Comparison

ARPJAM vs CVOsc

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

Head to head
About

ARPJAM

This app generates evolving ambient music using two independent arpeggio engines. It features a generative drum machine, sound design tools, and external instrument synchronization. Save and recall your favorite musical setups.

Highlights
  • Dual arpeggio engines
  • Generative drum machine
  • Sound design controls
  • External instrument sync (Ableton Link, MIDI Clock)
  • Save and recall presets
  • Built-in timer
Features
Read full description

ARPJAM is an arpeggio synthesizer that generates ever-evolving ambient music. Layer two independent arpeggio engines, each with its own waveform, scale, and pattern, and let the app weave an endless soundscape that shifts and breathes on its own. ■ Two Arpeggio Engines ARP A and ARP B run simultaneously, each with its own mode, scale, range, waveform, filter, and envelope. Five pattern modes: Random & Chord, Repeat, Random Single, Skank, and Drone. ■ Generative Drums A probability-based drum machine. Tune the firing density, double-hit chance, and open/closed hi-hat ratio for kick, snare, and hihat to create rhythms that evolve naturally alongside the arpeggio. ■ Sound Design Four waveforms — sine, triangle, sawtooth, square. Adjust the low-pass filter, attack, and overdrive per engine. Add depth with ping-pong delay and reverb. ■ Sync with External Instruments [NEW in v1.4] Ableton Link support — wirelessly sync tempo and bar phase with Ableton Move, Live, Koala, and other Link-enabled instruments on the same Wi-Fi network. USB-C MIDI Clock reception is also supported. Sample-accurate timing alignment, with a fine-tune Offset slider for each setup. ■ Redesigned Settings Panel [v1.4] Settings are now organized into five colored sections — Oscillator, Filter, Envelope, Algorithm, and Effects. Each section collapses individually or in bulk, and the state persists between launches. Jump directly to any section via the side rail (iPad) or sticky bar (iPhone). Clear square ON/OFF switches and vivid theme colors — orange for ARP A, lime for ARP B, cyan for Drums — make the whole panel far easier to navigate. ■ Save & Recall Four start presets (Default + SAVE 1/2/3) let you recall your favorite setups with a single tap from the start screen. Presets can be exported and imported as .arpjam files to share with other ARPJAM users. ■ Built-in Timer Choose countdown or infinite mode. The timer fades out with a gentle resolving chord — perfect as a sleep timer or as a companion to meditation. • 8 scales including pentatonic modes • 12 keys (Just Intonation / Equal Temperament switchable) • Groove control for swing feel • BPM 30–200 • English / Japanese language support • Ableton Link / MIDI Clock sync

About

CVOsc

Features
Read full description

Connect an Expert Sleepers ES-9, ES-8, or any class-compliant DC-coupled interface to your iOS Device, and visualize up to sixteen simultaneous channels of Control Voltage and audio — no laptop, no patch cables to a computer. See your patch • Up to 16 simultaneous channels in a paged, responsive grid • Three display modes: All (every channel), Selected (just the channels you tag), and Overlay (selected traces superimposed on a single canvas for phase and correlation work) • Per-channel range, offset, and time base, in volts for CV and normalized units for audio • Auto-trigger on zero crossing for rock-steady waveforms • Auto-fit to waveform when you just want the trace centered • Independent CV vs Audio mode per channel, with renameable identities ("VCO 1", "LFO Slow", etc.) Listen in • Built-in live monitor: route any input channel to any physical output of the interface • Monitor multiple channels simultaneously, each to its own output • Output assignments persist across sessions • Hot-plug aware — disconnect and reconnect, and CVOsc rebinds automatically Pro features (auto-renewing annual subscriptions) • Tuner — pitch detection that works on both CV pitch signals and audio. See note name and cents offset live in the pane. • Record & Playback — capture every selected channel to its own WAV file, then play recordings back through the interface. CV recordings are routed only to DC-coupled outputs; the app warns you if you try otherwise. Live monitoring and playback share the same USB pipeline, so you can play recordings while monitoring live channels at the same time. • Saved Channel Settings — every channel comes back exactly the way you left it on the next launch. • Presets — save and recall whole-rig configurations: channel names, signal types, all scale settings, monitor routings — under a single name. Each subscription is independent. Restore Purchases in Settings re-entitles anything you've previously bought on this Google account. Cancel anytime; cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. Hardware requirements CVOsc requires a class-compliant USB audio interface and a USB-C OTG cable. To visualize CV signals (not just audio), the interface must be DC-coupled. A powered USB hub is recommended for tablets that don't supply enough bus power. Supported DC Coupled USB Sound Cards Expert Sleepers - ES-9 (14 ch) - ES-8 (8 ch) - ES-3 (8 ch) - ES-40 (8 ch) Solid State Logic - SSL 2 MKII (2 ch) - SSL 2+ MKII (4 ch) - SSL 12 (4 ch) - SSL 18 (10 ch) - SSL ALPHA 8 (8 ch) MOTU - M2 / M4 / M6 (2 / 4 / 6 ch) - UltraLite-mk5 (10 ch), UltraLite AVB (8 ch) - 624 (6 ch), 8A (8 ch), 8M (8 ch), 10pre (8 ch), 16A (16 ch), 24Ao (24 ch) - 1248 (8 ch), 828 (8 ch), 828es (8 ch), 848 (12 ch) RME - Fireface UCX II (6 ch) Universal Audio - Apollo Twin / Twin MkII / Twin X / Twin USB / Twin X USB (4 ch) - Apollo x4 (6 ch), x6 (8 ch), x8 (10 ch), x8p (10 ch), x16 (18 ch) Native Instruments - Komplete Audio 6 MK2 (4 ch) Non-DC Coupled interfaces still work for audio I/O; they just won't pass the validator's DC-coupling check for CV playback. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://cvosc.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

ARPJAM4 screens
CVOsc1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ARPJAM at daily against CVOsc's every 6 weeks. ARPJAM also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. ARPJAM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CVOsc sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ARPJAM ships an update daily, CVOsc every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ARPJAM versus CVOsc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterARPJAMCVOsc
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTakashi TsunodaAleph Void LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ARPJAM

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$0.99
4 purchases

CVOsc

Subscriptions4
  • CVOsc Annual Tuner$0.991 Year
  • CVOsc Annual Recording$0.991 Year
  • CVOsc Preset Annual$0.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • CVOsc Annual Convert To Gate$0.991 Year

Questions

Is ARPJAM free?
ARPJAM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CVOsc free?
CVOsc is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ARPJAM or CVOsc have ads?
Neither ARPJAM nor CVOsc shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ARPJAM or CVOsc?
ARPJAM ships an update daily, and CVOsc every 6 weeks. Most recently, ARPJAM was updated on October 4, 2026 and CVOsc on October 6, 2026.

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