MultitrackStudio for iPad vs bismark m16
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MultitrackStudio for iPad
Transform your iPad into a professional music recording studio. Record, edit, and mix both audio and MIDI tracks with a wide array of effects and instruments. Supports advanced MIDI features and integration with other audio apps.
- Up to 64 audio/MIDI tracks
- Audio, pianoroll, drum, score editors
- Extensive audio effects library
- Multiple MIDI instrument options
- AUv3 and Inter-App Audio support
- Lyrics/chords prompter and editor
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MultitrackStudio turns your iPad into a digital multitrack music recording studio. You can record, edit and mix audio and MIDI tracks. Both "one man band" recording, adding tracks one at a time, and live multitrack recording are supported. Both audio and MIDI tracks can be edited. MIDI editing features include pianoroll, drum, score and pattern editors. Tempo and time signature can change throughout the song. MultitrackStudio for iPad comes with many high quality audio effects including a guitar amp simulator. MIDI instruments include GM-compatible MultitrackStudio Instruments, SoundFont Player and Matrix Sampler. External (hardware) synths can be used as well. AUv3 audio effects, instruments and MIDI effects are supported, so 3rd party apps can integrate into MultitrackStudio. The straightforward user-interface has been designed with tape-based recording in mind. It's easy to use yet powerful. Key features: • Up to 16 audio/MIDI tracks, audio tracks can be mono or stereo. • Editors: audio, pianoroll, drum, score, MIDI patterns, MIDI controllers, tempo/time signature and song. • One effect return section. • One master section. • Three effect slots per mixer section (two for MIDI tracks). • Audio Effects: Automated Fader, Chorus, Compressor, DeEsser, Echo, EQ, Flanger, Guitar Amp, Master Limiter, Noise Gate, Phaser, Reverb, Rotor, Saturator, Stereo Imager, Tremolo, Tuner and Vibrato. • MIDI instruments: MultitrackStudio Instruments (General MIDI compatible), SoundFont Player, Matrix Sampler, up to four Virtual MIDI Apps and up to two CoreMIDI output devices.. • MIDI Effects: Arpeggiator, Poly Modulator and Velocity Curve. • Supports Audio Unit effects and instruments and MIDI effects (the latter require iOS 12). • Supports Inter-App Audio effects and instruments. • Supports Audiobus (acts as output in Audiobus app). • Supports MPE, MIDI 2.0 and MIDI-CI (MIDI 2.0 requires iPadOS 14). The MultitrackStudio Instruments acoustic pianos support the MIDI 2.0 Piano profile. • MIDI sources: onscreen keyboard (keyboard, fourths, guitar, bass, violin, matrix, chords and drum layouts) and up to two CoreMIDI input devices. Supports Bluetooth LE MIDI. • Supports Bluetooth audio output. • Audio sample rate: 44.1 or 48 kHz. • Imports .wav, .aif, .flac, .m4a, .mp3, .mid, .midi2 and various other audio file types (Flac requires iPadOS 16). • Exports .wav, .flac, .m4a, .mid and .midi2 files (Flac requires iPadOS 16). • Import/export audio/MIDI via Document Picker, Copy/paste, iTunes File Sharing, AudioShare or email. • Imports/exports .zip file containing all files needed to open song, compatible with MultitrackStudio for Windows/macOS. • Lyrics/chords prompter and editor. • Also works with mouse/trackpad/keyboard (requires iPadOS 13.4). The Pro Extension (available as in-app purchase) adds these features: • Up to 64 tracks. • Up to 3 extra Effect Slots. (*) • Up to 3 extra Effect Returns. (*) • Up to 8 Groups. (*) • Multichannel audio playback. (*) • Mixer and effect automation. • Audio pitch shifting in track editors. • Time stretching in track editors. • Tempo editor can process audio tracks. • Stretch and Stretch Accelerando in tempo editor. • Multi MIDI Editor (edit multiple tracks in a single editor).. • Convolutor effect with Vintage Reverbs. • Load custom speaker IR in Guitar Amp. • Sidechain input on Compressor and AU effects that support it. • Dynamics effect, supports sidechaining. • Multiband Compressor effect. • Auto Wah effect. • Phase Inverter effect. • Transposer effect. • Vocal Tuner effect. • Sample rate conversion in Export Mix dialog. • Create new song using current as template. • Remote Control for transport ("MIDI Learn") (*) Limited by iPad screen size. There's just one additional space on iPad smaller iPads. 10.5" iPads have two spaces, 12.9" iPads have three spaces. An Effect Slot, an Effect Return and the Output Selector (for groups and multichannel playback) take one space each.
bismark m16
This application plays Standard MIDI Files (SMF) for General MIDI specification. It allows users to control MIDI channels, adjust playback settings, and mix with other music apps. Supports background playback and external MIDI modules.
- Load SMF for GM specification
- Manage song files in iCloud Drive
- Mute/solo MIDI channels
- Display performance information
- Control playback, key, and tempo
- Background MIDI playback
- CoreMIDI output for external modules
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bismark m16 is a MIDI player app that loads SMF (Standard MIDI File) for the GM (General MIDI) specification as Song files. Song files are managed in the "m16" folder of your iCloud Drive and kept in sync across all your iOS / iPadOS devices. You can also bring MIDI files in directly from other apps using "Open in m16" or the Files app. 16 icons across the top of the main screen represent the 16 MIDI channels. Tap once or twice on an icon to mute or solo that channel. Long-press an icon to open the Part editor, where you can adjust volume, pan, reverb send, chorus send and delay send, and choose the instrument for each part. During playback, the icons show live performance information in piano roll, circle or MIDI analyzer view. Along the bottom of the screen are transport buttons and a slider for play/stop, seeking the song position, and changing key and tempo. Now Playing information — including elapsed time and playback state — is also shown on the Lock Screen and in Control Center. m16 supports background MIDI playback, so you can play along on your favorite instrument app while m16 plays the backing track behind it. m16's built-in synthesizer plays through the GeneralUser GS SoundFont. If you'd rather use your own gear, m16 can send its output over CoreMIDI, or Bluetooth MIDI to external modules and other Virtual MIDI compatible apps — and can even hand off playback entirely to bismark's companion synthesizer app, bs-16i, for a wider range of instrument sounds.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MultitrackStudio for iPad at 85% against bismark m16's 20%. MultitrackStudio for iPad also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (29 vs 5). bismark m16's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $29.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, 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
MultitrackStudio for iPad costs $29.99 and bismark m16 $3.99 up front. MultitrackStudio for iPad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. bismark m16 asks for nothing beyond the download.
MultitrackStudio for iPad holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MultitrackStudio for iPad has 29 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of MultitrackStudio for iPad's written reviews are positive against 20% of bismark m16's.
MultitrackStudio for iPad ships an update every 3 months, bismark m16 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 8, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MultitrackStudio for iPad | bismark m16 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (29 ratings) — better | 3.8 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better | 20.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 29 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Giel Bremmers | bismark LLC |
Customer experience
MultitrackStudio for iPad
bismark m16
In-app purchases
MultitrackStudio for iPad
- Pro Extension$24.99
bismark m16
No in-app purchases







