Comparison

Ribn vs Practice Now!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Ribn

This app provides a unique MIDI controller experience with 8 assignable ribbons. It allows you to record and loop finger movements, adding organic modulation to synthesizers and effects. Control various MIDI-responsive gear, from hardware synths to software instruments.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Practice Now!

Features
Read full description

Practice Now! is an app that connects music teachers with their students. This app provides practice tools for students, review systems for teachers, and easy communication for the best musical development experience.

Screenshots

Ribn4 screens
Practice Now!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ribn at every 3 days against Practice Now!'s every 3 weeks. Ribn also leads on price ($3.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Ribn costs $3.99 and Practice Now! $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ribn ships an update every 3 days, Practice Now! every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Ribn versus Practice Now!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRibnPractice Now!
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (30 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings30 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNebojsa PetrovicJesus Jimenez

In-app purchases

None

Ribn

No in-app purchases

None

Practice Now!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ribn free?
Ribn costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Practice Now! free?
Practice Now! costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Ribn or Practice Now! have ads?
Neither Ribn nor Practice Now! shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ribn or Practice Now!?
Ribn ships an update every 3 days, and Practice Now! every 3 weeks. Most recently, Ribn was updated on October 7, 2026 and Practice Now! on August 22, 2026.

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