# Ribn — MIDI CC Controller

> MIDI CC controller with 8 assignable ribbons for recording and looping finger movements. (iPhone/iPad app by Nebojsa Petrovic.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribn/id1413777040 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Nebojsa Petrovic](https://appshunter.io/developer/639977744)
- Category: Music, Productivity
- Price: $3.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 30 App Store ratings · 33 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 10.0 · 28 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-08-04
- Data updated: 2026-08-30
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribn/id1413777040/reviews.md

## What is Ribn?

Ribn is a MIDI controller with 8 assignable ribbons. What makes Ribn unique is its ability to record and loop your finger movement. This allows you to add organic repeating modulation to your synths and effects, kind of like complex LFOs. You can assign a unique MIDI channel and CC# to each ribbon. As long as your gear responds to MIDI CC messages you will be able to control it with Ribn.

** FEATURES **
• 8 MIDI CC ribbon pads
• Add modulation to your MIDI hardware synths, effects, eurorack modulars, drum machines, etc.
• Configurable MIDI channel and CC# per ribbon
• You can name each ribbon to help you identify what parameter it's controlling
• Turn off looping on individual ribbons to turn them into regular sliders
• Choose any number of ribbons between 1 and 8
• Full screen mode (removes navigation bar to help you focus)
• Switch between 3 sets of configurations using presets
• MIDI sending works while the app is in the background
• iPad landscape mode
• Select multiple MIDI outputs
• Ribbons record and loop your finger movement
• Use a wired MIDI interface, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
• All settings are saved automatically
• Works with external hardware as well as other iOS synths
• Works on iPhone (including iPhone X) and iPad starting with iOS 10

** EXAMPLE USES **
• Control hardware MIDI synths parameters like the filter cutoff frequency, resonance, oscillator octave, etc.
• Control any soft synth in Ableton Live (or your favorite DAW) by connecting your iOS device to your Mac via Wi-Fi and choosing "Session 1" as the MIDI output in Ribn.
• Control your Eurorack modules by running Ribn through a MIDI to CV converter.
• Control other iOS synths like the Moog Model 15 or Arturia iSEM.
• Control drum machines and effects. For example, try controlling the room size of a reverb effect unit with a looping ribbon or the snappiness of a snare drum on a drum machine. The possibilities are endless.
• Daisy chain your MIDI hardware using MIDI Thru ports and assign each ribbon to a different MIDI channel. This way you can control more than one piece of hardware at a time. For example, you can assign the first 4 ribbons to a synth and the last 4 to an effect unit. 

** HOW IT WORKS **
• Connect your MIDI gear (like a synth) to your iOS device using a MIDI interface (wired or bluetooth)
• Launch Ribn and select your MIDI interface in the settings page.
• Find out which CC# and MIDI channel your gear responds to (usually at the end of the manual) and enter this information in RIbn's edit view.
• Slide your finger on a ribbon to send CC values and control the parameters on your MIDI gear.

** WHAT IS MIDI AND CC? **
• MIDI is just the way electronic musical instruments talk to each other. 
• CC (Continuous Controller) is just a way to control various parameters using MIDI.  For example, a synth's filter cutoff frequency can be controlled using a MIDI CC signal.

** NOTE **
• Ribn is a MIDI controller and doesn't produce any sounds. To use Ribn you must connect it to a device that responds to MIDI CC signals (check your gear's manual to be sure).
• Ribn doesn't send note data, it only sends CC signals (you can't play melodies with it, but you can control various parameters like synthesizer filters, or effects settings).
• To connect your iOS device to MIDI gear you will need to buy a MIDI interface. A MIDI interface typically connects to your iOS lightning port and provides standard MIDI DIN ports to connect to your hardware. There are also bluetooth MIDI interfaces that connect wirelessly. Alternatively, you can connect to your Mac over Wi-Fi and control software synths that way. This setup is a little more complex but totally doable (I've tested controlling Ableton Live plugins over Wi-Fi with Ribn and it worked perfectly).
• Audiobus and AUv3 are not supported at this time. However, you can still control other iOS synths by routing the internal MIDI ports and having Ribn run in the background.

## Key features

- 8 MIDI CC ribbon pads
- Record and loop finger movement
- Configurable MIDI channel and CC# per ribbon
- Turn off looping for regular slider functionality
- Switch between 3 sets of configurations with presets
- MIDI sending in background
- iPad landscape mode

## Recent user reviews (10 of 33)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribn/id1413777040/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Still good

*2025-03-26*

No Auv3 , but this is some gooooooooood stuff for midi cc recording.

Stands the test of time

### 5/5 — Unreal

*2024-10-10*

This app is an unreal bargain.  I'm amazed at how easily it connected to Logic Pro.  I love this, and there is no way you'll find anything better for this price.  If you're reading this, buy this app. Absoluting no regrets! Thank you!

### 5/5 — Easy DAW and VST Integration

*2024-06-20*

Wow. What an amazing app - I use this for my virtual Orchestration MIDI Mock-Ups and it increased my workflow exponentially within 5 minutes of use. A future feature that might be useful for the looping function would be to set a fixed looping speed and zones on the CC faders. This will help solve some clunkiness with consistent and smooth looping for users that might want a fixed/consistent looping rate and zone.

### 4/5 — Nice simple idea

*2024-05-21*

Would be nice to be able to make sine patterns.

### 4/5 — use to work on previous version of ios (before16)

*2022-12-06, version 2.2*

love the app, just doesnt work since ios 16…

### 3/5 — Do you support PG messages

*2022-11-24, version 2.2*

It’s not immediately apparent if this is supported

### 5/5 — One of a kind

*2022-09-04, version 2.2*

My latest use case of Ribn was on the phone connected to Novation Bass Station 2 via usb, live on stage, and I’ve modulated the heck out of it. My amazing synth becomes a living organism when connected to Ribn!

### 5/5 — This really is 110% Amazing

*2022-08-26, version 2.2*

I can’t tell you how long I have been looking for an app that I can use solely for assigning Midi parameters to many iOS synths using Midi Learn, I have a Midi Keyboard Controller that I have to connect to my iPad just to assign the odd Midi Learn Parameter or two, but thanks to Ribn - not anymore 🥳 I saw a demo of Ribn by accident on YouTube and couldn’t believe my eyes! It really is a “must have app” it is now easy to control and assign any parameter with Midi Learn on any synth inside Cubasis 3 without making any connections by just sliding the app up from the bottom of the screen, just brilliant ⭐️ It would be good if there were more than three presets available for each set of eight faders, there are many different iOS synths having many controllable parameters.

There should be bulletin boards on the App Store that display various app categories such as MIDI, so that apps like Ribn can get the attention it deserves, I certainly would have purchased this app a long time ago if only I knew about it👍

### 5/5 — Amazing!

*2022-08-09, version 2.2*

Again, amazing! I have one feature request:
PAUSE. It would be so lovely to pause all ribns at once. I know I can just create a tiny movement to mimic this but I don’t always have 8 fingers free.

Thank you for the AMAZING MIDI CC LFO thingy!!!!!!!

### 5/5 — iOS update broke it  - please update app

*2022-06-24*

A great app implementing a great idea. The problem with iOS updates is they break apps which you discover later on. I’m putting in my request to keep this one up to date.

## Frequently asked questions about Ribn

### What does Ribn do?

Ribn is a MIDI controller app that features 8 assignable ribbons. Its unique capability is to record and loop your finger movements on these ribbons, allowing you to create organic, repeating modulation for your synthesizers and effects. It sends MIDI CC messages to control parameters on your connected gear.

### How do I connect Ribn to my MIDI gear?

You can connect your MIDI gear to your iOS device using a wired MIDI interface, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. Once connected, launch Ribn and select your MIDI interface in the settings. You will then need to configure the correct MIDI channel and CC# for each ribbon to match your gear's response.

### What kind of MIDI gear can I control with Ribn?

Ribn can control any gear that responds to MIDI CC messages. This includes hardware MIDI synths, effects units, Eurorack modular systems, drum machines, and even soft synths within your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) on a computer. It also works with other iOS synths.

### Is Ribn free to use?

No, Ribn is a paid application. The description does not mention any in-app purchases or subscription models, indicating a one-time purchase price for the full functionality of the app.

### What are some example uses for Ribn?

Example uses include controlling parameters like filter cutoff or resonance on hardware synths, adding looping modulation to reverb effects, controlling soft synths in DAWs like Ableton Live via Wi-Fi, or controlling Eurorack modules through a MIDI to CV converter. You can also daisy-chain hardware and assign different ribbons to different devices.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.2 — 2018-09-10

Fixed bug with app sometimes freezing.

### 2.1 — 2018-09-08

Fixed a bug that caused the app to freeze on older devices.

### 2.0 — 2018-09-04

• Add names to your ribbons
• Toggle looping per ribbon
• Choose any number of ribbons between 1 and 8
• Full screen mode
• Switch between 3 sets of configurations using presets
• MIDI works in the background
• iPad landscape mode
• iOS 10 support
• Select multiple MIDI outputs
• Bluetooth pairing from within the app

### 1.1 — 2018-08-04

This is a bug fix release.
• Fixed app freezing when coming from background
• Fixed crash related to MIDI input
• Fixed crash when touching ribbons near the edges

### 1.0 — 2018-08-01

No release notes.

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## More apps by Nebojsa Petrovic

- [Esion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esion/id1440420787)
- [Pensato](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pensato/id1453592849)

All apps by Nebojsa Petrovic: https://appshunter.io/developer/639977744

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*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 2026-08-30.*