Comparison

Retrocord vs VU950

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

Head to head
About

Retrocord

Features
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Retrocord is a retroactive multitrack audio recorder. It works like a tape that's always recording from your selected input, so when you play something worth keeping, you can save the last few minutes — after the fact. How it works Choose your audio input and a buffer length. Retrocord records silently in the background. When you want to keep what you just played, tap a duration to capture. The audio lands in your library as a recording you can play back, edit, organize, and export. Multitrack support Retrocord records every channel your audio input exposes, each as its own track. Connect a class-compliant multichannel USB audio interface — such as the Focusrite Scarlett series or similar — and capture individual inputs as separate stems. Mute and solo tracks during playback, then export them to your DAW to mix and arrange later. Edit before you export Retrocord lets you shape a capture without leaving the app: - Trim — set start and end points against a recording to keep only the part that matters - Split — cut a capture in two at the playhead to create separate recordings - Gain — adjust level in 3 dB steps, up to ±24 dB Your library, on every device Recordings live in an organized library — sessions hold captures, captures hold tracks — with waveforms, names, and durations at a glance. Your library syncs privately across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through your own iCloud account. Lossless, and smaller Captures are stored as Apple Lossless (ALAC) — full 24-bit, 48 kHz quality at roughly half the size of uncompressed WAV. When it's time to move audio out, export individual tracks or a flattened mix as ALAC or 24-bit WAV, with your trim and gain applied. Use cases - Capturing jams and improvisations without arming a DAW - Recording stems from multichannel audio interfaces - Field recording, where the moment you want has already passed by the time you'd hit record - Interviews and spoken word, where restarting a conversation to get a clean take isn't an option - Practice sessions, rehearsals, and songwriting where good ideas surface unpredictably Details - Works with any class-compliant USB audio interface - Also supports the built-in microphone on iPhone and iPad - Stereo pairing toggle for interleaved L/R channels - Per-track mute and solo during playback - Non-destructive trim, split, and gain - Apple Lossless (ALAC) storage; export to ALAC or 24-bit/48 kHz WAV - Private iCloud sync across your devices, through your own iCloud account - No third-party account, no analytics — your recordings are yours

About

VU950

This app emulates the behavior of early digital samplers, focusing on sound shaping through intentional limitations and artifacts. It offers a full timestretch workflow, reduced bit depth processing, and MIDI control for a hands-on experience. Standalone mode includes multi-track sequencing, effects, and the ability to host other AUv3 apps.

Highlights
  • Classic sampler sound emulation
  • Full timestretch workflow
  • Reduced bit depth processing
  • MIDI-controllable parameters
  • Multi-track sequencing
  • AUv3 hosting
  • Built-in effects
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

VU950 is not about realism. It is about behavior. Sound shaped by limits, gain interaction and audible artifacts — the same forces that defined early digital samplers. Draws inspiration from classic midi sequencers combined with samplers. Why it sounds the way it does Instead of emulating a single piece of hardware, VU950 recreates the way early samplers behaved internally. Resolution limits, imperfect filtering and non-linear stages are treated as musical decisions, not technical flaws. What shapes the sound VU950 sample rate: 7.5 kHz to 48 kHz Full timestretch workflow with classic hardware sampler tone Reduced bit depth processing for early-digital density User-adjustable anti-aliasing behavior Stereo signal path with selectable left or right input channel Dedicated input gain stage with drive and circuit bias Multiple filtering stages including bandwidth limitation Built-in low-pass filter for tone shaping Anti-aliasing tuned for musical artifacts, not transparency Non-linear processing across the entire signal path Output gain stage that affects tone and density, not just level MIDI-controllable parameters for hands-on workflow Maximum sample length: 63 seconds Truncate option to trim sample Precise mode for precise trimming on start and end screen One or eight voices of polyphony Precise start and end point control for trimming Chop function with selectable amount of slices And that was just VU950 AUv3 plugin. In Standalone: 8 tracks Support for hosting AUv3 apps to change VU950 sound engine to any sound You like. Build in multi sampler - VU20. Build in midi device - VUMIDI. Mixer with 4 inserts per track. 17 build in effects like filters, eq, compressors Possibility to use 4 AUv3 effects per channel Step Sequencer Piano Roll. Song Mode Live Mode Export wav with stems. Loading samples to build in turntable and record samples to VU950/VU20 or another AUv3 plugin with inputs Classic and modern UI template (Modern is fully customisable) In app purchases drumkits are downloadable after purchase (MPC60 drumkit for free) You can check also my another beatmaking app - VU202 - which is free and it is also a AUv3 instrument so You can use VU202 in VU950!

Screenshots

Retrocord4 screens
VU9504 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VU950 at $1.99 against Retrocord's $19.99. VU950 also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). Retrocord's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On 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

Retrocord costs $19.99 and VU950 $1.99 up front. VU950 sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Retrocord asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retrocord ships an update every 3 weeks, VU950 every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Retrocord versus VU950: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetrocordVU950
Price$19.99$1.99 — better
Rating—4.5 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Paid
Best chart rank—#67 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB189 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRocamr Labs, LLCDariusz Chynek

In-app purchases

None

Retrocord

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

VU950

One-time8
  • EMAX drumkit$0.99
  • S2400$0.99
  • MPC2000$0.99
Show 5 more
  • MPC2000 2$0.99
  • MPC3000$0.99
  • SP1200$0.99
  • S900$0.99
  • SP202$0.99

Questions

Is Retrocord free?
Retrocord costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is VU950 free?
VU950 costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do Retrocord or VU950 have ads?
Neither Retrocord nor VU950 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retrocord or VU950?
Retrocord ships an update every 3 weeks, and VU950 every 2 days. Most recently, Retrocord was updated on October 1, 2026 and VU950 on October 15, 2026.

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