GranSample vs SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GranSample
This app offers a 16-pad sampler with a powerful granular engine for sculpting unique audio textures and sequencing patterns. It functions as a standalone application and an AUv3 plugin for popular DAWs. Unlock advanced features with a one-time purchase.
- 16-pad granular sampler
- AUv3 plugin support
- Step sequencer
- Modulation matrix
- Sample chopping
- Kit sharing
- Per-pad effects
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A 16-pad sampler with a granular engine underneath. Standalone app + AUv3 plugin for GarageBand / Logic / AUM / Drambo / Loopy Pro. Tap pads, sculpt textures, sequence patterns, chain songs. Same instrument either way. Free to try. One purchase unlocks GranSample Pro — everything listed at the bottom. No subscription, no ads, no telemetry. NEW IN 1.5 Swing, in the app and in your host. Choke groups: hi-hats that cut each other off. Resample (Pro): record your beat back onto a pad as a bar-locked loop. A rebuilt AUv3 plugin editor. PATTERN BANK & SONG MODE Eight patterns per project (A–H). Switch live — the change waits for the bar end so the groove never stumbles. Then chain them into a song: tap letters to build, set repeats per section, loop or play once (song mode is Pro). Patterns, song and BPM save with the project. MODULATION MATRIX (PRO) LFO + ADSR envelope on 8 destinations per pad: grain position / size / pitch / density, volume, pan, pitch, playback start. Drag the envelope chart, set depth per lane — host-automatable in AUv3. SAMPLE CHOP (PRO) Slice any sample across the pads — equal grid, transient detection, or manual markers you drag. Audition before you commit; the grid shows where every slice lands. KIT SHARING Export any kit as a single .gskit file — samples, settings, effects, patterns. Send it anywhere. Importing is free for everyone; exporting is Pro. PAD NAMES, COLORS & CHOKE GROUPS Name your pads, pick from 8 colors, set one of 8 choke groups. AUv3 PLUGIN Load "nono.audio: GranSample" under AU Instruments in any AUv3 host. Same grid, Kits and engine, with Sound, Grain and Sequence tabs. 900 host-automatable parameters. Load your own samples without leaving the host. Sequencer locks to host transport; everything persists in the host project. LIBRARY Factory Kits + your Projects in one place — load, tweak, save. GRANULAR ENGINE Eight knobs per pad. Position scans the sample; grain size + density set the texture from pebbles to glass. Pitch + jitter, spray + stereo spread, four window shapes, an ADSR cloud envelope, Freeze for infinite sustain. 128 grains per voice — and you can watch them fire. CHROMATIC MODE Any pad becomes the root; the grid plays chromatically. STEP SEQUENCER Per-pad patterns at 16/32/64 steps, per-step velocity, drag-to-paint, swing. SAMPLE EDITOR Waveform view — drag the grain region, trim playback range, loop, reverse, normalize per pad. LINEAR or GRAN preview. Works inside the plugin too. EFFECTS Per-pad AND master bus. Reverb, Delay, Distortion, EQ, Compressor, Chorus, Filter — up to 8 per chain, automatable from any DAW. Hand-tuned presets; save your own. IPAD Pads bigger than an MPC; recorder, properties and sequencer get their own column. MIDI USB, Bluetooth (built-in browser), or virtual MIDI. MIDI Learn on every knob standalone, per-pad channel routing. The plugin routes MIDI in through the host and emits MIDI out for pad taps. RECORDING 60 seconds from the mic straight into a pad with a live waveform. Resample the master onto a pad, free or locked to 1–8 bars (Pro). Master bounces to WAV/M4A (Pro). 10 FACTORY KITS, 16 SAMPLES Late Night Room, Outer Space, Neon City, Midnight Dub, Tape Machine, Crystal Cave, and more — each with bespoke granular settings. FREE TIER Pads 1–8 — drums and melody, enough to finish a track — with the full granular engine, effects, pattern bank, mixer, MIDI in/out. Same in standalone and AUv3. Kit import (.gskit) is free too. GRANSAMPLE PRO — ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION All 16 pads unlocked everywhere — standalone AND AUv3 plugin Song mode — chain patterns into an arrangement Modulation matrix — LFO + envelope on 8 destinations per pad Sample chop to pads Resample to pads Kit export (.gskit) Per-pad ADSR envelope editor Custom backgrounds — wallpapers or your own photo, with dim and pad-opacity WAV / M4A export Made by one person who wanted a granular beat pad that fit on a phone — and in their DAW.
SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool
Visualize your room's sound quality in 3D with this acoustics analyzer. It identifies audio issues like bass nulls and echoes, then provides simple, actionable advice to improve your listening or mixing environment. No special equipment is needed.
- 3D acoustic heatmap of sound quality
- Plain-English recommendations for fixes
- Full walk-around room measurement
- Detects standing waves and bass nulls
- Sweet spot finder for optimal listening
- On-device audio processing for privacy
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SonarRoom is the world's only room acoustics analyzer that builds a 3D heatmap of sound quality in your space — showing exactly where your audio shines, where bass drops out, and what to do to fix it. Most people don't realize their room is the biggest problem with their audio setup. Bass can be 20dB louder in one corner than another. Reflections cause echoes that blur your mix. Your listening position might be sitting in a null zone. SonarRoom makes all of that visible — then tells you exactly how to fix it in plain English. Key Features: 3D Acoustic Heatmap: The only app that maps sound quality across your entire room in three dimensions — not just a single point measurement. Plain-English Recommendations: No acoustics degree needed. SonarRoom tells you what's wrong and what to do. Full Walk-Around Measurement: Play a test tone, walk your room for 3–4 minutes, and get hundreds of data points mapped spatially across your space. Detects Real Problems: Identifies standing waves, bass null zones, flutter echo, comb filtering, stereo imbalance, and reflection issues. Sweet Spot Finder: Discover the best listening and mixing position in your room based on real acoustic data. Privacy-First by Design: All audio processing happens entirely on-device. No recordings are uploaded, no room data leaves your phone, no account required. Your space stays yours. No Special Gear Required: Works with any speaker system. Minimum iPhone XS running iOS 17+. LiDAR-enhanced mapping available on iPhone 12 Pro and later. Download SonarRoom and finally hear your speakers the way they were meant to sound! User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GranSample at 4.6 against SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool's 4.2. GranSample also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 5). SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 40%) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. GranSample sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
GranSample holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of GranSample's written reviews are positive against 67% of SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
GranSample ships an update every 5 days, SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GranSample | SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (16 ratings) — better | 4.2 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chih Han Lin | Craig Cowden |
Customer experience
GranSample
SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool
In-app purchases
GranSample
- GranSample Pro$3.99
SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool
- Unlimited$9.991 Month
- Single Result Unlock$4.99
Questions
Is GranSample free?
Is SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool free?
Which has better reviews, GranSample or SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool?
Do GranSample or SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool have ads?
Which is updated more often, GranSample or SonarRoom Audio Analysis Tool?
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