# Ribbons : Touch Instrument — Expressive Synth & MIDI Keys > Expressive touch-based musical instrument with unique synthesis and MIDI control. (iPhone/iPad app by Olympia Noise Co..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbons-touch-instrument/id898059305 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Olympia Noise Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/500740314) - Category: Music, Entertainment - Price: $7.99 - Rating: 4.70/5 from 72 App Store ratings · 54 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 11.0 · 20 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2014-09-04 - Data updated: 2026-09-01 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbons-touch-instrument/id898059305/reviews.md ## What is Ribbons? Ribbons is an extraordinarily fun and expressive musical instrument. Inspired by early electronic instruments such as the Ondes Martenot and the Theremin, Ribbons (formerly "Ondes") emulates the fluid playing style of those classic instruments with an interface and synthesis engine firmly grounded in the present day. Whether you’re gliding through melodies & chord changes or creating dense polyphonic sci-fi soundscapes, Ribbons is an instrument unlike any you’ve played before. • 2014 Best iOS Instrument - Sonic Joy Awards • • 9.0 / 10 - Apptronica Magazine Review • Recommended for use with headphones or external speakers. Ribbons is made by Olympia Noise Co., developer of Patterning and Chordion. •••• Expressive Playing Surface •••• Slide freely between notes, Ribbons doesn’t limit you to the keys on a keyboard. Use 3D Touch on supported devices to control synthesis parameters. Adjustable note snapping for ultimate flexibility in playing style and ease of use. Use the hold function to sustain notes while you take an epic solo on top. Vertical movement can be mapped to volume and synthesizer parameters, adding dynamic possibilities to your music. More polyphony than you have fingers! Adjustable keyboard range and size. Guidelines help you play in key. Choose from common scale types in any key or create your own. Alternate tuning systems let you explore the world of microtonal sound! •••• Unique Synthesis Engine •••• Morphing wavetable oscillator with five wavetable sets. Swarm oscillators! Two extra oscillators can be detuned and lag behind to create new textures. Wavetable modulation sources include Y-Axis, sine wave, noise, circle, and ADSR envelope. Resonant low pass filter. Filter modulation sources include ADSR envelope, sine wave, and Y-axis. Amplifier section with master volume, Y-axis control, and ADSR envelope. Y-axis can be mapped to control the rate and depth of wavetable and filter LFOs. •••• Effects •••• Large selection of reverb types with adjustable amount. Delay effect adjustable level, feedback, time and filter. •••• MIDI •••• Use Ribbons as a MIDI controller to control your favorite software and hardware synths. Now supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) output or use "classic mode" to manually managed MIDI ports. Map each touch to a unique MIDI Port/ Channel for polyphonic pitch bend. Because of Ribbons' unique pitch bend capabilities, it isn’t like other controllers, so make sure to read the instructions to learn about how to get the best results. •••• Inter-App Audio •••• Record directly to Garageband and other audio apps on your iPad using Inter-App Audio or Audiobus. Built-in Inter-App Audio transport allows you to control a host app’s play, record, and rewind buttons. Supports Audiobus State Saving. •••• Beautiful Design •••• Visualization of synthesis parameters makes for fun and intuitive editing of parameters. Clutter free screen lets you focus on making music. •••• Built-in Manual makes it easy to dig in and learn about Ribbons’ features. ## Key features - Expressive playing surface with fluid note gliding - Unique morphing wavetable synthesis engine - MIDI controller with MPE support - Inter-App Audio and Audiobus integration - Adjustable note snapping and guidelines - Built-in reverb and delay effects ## Recent user reviews (10 of 54) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbons-touch-instrument/id898059305/reviews.md ### 2/5 — Good, but like a car with three wheels. Limited use. *2026-01-22* No AUV3, in 2026 really limits its usefulness. ### 5/5 — Great fun *2025-11-09* Fantastic app ### 5/5 — It’s GREAT, but only Inter-App Audio! Will it EVER BE AUv3??? *2025-07-26* That’s all she wrote… ### 5/5 — Game Changer *2025-01-17* Even without using other synths with this app, it sounds great. But hook it up using MPE and you are in a brave new world. ### 5/5 — Ncredible sounds/ MPE goodness *2024-10-25* From the minds of Patterning….. ### 5/5 — Great and original device *2024-09-25* I love it! It is full of possibilities, easy to use, fun and very useful. And the user manual is very clear, very intelligently designed. There is, obviously, a great team working at Olympia Noise : thanks a lot, guys! ### 5/5 — Still lovely *2023-12-10* It was one of my first apps when I started my iOS journey. Still sounds great compared with the newer ones. Would love it to be AUv3, though! ### 5/5 — Terrific Performance Tool *2023-05-11* A great instrument to riff on and play leads with. Easy interface as well. 5 out of 5 highly recommend! ### 5/5 — Great app, a lot of possibilities *2021-10-19* So many options. And auch a nice, intuitive interface. Great combination with patterns from the same developer. ### 5/5 — Really excellent app *2020-12-21* Very nice and playable interface. Synth engine is nicely musical. ## Frequently asked questions about Ribbons ### What kind of musical instrument is Ribbons? Ribbons is an expressive musical instrument inspired by classic electronic instruments like the Ondes Martenot and Theremin. It offers a fluid playing surface and a unique synthesis engine for creating a wide range of sounds. ### What are the key features of Ribbons? Key features include an expressive playing surface that allows free note gliding, a unique morphing wavetable synthesis engine, and robust MIDI control capabilities including MPE support. It also integrates with other audio apps via Inter-App Audio and Audiobus. ### How much does Ribbons cost? Based on the provided information, this application is a paid app. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or a subscription model. ### What devices is Ribbons compatible with? The app is designed for mobile devices and supports features like 3D Touch on compatible devices. It also integrates with other audio apps on iPad, suggesting compatibility with iOS devices. ### Can Ribbons be used to control other synthesizers? Yes, Ribbons can be used as a MIDI controller to control software and hardware synths. It supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) output and offers unique pitch bend capabilities for polyphonic control. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.4 — 2019-01-19 Ribbons is now Universal! Use Ribbons on your iPhone and explore 3D Touch to control synthesis parameters. Ribbons also now supports MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) output. Help us improve the app by reporting bugs to support@olympianoiseco.com. ### 1.3 — 2018-12-21 • Update layout for iPad Pro. • Fix issue when quickly switching between menus. • Fix crash when long pressing on wavetable MOD TYPE. Long pressing now correctly inverts the modulation polarity. • Fix a crash that could occur when opening the user manual. • New Icon ### 1.2 — 2017-05-15 • Ondes is now "Ribbons." • Super relaxing new color scheme. • Wondrous new icon. • Updated to latest version of Audiobus. ### 1.1 — 2014-11-20 What’s new in Ondes version 1.1? A lot! SWARM OSCILLATORS Two extra oscillators to thicken your sound. Detune them and tell them lag behind to create a swarm effect. HOLD BUTTON Press the ‘hold’ button to sustain notes indefinitely. Play melodies over top or move the sustained notes around. MIDI Mode You asked for it… You can now control other synths and electronic instruments with Ondes using MIDI. Please read the instructions though — there are a few things you should know about first! NEW MODULATION PARAMETERS The Y Axis can now control more parameters: Assign the Y Axis to control wavetable LFO rate & depth. Assign the Y Axis to control filter LFO rate & depth. Adjust the Y Axis to control volume from -100% to 100% INTER APP AUDIO TRANSPORT Using Ondes as an instrument in Garageband or other DAW just got easier! You can you control the play, record, and rewind buttons from right inside Ondes. KEYBOARD RANGE Choose between small (1.5 octave) and large (2.5 octave) range for the keyboard. SNAPPING New “Scale” and “Chromatic” snapping modes. SCALES In the mood for some modes? How about the “prometheus” scale? Choose from a bunch of pre-loaded scales or create your own. Save and reuse your custom scale types! TUNING SYSTEMS Put all that microtonal space to good use with alternate tuning systems. Choose from experimental and traditional tuning systems such as Just Intonation, Pythagorean, and Highland Bagpipe tuning. Create your own tunings or import & export .scala files. (Some limitations apply) TUNING REFERENCE Ever feel like A440 isn’t right for you? How about A415? That’s more like it. As always send us an email with your questions or bug reports : support@olympianoiseco.com ### 1.0 — 2014-08-30 No release notes. ## Apps similar to Ribbons | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MasterQ](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/masterq/id1485124580) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Music | | [Setlist Carrot - Setlist.fm](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/setlist-carrot-setlistfm/id1481784500) | 3.9 (15) | Free | Music | | [WEBR - The Breeze](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/webr-the-breeze/id1494166960) | 4.9 (79) | Free | Music | | [无损音乐播放器](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1483316840) | 3.0 (2) | $12.99 | Music | | [PEDRO APP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pedro-app/id1492774580) | — | Free | Music | | [The Radio Station](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-radio-station/id1491357480) | 5.0 (7) | Free | Music | ## More apps by Olympia Noise Co. - [Chordion : Musical Instrument & MIDI Controller](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordion-musical-instrument-and-midi-controller/id552182095) - [dot Melody](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-melody/id841019483) - [Patterning 2 : Drum Machine](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patterning-2-drum-machine/id1332154350) - [Patterning for iPhone](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patterning-for-iphone/id1491394394) All apps by Olympia Noise Co.: https://appshunter.io/developer/500740314 ## Related topics [synth noise](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/synth-noise) · [Patterning](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/patterning) · [theremin touch](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/theremin-touch) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*