Comparison

MBR vs SJ

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

Head to head
About

MBR

Features
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MBR-01 is an expressive polyphonic synthesizer you play by touch. No keys, no menus to get lost in β€” just a living surface that responds to where and how you press. Slide across the XY pad to bend pitch and open the filter at once. The instrument is locked to the scale you choose, so every note lands in key: explore freely without ever playing a wrong note. SIX VOICES, ONE EXPRESSIVE SURFACE β€’ 6-voice polyphony with glide β€’ Morphing oscillator (sine β†’ triangle β†’ saw β†’ square) plus a sub β€’ Resonant ladder filter with its own range control β€’ Full ADSR envelope ARPEGGIATOR β€’ Up, Down, Up/Down and Random modes β€’ Tempo with tap, adjustable divisions and octave range β€’ Hold to let chords ring LIVE FX RACK β€’ Drive, bitcrusher, ring modulator, pitch shifter, phaser and chorus β€’ Delay, reverb and glide for space and movement β€’ Toggle and tweak everything while you play 31 SCALES From major and minor to whole tone, diminished and blues β€” through Hirajoshi, Iwato, Kumoi, Pelog, Bhairav, Marwa and more. Set the root and octave range and the whole surface re-tunes. PRESETS A curated library across Bass, Leads, Plucks, Pads and FX β€” plus save your own. Each preset carries its own reactive visual style. REACTIVE VISUALS A Metal-powered visualizer reacts to your playing in real time, with external display output for performance and visuals. MIDI OUT Send what you play to hardware synths or other apps over Core MIDI, with channel selection. BILINGUAL Full English and Spanish, switchable inside the app at any time. Built for iPad and iPhone. No account, no data collection β€” just sound.

About

SJ

Features
Currently charting
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SJ-SQUARE is a Super Jupiter–inspired analog polyphonic synthesizer for iPhone. A warm brown chassis and amber glow meet a hands-on module layout: oscillators, filter, envelopes, LFO, and effects β€” built for playing, not menus. FEATURES β€’ Multi-oscillator panel with wave, octave, and level controls β€’ Filter with resonance, envelope intensity, and key tracking β€’ Filter envelope & amp controls for expressive shaping β€’ LFO, OSC 2 detune / live layer, chorus, delay, and reverb β€’ Unison (1–4 voices), tempo / tap, and scale snap β€’ Full on-screen keyboard with octave shift & range minimap β€’ MIDI input support for external controllers β€’ Built-in presets ready to play β€’ Landscape-optimized performance UI Craft rich pads, biting leads, and stacked unison tones. Tweak cutoff and envelopes in real time, then perform with the keyboard or your MIDI gear. From the maker of KG-SQUARE, JP-SQUARE, and DX-SQUARE β€” hardware-inspired synth apps for musicians who love hands-on sound design.

Screenshots

MBR4 screens
SJ1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SJ at $0.49 against MBR's $4.99. SJ also leads on chart position (#192 vs unranked). MBR's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

MBR costs $4.99 and SJ $0.49 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 4 level
MBR versus SJ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMBRSJ
Price$4.99$0.49 β€” better
Update frequencyβ€”Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Best chart rankβ€”#192 β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 β€” better26.5
Further details β€” not scored
Size3 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCristopher Alejandro Yescas ArreolaKouki Yoshimoto

In-app purchases

None

MBR

No in-app purchases

None

SJ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MBR free?
MBR costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SJ free?
SJ costs $0.49, with no in-app purchases.
Do MBR or SJ have ads?
Neither MBR nor SJ shows ads.

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