FW Radar vs MIDI Host Herder
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
FW Radar
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FW Radar keeps track of firmware for your studio gear, so you don't have to. It follows firmware releases for more than 1,700 hardware products, from synths and drum machines to eurorack modules, audio interfaces and effects. When something in your rig gets an update, you hear about it. Your rig Add the gear you own and see where each device stands: the latest firmware, the version you have installed, the full version history with changelogs, manuals and used prices from Reverb. Notifications Turn on notifications and you get a push as soon as a new firmware shows up for one of your devices. Tap it and you land on the product page. Telegram and email alerts are there too, if you prefer. Public rigs Look at the setups other electronic musicians share, and publish your own with photos if you like. The catalog More than 1,700 products from over 300 brands, checked around the clock. If your device is missing, request it from the app and it gets added. On iPhone, iPad and Mac. Free, no subscription. Sign in with Apple or Google. FW Radar does not host firmware files: every download link goes to the manufacturer's official page. This application uses the Reverb API but is not endorsed, created by or certified by Reverb.com, LLC.
MIDI Host Herder
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MIDI Host Herder turns your iPhone into a USB MIDI host and router. Plug a USB hub into your phone, connect your keyboards, pads, controllers and synths, and send MIDI between them. It does the job of a hardware MIDI host box. ROUTING β’ Send any input to any outputs, with as many routings as you like. β’ Quick route: tap an input, then tap an output. β’ Route everything to everything with one tap, like a MIDI thru box. β’ Works with USB, Bluetooth MIDI, Network MIDI and other music apps on your phone. FILTERS AND TRANSFORMS Add these to each routing, in any order: message filter, channel filter, channel remap, key range for splits, velocity range for layers, transpose, note map for drum pads, velocity curve, controller remap, controller filter and clock divider. CONTROLLER REMAP Turn any knob, fader, pad, pitch bend or aftertouch into another control or a program change. Choose Direct, Latch, Increment or Relative mode. Use MIDI Learn: move a control instead of typing numbers. CONDITIONS A routing can pass MIDI only while a footswitch is held or a knob is above a value. The condition can come from any device. CLOCK AND MONITOR β’ An internal MIDI clock with tap tempo and BPM buttons, which also shows the tempo of incoming clock. β’ A live, readable log of every message in and out, with filters and a hex view. PRESETS Save as many setups as you like. Everything saves automatically. Switch presets by tapping, by program change from your controller, or with a pad or footswitch. Send program changes and SysEx to your synths when a preset loads. BUILT FOR THE STAGE β’ A Panic button on every screen stops stuck notes the moment you touch it. β’ If a routing is turned off or a keyboard is unplugged mid-chord, held notes are released. β’ Devices appear as you plug them in, and routings reconnect by name. β’ Routing keeps running in the background with the screen locked. WHAT YOU NEED An iPhone with iOS 17 or later, a USB hub (a powered one is best), a USB data cable, and class-compliant USB MIDI devices. Older iPhones with Lightning need Apple's Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter and a powered hub. Free. No account, no ads, no in-app purchases and no tracking. Your settings and presets stay on your phone.
Screenshots
Verdict
FW Radar and MIDI Host Herder are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | FW Radar | MIDI Host Herder |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | β |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad β better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vincenzo Risi | Janos Debreczi |
In-app purchases
FW Radar
No in-app purchases
MIDI Host Herder
No in-app purchases





