Comparison

KeyPad MIDI Controller vs BendLab

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

BendLab

Read full description

BendLab is a simple, focused MIDI controller for Pitch Bend and Modulation Wheel on iPhone and iPad. TWO CONTROLS. MORE EXPRESSION. • Pitch Bend returns to center when released. • Mod Wheel (CC 1) holds its value or automatically returns to zero. • MIDI channel selection from 1 to 16. • Bluetooth MIDI connectivity with compatible devices and apps. • Sends to compatible MIDI outputs provided by the system, including wired connections when supported by your device, cables and adapters. • Portrait and landscape layouts. • Customizable control color, with blue as the default. • Automatically follows your device's language settings. MADE FOR PLAYING A minimal interface without ads, an account or a subscription. Open, connect and use the controls to add expression to your compatible virtual instrument, keyboard or music software. IMPORTANT BendLab sends MIDI messages; it does not generate sound. Your destination instrument or software must receive and respond to Pitch Bend and/or CC 1. Wired connectivity depends on each device's MIDI capabilities, cables and adapters. Bluetooth MIDI does not transmit Bluetooth audio. Support: contato@dedealbano.com Privacy: https://dedealbano.com/bendlab-politica-de-privacidade/

Screenshots

KeyPad MIDI Controller3 screens
BendLab3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: KeyPad MIDI Controller at Free against BendLab's $2.99. On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

KeyPad MIDI Controller is free to download; BendLab costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
KeyPad MIDI Controller versus BendLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeyPad MIDI ControllerBendLab
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.9 (14 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiscoDSP LLCDaniel Albano

In-app purchases

None

KeyPad MIDI Controller

No in-app purchases

None

BendLab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KeyPad MIDI Controller free?
KeyPad MIDI Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BendLab free?
BendLab costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do KeyPad MIDI Controller or BendLab have ads?
Neither KeyPad MIDI Controller nor BendLab shows ads.

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