Muddlegeist have released Freethe, available as a free download with an optional in-app purchase that unlocks the app.
Freethe takes the concept of a classic hardware audio freeze pedal and expands it into an intuitive, tactile instrument for iOS. Rather than treating frozen audio as a static loop, the app captures fleeting sounds—from live microphones, instrument inputs, or imported files—and holds them as evolving, sustained textures. Each captured sound, referred to as a “grab,” becomes an object on a multi-touch stereo canvas. By dragging these nodes around the screen, you can manipulate volume, spatial panning, and sound placement in real time while a live oscilloscope traces incoming signals behind the canvas to help you visually target exact sonic moments.
Once a sound is frozen, Freethe provides three distinct engine modes to shape its character. Cloud mode scatters the audio into an overlapping grain haze for diffuse ambient pads, Loop mode uses a seamless read head to maintain a steady, clean sustain, and Spectral mode applies additive resynthesis to transform the audio frame into a shimmering synth-like texture. For deeper sound design, a single frozen sound can even be split across all three modes at once, allowing a single snap of the fingers or an acoustic strum to bloom into a complex, multi-layered soundscape.
The application is available on the iOS App Store as a free download, which gives users generous access to up to three simultaneous grabs across all engine modes. For those looking to expand their setup, a single one-time in-app purchase unlocks up to eight simultaneous grabs alongside advanced workflow power features—completely avoiding subscription models while processing all audio locally on-device
Features include:
- Flexible Input: Freeze incoming live audio, monitor dry signals, or import audio files directly into the engine.
- DAW Ready (AUv3): Runs standalone on iPhone and iPad, or as an AUv3 plug-in inside Logic Pro, GarageBand, AUM, and DRAMBO.
- Deep Parameter Control: Adjust loop windows, drift, spectral width, and shimmer per grab.
- MIDI Mapping: Fully map parameters to external hardware knob controllers or trigger grabs using MIDI foot pedals.
- Privacy-First Design: Audio processing is handled 100% locally on your device—no accounts, cloud uploads, ads, or background tracking.
For more information on Freethe, click here:
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