Comparison

MESA Synth AUv3 vs TAIL Sampler

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

Head to head
About

MESA Synth AUv3

This music creation tool transforms visuals into sound by rendering shaders and images into wavetables. It offers a powerful synthesis engine, extensive sound-shaping capabilities, and a full effects rack, all controllable through light and visual input.

Highlights
  • Visual-to-audio wavetable synthesis
  • Unison oscillator stack with sub-oscillator
  • Zero-delay-feedback filter
  • Vision panel for sound shaping with light
  • 26 stackable visual modifiers as audio effects
  • 8-stage stereo FX rack
  • Sampler mode with auto pitch-tracking
Features
Read full description

MESA is a wavetable synthesizer unlike any other — it turns visuals into sound. Drop in a shader or a .vkograph and MESA renders it offscreen, reads the light across the image, and turns that into a wavetable you play. The picture literally becomes the oscillator — and the same visual keeps living behind your keys, reacting to every note. No other synth works like this. Behind the magic is a complete, serious instrument: THE ENGINE • 64-frame wavetables, FFT mip-banked for clean, alias-free playback everywhere • Unison oscillator stack with detune, spread, and a sub-oscillator • Zero-delay-feedback filter — cutoff, resonance, drive, self-oscillating • Full ADSR envelope, portamento glide, and a dedicated pitch envelope SHAPE THE SOUND WITH LIGHT • Vision panel: choose the scanline, weight color channels, bend the brightness curve, sweep time — one shader, a thousand timbres • 33 color palettes that reshape the tone, not just the look • VFX chain: 26 stackable visual modifiers, each one also an audio effect A FULL STUDIO • 3-slot modulation matrix with 2 LFOs, velocity, and mod wheel • 8-stage stereo FX rack: tape, wow & flutter, chorus, delay, reverb, lo-fi, tape-stop • Sampler mode — load any audio, auto pitch-tracked across the keys • Arpeggiator, Ableton Link, and MIDI Learn on nearly every control BUILT FOR YOUR WORKFLOW • AUv3 plug-in AND standalone app — one purchase, iOS + macOS • iCloud sync — build a patch on your Mac, it's ready on your iPhone • Categorized preset browser with import/export and full patch recall

About

TAIL Sampler

Features
Read full description

TAIL Sampler turns your phone into a fast, hands-on sampler and beatmaking instrument. Record a sound, chop it, map it across pads and play it back instantly — no complicated setup, no lag. Built on a low-latency audio engine, TAIL Sampler is made for spontaneous ideas: capture a sample the moment inspiration hits and start playing straight away. WHY TAIL SAMPLER • Ultra-low latency — play in real time with a tight, responsive feel. • Record anything — sample your voice, an instrument, or any sound around you. • Play your way — trigger samples from the on-screen pads or an external MIDI controller. • Made for mobile — a clean, focused interface designed for one-handed, on-the-go creation. • Runs in the background — keep your sound playing while you switch apps. FOR EVERY KIND OF MAKER Whether you're sketching a beat on the train, capturing a field recording, or performing live, TAIL Sampler keeps the workflow simple so you can stay in the creative flow. • Beatmakers — build grooves from your own one-shots and loops. • Producers — capture raw ideas anywhere and refine them later. • Sound designers — record and reshape real-world audio. • Performers — trigger samples live with MIDI. GET STARTED IN SECONDS 1. Record or import a sound. 2. Assign it to a pad. 3. Play, layer and jam. TAIL Sampler is designed to get out of your way. Fewer menus, more music. Download TAIL Sampler and start turning sounds into songs today.

Screenshots

MESA Synth AUv34 screens
TAIL Sampler4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TAIL Sampler at every 5 days against MESA Synth AUv3's every 2 months. TAIL Sampler also leads on price ($3.99 vs $8.99) and iOS requirement (16.3 vs 18.4). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99 and TAIL Sampler $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MESA Synth AUv3 ships an update every 2 months, TAIL Sampler every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
MESA Synth AUv3 versus TAIL Sampler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMESA Synth AUv3TAIL Sampler
Price$8.99$3.99 — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.416.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB5 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJuan MaguidSolid Grid Systems GmbH

In-app purchases

None

MESA Synth AUv3

No in-app purchases

None

TAIL Sampler

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MESA Synth AUv3 free?
MESA Synth AUv3 costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TAIL Sampler free?
TAIL Sampler costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do MESA Synth AUv3 or TAIL Sampler have ads?
Neither MESA Synth AUv3 nor TAIL Sampler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MESA Synth AUv3 or TAIL Sampler?
MESA Synth AUv3 ships an update every 2 months, and TAIL Sampler every 5 days. Most recently, MESA Synth AUv3 was updated on October 13, 2026 and TAIL Sampler on October 8, 2026.

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