Comparison

TraceSonic vs 4Comp

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

Head to head
About

TraceSonic

Transform images into unique sounds by drawing on a spectral canvas. This app uses brush strokes and imported images to generate additive synthesis, offering a creative way to craft musical instruments and soundscapes.

Highlights
  • Draw on spectral canvas
  • Import images to create sound
  • 128 additive oscillators
  • Multiple brush types
  • Pitch snapping to scales
  • MIDI note input
  • Save custom patches
Features
Read full description

TraceSonic turns pictures into sound. Paint directly on a spectral canvas and hear each mark become part of a playable additive instrument: horizontal position is time, height is pitch, and brightness controls the level of each partial. Start with an empty canvas and draw with solid, soft, textured, tapered, or harmonic brushes. Fill the canvas with generated patterns, or import an image and turn its brightness into sound. Pitch snapping keeps freehand marks on your selected scale. Shape your sound with: • 128 additive oscillators spanning four octaves • Seven classic waveforms and 12 built-in wavetables • Forward, reverse, and ping-pong scanning • Adjustable pass length and tempo-synchronized loops in compatible Audio Unit hosts • MIDI note input for retuning the complete canvas • More than 60 factory patches, including tones, sequences, gestures, textures, drones, and sound effects • User patches that save the canvas and its synthesis settings • Solid, harmonic, soft, textured, and tapered brush families • Undo, redo, erasing, pitch snapping, and scale selection Use TraceSonic as a standalone instrument on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, or load its AUv3 instrument in a compatible host.

About

4Comp

This audio plugin offers four distinct analog-style compressor models (FET, VCA, Optical, Vari-Mu), each with its own sound and interface. It provides advanced features like stereo linking, sidechain filtering, and real-time transfer curve visualization.

Highlights
  • Four analog compressor models (FET, VCA, Optical, Vari-Mu)
  • Unique DSP engine and interface for each model
  • Live transfer curve visualization
  • Stereo link and sidechain high-pass filter
  • Dry/wet mix and auto make-up gain
  • 17 presets included
  • 0-sample latency
Features
Read full description

Four analog-style compressors in one AUv3 plugin: FET, VCA, Optical and Vari-Mu. Each is its own DSP engine with its own sound, and the whole interface — face, knobs, meters — changes to match the one you pick. New in 1.1: tap ? for a quick start and a guide to each model, and watch the live transfer curve on VCA. FET Fast gain reduction from a feedback detector, with an all-buttons mode. Hi-hats, drum buses, spiky guitars. Ice-blue face. VCA Bus glue with program-dependent AUTO release. Tames transients and spikes without grabbing. Crimson face. Optical Smooth, level-dependent release from a modelled photocell — the cell's light memory. Vocals, brass, strings. Brushed-steel face, ivory meter. Vari-Mu A ratio that rises with level, plus harmonic colour that thickens thin tracks. Mix bus and mastering. Brass face. Four separate DSP paths Each model is its own compressor engine rather than a preset over one circuit: feedback FET, two-stage VCA, photocell release, rising-ratio tube. Switch faceplates mid-session and the plugin animates to the new model's look. Complement it Stereo link (Linked or Dual Mono), sidechain high-pass, dry/wet mix, input/output and auto make-up gain, a gain-reduction meter styled for each model and 17 presets. Real-time-safe DSP, 0-sample latency by default. Works in GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Loopy Pro and other AUv3 hosts on iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

TraceSonic4 screens
4Comp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 4Comp at $4.99 against TraceSonic's $7.99. On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

TraceSonic costs $7.99 and 4Comp $4.99 up front. 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 TraceSonic against 5.0 for 4Comp. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TraceSonic ships an update every 9 days, 4Comp weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
TraceSonic versus 4Comp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTraceSonic4Comp
Price$7.99$4.99 — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerr6 appzNATHAN THOMAS MATHIS

Customer experience

TraceSonic

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

4Comp

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

TraceSonic

No in-app purchases

None

4Comp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TraceSonic free?
TraceSonic costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 4Comp free?
4Comp costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TraceSonic or 4Comp?
TraceSonic and 4Comp are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do TraceSonic or 4Comp have ads?
Neither TraceSonic nor 4Comp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TraceSonic or 4Comp?
TraceSonic ships an update every 9 days, and 4Comp weekly. Most recently, TraceSonic was updated on October 31, 2026 and 4Comp on November 6, 2026.

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