Comparison

SimpleSampler vs Index Theremin

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

Head to head
About

SimpleSampler

Features
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SimpleSampler turns any sound into an instrument. Record a piano note, a clap, your voice or a glass you tap with a spoon. The app detects the pitch and puts the sound on a keyboard, so you can play it across several octaves right away. RECORDING Press record and the app shows you what it hears before the take starts. The recording begins with your first sound, not with the button press, so there is no silence or click at the start. If you don't like the take, cancel it and nothing is saved. KEYBOARD AND DRUM PADS The keyboard shows two octaves at a time and scrolls. It is fully multitouch, so chords and glissandos work. Eight drum pads hold eight different samples for beats. Pitch and length are independent: higher notes last as long as lower ones. If you prefer the classic tape sound, where higher also means faster, switch it on with one tap. LOOP STATION Tap a loop slot, play something and tap again to close the loop. Every new layer stays in time with the first one. You can also record a loop straight from the microphone. Your loops are still there the next time you open the app. RECORD YOUR SONG One button records everything you play: keyboard, pads and loops. It records what the app outputs, not what the microphone picks up, so the result is clean. Share it via AirDrop, Messages or any other app. PORTRAIT AND LANDSCAPE On iPhone, hold it upright to record and edit samples and turn it sideways to play. On iPad you get pads and keyboard on one screen. No account, no subscription, no tracking. Your recordings stay on your device unless you share them.

About

Index Theremin

Features
Read full description

Theremin is a tiny instrument you play with thin air. Hold up one finger in front of your phone: raise it for higher notes, move it sideways to play louder. That's it, you're playing. Make a fist to stop. A SOUND FOR EVERY MOOD • Theremin: the classic eerie wail • Dusk: a dark, slow, melancholic synth • Aura: an airy, voice-like pad • Glass: a soft, bell-like shimmer • 8-Bit: a video-game square wave ALWAYS IN TUNE Auto-Tune snaps you to a scale (major, minor, pentatonic or every note) in any key. Hard for the robot effect, Smooth for a gentle glide. PLAY A DUET Turn on Duet Mode and each hand becomes its own instrument, with its own sound and settings. MORE TO PLAY WITH • Reverb and Pulse effects • Volume and octave for each hand • Make a fist to mute without hiding your hand • Portrait or landscape, iPhone and iPad PRIVATE BY DESIGN Hand tracking happens entirely on your device. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or collected.

Screenshots

SimpleSampler4 screens
Index Theremin4 screens

Verdict

The call

SimpleSampler and Index Theremin are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

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

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
SimpleSampler versus Index Theremin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleSamplerIndex Theremin
PriceFreeFree
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMax NowackNOAH REMI FINN BESENDORFER STAHLHACKE

In-app purchases

None

SimpleSampler

No in-app purchases

None

Index Theremin

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimpleSampler free?
SimpleSampler is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Index Theremin free?
Index Theremin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SimpleSampler or Index Theremin have ads?
Neither SimpleSampler nor Index Theremin shows ads.

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