Comparison

Grainsmith Field vs Riffpad

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

Head to head
About

Grainsmith Field

Transform any sound into unique sonic textures using a powerful granular synthesizer. Manipulate audio with multiple playheads, record live input, and play it like an instrument via MIDI. Optimized for mobile, it offers extensive control and export options.

Highlights
  • Granular synthesis engine
  • Multiple independent playheads
  • Live audio recording and manipulation
  • MIDI instrument mode
  • AUv3 music effect
  • Performance recording with Live Activity
  • Built-in reverb and filter
Features
Read full description

Grainsmith Field is a granular instrument for iPad and iPhone. Load a sound or record one live, then pull it apart into grains. Stretch and scatter it until it stops sounding like the source, or pitch it and play it like an instrument. It shares its granular engine with our desktop Grainsmith plugin, but it's rebuilt for touch. Field is a single multitouch screen: four XY pads control paired parameters (Density and Size, Jitter and Spread, Pitch and Reverse, Cutoff and Resonance), and a Morph control sweeps several at once. THREE PLAYHEADS Run up to three independent grain streams from one sample at the same time. Each head has its own position, speed, pitch, level, pan, grain size, and spread. Grab a playhead line on the waveform to move it independently, or move them as a group. Double-tap to gather them. Set a second head a fifth or an octave away and the streams blend into a single granular texture. MODULATION Six modulation slots drive the controls: LFOs and Euclidean patterns with per-route depth, assigned by long-pressing a knob. The MOVE dial sets the Morph macro itself in motion, and each destination drifts on its own phase. Rates sync to tempo, in the app or from the host clock. RECORD AND MANGLE Capture audio from your hardware input and granulate it as it comes in, or loop a phrase and let the engine chew on it. Scrub the waveform directly. Freeze the grain cloud to hold a sound for as long as you want. Run the stereo delay to smear the grain tails into echoes; it syncs to tempo too. Export captures as WAV to the Files app. RECORD YOUR PERFORMANCE Start a recording from the presets menu and everything you play is captured to a WAV file. Keep playing through app switches and screen locks; a Lock Screen Live Activity shows while recording runs. Recordings save to the Files app and share straight from Field. PLAY IT AS AN INSTRUMENT Switch to Instrument mode and play the grain engine from a MIDI keyboard: four-voice polyphony, an attack/release envelope, and a root-note control. The pitch ribbon snaps to musical intervals: Free, Chromatic, Scale, Octaves, or Oct+5ths, with twelve scale options and a probability control. Works with hardware MIDI in the standalone app and with host MIDI in AUv3. USE IT IN YOUR HOST The AUv3 music effect loads in AUM, Logic for iPad, and other AUv3 hosts. Parameters are exposed for host automation and MIDI learn. Your patch saves and restores with the session, including head count, every per-head control, the modulation slots, and pitch snap mode. ALSO IN THE BOX - Ten factory presets grouped by character, with a browser and a Favorites section for your own - Background audio: the standalone keeps playing when you switch apps - Reverb, stereo delay with tempo sync, filter, grain-shape windows, pitch randomization - Runs on iPhone with a compact layout No account and no subscription. Field collects no data.

About

Riffpad

Create melodies quickly on your iPhone or iPad with this MIDI sketchpad. Draw notes, loop ideas, and use it standalone or within other music apps. It offers touch-first gestures for easy note manipulation and MIDI export options.

Highlights
  • Thumb-first MIDI piano roll
  • Draw, loop, and sketch melodies
  • AUv3 MIDI Processor integration
  • Touch-first gesture controls
  • MIDI export and audio previews
  • Scale highlighting and quantize
Features
Read full description

Riffpad is a thumb-first MIDI piano roll for sketching melodies fast on iPhone and iPad. Draw notes on the grid, loop ideas, and run patterns standalone or as an AUv3 MIDI Processor inside compatible iOS music host apps. Built for quick musical capture: - Place, move, resize, copy, paste, and delete notes with touch-first gestures - Load starter patterns for hooks, basslines, arps, and blank ideas - Keep melodies in key with scale highlighting, snap, and quantize controls - Loop short ideas, adjust tempo, and record simple live input - Send MIDI to external gear, other apps, or AUv3 instruments - Use the included AUv3 MIDI Processor in compatible host workflows - Export MIDI files and audio previews through the iOS share sheet - Import MIDI sketches when you want to keep developing an idea Riffpad keeps your patterns local. There are no accounts, feeds, ads, tracking SDKs, or cloud sync.

Screenshots

Grainsmith Field3 screens
Riffpad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Grainsmith Field at every 3 days against Riffpad's monthly. Riffpad's advantage is price ($5.99 vs $11.99). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Grainsmith Field costs $11.99 and Riffpad $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grainsmith Field ships an update every 3 days, Riffpad monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Grainsmith Field versus Riffpad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrainsmith FieldRiffpad
Price$11.99$5.99 — better
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size81 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPlastic Factory LLCPAUL GLENN VERNON

Customer experience

Grainsmith Field

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Riffpad

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Grainsmith Field

No in-app purchases

None

Riffpad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Grainsmith Field free?
Grainsmith Field costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Riffpad free?
Riffpad costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Grainsmith Field or Riffpad have ads?
Neither Grainsmith Field nor Riffpad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grainsmith Field or Riffpad?
Grainsmith Field ships an update every 3 days, and Riffpad monthly. Most recently, Grainsmith Field was updated on October 28, 2026 and Riffpad on October 23, 2026.

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