Comparison

TubeSound vs UPISketch4

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

Head to head
About

TubeSound

This app emulates the warm sound of classic vacuum tubes for your audio. It offers 23 modeled tube circuits, from subtle harmonic coloration to amplifier-inspired saturation. Advanced controls allow for deep customization of tube behavior and aging.

Highlights
  • 23 modeled vacuum tube circuits
  • Subtle harmonic coloration
  • Pro Mode for advanced control
  • Tube aging simulation
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Custom preset saving
Features
Read full description

TubeSound adds the warm, rich character of classic vacuum tubes to your audio. This is not a typical tube-style distortion effect. Many presets operate below 0.5% THD, producing subtle harmonic coloration rather than heavy saturation. REAL TUBE CIRCUITS 23 carefully modeled tube circuits inspired by legendary hi-fi and guitar amplifier designs from the 1950s to today. Each model recreates key parts of the original design, including triode curves, power supply sag, transformer behavior, and natural analog drift. PRO MODE Take full control over tube circuit behavior with advanced parameters such as plate voltage, grid bias, PSU stiffness, transformer saturation, and more. Includes 5 factory presets inspired by iconic circuits, plus the ability to save and manage your own custom Pro presets. TUBE AGING Three wear stages: New, Worn, and Old. Each stage changes the tube character with increased noise, wider drift, and reduced gain. AUv3 PLUGIN Use TubeSound as an Audio Unit effect in GarageBand, AUM, or any AUv3 host. FREE TO TRY All 23 circuits are available in the trial version. During the trial, audio mutes for 3 seconds every 30 seconds. A single in-app purchase removes this limitation. FOR β€’ audiophiles and hi-fi enthusiasts β€’ music producers and mixing engineers β€’ mastering and subtle harmonic coloration β€’ guitar and instrument processing β€’ adding analog tube character to digital audio Product names are used for reference purposes only and are not affiliated with or endorsed by their respective owners.

About

UPISketch4

Read full description

UPISketch is a composition tool that keeps the principle of β€œpitch versus time” of the classical score, extended in the continuous domain. It allows for freely drawing absolute pitch curves applied to existing sounds. It uses granular synthesis. It can be used to sketch musical ideas, try alternative scales (divisions of the octave), and more. It is inspired by the famous UPIC machine that was invented in 1977 by Iannis Xenakis and the CEMAMu engineers. Version 4 introduces significant changes: improved sound quality, sequence recording, and a magnetic grid feature.

Screenshots

TubeSound4 screens
UPISketch41 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TubeSound at Free against UPISketch4's $11.99. UPISketch4's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

TubeSound is free to download; UPISketch4 costs $11.99 up front. TubeSound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. UPISketch4 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
TubeSound versus UPISketch4: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTubeSoundUPISketch4
PriceFree β€” better$11.99
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyWeeklyβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS16.012.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBartosz PaprzyckiRodolphe Bourotte

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TubeSound

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Version$5.99
None

UPISketch4

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TubeSound free?
TubeSound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UPISketch4 free?
UPISketch4 costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do TubeSound or UPISketch4 have ads?
Neither TubeSound nor UPISketch4 shows ads.

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