LOOPBAR vs PO
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LOOPBAR
Record and layer multiple audio tracks in real time to build musical ideas. This tool allows for precise loop point setting and adjustment during playback, perfect for capturing inspiration on the go.
- Create multiple independent audio tracks
- Record via built-in microphone
- Set individual loop points with drag & drop
- Real-time playback with visual indicator
- Adjust loop points during playback
- Simple track management
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Create audio loops in real time! Record multiple tracks, set individual loop points and build your musical ideas layer by layer. LOOPBAR is your creative tool for audio loops on iPhone and iPad. Capture ideas on the spot, set precise loop points and layer multiple tracks on top of each other. FEATURES: • Create multiple independent audio tracks • Record directly via the built-in microphone • Set individual loop points with drag & drop • Real-time playback position with visual indicator • Adjust loop points during playback • Play and stop all tracks simultaneously • Simple track management with add and delete Perfect for musicians, songwriters and anyone who wants to quickly capture musical ideas and build loops.
PO
Design and edit drum sounds, kits, and patterns for Teenage Engineering's PO-32 Tonic. Transfer your creations to the device via audio. Back up and edit existing sounds, and import/export patches from Microtonic.
- Shape 16 sounds with 21 synth parameters
- Program 16-step patterns with accents
- Send kits, sounds, or patterns via audio
- Back up and decode PO-32 data dumps
- Import/export Microtonic patches
- Local library with tags and favorites
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PO-PatchStudio designs drum sounds, kits and patterns for Teenage Engineering's PO-32 Tonic, then sends them to your Pocket Operator over sound. Free, with no ads and no account. The PO-32 has no USB data connection. It loads new sounds the way an old modem does, by listening through its microphone. So this app does the fiddly part on a proper screen: build a kit, hold your phone next to the PO-32 and press play. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Shape all 16 sounds with the full set of 21 synth parameters, plus both ends of the morph - Program 16-step patterns on the pads, with accents, and hear them before you send - Send a whole kit, a single sound or a pattern to the PO-32 over audio - Back up your PO-32: record its data dump through the microphone and the app decodes it into a kit you can edit - Import Microtonic .mtdrum and .mtpreset patches, including files from older versions of Microtonic, and export your sounds back out - Keep kits, sounds and patterns in a local library with tags and favourites WORKS WITH - PO-32 Tonic - Also sends drum sounds to the PO-35 Speak's built-in Tonic channel HOW TRANSFER WORKS Put the PO-32 in receive mode (press acc + sound), turn your phone's volume up and play the transfer into the PO-32's mic. To back up, start recording in the app, then hold write and press sound on the PO-32. Previews come from an open-source recreation of the PO-32's synth, so they sound close to the hardware but not identical. Once a sound is on the PO-32, it plays through the device's own engine. A NOTE FROM ME I'm a solo developer and a PO-32 owner. PO-PatchStudio stands on the open-source libpo32 library by Eric Lewis and years of reverse-engineering by the Pocket Operator community, which is why it's free. If something is missing or broken, tell me. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Teenage Engineering AB or NuEdge Development AB. Pocket Operator, PO-32 and Tonic are trademarks of Teenage Engineering AB. Microtonic is a trademark of NuEdge Development AB.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PO at Free against LOOPBAR's $0.99. PO also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). LOOPBAR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, 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
PO is free to download; LOOPBAR costs $0.99 up front. PO sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. LOOPBAR asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LOOPBAR against 5.0 for PO. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
LOOPBAR ships an update every 3 weeks, PO every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LOOPBAR | PO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Helge Ohl | Photon Consulting Limited |
Customer experience
LOOPBAR
PO
In-app purchases
LOOPBAR
No in-app purchases
PO
- Tip: Thanks$5.00
- Tip: Big Thanks$10.00
- Tip: Huge Thanks$20.00









