Knob Lab vs CC PAL
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Knob Lab
This application transforms your iOS device into a versatile MIDI controller. It allows you to manage various DAWs and music software remotely via USB, WiFi, or Bluetooth. Create intricate control setups with a single rotary knob, affecting multiple MIDI destinations simultaneously.
- Remote DAW control
- USB, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity
- Virtual MIDI support
- Audiobus integration
- Complex control mapping
- iPad support
- MIDI logger
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Knob Lab turns your iPhone or iPad into a MIDI controller built around one idea: a single knob can do many things at once. ONE KNOB. MANY MOVES. Map a knob to up to 8 MIDI destinations. Each has its own range, direction, channel and color, so one turn can open a filter, pull the resonance back and bring the delay in over the second half of the sweep. BUILD YOUR OWN MACROS • Control Change, Program Change and Pitch Bend destinations • Name every knob and every destination, so a setup reads at a glance • Invert any range, or start a destination part-way through the turn • Rotate completely, snap to middle, pan left/right, or return to origin on release • A colored lane for every destination shows where each one is A LAYOUT FOR EVERY SETUP Start with one big knob, or unlock layouts with 2, 6 or 12 knobs on a single screen. PLAYS WITH EVERYTHING • Music apps on the same device, through Knob Lab's virtual MIDI output • Computers over Wi-Fi, with a network MIDI session • A Mac over USB or Bluetooth, with Sonic Logic Central • Class-compliant USB MIDI interfaces and synths plugged into your iPhone or iPad MADE FOR TOUCH Large, precise knobs, a quick guided start, Dark, Light and Neon themes, and full support for iPhone Duo in portrait and landscape. The one-knob layout is free. The 2, 6 and 12 knob layouts are in-app purchases, available one at a time or all together.
CC PAL
This app allows users to create and control up to 16 customizable MIDI CC sliders. Record and loop slider movements or manually adjust CC values. It's designed to send MIDI messages to external hardware or software synthesizers.
- Create up to 16 customizable CC sliders
- Record and loop slider movements
- Customize MIDI channel, CC number, color, and name per slider
- Store configurations/presets
- Visualize recorded movements with a chart
- Connect via Bluetooth MIDI
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CC PAL is a MIDI CC controller which allows you to create up to 16 CC sliders. You can record movements for each slider and replay this in a loop. You can also just change the CC value by moving the slider. Each slider can be customized with a MIDI channel, CC number, color and name. You can create unlimited numbers of configurations. CC PAL comes with a couple of predefined configurations for some hardware devices like the KORG Volca FM, KORG Volca Beats, KORG minilogue XD, DSI Prophet Rev2. >> FEATURES - Create up to 16 customizable CC sliders - Store your sliders in configurations/presets/programs -- you name it - Set the MIDI channel and the CC number per slider - A little chart shows your recorded movements so you can easily see what kinds of movements are stored in a slider >> WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHAT YOU CANNOT - You can send CC messages in a smart way to MIDI devices - For example you can control the resonance of a KORG Volca device with a unique recorded movement - You can control a MIDI-able iOS app like a software synthesizer - You cannot generate sound directly from this app. It just generates MIDI messages - Connect via Bluetooth MIDI to your DAW (e.g. Ableton) and map the sliders to specific parameters in devices
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Knob Lab at Free against CC PAL's $1.99. Knob Lab also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 21 months). CC PAL's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads 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
Knob Lab is free to download; CC PAL costs $1.99 up front. Knob Lab sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. CC PAL asks for nothing beyond the download.
CC PAL holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Knob Lab's written reviews are positive against 83% of CC PAL's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Knob Lab ships an update every 4 months, CC PAL every 21 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Knob Lab | CC PAL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.3 (12 ratings) | 4.9 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 21 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Uri Nachmias | DANIEL BRUEGGE |
Customer experience
Knob Lab
CC PAL
In-app purchases
Knob Lab
- Two Knob Layout$0.99
- Four/Six Knob Layout$0.99
- Nine/Twelve knob layout.$0.99
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- Unlock all layouts$1.99
CC PAL
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Knob Lab free?
Is CC PAL free?
Which has better reviews, Knob Lab or CC PAL?
Do Knob Lab or CC PAL have ads?
Which is updated more often, Knob Lab or CC PAL?
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