AirDrums vs VinylScratch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AirDrums
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Turn your phone into a motion-controlled drum instrument. Air Drums lets you play drums using nothing but your arm movements and your phone’s sensors. Each horizontal zone represents a different drum sound, and a fast downward motion triggers a hit — just like striking a real drum. No buttons. No tapping. Just movement, rhythm, and sound. How it works Rotate your phone to select a drum zone Swing your arm downward to hit Hit harder → louder sound Smooth motion trail shows your rhythm visually Drum zones Note 1: Floor Tom Note 2: Bass Drum Note 3: Snare Drum Note 4: Cymbal Features Motion-based drum playing using device sensors Real-time audio with velocity-sensitive volume Clean, minimal black-and-white visual design Smooth motion trail that fades naturally No ads, no clutter, no learning curve Perfect for: Musicians Rhythm practice Creative play Exploring motion-based music interaction Put on your headphones, move your arm, and feel the rhythm in the air.
VinylScratch
Transform your device into a professional DJ scratch instrument. Load samples, control them with realistic vinyl physics, and shape sounds with live effects. Record and share your creations, or use it as an AUv3 plugin in your favorite music production apps.
- Realistic vinyl physics engine
- Live XY effects pad
- Cut and reverse playback
- Cue points and looping
- WAV recording and sharing
- AUv3 plugin support
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VinylScratch turns your iPhone into a real scratch instrument. Load any audio sample and control it like a record — scratch, cut, loop, cue, and shape the sound with live effects — all with your fingers on the touchscreen. Whether you're a turntablist practicing cuts without decks, a producer sketching DJ-style arrangements, or a beatmaker who wants tactile sample control — VinylScratch gives you the physics, the effects, and the workflow to do it properly. Drop in a sample, feel the vinyl, twist the FX, hit record. VINYL PHYSICS ENGINE The scratch engine models real platter mechanics. Sound accelerates and decelerates the way a record actually does, with natural spin-down when you release. • Drag on the waveform to scratch — velocity and direction tracked sample-accurately • Three inertia modes: VINYL (natural spin-down), PAGE (instant stop), OFF • Adjustable sensitivity from ultra-fine to aggressive • Multitouch scratch support on iPad LIVE FX PAD A Kaoss Pad-style XY touch surface for real-time effects. Slide your finger to shape the sound — both axes control different parameters simultaneously. • Filter — LP/HP sweep and ISO (SP-404 style isolator) • Reverb — room, hall, plate and more • Delay — time, feedback, and LP cutoff control • Distortion — bit crush and lo-fi presets • FX1 & FX2 — two configurable effect slots with custom axis mapping • HOLD — lock the effect in place after lifting your finger • Glow trail visualization on the XY pad CUT & REV • CUT — hold to mute the signal, just like a crossfader kill • REV — flips playback direction • Crossfader strip for blend control CUE POINTS & LOOP • Two cue points: CUE A and CUE B — set, jump, clear • Loop IN/OUT with toggle — keeps the region when disabled • Full waveform view with overview strip TRANSPORT & RECORDING • Play / Pause with repeat mode • Record your scratch + FX session as WAV • Share or save directly from the app • Time display with millisecond precision AUv3 PLUGIN • Load VinylScratch as an instrument in GarageBand, AUM, Audiobus, or any AUv3 host • Full UI inside the host — scratch and effects included APPEARANCE • 15 color themes • Dark interface optimized for stage and studio PRO UNLOCK One-time purchase. No subscription. Unlocks: sample loading, recording, all FX effects, FX Hold, REV CUT, crossfader, themes, and AUv3. Free version includes playback, CUT, and filter with the built-in track.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AirDrums at none against VinylScratch's 1. VinylScratch's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On price, 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
Both are free to download. VinylScratch sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. AirDrums asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | AirDrums | VinylScratch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | EMIRHAN SIMSEK | Ivan Korablin |
In-app purchases
AirDrums
No in-app purchases
VinylScratch
- VinylScratch Pro$7.99









