Comparison

MS vs MACHINE DRUM

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

Head to head
About

MS

Create gritty, 12-bit inspired music with this powerful sampler and sequencer. Record audio, edit samples with vintage effects, and arrange them into full tracks. Unlock advanced features with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • 16-pad sampler
  • Step sequencer
  • 12-bit sound engine
  • Record from microphone or line-in
  • Adjustable sample rate and bit depth
  • 13 built-in effects
  • WAV export
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

MACHINE DRUM

Create unique beats with a minimalist drum machine and sound design lab. Synthesize custom kick drums, record your own samples, and sculpt your sound with professional DSP effects. Explore genre templates to jumpstart your creativity.

Highlights
  • Tactile 16-pad step sequencer
  • Custom kick sound designer with dual-oscillator engine
  • Record custom samples with microphone
  • DSP effects (Delay, Reverb, Bitcrusher)
  • Frequency filters (LP, BP, HP)
  • Genre templates inspired by legendary drum machines
Features
Read full description

MACHINE DRUM: Minimalist Drum Machine & Sound Design Lab Experience beatmaking stripped of clutter. MACHINE DRUM combines retro hardware aesthetics with clean, modern minimalism, giving you a distraction-free kit built purely to support your creativity and studio grade audio expression. Every knob, slider, instrument and effect has been crafted for visual simplicity and self expression, letting you stay locked in the flow whether sketching rhythms on the go or sculpting intricate synthesis in the studio. TACTILE 16-PAD STEP SEQUENCER Build loops instantly with an intuitive, hardware-style pad grid. Tap steps to program rhythms, control tempo (BPM), and fine-tune levels. Solo or mute individual tracks to build dynamic build-ups and drops live. CUSTOM KICK SOUND DESIGNER Stop relying on generic samples. Synthesize your own signature kicks with a dedicated, dual-oscillator sound engine: • Envelope (ADSR): Fine-tune Attack, Decay, Sustain, & Release using a live visual envelope graph. • FM Synthesis: Dial in punchy transients using FM Depth, FM Speed, and Base Pitch controls. • LFO Modulation: Add rich movement and texture. Route the LFO to Pitch, Filter, Level, or Pan RECORD CUSTOM SAMPLES Record real-world sounds instantly using your iPhone's microphone. Pitch, trim, and swap custom samples into any track pad in real time. Perfect for integrating vocal chops, ambient hits, or custom percussion. DSP EFFECTS & FREQUENCY FILTERS Sculpt your final output mix with professional audio processing: • Delay, Reverb and Bitcrusher: Add analog-style warmth, drive, and grit to glue your beats together. • Frequency Filter: Switch between Low Pass (LP), Band Pass (BP), and High Pass (HP) modes with dedicated Cutoff and Resonance sliders. PRESETS & LEGENDARY GENRE TEMPLATES Load instantly playable song templates and legendary drum machine styles to jumpstart your inspiration: • Explore hardware profiles like the TR-808, TR-909, Linn LM-1, and MPC60. • Load curated song setups inspired by Classic Hip Hop, EDM and Synthwave

Screenshots

MS4 screens
MACHINE DRUM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MS at every 3 days against MACHINE DRUM's every 2 weeks. MACHINE DRUM's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume 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

Both are free to download. MS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MACHINE DRUM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MS against 5.0 for MACHINE DRUM. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MS ships an update every 3 days, MACHINE DRUM every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
MS versus MACHINE DRUM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMSMACHINE DRUM
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeryuji yoshieNathan Burazer

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MS

One-time1
  • Full Version$2.99
1 purchases

MACHINE DRUM

One-time1
  • MACHINE DRUM PRO$9.99

Questions

Is MS free?
MS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MACHINE DRUM free?
MACHINE DRUM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MS or MACHINE DRUM?
MS and MACHINE DRUM are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MS or MACHINE DRUM have ads?
Neither MS nor MACHINE DRUM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MS or MACHINE DRUM?
MS ships an update every 3 days, and MACHINE DRUM every 2 weeks. Most recently, MS was updated on November 6, 2026 and MACHINE DRUM on November 10, 2026.

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