Comparison

Drift vs M8FX

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

Head to head
About

Drift

This audio plugin offers dynamic saturation with a continuously shifting distortion curve. Achieve warm, musical tones or gritty, unpredictable textures. It's designed for musicians and producers seeking unique sonic character.

Highlights
  • Dynamic saturation with shifting distortion
  • Adjustable drive for warmth to clipping
  • Drift parameter for continuous curve changes
  • Depth and Spread for stereo variation
  • React for transient-following distortion
  • Post-saturation tone shaping
  • AUv3 plugin support
Read full description

DRIFT is a saturation plugin with a wandering soul. The distortion curve doesn't sit still — it shifts continuously, driven by the Drift parameter, so your signal is never processed the same way twice. Warm and musical at low settings. Gritty and unpredictable pushed hard. Everything in between. — DRIVE — Pushes the signal into saturation. From gentle warmth to hard clipping. — DRIFT — The wandering parameter. Steers the saturation curve continuously over time — the higher it goes, the more the character shifts. — DEPTH — Controls how far the curve travels from its center position. More depth, more variation. — SPREAD — Widens the drift behavior between left and right channels for stereo movement. — REACT — How quickly the curve responds to transients. Low React for smooth, gradual drift. High React for transient-following distortion. — TONE — Post-saturation tonal shaping. Roll off highs or open up the top end after the drive. — MIX — Dry/wet blend for parallel saturation. — OUTPUT — Final output level after saturation and tone shaping. — AUv3 PLUGIN — Run DRIFT inside AUM, ApeMatrix, Audiobus, or any AUv3 host. Multiple instances, each with independent settings. — WORKS ON — iPhone and iPad, all modern screen sizes.

About

M8FX

Features
Read full description

【Description】 M8FX is a revolutionary, portable multi-track effects processor app designed specifically for iPhone to turn your Dirtywave M8 Tracker into a powerful, live-performing mixing rig. Connect using a single USB-C cable. M8FX hooks up directly to your M8 Tracker (running firmware version 6.0 or higher), allowing you to apply independent effects to each individual channel (CH1–CH8) using your favorite iOS AUv3 plugins with seamless real-time BPM synchronization, and route the processed audio directly back to the M8 hardware. Optimized for a permanent "Portrait (Vertical)" screen layout on iPhone and built with a hyper-responsive JUCE 8 + React/TypeScript hybrid architecture, M8FX delivers a latency-free, hardware-style experience. Perfect for both deep sound design in the studio and chaotic dub-mixing on stage. 【Key Features】 Clean Single-Cable Connection: No bulky adapters or messy wiring. A single USB-C to USB-C cable is all you need to handle 8-channel bi-directional audio routing and MIDI synchronization. Per-Channel Insert & Return (v6+ Sync): Seamlessly integrate with M8 Tracker (v6.0+) to process individual tracks through up to four AUv3 effect slots in a chain, routing the polished sound directly back into the M8 master bus. Flawless BPM Sync & Beat Effects: Live MIDI clock synchronization enables flawless integration of tempo-synced beat effects, rhythmic modulators, and time-based delays that lock perfectly with your M8's groove. Portrait Multi-Touch Mixing UI: Tailored for effortless one-handed control on iPhone with a compact 4x2 channel grid. Perform dynamic, hardware-style live dubs using responsive Mute, Solo, and toggling between Momentary/Latch send modes. 4 Macro Sliders & Dramatic Drop Controls: Maps vital AUv3 parameters to four thick macro sliders (M1–M4) for fluid hands-on control. Build massive tension by unleashing all sends simultaneously with the "ALL SEL" button, then trigger a clean drop in a split second with the pink "RST" (Reset) button. 【System Requirements】 Supported Hardware: Dirtywave M8 Tracker (Model:01 & Model:02) Required M8 Firmware: Version 6.0 or higher (for multichannel USB audio sending and return routing) Compatible Devices: USB-C equipped iPhones (iPhone 15 or later recommended) Setup Note: Please ensure "Microphone Permission" is allowed upon launch to enable USB-C audio inputs.

Screenshots

Drift4 screens
M8FX1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Drift at $1.99 against M8FX's $4.99. Drift also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Drift costs $1.99 and M8FX $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Drift versus M8FX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDriftM8FX
Price$1.99 — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyDaily—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStephan BolchKeisuke Kagoshima

In-app purchases

None

Drift

No in-app purchases

None

M8FX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drift free?
Drift costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is M8FX free?
M8FX costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Drift or M8FX have ads?
Neither Drift nor M8FX shows ads.

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