectrum, so the frozen sound can still be shaped. Disengage to return to live processing. DRY/WET Blends the unprocessed (dry) input with the processed (wet) output. At 0% only the dry signal is heard; at 100% only the wet. The dry path is internally delay compensated so it stays time- and phase-aligned with the wet path at every mix setting, with no comb filtering. Useful for layering a frozen pad underneath the live signal, or easing in a tilt. ------ NOTE Because the effect works frame by frame, it reports a latency of one FFT frame (1024 samples, about 21 ms at 48 kHz) to the host for accurate delay compensation.

Screenshots

RedNova3 screens
Spectral Hold4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Spectral Hold at $1.99 against RedNova's $9.99. RedNova's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). 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

RedNova costs $9.99 and Spectral Hold $1.99 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 RedNova against 5.0 for Spectral Hold. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
RedNova versus Spectral Hold: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRedNovaSpectral Hold
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon AlexanderCallback Audio, LLC

Customer experience

RedNova

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Spectral Hold

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

RedNova

No in-app purchases

None

Spectral Hold

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RedNova free?
RedNova costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spectral Hold free?
Spectral Hold costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RedNova or Spectral Hold?
RedNova and Spectral Hold are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do RedNova or Spectral Hold have ads?
Neither RedNova nor Spectral Hold shows ads.

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