GRAB EM Field Synth vs FALSE MEMORY
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GRAB EM Field Synth
This experimental synthesizer uses your iPhone's magnetic sensor to capture ambient electromagnetic waves and transform them into sound. Explore unique soundscapes by "playing" the electromagnetic noise from everyday electronics like power adapters and Wi-Fi routers.
- Electromagnetic wave to sound conversion
- Multi-layered sound engine
- Sensor-linked synth voices
- Camera-driven tremolo effect
- Bitcrush, comb filter, reverb, stutter effects
- Ableton Link tempo synchronization
- 3D point cloud frequency spectrum visualization
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GRAB uses the magnetometer in your iPhone as an antenna. It receives the electromagnetic noise around you and turns it into sound in real time. Power adapters, motors, displays, Wi-Fi routers — the invisible field they radiate becomes the source material, and you play it the way you would play a field recording. Move to a different room and the instrument sounds different. SOUND ENGINE • Five ETHER-inspired layers: mains hum / PWM buzz / static hiss / high squeal / pulse train • Three sensor-driven synth voices: saw / square / noise • With the camera on, light falling on the lens drives a tremolo across level and timbre EFFECTS • CRUSH — bit crusher with sample-rate reduction • COMB — comb filter with feedback • REVERB — multi-tap reverb with shimmer • STUTTER — BPM-synced gate • MUTE — momentary kill switch; tap it repeatedly to articulate a tremolo by hand • HOLD latch on every effect pad, from the button or a second finger ABLETON LINK • Automatic tempo sync with Live, Logic and other iOS music apps • STUTTER locks to the Link tempo at 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 and 1/32 • Uses Ableton's official Link settings panel • Plays alongside other audio apps rather than interrupting them VISUALS • 3D point-cloud frequency spectrum • Spectrum bar mode • With the camera on, a grayscale image sits behind the field in depth WAYS TO PLAY • A field-sound tool: walk it past appliances and hear the timbre shift • An atmospheric noise source to drop into a live set • A platform for experimenting with electromagnetic noise music PRIVACY All audio is processed on the device. Nothing is recorded and nothing is sent anywhere. Ableton Link communicates only within your local Wi-Fi network.
FALSE MEMORY
This app transforms any sound into a decaying audio effect, simulating tape degradation or digital corruption. Explore various destruction parameters to create unique sonic textures and atmospheres. It can also evolve the sound automatically over time.
- Real-time audio disintegration
- Analog/Digital destruction engine
- Pitch and timing destabilization
- Frequency spectrum smearing
- Past audio bleed-through
- Automatic evolution over time
- Randomize parameters
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FALSE MEMORY is a real-time audio disintegration effect. Feed it any sound and watch it decay. A tape left in the sun. A corrupted file half-recovered from a dead drive. A memory dissolving as you try to hold onto it. Turn up MEMORY and the destruction begins. Everything else shapes how the sound falls apart. DESTRUCTION ENGINE The Analog / Digital slider is the soul of the effect. Slide left for warm, organic decay: Cassette wobble, Reel-to-reel saturation, VHS tracking errors. Slide right for cold, precise corruption: Lo-fi aliasing, Circuit-bent glitches, Data-mosh block artifacts. Drift destabilizes pitch and timing. At low settings it breathes. Cranked up, the signal loses its grip on reality. Damage controls how aggressively the signal gets torn apart. ATMOSPHERE Fog smears the frequency spectrum into clouds. Three modes: Tonal keeps harmonic structure intact, Inharmonic scatters it, Evolving slowly morphs between the two. Ghosts lets past audio bleed through the current signal. Echoes repeat rhythmically. Imprints leave residual traces. Granular scatters fragments across time. TEXTURE Hiss adds tape noise, from subtle warmth to a roaring floor. Crackle introduces vinyl pops and surface damage. SET IT AND FORGET IT Evolve lets the destruction deepen automatically over time. Pick a duration from 1 to 64 minutes. Walk away. Come back to something completely different. The Randomize button rerolls all destruction parameters instantly. Hit it until something clicks. AUv3 plugin for iOS. Runs in AUM, GarageBand, Logic, and any AUv3 host. Standalone app for iPhone and iPad. From All The Machines.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is chart position: FALSE MEMORY at #192 against GRAB EM Field Synth's unranked. FALSE MEMORY also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
GRAB EM Field Synth costs $3.99 and FALSE MEMORY $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.
| Parameter | GRAB EM Field Synth | FALSE MEMORY |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily | Daily |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | #192 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hiroya Tanaka | Stephan Bolch |
Customer experience
GRAB EM Field Synth
FALSE MEMORY
In-app purchases
GRAB EM Field Synth
No in-app purchases
FALSE MEMORY
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is GRAB EM Field Synth free?
Is FALSE MEMORY free?
Do GRAB EM Field Synth or FALSE MEMORY have ads?
Which is updated more often, GRAB EM Field Synth or FALSE MEMORY?
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