FrobulatorAU vs ihapiNES
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.
ihapiNES
Create chiptune music with a pocket-sized groovebox. Emulates classic NES sounds with four tracks for bass, voices, and drums. Offers hands-on sequencing, performance effects, and MIDI input.
- Four-track sound engine (bass, 2 voices, drums)
- Realistic NES emulation for authentic chip sounds
- Hands-on sequencing with live recording
- Performance effects like arpeggios and vibrato
- Standalone app and AUv3 instrument
- MIDI input for external control
- Ableton Link for network jamming
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ihapiNES — Hardware roots. Pocket chiptunes. Built upon the original battery-powered Twisted Electrons hapiNES, ihapiNES brings the little hardware groovebox to your iPhone—built directly from its original firmware, with its distinctive chip sound and hands-on sequencing intact. Its sound engine draws on a realistic NES emulation core for more authentic triangle and pulse tones, bringing extra detail and character to that unmistakable NES sound. Triangle bass, two square-wave voices and a punchy drum track come together in a pocket-sized playground for melody and rhythm. Shape your sound with arpeggios, pulse-width tweaks and vibrato, then bring it to life with slides, swing and playful performance effects. Start with 16 factory grooves, from spacious melodies to busy chip jams. Write each track step by step, record notes live, or chain patterns and key changes into evolving arrangements. Build a beat, find a bassline and let the little square waves sing. Play standalone or load ihapiNES as an AUv3 instrument in your favourite host. Each plugin instance keeps its own patterns and sound settings, with optional host transport following and independent Run control. • Four tracks: triangle bass, two square voices and drums • 16 editable patterns with slides, swing and live recording • Pattern chaining and recorded key changes • Arpeggios, vibrato, pulse-width control and performance effects • Kick drums, snares, hats, toms, crashes and quirky effects • MIDI input: play the selected track or address each voice separately • Standalone app and AUv3 instrument, designed exclusively for iPhone • Floating-point mixing with extra headroom and warm volume-knob saturation • Tactile haptic feedback in standalone mode • Ableton Link for jamming with apps and devices on the same network • Life slider for live rhythmic variations without rewriting your patterns • Illustrated playing guide and printable cheat sheet Your little chip music machine—reborn for iPhone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: FrobulatorAU at Free against ihapiNES's $2.99. FrobulatorAU also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (8 vs 2). ihapiNES's advantage is chart position (#184 vs unranked). 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
FrobulatorAU is free to download; ihapiNES costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FrobulatorAU holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 2 respectively.
| Parameter | FrobulatorAU | ihapiNES |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #184 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthew Caldwell | Twisted-Electrons |
Customer experience
FrobulatorAU
ihapiNES
In-app purchases
FrobulatorAU
No in-app purchases
ihapiNES
No in-app purchases









