ChordPolyPad vs HxMIDI Tools
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChordPolyPad
This app is a versatile MIDI chord player that allows users to create and play complex chord sets. It offers extensive customization for pads, MIDI controls, and chord generation, functioning as a standalone app or an AUv3 MIDI effect plugin.
- Standalone app and AUv3 MIDI effect plugin
- 128 pads per preset
- Customizable X/Y MIDI controllers
- Advanced random chord generator
- Internal and external MIDI support
- Chord filtering and quantizing
- Preset manager with in-app purchases
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"ChordPolyPad" is a MIDI chords player that lets you create chord sets using a large internal library, any custom combination of notes, or randomly generated chords. Each preset contains either 8 groups of 16 pads or 2 groups of 64 pads, for a total of 128 pads. In addition to playing chords, each pad can generate customizable MIDI controls on its horizontal and vertical axes, allowing expressive real-time modulation. "ChordPolyPad" can be used as a standalone application or as an AUv3 MIDI effect plug-in. The app supports full internal and external MIDI input and output. An internal sound bank is included for immediate use. The AUv3 MIDI effect plug-in supports multiple instances. A compatible host is required and must support the Audio Unit v3 (AUv3) MIDI effect format. Hosts supporting AUv3 MIDI effect on iOS: Logic Pro, Cubasis, Beatmaker, AUM, Audiobus, NanoStudio, Auria Pro, apeMatrix. Hosts supporting AUv3 MIDI effect on macOS: Logic Pro 10.7 or later. Features: • Standalone application and AUv3 MIDI effect plug-in • 8 groups of 16 pads or 2 groups of 64 pads per preset (128 pads) • Assignable MIDI port and MIDI channel for each pad • Customizable X/Y controller per pad • Per-note velocity control for each chord • Strumming configuration per pad • Copy and paste for pads and groups • Drag and drop chords directly from the library • Chord filtering and quantizing based on the selected scale • Predefined scales and possibility to create custom scales • Advanced random chord generator with diverse musical moods featuring voice leading and context-aware harmonic progressions for naturally flowing compositions • Stop "Audio Background" automatically after inactivity (15 min, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, or never) • Internal sound bank • Receive MIDI notes and control from external devices • Send MIDI to a virtual port usable as MIDI input by other "Core MIDI" compatible apps • Preset manager with support for in-app purchase packs • "Program Change" support • Preset sharing support by "AirDrop", "Mail", "Messages", and other supported services • Native iCloud support • "iCloud Drive" support in the "Files" app on iOS and "Finder" on macOS • Full support for "Windowed Apps" mode on iPad • Undo/Redo Supported MIDI connections: • Virtual "Core MIDI" connections between apps • Any compatible MIDI interface • MIDI over Wi-Fi • MIDI over Bluetooth
HxMIDI Tools
This software allows owners of CME USB MIDI Host products to update firmware and fully configure their devices. Users can manage routing, mapping, and filtering of MIDI and USB inputs and outputs.
- Firmware updates for CME USB MIDI Hosts
- Configure routing between MIDI and USB inputs/outputs
- Filter incoming MIDI events
- Map incoming MIDI events to others
- Full product configuration
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HxMIDI Tools, the software dedicated to CME USB MIDI Hosts products owners. With this software, you will be able to update the firmware of your CME Pro H4MIDI WC, H2MIDI Pro, H12MIDI Pro as well as all other products to come. The software is also used to fully configure your product, you have an access to the routing, mapping and filtering features. With this software you will be able to configure routing to each MIDI and USB input, you can decide to route any input to any output. You can also decide to filter any incoming MIDI event so it is not forwarded to the routed output. The latest version also offers the possibility to map any incoming MIDI event to another one, and much more
Screenshots
Verdict
ChordPolyPad and HxMIDI Tools both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of ChordPolyPad's written reviews are positive against 0% of HxMIDI Tools's. ChordPolyPad also leads on ratings volume (51 vs 4). HxMIDI Tools's advantage is price (Free vs $17.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, ads and device support 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
HxMIDI Tools is free to download; ChordPolyPad costs $17.99 up front. ChordPolyPad sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. HxMIDI Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for ChordPolyPad against 4.5 for HxMIDI Tools. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChordPolyPad has 51 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of ChordPolyPad's written reviews are positive against 0% of HxMIDI Tools's.
ChordPolyPad ships an update every 2 months, HxMIDI Tools every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChordPolyPad | HxMIDI Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $17.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (51 ratings) — better | 4.5 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.1% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 51 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Laurent Colson | CME PTE. LTD. |
Customer experience
ChordPolyPad
HxMIDI Tools
In-app purchases
ChordPolyPad
- Retro Pop$4.99
- Clubwave$4.99
- Liminal Spaces$4.99
HxMIDI Tools
No in-app purchases









