Questions people actually ask
Last updated 5 August 2026What is Ferric, in one sentence?+
A small instrument works making music apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac that behave like hardware — labelled panels, no menus, nothing to subscribe to.
Do I need to know music theory?+
No. The panels teach while you play, the way a labelled piece of hardware always has. S-7 will show you which notes belong to a key on your own fretboard, which is theory you can see and hear rather than read.
Is anything a subscription?+
No. Every instrument is a one-time purchase, and every add-on is a non-consumable that stays on your shelf. Nothing renews and nothing expires.
What does $9.99 actually cover?+
One App Store purchase covers that instrument on your iPhone and iPad. The desk is separate: the Mac app and AUv3 for one instrument are $29.99, or $79 for THE FERRIC RACK, which is all four paid desk builds — a saving of about a third. S-7 and L-1 are free everywhere, including the Mac.
Do the apps work offline?+
Completely. There is no server check, no licence validation and no account. If the shop went quiet tomorrow, everything you own would keep working.
Do you collect my data or my recordings?+
No. There is no analytics, no telemetry and no third-party SDK in any instrument, and no Ferric server for anything to go to. Audio is processed on your device and never uploaded.
Where do my files actually live? Am I locked in?+
In plain folders you own. Recordings are WAV, patterns are MIDI, presets are readable files — all sitting in ordinary directories you can open in Finder or the Files app, back up, sync, or drag into any other program. L-1 reads from that folder; it does not own it. There is no proprietary format, no database, and no export step to get your own work out. Everything works with or without Ferric — if you stopped using these apps tomorrow you would lose nothing. What Ferric adds is the front end: browsing, auditioning, tagging and moving thousands of sounds between instruments in seconds, instead of digging through folders by hand.
Can I use these in a DAW?+
Yes. Every instrument ships as an AUv3, so it loads in Logic, Ableton Live, GarageBand, AUM and anything else that hosts Audio Units on macOS or iOS.
Can I plug in a real guitar or a MIDI keyboard?+
Yes. Any class-compliant audio interface or MIDI controller works — wire a guitar through an interface into D-65, or play J-17 from a keyboard. Plenty of modern interfaces run entirely off the phone with no external power at all: the Arturia MiniFuse is an affordable one that does, and some models take MIDI DIN straight in, so a guitar, a synth and a controller can all run from the phone alone. Only hungrier gear needs a powered hub.
What do I need to run them?+
A reasonably current iPhone or iPad, or a Mac. Exact minimum OS versions are listed on each App Store page at release. Headphones or an interface will always sound better than the built-in speaker.
Can I sell music I make with these?+
Yes, without asking and without paying us anything. Your recordings are yours. That is the entire point.
How do I get into the beta?+
Join the list. Beta invites go out through TestFlight, free, before anything ships.
Are there scholarships or education rates?+
Yes — the SDIT Music Scholarship, underwritten by the San Diego Institute of Technology. Students learning music at any level can write to scholarships@ferric.works with what they are studying and what they want to make, and a code comes back; there is no proof of income and no essay. Schools, community programmes and private teachers get educational rates and department grants through schools@ferric.works — priced one instrument per student, not one licence for the room.
Anything else — support, or write to hello@ferric.works. A person answers.