FrobulatorAU vs 16 Drones
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FrobulatorAU
This audio effect plugin transforms sounds with spectral delay, adding unique character to music projects. It's a free and open-source tool designed for use in various audio applications, offering extensive creative possibilities.
- Spectral delay effect
- AUv3 plugin
- Use in GarageBand, AUM, and other DAWs
- Multiple instances per project
- Free and open-source
- No ads or in-app purchases
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Venerable inter-app audio effect Frobulator reborn — at long last — as an AUv3 plugin. Use it in GarageBand, AUM or your favourite audio application. Add multiple instances in the same project. Drag your frobulation kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Frobulator is a spectral delay effect. It makes your noises a little bit stranger. Twiddle the knobs to find something you like, or don't and throw it away. No-one will hold it against you. Frobulator is free as in beer and free as in speech. Freer, probably, given the state of both those things these days. No ads, no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no surveillance, no nag screens. If you happen to be one of the 6 people who asked for this, rejoice! If you aren't, now's your chance to discover what you've been missing all this time. Or not. I'm not the boss of you.
16 Drones
Create evolving soundscapes and harmonic textures with a powerful ambient drone synthesizer. Shape layered drones using custom wavetables and envelopes, then perform expressively in key. Offers deep timbral control and flexible MIDI integration.
- 16 drone voices for layered textures
- Custom wavetable synthesis
- Per-voice drone envelopes
- Subtractive synthesis layer
- Expressive in-key performance voice
- Support for musical scales
- Standalone and AUv3 operation
- MIDI input and learn
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16 Drones is an ambient drone synthesizer built for evolving textures, harmonic soundscapes, and expressive in-key performance. Shape layered drones with a custom wavetable engine, per-voice controls, per-voice custom drone envelopes, and an additional subtractive layer. Then perform on top with a dedicated Play voice that stays in the same scale. Designed to be deep but immediate, 16 Drones gives you rich timbral control, musical scale exploration, expressive performance options, flexible MIDI workflow, and both standalone and AUv3 operation. Features: 16 drone voices for layered evolving textures Custom wavetable synthesis with per-voice control Per-voice custom drone envelopes for motion and character An additional subtractive layer for extra depth and weight A dedicated Play voice for expressive in-key performance Rich musical and exotic scales Standalone app and AUv3 instrument support MIDI input support for performance and control MIDI Learn for fast hardware mapping Aftertouch expression support, including polyphonic aftertouch Factory presets for fast inspiration
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FrobulatorAU at none against 16 Drones's 1. FrobulatorAU also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. 16 Drones sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FrobulatorAU asks for nothing beyond the download.
FrobulatorAU holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 12 respectively.
FrobulatorAU ships an update every 9 days, 16 Drones every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FrobulatorAU | 16 Drones |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better | 4.7 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthew Caldwell | Ruben Terron Rodriguez |
Customer experience
FrobulatorAU
16 Drones
In-app purchases
FrobulatorAU
No in-app purchases
16 Drones
- 16 Drones Pro$11.99
