# Ribn : a super nice 3$ iOS CC Controller app



## Emmanuel Rousseau (Nov 12, 2018)

Hi everyone,

I was looking for a SIMPLE iPad app which would help me to quickly manage my MIDI CC's and found this great app.

You can have up to 8 ribbons on your iPad or iPhone and assign them to whatever CC you want. If you just need, let's say only one giant CC1 fader, it's very quick and easy to set up and you can have up to 3 different presets views.

One of the majors features of the app is also its ability to loop your gestures on the ribbons. Of course, quite useless for an orchestral setup, but for adding super-creative modulation to a synth, it is fantastic.

It's nice and easy, and costs 2,99$.



https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ribn/id1413777040#?platform=ipad


----------



## AndyP (Oct 2, 2019)

Looks good. Will try this today.


----------



## Emmanuel Rousseau (Oct 2, 2019)

Still using it today. It's very simple but works perfectly... And it's pretty


----------



## AndyP (Oct 2, 2019)

Its on my iPhone now, so far so nice. I like the easy to use interface. Too bad I'm not sitting at the DAW right now ...


----------



## AndyP (Oct 2, 2019)

Yeah, this is really cool! Controlling 8 faders on my iphone. Easy to use, great price.
This is my mobile replacement for the Korg NanoKontroll.

Testsetup: Korg Microkey, MacBook Pro, iPhone 8 plus, Cubase
Smooth fader control for up to 8 CCs! Articulation switch ...

Thx, this is perfekt!

Edit: The automation of the faders is also really cool. Both hands free to play and I can let the app do the dynamic and vibrato control of the strings.


----------



## BassClef (Oct 2, 2019)

I just installed the app and can not get to work with my Mac.... tried Bluetooth and the MIDI option both.


----------



## vitocorleone123 (Oct 2, 2019)

There’s quite a few valuable midi related tools for iOS. Ribn is one. I also like knob lab.

Lots of other tools as well that generate midi. Navichord, Autony, FugueMachine. StepPolyArp, QuantiChord, and the list goes on and on.

EDIT: Thanks for reminding of all the treasures on my iPhone. I'm currently being amazed by some of the default patters in FugueMachine triggering full ensemble patches (strings, woodwinds and brass) of Nucleus. It's like my own personal orchestra. Just incredible. Sure, some don't sound the best, but some of the others are making my jaw drop. Testament to the quality of Nucleus, too! Pattern 25 "Tehn" is my favorite so far.

EDIT2: I'm on a PC and using rtpMIDI is a breeze. Wish I could help. Even though it's based on what the Mac has available, when I've tried to get things like that to work on my MBP it was always more work.


----------



## Emmanuel Rousseau (Oct 2, 2019)

BassClef said:


> I just installed the app and can not get to work with my Mac.... tried Bluetooth and the MIDI option both.



Like @vitocorleone123 I'm on a PC with rtpMIDI. Mac is a one of the big mysteries of life to me. Wish I could help !


----------



## AndyP (Oct 3, 2019)

BassClef said:


> I just installed the app and can not get to work with my Mac.... tried Bluetooth and the MIDI option both.


I connected the iPhone via lightning cable. 
After setting the Midi app to session 1, it was automatically recognized as a midi controller in Cubase. Where does it not work for you? 
Maybe we can get it to work together.


----------



## BassClef (Oct 3, 2019)

thanks Andy... In the app store it says that you can connective wi-fi and that's whatI wanted to do. I'll try a lighting/USB cable.


----------



## BassClef (Oct 3, 2019)

No... still does not work. I have it connected to Mac via cable and the app set to session 1. two ribbons set up for cc1 and 11. But they are not sending data to Logic.


----------



## AndyP (Oct 3, 2019)

BassClef said:


> No... still does not work. I have it connected to Mac via cable and the app set to session 1. two ribbons set up for cc1 and 11. But they are not sending data to Logic.


Is it displayed in Logic in the setup settings as a device?
I don't have Logic, only Cubase. The iPhone is displayed in the studio setup in the controller menu. So in the menu where I can display and configure all other controller devices, e.g. Makie controller, Nanokontroll, any connected midi device.


----------



## BassClef (Oct 3, 2019)

No. It does not show up with my other controllers.


----------



## AndyP (Oct 3, 2019)

BassClef said:


> No. It does not show up with my other controllers.


Hmmm, this is what it looks like here ...










I will ll try to connect via BT next.


----------



## Nick Batzdorf (Oct 3, 2019)

I don't have my iPad running, but in Audio MIDI Setup you have to enable the Session in the Participants area of the network window.


----------



## AndyP (Oct 3, 2019)

OK, my only way it works is by wire. I didn't manage to connect via BT. But for me it is also ok if it only works via lightning.


----------



## yellowtone (Oct 3, 2019)

I downloaded the app tonight and it didn't work for me either. So, I started digging, and I got it to work (finally). Not intuitive at all, but now that it's working, it's pretty cool. Here's the steps I took (Logic Pro, using Lightning Cable into my iMac):
1. Use Spotlight, type Midi, open Audio Midi Setup - you should see your phone connected, but likely not enabled. Click enable.
2. Open Logic Pro
3. Open RIBN - in Settings, MIDI - you should now see IDAM MIDI Host - click this (enable), it turns blue
4. At this point, my computer prompted me to download an update to my phone to enable this software - so I did. Took about 3 minutes, not sure why.
5. Once the software update was done, Logic Pro refreshed the instance I was in, and voila! I could see my expression fader moving when I used the C1 controller. I then "learned" the controller by clicking on the Dynamics fader (in Kontakt, happened to be using BHCT), and voila! I'm good to go.

Hope that works for you too.


----------



## jtnyc (Oct 3, 2019)

Is it supposed to work via bluetooth or wifi?


----------



## yellowtone (Oct 3, 2019)

It has an option for bluetooth but I just used the lightning cable


----------



## bcarwell (Jun 3, 2020)

Could somebody please post exactly what to do to get this to work in Cubase 8.1 Pro on a PC running Windows 7 ? Very confusing to me- I would have thought it would require diddling with Generic Remote but apparently not ?

Bob


----------



## vitocorleone123 (Jun 3, 2020)

I generally use rtpMIDI and do it over wifi, since lowest latency isn't always required for controls done by hand. Alternatively, you could get something like midimux and connect it via usb cable (you install a "server" on the PC that detects when miximux is running) - then you just have to add/enable it in your DAW. Also, Bluetooth, but I've never used that option. I don't use Cubase, so can't help with the specifics there.

You just need you device showing up as an input. Then you map CC in Ribn to whatever you're trying to control, and use the device as an input.


----------



## laskartcom (Apr 3, 2021)

yellowtone said:


> I downloaded the app tonight and it didn't work for me either. So, I started digging, and I got it to work (finally). Not intuitive at all, but now that it's working, it's pretty cool. Here's the steps I took (Logic Pro, using Lightning Cable into my iMac):
> 1. Use Spotlight, type Midi, open Audio Midi Setup - you should see your phone connected, but likely not enabled. Click enable.
> 2. Open Logic Pro
> 3. Open RIBN - in Settings, MIDI - you should now see IDAM MIDI Host - click this (enable), it turns blue
> ...


Hi yellowtone

Great article, now I can use Ribn, thank you for sharing!


----------



## laskartcom (May 24, 2021)

yellowtone said:


> I downloaded the app tonight and it didn't work for me either. So, I started digging, and I got it to work (finally). Not intuitive at all, but now that it's working, it's pretty cool. Here's the steps I took (Logic Pro, using Lightning Cable into my iMac):
> 1. Use Spotlight, type Midi, open Audio Midi Setup - you should see your phone connected, but likely not enabled. Click enable.
> 2. Open Logic Pro
> 3. Open RIBN - in Settings, MIDI - you should now see IDAM MIDI Host - click this (enable), it turns blue
> ...


Great Find Out, Thank You So Much!!!


----------

