Comparison

GranSample vs S

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 16-pad granular sampler
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Step sequencer
  • Modulation matrix
  • Sample chopping
  • Kit sharing
  • Per-pad effects
Features
Read full description

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.

About

S

This app is a polyphonic synthesizer that works with specific hardware. It offers a variety of sound engines, filters, and effects for creating unique audio textures. Advanced modulation options and a flexible routing system allow for deep sound design.

Highlights
  • Dual engine slots per voice
  • Multiple sound flavors (analog, wavetable, FM, speech)
  • Classic and Modern filter modes
  • Advanced FX rack
  • Two free-routing LFOs
  • Unified mod matrix
  • Standalone, AU, and AUv3 formats
Features
Read full description

s-2 is a polyphonic synthesizer designed to work with the Roland AIRA Compact S-1. ENGINE Each voice runs two parallel engine slots that mix together. Pick a sound flavor per slot, including: • Classic analog — saw, square, sub, noise, pulse-width • Wavetable • FM • Speech • Chord • Plucked string FILTER AND FX Classic mode runs a vintage-style ladder filter into a simple Delay → Chorus → Reverb chain. Modern mode swaps in a multi-mode SVF (LP / BP / HP) followed by a 3-slot Advanced FX rack with Bitcrusher, Drive, Flanger, Phaser, Auto-Filter, Tape Delay, Plate Reverb and Chorus. MODULATION Two free-routing LFOs (sine / triangle / saw / square / random / noise, with optional clock-sync), a dedicated filter envelope with two destination slots, and a unified mod matrix dialog that visualizes every routing in one place. Click any knob in Learn mode to assign — no digging through menus. FORMATS • Standalone for iOS • Audio Unit (AU) for Logic Pro and other AU hosts • AUv3 plugin for iPad / iPhone in AUM, GarageBand, Cubasis and more - s-2 is an independent third-party application. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Roland Corporation. "Roland", "AIRA", "AIRA Compact", and "S-1" are trademarks of Roland Corporation, used here only to describe MIDI compatibility between this app and that hardware.

Screenshots

GranSample4 screens
S3 screens

Verdict

The call

GranSample and S both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 40% of GranSample's written reviews are positive against 0% of S's. GranSample also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (16 vs 4). S's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. GranSample sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. S asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for GranSample against 4.5 for S. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 4 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of GranSample's written reviews are positive against 0% of S's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GranSample ships an update every 5 days, S every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GranSample versus S: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGranSampleS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (16 ratings) — better4.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings16 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChih Han LinMathias Kirkerød

Customer experience

GranSample

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%

S

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GranSample

One-time1
  • GranSample Pro$3.99
None

S

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GranSample free?
GranSample is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is S free?
S is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GranSample or S?
GranSample is rated higher. GranSample averages 4.6 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while S averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.
Do GranSample or S have ads?
Neither GranSample nor S shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GranSample or S?
GranSample ships an update every 5 days, and S every 6 weeks. Most recently, GranSample was updated on October 24, 2026 and S on October 12, 2026.

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