Track8 vs TraceSonic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
Track8 costs $8.99 and TraceSonic $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Track8 | TraceSonic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | $7.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #195 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thingstone GmbH | r6 appz |
Customer experience
Track8
TraceSonic
In-app purchases
Track8
No in-app purchases
TraceSonic
No in-app purchases









