DM10 vs Solderbox
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DM10
This app is a powerful drum and synthesizer machine for electronic musicians. It offers a modern audio engine with a wide array of drum kits, instruments, and synth presets, alongside advanced sequencing and effects for creative music production.
- 228 drum kits
- Bass & Lead synths
- AudioUnit support
- Polyrhythmic tracks
- Advanced sequencing
- Real-time FX automation
- User drum kit creation
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DM10 is the ultimate Drum & Synth Machine for iPhone, iPad and Mac — from the creators of DM1, winner of the Apple Design Award 2012. 256 vintage & modern drum kits. Built-in Bass & Lead synths. A powerful step sequencer. Full Mixer, 4 FX slots & intuitive Song Mode. Everything you need to produce beats, from sketch to finished track — in one beautifully designed app One purchase. No subscriptions. No in-app purchases. You get everything. DRUMS & KITS • 256 drum kits — Vintage, Acoustic, Hip-Hop, Electro & more • 10 instruments (Piano, Vibraphone, Wurlitzer…) • Drum Pads with customizable layout • Custom drumkit per track • User drum kit creation with samples import & export • Drums Glitch mode • Drumkits Randomizer STEP SEQUENCER • Drum & Synth step sequencer • 45 patterns • Variable step count, Accent, Triplets & Swing • Time signatures • Polyrhythmic tracks • Steps Probability & Retrig • Playhead Randomize • Custom Tempo, Kit, Mixer & FX per pattern • Steps Randomizer MIXER & FX • Mixer with level, pitch, length, pan & automation • 4 FX slots per track with real-time automation — 15 effects available: Overdrive · Delay · Reverb · Filter · Phaser · Formant · Texturizer · Robotizer · Dalek · Flanger · Decimator · Ring Modulator · Resonator · Compressor · Noise Gate • Mixer & Fx Randomizer SONG MODE • Song mode with intuitive editing • Audio export — master & separated tracks • Project import & export SYNTH ENGINE • Bass Synth — 3 VCO, Filter, ADSR, BitCrush, Detune • Lead Synth — 2 VCO, VCO Modulation, Filter, ADSR, Vibrato • 40 Bass & Lead factory presets PRO CONNECTIVITY • AudioUnit (AUv3) • Full MIDI support — Mapping, File Import & Export, External Clock • Audio Background support • Ableton Link • iCloud Shared Folder • Computer keyboard support VINTAGE DRUM MACHINES • 116 drum kits meticulously sampled from legendary machines: Roland TR-808, TR-909, TR-606 · Akai MPC2000 · Linn 9000 · Oberheim DMX · E-MU SP-12 · Simmons SDS-5 · Fairlight CMI · Teenage Engineering PO-12 · Korg · Yamaha · Boss · Casio · Alesis · Linn · Kawai · Pearl · Elektro-Harmonix · Wersi · Novation · Waldorf · Ensoniq · Sequential Circuits and many more. ACOUSTIC DRUM KITS • 32 acoustic kits recorded at Fingerlab Studio — sampled from iconic brands: Oyster · Ludwig · DW · Gretsch · Pearl · Premier · Slingerland · Sonor · Yamaha · Rogers • 26 percussion & instrument kits recorded at Fingerlab Studio STYLES DRUM KITS • 82 drum kits from various music styles: Hip-Hop, Electro, Dubstep, Trap, Synth, Concrete… Questions or feedback? contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team
Solderbox
This app is a compact, semi-modular synthesizer designed for generative music creation. It offers a comprehensive set of modular functions, aiming for analog-like sound and behavior with unique digital effects and an 'Instability Engine' for organic fluctuations.
- Generative synthesis tools
- Analog-like sound emulation
- Instability Engine for organic fluctuations
- Audio Unit (AUv3) compatibility
- Built-in Pulsequencer melody generator
- Multiple filter modes
- Stackable patch cables
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Solderbox is a compact semimodular synthesizer, made in collaboration with Jakob Haq. It is heavily based on Jakob's own modular rack design (which features a lot of modules made by hand). The app is designed to offer a set of modular functions that is both comprehensive and eclectic, including several tools for generative synthesis, random signals and the surgical mangling of audio waves and modulation signals. A lot of effort went into making everything sound and behave as analog as digitally possible (with the exception of the unashamedly digital Entropy lo-fi effect processor). Additionally, the built-in Instability Engine injects the subtle fluctuations simulating the effects of crosstalk, leaky signals and expired electrical components. This is a living instrument with a soul of its own. - Full Audio Unit compatibility (AUv3 instrument, audio effect) - Universal design (iPhone, iPad, MacOS AUv3) - Built-in Pulsequencer (LFO-based generative melody generator with custom scales) - 4 mode Low-pass filter (6, 12, 18, 24 dB) - 3 voice polyphony - Drone mode - Stackable patch cables - DIY Lo-Fi digital delay circuit emulation - All synth settings exposed a AU Parameters (for automation and MIDI learning in your host of choice) Find the user manual on ruismaker.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Solderbox at 5.0 against DM10's 4.6. Solderbox also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 72%) and iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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
DM10 costs $12.99 and Solderbox $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Solderbox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of DM10's written reviews are positive against 90% of Solderbox's.
DM10 ships an update every 4 weeks, Solderbox every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DM10 | Solderbox |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | $12.99 |
| Rating | 4.6 (53 ratings) | 5.0 (27 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 71.9% of reviews | 90.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 53 — better | 27 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 454 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fingerlab | Bram Bos |
Customer experience
DM10
Solderbox
Bugs and requests
DM10
Reported bugs
2 issues- Dropping the first beat in some cases
- Syncing issues in standalone mode
Requested features
6 requests- Add probability per step
- Implement true triplets and flams
- Allow tempo changes within a song
- Increase pattern count beyond 45
- Add more time signature options
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- Implement MIDI mapping for pattern changes
Solderbox
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
DM10
No in-app purchases
Solderbox
No in-app purchases









