BrownBox vs Virgil
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BrownBox
This app analyzes L-Acoustics Soundvision System Reports to provide detailed rigging information for audio professionals. It displays box counts, splay angles, trim heights, and weight, helping users efficiently fly PA systems. The app offers both free and pro features, with the pro version unlocking advanced rigging details and live tracking.
- Import Soundvision System Reports (PDF)
- View box counts, cabinet models, and splay angles
- Display top and bottom trim heights
- Calculate array weight with flying frame
- Track hang status (Pending, Deployed, Noised)
- Share rig cards as images
- Offline functionality
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BrownBox reads an L-Acoustics Soundvision System Report and hands you every hang the way you rig it: box counts, per-box splay, top and bottom trim, weight with the flying frame, bumper count, pickup hole and site angle. Open the PDF on your phone, walk to the point, and the numbers are in your hand. Built by a touring audio tech, for the people who fly the PA. EVERY HANG AT A GLANCE • Import any Soundvision System Report (PDF) — straight from Files, Mail or AirDrop • Mains, subs, fills and delays laid out like the console, each with box count and cabinet models • Per-box splay angles and a side-profile view of the array • Top trim and bottom trim, in feet or metres RIGGING, NOT JUST ACOUSTICS • Weight per array, including the flying frame, in lb or kg • Bumper count, pickup hole and front/rear pins from the report • Site angle starred on a two-motor hang, pickup hole starred on a one-motor hang, so the number that actually sets the tilt is the one you see first • Verified cabinet weights for K1, K2, K3, KARA II, KIVA II, A15, A10, KS28, KS21, SB18, SB15m, L2, L2D, SYVA, SYVA LOW, X8, X12, X15 — anything estimated is marked ≈ THE RIGGER LIED (Pro) • Riggers report the as-built trim or site angle from their own phones with a short show code • The lead sees every hang that's off from the design, live, as it's flown ON SITE • Track each hang from Pending to Deployed to Noised, with a Noised tab for system check • Share a rig card — trim, weight, splays, holes — as an image straight into the show chat • Works offline. No account. Your designs never leave your phone unless you share them. FREE AND PRO Importing reports, box counts, splays, the side profile and the status tabs are free. BrownBox Pro ($24.99/year) unlocks weight, top and bottom trim, full rigging detail, the rig card and the live Rigger Lied sync. Auto-renewing annual subscription, cancel anytime in Settings. eighty32 — field tools for AV, RF & broadcast. ——— Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://brownbox.eighty32.com/privacy BrownBox Pro is an auto-renewable annual subscription ($24.99/year or local equivalent). Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation and renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends.
Virgil
Control your Dante-enabled audio network directly from your iPhone or iPad. Patch, adjust, and monitor devices remotely without needing a laptop. Offers a familiar grid interface, device control, and preset management for live sound professionals.
- Remote patching and adjustment
- Dante-enabled audio network control
- Device identification and settings
- Preset saving and recall
- Real-time status monitoring
- Network troubleshooting assistance
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Your guide through the circles. Virgil puts the routing matrix for your Dante-enabled audio network on your iPhone or iPad. Walk the room, stand at FOH or backstage, and patch, check and adjust devices without a laptop or extra hardware. PATCH FROM A GRID YOU ALREADY KNOW • Transmitters across the top, receivers down the side. Press and hold where they meet to patch or unpatch, so a stray tap never changes your show. • Finger-sized boxes, a crosshair that lights up the row and column you're touching, a filling ring while you hold, and haptic confirmation on iPhone. • Tap the + where two devices meet to open both, or hold it to patch 1:1 in one move (channel 1→1, 2→2…). • Expand or collapse everything in one tap. • Pinch to zoom out over a big system, search to filter by device name. • Green means connected. Amber and red flag trouble, with the reason. • Stays in sync: when someone patches from Dante Controller, Virgil updates on its own. • Clock and Events lights in the corner: green means all good. Tap Clock for every device's clock status, or Events for a log of what changed since you opened the app. DEVICE CONTROL Long-press any device for its info and settings: • Model and IP, identify (flash the LEDs to find the box in the rack) • Rename devices and channels, or reset them to factory names • Manufacturer, firmware, sample rate and bit depth • Latency • Analog input and output levels on AVIO adapters • Clock role and sync status, plus preferred leader • Reboot, with confirmation PRESETS • Save the routing for a show and recall it later. Virgil shows exactly what will change before it touches anything. BUILT FOR THE WORK • Talks directly to devices on your local network. No account, no cloud, no ads, no tracking. • Finds devices quickly and reliably over multicast, with a clear message if your network blocks it. • Remembers your devices, and Refresh scans the network for them when Wi-Fi blocks discovery. • Handles busy Wi-Fi gracefully and tells you when the network drops a reply instead of hanging. • Keeps the screen awake while you work (switchable). • Tells you what to check when no devices show up. • iPhone and iPad, portrait or landscape, iOS 17 and newer. • Works with VoiceOver: every box and header is described, double-tap-and-hold patches, and every action is on the Actions rotor. GOOD TO KNOW • Your iPhone or iPad must be on the same network as the Dante primary interfaces, and Virgil needs Local Network access (iOS asks the first time). • Supports both the classic and newer (ARC 2.8.15) Dante control protocols. • Devices enrolled in Dante Domain Manager aren't supported. Made by MuffStuff for audio people. Virgil is not affiliated with or endorsed by Audinate. Dante is a trademark of Audinate Pty Ltd.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virgil at none against BrownBox's 1. Virgil also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. BrownBox sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. Virgil asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BrownBox against 5.0 for Virgil. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
BrownBox ships an update every 2 months, Virgil every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | BrownBox | Virgil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Chris DeBrizzio | Bryan Hargrave |
Customer experience
BrownBox
Virgil
In-app purchases
BrownBox
- BrownBox Pro$24.991 Year
Virgil
No in-app purchases









