Comparison

iSymphonic Orchestra vs Celtic Sounds MIDI Module

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

Head to head
About

iSymphonic Orchestra

This app provides sophisticated, realistic orchestral sounds for musicians. Connect a MIDI keyboard to your device to access a wide range of instruments for live performance or composition. It supports advanced audio and MIDI connections with other apps.

Highlights
  • Realistic orchestral instrument sounds
  • MIDI keyboard connectivity
  • Audio Unit and Inter-App Audio support
  • Low latency audio engine
  • Integrated effects with presets
  • MIDI recording and playback
Features
Read full description

The ultimate orchestra sound app for sophisticated musicians by award-winning sound designer Kurt Ader, designed as professional sound module for your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch by connecting an external MIDI keyboard, using the Apple USB camera adapter or another adapter supported by Apple.¹ Listen to the demo videos on our product website! This app supports Audio Unit and Inter-App Audio for audio & MIDI connections from/to other audio apps, as well as Bluetooth LE MIDI ! iSymphonic Orchestra was designed with the goal to deliver you superb, extremely realistic and stunning orchestra sounds, instantly with the first key being pressed by you on your MIDI keyboard. Just select a sound and you are ready for your live performance or for a boost of creativity while composing new songs. The sounds used in this app were explicitly recorded to fulfill these requirements and involved several months of recording and post processing under supervision of Kurt Ader and included a variety of innovative, new recording techniques. So far these sounds were only available to very few, famous movie composers. Now they are finally available for the first time to everybody. The supreme quality of these sounds, combined with the unique way they were recorded and assembled, gives us confidence that you haven't heard anything comparable as of to date, even not on Mac or PC. 25 Sounds included with base App: • Orchestra Strings Spiccato & Legato 1 - 4 • Orchestra Strings Slow 1 - 3 • Chamber Arco Strings • Legato Orchestra Strings 1 • Full Sordino Strings 1 - 2 • Legato Orchestra • Staccato Orchestra 1 - 3 • Tremolo Orchestra • Pizzicato Strings • Full Strings • Tremolo Strings • All Brass 1 - 2 • Trombone Section • Cello & Woodwinds • Horns & Strings • Full Legato Orchestra 297 additional sounds available as 15 optional in-app purchase sound sets: „Pro-", „Arpa-", „Canto-", „Boato-", „Vento-", „Ottone-", „Voce-", „Varia-", „Perla-", „Aulos-", „Keys-", „Cupra-", „Organ-", „Tosca-" and „Corda Sound Set". You find a detailed sound list & demo videos on our product website. General Features: • Low latency disk streaming. • Very efficient audio engine. • Polyphony of several hundred stereo voices.² • Audio latency down to 1 ms. • Integrated effects with 18 presets. • 16 parts. • Scale Tuning & Master Tune. • MIDI velocity response curve editor. • App States: Save app's entire state as user presets. • Interactive, easy & quick sound finder. • App can keep running in the background, so you can play on your keyboard while e.g. using Safari or another app to display scores or surfing the Internet. • Hermode Tuning: Imitates the tuning behavior of well educated musicians of i.e. orchestras and choirs. • Audio Unit v3 Plugin included. • Supports Apple's "Inter-App Audio" (IAA) system. • Virtual on-screen piano keyboard with velocity support, scalable & scrollable. MIDI Player / Recorder: • Record, save and load your songs in standard MIDI file format. • Share your songs easily as audio file. • Unlimited amount of tracks. • Configurable MIDI channel per track. • Unlimited recording and playback length. • Open MIDI (.mid) files directly from other apps (i.e. from Safari, Mail). • Metronome • Use the "Tempo Zoom" dial knob to i.e. slow down playback at any time and learn your favorite songs easily. ¹ For more information about supported adapters and MIDI keyboards, please visit our product website. ² Sounds are using several voices per note. Polyphony depends on the exact device model being used. You find a polyphony table on our product website. Anti-Spy Commitment: We take your privacy very seriously. None of our apps contain so called „spy” behaviors and we committed ourself to a very high privacy standard. For more information read our „Privacy Policy for Mobile Apps”.

About

Celtic Sounds MIDI Module

This app is a CoreMIDI sound module that provides authentic sounds of seven traditional Irish and Scottish instruments. It can be used with MIDI file players, other MIDI controller apps, or directly with a MIDI keyboard. Adjust transposition, volume, reverb, and MIDI pitch bend for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Seven traditional Irish/Scottish instruments
  • Fully transposable MIDI sound module
  • CoreMIDI and Audiobus 2/3 compatible
  • Adjustable transposition and reverb
  • Responds to MIDI velocity and pitch bend
  • Detailed MIDI note range information
Features
Read full description

Celtic Sounds is a fully transposable MIDI sound module with seven traditional Irish and Scottish musical instruments: High-D Tin Whistle Wooden Flute Uilleann Pipes Chanter, Drones, and Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pairs Anglo Concertina Button Accordion Great Highland Bagpipes Chanter and Drones Scottish Smallpipes Chanter and Drones Every note on the instruments have been individually to provide a very authentic sound. The app is a CoreMIDI Sound Module for use with CoreMIDI file players and other CoreMIDI controller apps. You may also play the sounds using a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI controller attached to the device using a MIDI interface connected to the Lightning port. The app also works as an Audiobus 2 source module and is compatible with Audiobus 3. Inter-App Audio support is provided by Audiobus. Using the controls, set your instrument, transposition, volume, reverb style, reverb level, MIDI channel, and MIDI pitch bend values. Use the "Transpose Semitones" slider to shift the entire instrument up or down up to one octave in semitone increments. This setting shifts the pitch of the sound but does not change the MIDI note numbers the app responds to. Touch the number to the right of the "Transpose Semitones" slider to reset the transposition to zero semitones. Choose your reverb style and level from four options: Room, Hall1, Hall2, or Church If you have a MIDI "stuck note" touch the "Shhh" button at the top right to stop all sounds. The app responds to both MIDI note-on velocity and pitch bend messages on the selected MIDI channel. Set the maximum pitch bend response using the "Pitch Bend Semitones". Default is two semitones. The MIDI note ranges of the instruments are: High-D Tin Whistle - D3 (62) - D5 (86) Wooden Flute - D3 (62) - D5 (86) Anglo Concertina - C2 (48) - A5 (93) Button Accordion - G2 (53) - E5 (88) Highland Pipes - A3 (68) - Bb4 (82) Smallpipes - A3 (68) - Bb4 (82) When playing the Uilleann Pipes instrument, the following special MIDI notes, starting on C1 (36) are used for the drone and regulator sounds: Single regulator notes: C1 (36) - Bass regulator G C#1 (37) - Bass regulator A D1 (38) - Bass regulator B D#1 (39) - Bass regulator C E1 (40) - Baritone regulator D F1 (41) - Baritone regulator F# F#1 (42) - Baritone regulator G G1 (43) - Baritone regulator A G#1 (44) - Tenor regulator F# A1 (45) - Tenor regulator G A#1 (46) - Tenor regulator A B1 (47) - Tenor regulator B C2 (48) - Tenor regulator C Drones: D2 (50) - Lynch Drones D#2(51) - Crowley Drones Regulator pairs: E2 (52) - D/F# Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair F2 (53) - D/G Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair F#2 (54) - F#/A Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair G2 (55) - G/B Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair G#2 (56) - G/C Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair A2 (57) - A/C Baritone/Tenor Regulator Pair Uilleann Pipes drones key triggers (D2 and D#2) are "latching" . The drones start on the first press of the trigger key, stop on the second. The Uilleann Pipes chanter notes start at D3 (62) and go to D5 (86) When playing the Great Highland Bagpipes and Smallpipes instruments, the drones, are triggered on receipt of D#2 (51) and are latching. The drones start on the first press of the trigger key, stop on the second. When playing the bagpipes instruments, any pitch bend messages received only effect the chanter notes, not the drones or regulators. The bagpipes instruments are setup for the default WARBL GHB controller note mapping for notes and drone switch. MIDI Transpose Control for use with MIDI Chanters and other MIDI controllers: Use the "MIDI Transpose Semitones" slider to shift the incoming MIDI note messages up or down up to one octave in semitone increments. This is useful for MIDI chanters or other controllers that have a fixed message range. Touch the number to the right of the "MIDI Transpose Semitones" slider to reset the MIDI transposition to zero semitones.

Screenshots

iSymphonic Orchestra4 screens
Celtic Sounds MIDI Module4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Celtic Sounds MIDI Module at none against iSymphonic Orchestra's 12. Celtic Sounds MIDI Module also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). iSymphonic Orchestra's advantage is ratings volume (103 vs 9) and review sentiment (63% vs 50%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

iSymphonic Orchestra costs $9.99 and Celtic Sounds MIDI Module $9.99 up front. iSymphonic Orchestra sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Celtic Sounds MIDI Module asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Celtic Sounds MIDI Module holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iSymphonic Orchestra has 103 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of iSymphonic Orchestra's written reviews are positive against 50% of Celtic Sounds MIDI Module's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iSymphonic Orchestra ships an update every 2 months, Celtic Sounds MIDI Module every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iSymphonic Orchestra versus Celtic Sounds MIDI Module: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriSymphonic OrchestraCeltic Sounds MIDI Module
Price$9.99$9.99
Rating3.8 (103 ratings)4.1 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings103 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.3 GB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristian Schoenebeck d/b/a CrudebyteMichael Eskin

Customer experience

iSymphonic Orchestra

All ratings103 ratings
Positive64.1%
Neutral12.6%
Negative23.3%
Written reviews144 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral11.1%
Negative26.4%

Celtic Sounds MIDI Module

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral18.8%
Negative31.3%

Bugs and requests

iSymphonic Orchestra

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes when using multiple AU instances in AUM
  • GarageBand integration fails during export and audio merging
  • Audio cuts out or plays only partially during export
  • Track deletion causes complete app crash and data loss
  • Reverberation artifacts on specific notes (C4, C5)
Show 9 more
  • Loud distortion spikes occurring randomly
  • MIDI keyboard connection freezes or stops working
  • Settings menu becomes garbled with accessibility features enabled
  • App freezes when connecting to certain MIDI controllers
  • Audiobus compatibility issues despite advertised support
  • Sound packs fail to download or load correctly
  • Stuck MIDI notes when changing channels with pedal depressed
  • Glitching and connection loss in multi-instance setups
  • Export functionality broken in GarageBand AU version

Requested features

15 requests
  • Ability to hide unowned sound packs for easier navigation
  • Zoom function for keyboard section
  • Adjustable attack and release envelope controls
  • Filter to show only owned sounds
  • Dedicated save/record/play controls on main screen
Show 10 more
  • Bundle pricing option for all sound packs
  • Separate woodwinds, horns, and strings-only IAP options
  • Improved AU plugin UI closer to standalone version
  • Microphone placement and mixing options like Spitfire Labs
  • Favorites or custom sound folders
  • Better orchestral percussion sounds
  • Ability to import files from device without USB
  • Export preset functionality between devices
  • All-off MIDI signal for all channels simultaneously
  • Cheaper entry-level sound pack bundle

Celtic Sounds MIDI Module

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

iSymphonic Orchestra

One-time12
  • Arpa Sound Set$8.99
  • Vento Sound Set$8.99
  • Pro Sound Set$11.99
Show 9 more
  • Canto Sound Set$11.99
  • Boato Sound Set$11.99
  • Voce Sound Set$11.99
  • Varia Sound Set$11.99
  • Aulos Sound Set$11.99
  • Perla Sound Set$11.99
  • Cupra Sound Set$16.99
  • Corda Sound Set$16.99
  • Keys Sound Set$24.99
None

Celtic Sounds MIDI Module

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iSymphonic Orchestra free?
iSymphonic Orchestra costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Celtic Sounds MIDI Module free?
Celtic Sounds MIDI Module costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iSymphonic Orchestra or Celtic Sounds MIDI Module?
Celtic Sounds MIDI Module is rated higher. iSymphonic Orchestra averages 3.8 out of 5 from 103 ratings, while Celtic Sounds MIDI Module averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.
Do iSymphonic Orchestra or Celtic Sounds MIDI Module have ads?
Neither iSymphonic Orchestra nor Celtic Sounds MIDI Module shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iSymphonic Orchestra or Celtic Sounds MIDI Module?
iSymphonic Orchestra ships an update every 2 months, and Celtic Sounds MIDI Module every 5 days. Most recently, iSymphonic Orchestra was updated on October 18, 2026 and Celtic Sounds MIDI Module on October 21, 2026.

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