Comparison

Tako Kick vs Sampledex Effect Shift

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

Head to head
About

Tako Kick

This app is an eight-voice generative drum machine that creates complex polyrhythms. Users can independently shape each voice's rhythm and sound, build evolving grooves, and explore synthesized kits. It offers performance controls and the ability to save and share presets.

Highlights
  • Eight-voice generative drum machine
  • Independent voice shaping
  • Synthesized drum kits
  • Evolving groove creation
  • Performance and mixing controls
  • Preset saving and sharing
  • AUv3 instrument support
Features
Read full description

What if an octopus could play drums? Tako Kick is an eight-voice generative drum machine excelling in musical polyrhythms. Shape each voice independently, tuning its rhythm and sound across a range of synthesized kits. Build evolving grooves with pattern, density, pitch, accents, and feel controls. Explore each kit’s timbre, and add movement with built-in modulation sources. Keep rhythm and sound independent in each voice's left and right columns - change the timbre without affecting the beat, or change both at once. Performance controls allow interactive mixing/soloing/muting, and global control over drum assignments and pitch. Save and share complete presets to recall your rhythm, tuning, modulation, kit, and mix settings. Presets can be dynamically loaded for another element of in-time performance. Play Tako Kick standalone on iPhone and iPad, or load it as an AUv3 instrument in AUM and other compatible hosts. Sync to the host and use it with MIDI. Tako Kick is a tactile rhythm instrument for finding grooves. Use it to practice drums, get ideas, make beats, or just to have fun.

About

Sampledex Effect Shift

This app offers a versatile audio effects suite with 50 distinct effects, seven macro controls, and a seven-band EQ. Shape sounds with various parameters, explore factory presets, and integrate into your music workflow via AUv3 extension or live input processing.

Highlights
  • 50 effect choices
  • Seven hands-on macro controls
  • Seven-band Bender EQ
  • 51 factory presets
  • AUv3 audio effect extension
  • Live input processing
  • EQ A/B comparison
Features
Read full description

Give your sound a new direction. Sampledex Effect Shift brings 50 effect choices, seven hands-on macro controls and the seven-band Bender EQ to iPhone and iPad. Add drive to a drum loop, movement to a synth or space around a melody, then shape the result to fit your track. FIND A STARTING POINT Choose from 51 factory presets: Default plus a starting sound for each of the 50 effects. A factory preset recalls a complete sound. Use the separate effect menu when you want to change the algorithm while keeping your other settings. CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER Explore drive, digital textures, filters, chorus, flanging, phasing, tremolo, ring modulation, delay and reverb. Start with an effect, then turn Amount, Tone, Time, Mix, Dimension, Sparkle and Output to make it your own. SHAPE IT WITH BENDER EQ Follow seven colored band curves and their numbered handles. Select a band to adjust frequency, gain and Q directly. Use Fine for smaller graph movements, or lock dragging to frequency or gain. High-pass, low-pass and Prism controls give you more ways to shape the response. COMPARE AND KEEP YOUR IDEAS Use EQ A/B to compare two settings and copy a favorite into the other slot. Save the full sound as a preset and import or export preset documents when moving between your workflows. Each instance keeps its own sound in your host's project state. BUILT FOR TOUCH Move between Effects, Bender EQ and Advanced pages. Scroll to reach every control, enter a precise value or turn a textured macro knob. Switch Light or Dark directly from the touch header, or use the theme menu in Advanced. Your theme and settings return when the instance is restored. BRING IT INTO YOUR MUSIC WORKFLOW The included AUv3 audio effect extension loads in compatible hosts. The containing app also offers live input processing: connect headphones or an audio interface, then enable live input. Microphone permission is requested when you enable input. Your host manages audio when you use the extension. GO FURTHER Explore HoloRune character, spatial modes, EQ routing, parallel mix and Mid/Side levels in Advanced. Sidechain ducking requires a compatible host and a routed sidechain source.

Screenshots

Tako Kick4 screens
Sampledex Effect Shift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sampledex Effect Shift at 15.0 against Tako Kick's 17.6. 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. 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 Tako Kick against 5.0 for Sampledex Effect Shift. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Tako Kick versus Sampledex Effect Shift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTako KickSampledex Effect Shift
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better2
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRadii ResearchRobert Clemons

In-app purchases

None

Tako Kick

No in-app purchases

None

Sampledex Effect Shift

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tako Kick free?
Tako Kick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sampledex Effect Shift free?
Sampledex Effect Shift is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tako Kick or Sampledex Effect Shift?
Tako Kick and Sampledex Effect Shift are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Tako Kick or Sampledex Effect Shift have ads?
Neither Tako Kick nor Sampledex Effect Shift shows ads.

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