Comparison

Knob Lab vs CC PAL

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Remote DAW control
  • USB, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity
  • Virtual MIDI support
  • Audiobus integration
  • Complex control mapping
  • iPad support
  • MIDI logger
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Knob Lab4 screens
CC PAL3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Knob Lab ships an update every 4 months, CC PAL every 21 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Knob Lab versus CC PAL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnob LabCC PAL
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.3 (12 ratings)4.9 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 21 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUri NachmiasDANIEL BRUEGGE

Customer experience

Knob Lab

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%

CC PAL

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Knob Lab

One-time4
  • Two Knob Layout$0.99
  • Four/Six Knob Layout$0.99
  • Nine/Twelve knob layout.$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock all layouts$1.99
None

CC PAL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Knob Lab free?
Knob Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CC PAL free?
CC PAL costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Knob Lab or CC PAL?
CC PAL is rated higher. Knob Lab averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while CC PAL averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Knob Lab or CC PAL have ads?
Neither Knob Lab nor CC PAL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Knob Lab or CC PAL?
Knob Lab ships an update every 4 months, and CC PAL every 21 months. Most recently, Knob Lab was updated on October 24, 2026 and CC PAL on October 24, 2026.

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