Saucillator vs KeyPad MIDI Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Saucillator
Create and play custom synthesizers and instruments on your mobile device. Manipulate oscillators and effects with touch, record live loops, and design unique sounds with a variety of timbres and customizable effects. Supports AUv3 for use in other music production apps.
- Custom synthesizer creation
- Touchscreen oscillator manipulation
- Live looping and recording
- AUv3 instrument support
- Multi-track looper and beat generator
- Parametric EQ and filters
- MIDI controller support
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Musical inspiration at the touch of your fingertips - from doodle to zen in seconds. Inspired by the Korg Kaossilator and Moog synthesizers, Saucillator transforms mobile devices into a platform for creating, playing, and sharing digital synthesizers. Users use the touchscreen to manipulate oscillators and effects, and can also do live-looping and recording. Our goal is to be beginner friendly while at the same time offering all the deep, complex features traditional synth users love. Saucillator also now supports AUv3 so you can use many of its features in AUv3-supported host applications (tested with AUM, Loopy Pro, Garageband. Note that some host applications only support some output). A multi track looper and beat generator are available to create synth loops and synchronize a beat/click track alongside it. Loops can be modified, toggled, and added as you're playing. Users are able to play custom modular synthesizers using the x-y axes of the touchscreen. The x-axis corresponds to amplitude (volume) and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (pitch). Playback can also be looped, recorded, and EQed using a Parametric EQ. On top of performing, users are able to create their own custom synthesizers, which consist of a custom timbre and user-defined effects. A variety of timbres are included: Sine, Square, Saw, Pulse, Noise, Theremin, "Singing Saw", "Electric Eel", and "Starslide" (among many more). These, as well as any user-created synths, can be mixed and matched at different harmonics, amplitudes, and phases to create custom sounds. Each synth has customizable fx parameters as well, including Envelope (ADSR - attack & release), Vibrato LFO (rate & depth), Tremolo, Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Distortion, Parametric EQ, and Note Lag (Portamento). We also include a Filter (low-pass, highpass, bandpass) that can be modulated using an Envelope or LFO. Custom synths can also be shared with the Saucillator community via an easy built-in sharing tool. Download other users' synths or upload your own, all from in app! Other abilities: -Choose scale: Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Blues, or Chromatic (among others). -Choose the base note for the pad. -Control the grid size. -Record to disk. -Live visualization of waveforms. -Play synths with external midi controllers -AUv3 instrument support Special thanks to Garrett Langley (http://dribbble.com/glangley) for helping with design and general usability. Saucillator. I think it's the sauce, boss!
KeyPad MIDI Controller
Transform your device into a professional MIDI controller with touch-optimized piano keys, drum pads, and performance controls. It supports SFZ, SF2, WAV, and M4A samples, and can control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired.
- Touch-optimized piano keyboard
- 9-pad drum grid
- XY performance pad
- Built-in sound engine (SF2, SFZ, WAV, M4A)
- AUv3 plugin support
- Network MIDI for Mac control
- Aftertouch and MPE expression
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Transform your iPad or iPhone into a professional MIDI controller with a touch-optimized piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, drum pads, and XY performance controls. Control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired, as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin in your favorite DAW. Perfect for mobile producers, live performers, beat makers, and sound designers. CORE FEATURES • Built-in sound engine for SF2, SFZ, WAV, and M4A. • Piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, 9-pad drum grid, and XY performance pad. • Scale mode with 12 scales and any root key, on both piano and grid. • Aftertouch and MPE with Mono AT, Poly AT, and XY MPE modes. • Aftertouch and Mod Wheel remapping to any MIDI CC or Pitch Bend. • Velocity, Pitch Bend, and Modulation faders, plus a latching sustain button. • AUv3 plugin for GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, and Drambo. • Network MIDI, OSC output, and 16 MIDI channels + Omni. • Adaptive interface for all iPad and iPhone sizes. VIEW MODES Switch between five layouts from the View menu: Piano: a familiar 2-octave keyboard with height-based velocity. Grid: Isomorphic: every row and column keeps the same interval, so chords and scales have one shape anywhere. Grid: 2 Rows: a piano-style pair of rows, naturals below, sharps above. Grid: Minor Thirds: columns step up by 3 semitones, rows move chromatically. Grid: Big Piano: large naturals with quarter-size sharps. Your view, layout, and root note persist across sessions. SCALE MODE Choose from 12 scales - Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Blues, and Whole Tone - in any of the 12 root keys. On the grid, cells remap so only in-scale notes are laid out, putting every note under your fingers. On the piano, the keyboard keeps its familiar shape - the black and white pattern is how you find your place without looking. Rather than move notes around, out-of-scale keys dim and stop responding to touch, so only the keys in your key are labelled and playable. Wrong notes are simply out of reach. Switch back to Chromatic anytime for the full keyboard. GRID EXPRESSION Every grid layout includes a dedicated mod-wheel row. A vibrant gradient highlights roots and notes, optional labels show note names, and per-note MPE with pitch bend gives each finger independent control. BUILT-IN SOUND ENGINE Play sounds directly without any external app. Load SF2 SoundFonts with multi-preset selection, or import SFZ, WAV, and M4A samples. The low-CPU engine maps samples across the keyboard automatically, and sound files persist across sessions. AFTERTOUCH & MPE EXPRESSION Add expressive depth with four aftertouch modes. Mono AT applies uniform pressure across chords, Poly AT sends independent pressure per note, and XY MPE allocates per-note MIDI channels (2-16) with Y on CC74 and X on Pitch Bend. Remap aftertouch or mod wheel to any MIDI CC or Pitch Wheel. A green gradient on pressed keys shows pressure in real time. CONNECT TO YOUR MAC Control Logic Pro, Ableton Live, or any Mac music software from your iPad or iPhone. Connect wirelessly over your local network with Bonjour, or plug in via USB for a rock-solid, zero-latency link. STANDALONE OR AUV3 Load KeyPad inside GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, Drambo, or any AUv3 host to play your instruments without switching apps, with settings saved in your project. Or run it standalone to drive hardware synths, route MIDI to other iOS apps, or control your Mac. TOUCH-OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE Height-Based Velocity: Touch keys at different vertical positions for dynamic velocity, with three curves to shape the response. XY Performance Pad: Control two parameters at once with multi-touch. Assign any MIDI CC to each axis for filter sweeps, effect morphing, or live sound manipulation. Smart Layout: Scales to the window, keeping the full layout with controls and pads on iPhone, iPad, Split View, and AUv3 plugin.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: KeyPad MIDI Controller at every 2 days against Saucillator's every 8 days. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Saucillator against 4.9 for KeyPad MIDI Controller. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 33 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Saucillator's written reviews are positive against 100% of KeyPad MIDI Controller's.
Saucillator ships an update every 8 days, KeyPad MIDI Controller every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Saucillator | KeyPad MIDI Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (33 ratings) | 4.9 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Green Noise LLC | DiscoDSP LLC |
Customer experience
Saucillator
KeyPad MIDI Controller
In-app purchases
Saucillator
No in-app purchases
KeyPad MIDI Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Saucillator free?
Is KeyPad MIDI Controller free?
Which has better reviews, Saucillator or KeyPad MIDI Controller?
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Which is updated more often, Saucillator or KeyPad MIDI Controller?
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