Knobbler is Essential
Zack, the developer, has created a phenomenal tool. Simply position your iPad in a convenient spot for playing your instrument or mixing, and you’ll soon forget you have Ableton Live running on your computer. It’s incredibly easy to set up and works seamlessly. If you play an instrument that makes it challenging to position a screen in a convenient location, give Knobbler a try. And if you have an Apple Vision Pro, you can place the screen anywhere you want. Controlling Live in the air feels like magic.
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A Must Have
I retired early mostly to work on Knobbler. I built it from my own needs in using Ableton Live to make music. No other controller has the level of automated integration with Ableton Live. Literally zero setup after the one-tap connect. The mappings are saved with each set. It's what Ableton has been without.
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Best Ableton iPad app
Zack has made one of the most intuitive and responsive Ableton controllers I’ve tried. Latency is near 0 for anyone concerned about that.
Just try it
The app continues to improve. It is now the best tablet/phone controller for Live by a stretch. Works so well and integrates into the workflow seamlessly. The developer is constantly adding new features. Incredible value.
Response from developer
🎉
Knobbler on every project.
The short of it : Knobbler is amazing. It creates an incredibly elegant, intuitive, and valuable connection between my brain and Ableton.
The longer bit : I think thoughtful interfaces for digital creative pursuits are critical. BUT I have TOO many midi controllers that have proven less than revolutionary after extensive use (except Push 2 which stays in heavy rotation). Knobbler speeds up getting to the device you need in the moment. It lets me tweak multiple parameters simultaneously using my HANDS. It is customizable to your needs in a click and a tap. It has almost zero learning curve. Knobbler rules because it immediately removes creative friction and is a focused tool that is not trying to “kitchen sink” the problem. That is all that matters, and after trying and using countless interfaces, Knobbler is the one that does it best for me. Highly recommended.
The longer bit : I think thoughtful interfaces for digital creative pursuits are critical. BUT I have TOO many midi controllers that have proven less than revolutionary after extensive use (except Push 2 which stays in heavy rotation). Knobbler speeds up getting to the device you need in the moment. It lets me tweak multiple parameters simultaneously using my HANDS. It is customizable to your needs in a click and a tap. It has almost zero learning curve. Knobbler rules because it immediately removes creative friction and is a focused tool that is not trying to “kitchen sink” the problem. That is all that matters, and after trying and using countless interfaces, Knobbler is the one that does it best for me. Highly recommended.
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MASSIVE POTENTIAL
Knobbler is a powerful idea at its core — it’s not just another iOS MIDI controller. What sets it apart is that it already goes beyond basic control and steps into the realm of remote engineering. As long as my PC and Ableton are running, I don’t even need a mouse, keyboard, or second screen. Knobbler gives me the freedom to mix and monitor remotely, walking around the studio and making adjustments on the fly.
That said, the app still feels like it’s in the early stages of realizing its full potential. At £45, the price feels a little steep for its current scope, even though the concept is strong. I’d love to see Knobbler expand with deeper visualisation tools, a more refined interface, and advanced mixing features — things that would let engineers rely on it as a true remote companion.
If it continues in this direction, I could easily see Knobbler justifying a much higher price and becoming a legendary Ableton tool. For now, it’s an exciting step forward, but it still feels like it’s “cooking.”
That said, the app still feels like it’s in the early stages of realizing its full potential. At £45, the price feels a little steep for its current scope, even though the concept is strong. I’d love to see Knobbler expand with deeper visualisation tools, a more refined interface, and advanced mixing features — things that would let engineers rely on it as a true remote companion.
If it continues in this direction, I could easily see Knobbler justifying a much higher price and becoming a legendary Ableton tool. For now, it’s an exciting step forward, but it still feels like it’s “cooking.”
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Great app
Fantastic control over live.. spot on dev, regarding support too..
Can’t afford this anymore
I was hoping to buy this soon as it looks great, but now it’s the same price as Cubasis(a full iOS DAW) I accept this is an independent developer, but it’s now over 5 times the price from release and 3 times the price from yesterday, maybe I’m being tight, but I have no ideas about what it takes to make such apps so I can only compare it to others . Maybe I could be convinced otherwise. Maybe I use the trial and find It worth the money. I don’t know yet. Is it possible to use it with my push standalone? These are just my current thoughts. Perhaps I should have just jumped in and purchased it earlier prior to getting all of my equipment set up. I think it’s a five star looking app but I think I have to remove the amount of 3 stars from my review as it’s about 60% percent priced out of my budget given the current exponential pricing of essentials I have to factor in to my life. It’s a shame
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Great job!
Knobbler is an excellent tool for Ableton Live!
Awesome!
This is such a great control surface for Live. The navigation features are awesome. The mapping is really easy. The connection is easy (basically automatic) once it's set up. I'm a happy camper. One feautre I would love is a mixer page that showed everything the right side track view does, just for a lot of your tracks at once.
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Great app
I was going to buy a Roto-Control, but now I have this which is arguably better!
Incredible! Game changer!
What can I say…. Wow just wow this has turned my iPad into a killer tool for live performance with Ableton live… if you are on the fence just get it you won’t regret it I promise!
Great
Super useful tool for quickly and easily controlling Ableton Live. Very flexible, intuitive and easy to use. Great UI. Highly recommended.
Response from developer
Thank You! :D
Fantastic device
Pretty much effortless setup connecting this via WiFi with Live 12 on Windows. Game changer for controlling max devices, stock devices, VSTs, transport etc via touchscreen. Love it
Nearly perfect
Super easy to get started - the most flexible integration if seen with Ableton thus far for iOS! My only gripe is that it’s difficult to scan Params with the Name being at the bottom and value being at the top of each fader. It would make more sense (to me) if the Names were at the top and the values at the bottom (and even a bit grayed out). Gonna tell all my producer friends about this, though!
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Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback :) I tried the values at the bottom and decided against it since as you're adjusting the slider your hand/finger would be in the way of seeing the value, unless you held your hand off to the side. Keeping them at the top keeps them visible no matter how you hold your hand/arm. I appreciate the ideas and the friend outreach! :)
Awesome
I’ve tried several iPad control apps for Ableton, and they were all frustrating in different ways. Knobbler is by far the best. Easy set up and really intuitive to use. Does the job so well. No question it stands out from other options. Also the developer responded to a minor issue that came up almost immediately and fixed it.
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Response from developer
🎉
