Exhaust Note vs RevLab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Exhaust Note
This app synthesizes realistic engine exhaust sounds from scratch, based on the physics of firing orders and cylinder layouts. Explore various engine configurations, adjust muffler settings, and experience dynamic features like pops, bangs, and flames. It also includes a detailed 3D engine animation and driving simulation elements.
- Real-time synthesized exhaust sounds
- Adjustable muffler settings
- Diverse engine presets
- Pop, bang, and flame effects
- Living 3D engine animation
- Driving feel simulation
- Tunnel reverb mode
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Exhaust Note is not an app that plays back engine recordings. It synthesizes the sound from scratch, every moment, from the firing order created by cylinder layout and crankpin phasing. Why a crossplane V8 rumbles, why a flatplane screams, why a V12 idle throbs — it all comes from the physics of firing intervals. This app computes that physics in real time. ■ Real-time synthesized exhaust - Zero recorded samples. Crank-angle integration → per-cylinder firing → exhaust-pipe propagation, computed every sample - Distinct primary pipe, mid-pipe and muffler model for every engine - Muffler continuously adjustable from straight pipe to quiet ■ Engine collection - Presets from inline-3 to V12, based on real-car specs - Crossplane vs flatplane V8 — same eight cylinders, completely different sound - Firing order and rumble index shown as specs ■ Pop and bang + flames - Afterburn pops on throttle lift and downshifts - Flames at the 3D exhaust tips, same instant and same bank as the sound ■ Tunnel mode - Reverb that wraps the sound in wall reflections, like driving into a tunnel ■ A living 3D machine - Crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods rotate in phase with the sound - Gearbox cutaway: constantly meshed gear pairs and real synchro-sleeve movement - Observe the mechanism at 1/10 slow motion, or switch to real time for phase match ■ The feel of driving - Torque-converter launch, rev matching, manual H-pattern shifter - Haptics on rev limiter, wheelspin, shifts and ABS - Analog pedals: press position controls pedal travel Built by a gearhead, for gearheads.
RevLab
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RevLab runs the engine for real. It computes the crank, pistons, valves, combustion and exhaust gas flow in real time, and that one simulation drives the engine sound, the haptics, the gauge needles and the 3D engine. There is no animation made just for the screen: the needle moves for the same reason the sound changes. ■ SOUND THAT IS COMPUTED Cylinder count, firing order, crank geometry and exhaust manifold shape the sound. The uneven burble of a crossplane V8, the high, clean scream of a flatplane V8, the rumble of a flat-four on unequal-length headers, the odd 144° beat of an inline five, the overlapping power strokes of a V12. Starter cranking, idle, the rev limiter, lift-off and stalling all come out of the simulation. Listen from five positions: rear, front, driver's seat, engine bay and a measurement mic. ■ 11 ENGINES, 2 TO 16 CYLINDERS 45° V-twin; inline three, four, five and six; flat-four; crossplane and flatplane V8; V10; V12; V16. Check displacement, bore × stroke, compression, firing order, firing interval and redline in the Garage, then put the engine on stage. Every number on a card is computed from the engine data the simulator actually runs. Each engine arrives in a car and gearbox that suit it, and Setup changes them any time. ■ DRIVE IT YOURSELF A 3D gated shifter and three pedals: clutch, brake and throttle. Dump the clutch too early and the engine stalls. Shift without it and the gears grind. Multi-touch heel-and-toe works. • Gearboxes: 6- and 5-speed manual (H-pattern), 7-speed DCT, 8-speed automatic, 6-speed sequential • Auto clutch: OFF (fully manual), LAUNCH, SHIFT or GUARD. Touch the pedal and it is yours again • COMFORT, ECO and SPORT drive modes change the throttle map and shift points for real, and the cluster theme follows • The daily sedan's 8-speed automatic shifts with P, R, N and D push buttons ■ GAUGE CLUSTERS A 2000s sport cluster with stepper-motor needles, a 2020s OLED digital cluster, an LED-backlit analog cluster where light shines through the numerals, and a 12.3-inch TFT digital cluster. Every needle and digit reads the same engine state as the sound. ■ LOOK INSIDE • F1 Combustion: a cylinder cutaway shows compression, ignition, combustion and exhaust with the gas temperature, plus the pressure–crank-angle trace and cycle numbers such as peak pressure and IMEP • F4 Exhaust: watch pressure waves travel through the header • STROBE: like a timing light, it captures every cycle at the same crank angle, so the engine moves in slow motion even at 7,000 rpm. One amber spine ties every trace and the 3D crank to the same angle ■ DARK STUDIO A PBR 3D engine under softboxes in a dark studio, with a glossy reflective floor. Pistons, crank and valves move at the simulated angles, and the exhaust headers carry heat tint computed from simulated temperatures. ■ FEEL IT (iPhone) Core Haptics delivers engine vibration, clutch bite, gear engagement and grinds, the limiter, start-up and stalls at the moment you hear them. Pick the haptics level in Settings; the default is a calm one that only marks shifts and the rev limiter. ■ FREE AND REVLAB PRO Free: three engines (inline four, inline six and crossplane V8), every gearbox and clutch mode, every gauge cluster, focus views and STROBE, and haptics. Sound quality and controls are never locked. RevLab Pro (one-time purchase, not a subscription, Family Sharing) unlocks eight more engines (V-twin, inline three, inline five, flat-four, flatplane V8, V10, V12, V16) and the front listening position. ■ ALSO • English and Korean • iPhone and iPad, portrait and landscape • Left- or right-hand-drive layout, metric or imperial units • Display levels: Driver, Engineer, Lab • No account, works without an internet connection Made for people who love engines. Turn the key.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Exhaust Note at none against RevLab's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. RevLab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Exhaust Note asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Exhaust Note | RevLab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | — |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 118 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | seihee han | Jehyung Lee |
In-app purchases
Exhaust Note
No in-app purchases
RevLab
- RevLab Pro$4.99









