Comparison

Tape Loop Machine vs Little Drum Machine

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

Head to head
About

Tape Loop Machine

Create warm, evolving ambient soundscapes with tape-style looping and sound-on-sound layering. This audio effect plugin offers long delay times and analog degradation simulations for experimental music creation. Explore presets or use it within your favorite AUv3-compatible host.

Highlights
  • Tape-style loop and delay
  • Sound-on-sound overdubbing
  • Long delay times
  • Analog degradation and tone coloring
  • Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation
  • Preset library
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Read full description

Tape Loop Machine is a free AUv3 audio effect built around tape-style looping, sound-on-sound layering, and long ambient delays. Use it inside any AUv3-compatible host to create warm repeats, evolving drones, layered guitar textures, synth soundscapes, and slow-moving experimental loops. Simple enough to pick up in minutes. Deep enough to get lost in. Features: - Tape-style loop and delay behavior - Sound-on-sound overdub layering - Long delay times for ambient and drone use - Analog degradation and tone coloring - Wow, flutter, and tape degradation simulation - Presets for quick sound exploration - AUv3 plugin support The standalone app is included for exploring presets and quickly auditioning sounds. For the full experience, load Tape Loop Machine BA2 as an AUv3 audio effect inside your favorite host, connect a guitar, synth, microphone, or any audio source, and start building evolving loops.

About

Little Drum Machine

Create beats quickly with a 16-step grid, velocity control, and genre presets. Load your own samples, shape sounds with envelopes and effects, and arrange patterns into full songs. Supports MIDI out and AUv3 hosting.

Highlights
  • 16-step drum grid with velocity
  • Load custom samples
  • Shape samples with envelopes
  • Delay, reverb, and drive effects
  • Polyrhythms and polymeters
  • MIDI out and AUv3 support
  • Genre presets and randomization
Features
Read full description

Little Drum Machine is what the name says: a drum machine for your iPad. Easy to use, with all the necessary bits to give you fast results. We wanted something fast and simple to work with in our own studio, without the complexity other tools often bring, so we built it. Now we want to share it with you, for free. Tap a beat into the 16-step grid, drag up or down for velocity, add a little swing, and you have a groove. Start from one of 31 genre presets, or hit Randomize when you'd rather not face a blank grid. Make sound your way: use the built-in kits, load your own samples, or send MIDI and let your favourite synths and drum apps do the talking. Features: • 16-step drum grid with 8 lanes and per-step velocity for accents and ghost notes • 32 samples across 8 drums included: four variants each, swappable per lane or even per step • Load your own samples and build your own kits • Shape every sample: pitch, fine tune, volume, and a start/attack/length/decay envelope • Delay, reverb and drive effects with per-drum sends: 4 delay modes, 7 reverb modes, 5 drive characters • Give any lane its own step count and loop length for polyrhythms and polymeters • Musical Randomize for instant grooves; Mutate to create variations of your patterns • 16 scenes per preset, chained into full arrangements in the Arranger • Built-in mixer with per-lane EQ, panning, mute and solo • Master EQ and a glue compressor with attack, release, ratio and parallel mix • Swing to get groovy • MIDI out to trigger external synths and drum apps • 31 genre presets: Techno, House, Hip Hop, Drum & Bass, Jazz, and more • Save and manage your own presets • Light and dark themes • Little Drum Machine runs on its own or as an AUv3 instrument in any suitable host. Free, no strings attached.

Screenshots

Tape Loop Machine3 screens
Little Drum Machine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Little Drum Machine at 5.0 against Tape Loop Machine's 4.8. Little Drum Machine also leads on update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Little Drum Machine holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tape Loop Machine ships an update fortnightly, Little Drum Machine weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tape Loop Machine versus Little Drum Machine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTape Loop MachineLittle Drum Machine
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (18 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings18 — better8
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBaturay KocSnorkel Audio, Inh. Michael Kaisser

Customer experience

Tape Loop Machine

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Little Drum Machine

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tape Loop Machine

No in-app purchases

None

Little Drum Machine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tape Loop Machine free?
Tape Loop Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Little Drum Machine free?
Little Drum Machine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tape Loop Machine or Little Drum Machine?
Little Drum Machine is rated higher. Tape Loop Machine averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Little Drum Machine averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Tape Loop Machine or Little Drum Machine have ads?
Neither Tape Loop Machine nor Little Drum Machine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tape Loop Machine or Little Drum Machine?
Tape Loop Machine ships an update fortnightly, and Little Drum Machine weekly. Most recently, Tape Loop Machine was updated on October 24, 2026 and Little Drum Machine on October 29, 2026.

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