Comparison

Track8 vs TraceSonic

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

Head to head
About

Track8

This app offers a focused 8-track audio and MIDI recorder for mobile devices and Mac. It provides essential recording, arranging, editing, and mixing tools without the complexity of a full DAW. Projects are compatible with dedicated hardware.

Highlights
  • 8 audio and 8 MIDI tracks
  • Looping and punch in/out
  • Markers for arrangement
  • Audio and MIDI editing
  • Clipboard Modifier tools
  • Track and master effects
  • AUv3 hosting
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Track8 is a focused 8-track recorder for iPad, iPhone and Mac: press record, play, done. It is the same software that runs on the Track8 hardware recorder, so it works as a complete recorder on its own, and it opens the hardware's projects unchanged if you own one. No timeline to arrange, no plug-in chains to manage before you can record. Eight audio tracks and eight MIDI tracks, a loop, punch in and out, markers for structure, and a mixer with track and master effects. Every control has one job and sits on the panel in front of you: tap the buttons, drag the encoders, and use the screen in the middle for editing, exactly as on the hardware. What you can do - Record audio and MIDI on eight tracks each, with loop, punch, count-in and a metronome - Arrange with markers: jump, loop, copy and move whole sections - Edit audio and MIDI on the device, with undo - Reshape recordings with the Clipboard Modifier: time, pitch, granular, spectral, filter and voice tools, for audio and for MIDI - Mix with track and master effects, sends and automation - Host AUv3 instruments and effects as outboard gear, wired like a hardware synth or pedal - Use any audio interface, including multi-channel ones, with low latency on recent iPads and iPhones - Map USB, Bluetooth and network MIDI controllers with MIDI Learn - Export mixes and stems to a folder of your choice With or without the hardware Projects are plain files that move between the app and the Track8 hardware in both directions. Record on the go, finish on the desk, or use the app as your only recorder. Track8 is not a DAW and does not try to be one. It is a recording instrument: immediate, obvious and fast, so the idea gets recorded while it is still an idea.

About

TraceSonic

Transform images into unique sounds by drawing on a spectral canvas. This app uses brush strokes and imported images to generate additive synthesis, offering a creative way to craft musical instruments and soundscapes.

Highlights
  • Draw on spectral canvas
  • Import images to create sound
  • 128 additive oscillators
  • Multiple brush types
  • Pitch snapping to scales
  • MIDI note input
  • Save custom patches
Features
Read full description

TraceSonic turns pictures into sound. Paint directly on a spectral canvas and hear each mark become part of a playable additive instrument: horizontal position is time, height is pitch, and brightness controls the level of each partial. Start with an empty canvas and draw with solid, soft, textured, tapered, or harmonic brushes. Fill the canvas with generated patterns, or import an image and turn its brightness into sound. Pitch snapping keeps freehand marks on your selected scale. Shape your sound with: • 128 additive oscillators spanning four octaves • Seven classic waveforms and 12 built-in wavetables • Forward, reverse, and ping-pong scanning • Adjustable pass length and tempo-synchronized loops in compatible Audio Unit hosts • MIDI note input for retuning the complete canvas • More than 60 factory patches, including tones, sequences, gestures, textures, drones, and sound effects • User patches that save the canvas and its synthesis settings • Solid, harmonic, soft, textured, and tapered brush families • Undo, redo, erasing, pitch snapping, and scale selection Use TraceSonic as a standalone instrument on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, or load its AUv3 instrument in a compatible host.

Screenshots

Track83 screens
TraceSonic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Track8 at every 3 days against TraceSonic's every 9 days. Track8 also leads on chart position (#195 vs unranked) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). TraceSonic's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $8.99). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Track8 costs $8.99 and TraceSonic $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Track8 against 5.0 for TraceSonic. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Track8 ships an update every 3 days, TraceSonic every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Track8 versus TraceSonic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrack8TraceSonic
Price$8.99$7.99 — better
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#195 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThingstone GmbHr6 appz

Customer experience

Track8

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TraceSonic

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Track8

No in-app purchases

None

TraceSonic

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Track8 free?
Track8 costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TraceSonic free?
TraceSonic costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Track8 or TraceSonic?
Track8 and TraceSonic are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Track8 or TraceSonic have ads?
Neither Track8 nor TraceSonic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Track8 or TraceSonic?
Track8 ships an update every 3 days, and TraceSonic every 9 days. Most recently, Track8 was updated on November 5, 2026 and TraceSonic on October 31, 2026.

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