Comparison

TapeMan Recorder vs MS

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

Head to head
About

TapeMan Recorder

Features
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TapeMan turns your iPhone, iPad, or Mac into a tactile cassette recorder and performance instrument. Connect a class-compliant USB audio device or use the built-in microphone. Record WAV or M4A, then slow, stop, reverse, and scratch the interactive tape while recording, monitoring, or playing a saved take. THE CASSETTE IS THE INTERFACE • Scratch and manipulate the tape directly • Choose Hold, Follow, Sync, and Mix behavior • Add tape start, stop, wear, wobble, and recording color • Perform stackable Color, Motion, Space, Raw, and Direct effects • Control effects directly or through selectable XY mappings • Bounce a performance into a new non-destructive version BEAT-SYNCED LIVE TAPE • Capture seamless half- to eight-bar loops from live input • Quantize loop starts and releases, choose pre- or post-FX capture, and perform at half, normal, or double speed • Follow a selected MIDI clock source, detected audio beats, or a tapped/manual tempo • Keep a captured loop moving through MIDI Stop or temporary clock loss, then relock smoothly when clock returns ALL YOUR TAKES, TOGETHER • Search, sort, filter, loop, rename, trim, share, and delete • Keep originals, processed versions, stems, notes, and tempo metadata together • Record from the built-in microphone or compatible USB audio interfaces • Select input and output channel pairs • Use signal-activated recording and optional live monitoring LIVE MONITORING Monitor processed USB input through a separate stereo USB return when available. With a compatible 2-in/2-out device, TapeMan can also use the iPhone or iPad speaker when iOS routes USB input there. Keep the level low and stop if you hear feedback. OPTIONAL ON-DEVICE STEMS Separate vocals, drums, bass, and other with an optional model download. After installation, processing runs locally through Core ML. Mix, mute, solo, share, or save stems and bounces back into the take library. MAKE IT YOUR TAPE Choose from ten tuned 90s-inspired themes in light or dark mode. Import local video environments, apply a pixel treatment, and arrange clips behind the cassette. Video audio is never used. LOCAL-FIRST TapeMan has no account system, advertising, tracking, or automatic cloud upload. Recordings and imported media stay on your device unless you choose to export or share them. TapeMan is independent software and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any audio-hardware manufacturer.

About

MS

Features
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MS-12 is a 16-pad sampler and step sequencer built around the sound of classic 12-bit hardware. Sample anything through the microphone, trim it, and play it straight from the pads. The sample rate and bit depth engine gives you the gritty, saturated character early digital samplers were loved for — not a filter placed on top, but the sound of the conversion itself. SAMPLING • Record from the built-in mic, a USB or Lightning interface, or line input • Resample the app's own output to bounce layers down • Threshold recording starts the moment sound arrives • Stereo or mono (L/R) capture SOUND • Adjustable sample rate (8–44.1 kHz) and bit depth (4–32 bit) • Presets for classic 12-bit voicings • Ring modulator, compressor, punch and saturation per pad EDITING • Trim, fade in and out, normalize, reverse, gain, silence • Time stretch • Auto slice by transient detection, or set slice points live with the pads • Split a stereo sample into separate mono left and right samples SEQUENCER • Step sequencer with velocity and tune per step • Real-time recording with selectable quantize • Up to 4 bars per pattern • Note Repeat • Song Mode chains patterns into a full track PLAYBACK AND MIXING • Volume and pan per pad, mute and solo • Mute groups so pads cut each other off, like a real drum machine • Pad Link to trigger several pads at once • Multi Level and Multi Pitch to spread one sample across the grid • 13 effects: tape echo, delay, reverb, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo/pan, distortion, overdrive, fuzz, wah, isolator and a 4-band EQ EXPORT • Bounce a pattern to a WAV file • Save projects on the device and reopen them later FREE VERSION MS-12 is free to try, and the sound engine is not held back — nothing about the audio is degraded in the free version. You get Bank A (16 pads), one 1-bar pattern, two effects, and microphone sampling up to 10 seconds per pad. A single one-time purchase unlocks everything: all four banks (64 pads), unlimited patterns up to 4 bars, Song Mode, all 13 effects, unlimited sampling time, loading your own audio files, project save and load, and WAV export. Anything you made before buying carries straight over. No subscription. No ads. No account required.

Screenshots

TapeMan Recorder4 screens
MS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MS at none against TapeMan Recorder's 1. TapeMan Recorder's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. TapeMan Recorder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MS asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
TapeMan Recorder versus MS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTapeMan RecorderMS
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKristaps Dreijayuji yoshie

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TapeMan Recorder

One-time1
  • TapeMan Pro Lifetime$4.99
None

MS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TapeMan Recorder free?
TapeMan Recorder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MS free?
MS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TapeMan Recorder or MS have ads?
Neither TapeMan Recorder nor MS shows ads.

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