Comparison

Q Sahara vs The Orb

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

Head to head
About

Q Sahara

Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Drive it. Shape it. Move on. Q Sahara is an input-driven compressor designed for quick decisions and musical results. There is no threshold to chase and no millisecond math to interpret: drive the signal into Sahara, set the ratio, and let its program-dependent behavior follow the music. INPUT-DRIVEN COMPRESSION A fixed internal threshold means compression is controlled by how hard you drive the input β€” just like classic analog workflows. MUSICAL TIMING Attack and release are program-dependent, adapting to phrasing, groove and dynamics instead of fixed time values. RATIO WITH CHARACTER Ratio and knee work together. Lower ratios stay smooth and forgiving; higher ratios add firmness and control without limiter behavior. MADE FOR iOS β€’ AUv3 plugin β€” use it in AUM, GarageBand, Logic Pro for iPad, Cubasis, Loopy Pro and other AUv3 hosts β€’ External sidechain support with dedicated sidechain high-pass filter β€’ Standalone app included β€’ Two hand-crafted themes: Sand Dune and Black Sand β€’ HD and Eco oversampling modes β€’ Zero samples latency, ultra-low CPU β€’ A/B compare and preset management β€’ Factory presets, including artist presets by Grammy-winning engineers FOCUSED BY DESIGN No unnecessary controls, no distractions. Sahara does one thing and does it well: it delivers instant results, stays responsive to your material, and lets you mix by ear instead of by numbers. β€œReally interesting compressor! Sahara seems to improve the sound of everything I put it on.” β€” Mark Linett, three-time Grammy-winning producer and engineer β€œI reach for the Sahara compressor when I want character. It shines on bass, acoustic guitar, snare, parallel drums, and more!” β€” Brian Vibberts, seven-time Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer

About

The Orb

Features
Read full description

The Orb is a formant filter plugin that simulates the characteristics of the human voice. Featuring a set of three band pass filters, The Orb can transform any sound into a vowel-like formant-filtered sound. With the three LFOs you can modulate the Vowel, the Emphasis/Resonance of the formants, and the Drift, which can shift up or down the frequencies of each formant. You can also create your own set of vowels by changing the name and frequency for each vowel/formant.

Screenshots

Q Sahara2 screens
The Orb1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Orb at $14.99 against Q Sahara's $19.99. Q Sahara's advantage is chart position (#188 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Q Sahara costs $19.99 and The Orb $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 5 level
Q Sahara versus The Orb: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQ SaharaThe Orb
Price$19.99$14.99 β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Best chart rank#188 β€” betterβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size32 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPulsar ModularAudioThing Ltd.

In-app purchases

None

Q Sahara

No in-app purchases

None

The Orb

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Q Sahara free?
Q Sahara costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Orb free?
The Orb costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Q Sahara or The Orb have ads?
Neither Q Sahara nor The Orb shows ads.

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