Comparison

Heathcliff vs Sampledex Effect Shift

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

Head to head
About

Heathcliff

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Heathcliff turns any iOS host into a DJ channel strip. Cut, mix, and blend one track into the next — without thinking about the right preset. Heathcliff isn't your parametric EQ; it's the channel strip for transitions. Heathcliff is built for low latency — aggressive performance targets keep it out of the way when you're playing live, and multiple instances won't tax your CPU. The tuning takes its cue from leading DJ mixers, with user-selectable character profiles so you can match the feel to your mixing style. * 3-band EQ — two character profiles: one cuts clean, one bleeds for feel * FX: Filter — sweeps for builds and washes * Trim and volume — set the gain so the blend sits right * Character profiles — voicing presets for EQ, filter, and FX, matched to your mixing style * MIDI learn — supports legacy and modern 14-bit MIDI controllers (most modern DJ controllers are 14-bit). Map UI controls to your hardware; a DJ controller is the recommended way to play. * Low latency — plays live, stacks across multiple instances * AUv3 — works in any AUv3 host * Note: Heathcliff is an AUv3 plugin, not a standalone DJ app. The app runs inside a plugin host app like GarageBand, AUM, or Cubasis. Your DAW, your DJ moves. That's Heathcliff!

About

Sampledex Effect Shift

Features
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Give your sound a new direction. Sampledex Effect Shift brings 50 effect choices, seven hands-on macro controls and the seven-band Bender EQ to iPhone and iPad. Add drive to a drum loop, movement to a synth or space around a melody, then shape the result to fit your track. FIND A STARTING POINT Choose from 51 factory presets: Default plus a starting sound for each of the 50 effects. A factory preset recalls a complete sound. Use the separate effect menu when you want to change the algorithm while keeping your other settings. CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER Explore drive, digital textures, filters, chorus, flanging, phasing, tremolo, ring modulation, delay and reverb. Start with an effect, then turn Amount, Tone, Time, Mix, Dimension, Sparkle and Output to make it your own. SHAPE IT WITH BENDER EQ Follow seven colored band curves and their numbered handles. Select a band to adjust frequency, gain and Q directly. Use Fine for smaller graph movements, or lock dragging to frequency or gain. High-pass, low-pass and Prism controls give you more ways to shape the response. COMPARE AND KEEP YOUR IDEAS Use EQ A/B to compare two settings and copy a favorite into the other slot. Save the full sound as a preset and import or export preset documents when moving between your workflows. Each instance keeps its own sound in your host's project state. BUILT FOR TOUCH Move between Effects, Bender EQ and Advanced pages. Scroll to reach every control, enter a precise value or turn a textured macro knob. Switch Light or Dark directly from the touch header, or use the theme menu in Advanced. Your theme and settings return when the instance is restored. BRING IT INTO YOUR MUSIC WORKFLOW The included AUv3 audio effect extension loads in compatible hosts. The containing app also offers live input processing: connect headphones or an audio interface, then enable live input. Microphone permission is requested when you enable input. Your host manages audio when you use the extension. GO FURTHER Explore HoloRune character, spatial modes, EQ routing, parallel mix and Mid/Side levels in Advanced. Sidechain ducking requires a compatible host and a routed sidechain source.

Screenshots

Heathcliff3 screens
Sampledex Effect Shift4 screens

Verdict

The call

Heathcliff and Sampledex Effect Shift are too close to call on the numbers: across 7 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and ads among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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

Both are free to download. 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 Heathcliff against 5.0 for Sampledex Effect Shift. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Heathcliff versus Sampledex Effect Shift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHeathcliffSampledex Effect Shift
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuan SegoviaRobert Clemons

In-app purchases

None

Heathcliff

No in-app purchases

None

Sampledex Effect Shift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Heathcliff free?
Heathcliff is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sampledex Effect Shift free?
Sampledex Effect Shift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Heathcliff or Sampledex Effect Shift?
Heathcliff and Sampledex Effect Shift are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Heathcliff or Sampledex Effect Shift have ads?
Neither Heathcliff nor Sampledex Effect Shift shows ads.

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