Comparison

MS vs Strumetra Studio

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

Head to head
About

MS

Create music with a 12-bit sampler and step sequencer. Record audio, manipulate its sound with a vintage digital character, and arrange it into songs. Unlock full features with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • 16-pad sampler and step sequencer
  • Record and edit audio with 12-bit character
  • Adjustable sample rate and bit depth
  • Real-time sequencing with velocity and tune
  • 13 built-in effects
  • Song mode for arranging patterns
  • Export to WAV
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Strumetra Studio

Features
Read full description

Practice guitar with your own sheet music and TAB, build chord changes, keep time with a metronome, and create drum backing patterns. Strumetra Studio brings four practice tools together without an account, ads, or score uploads. SCORE: READ, PLAY AND LOOP Open Guitar Pro, MuseScore, MusicXML, MIDI, CAPX and AlphaTex files. Choose a part, adjust tempo, and repeat difficult passages with bar loops and count-in. Follow notation, tablature and fingering as you play along. Recent files stay within easy reach without covering your score. CHORD TRAINER: BUILD FLUENCY Create and reorder chord progressions. Manual mode offers Previous and Next; Timed mode advances at your chosen tempo; Audio Trigger advances when local microphone input crosses the configured threshold. See the current chord and the next change together. METRONOME: FIND YOUR PULSE Set BPM, use Tap Tempo, choose a time signature and sound, and configure accents and count-in. Volume and Mute respond during playback. DRUM MACHINE: MAKE A BACKING PATTERN Start with a groove or edit the seven-track step sequencer. Choose a kit, adjust tempo and swing, and mute individual tracks. Add drum or metronome accompaniment to score and chord practice. A WORKSPACE THAT FITS Score, Practice, Rhythm and Settings use a consistent layout. Playback controls remain available while you open Options or Settings. Choose Light, Dark or System appearance. iPad uses a landscape workspace with room for notation and controls. YOUR FILES STAY LOCAL MuseScore MSCZ and MSCX files use the built-in importer; no external converter or MuseScore installation is required. Audio Trigger analyzes microphone input locally while running. Microphone audio is not recorded or transmitted. Scores stay on your device. No analytics, advertising or runtime cloud account. OPTIONAL LED FRETBOARD Add visual guidance with supported Bluetooth LED fretboards compatible with Fret Zealot and Fret Zealot 2. Practice tools also work without fretboard hardware. These are third-party compatibility marks. Strumetra Studio is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by their owner. Drum Trainer and MIDI drum-hit scoring have moved to the separate StickSignal app. Drum Machine remains in Strumetra Studio. Bring your own supported score files. The interface is in English. Not all imported formats contain fingering information. Audio Trigger detects sound attacks, not chord correctness.

Screenshots

MS4 screens
Strumetra Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MS at every 3 days against Strumetra Studio's every 3 weeks. Strumetra Studio's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MS ships an update every 3 days, Strumetra Studio every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
MS versus Strumetra Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMSStrumetra Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeryuji yoshieDmitrii Valinovskii

In-app purchases

None

MS

No in-app purchases

None

Strumetra Studio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MS free?
MS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Strumetra Studio free?
Strumetra Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MS or Strumetra Studio have ads?
Neither MS nor Strumetra Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MS or Strumetra Studio?
MS ships an update every 3 days, and Strumetra Studio every 3 weeks. Most recently, MS was updated on October 25, 2026 and Strumetra Studio on October 24, 2026.

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