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Lo-Fi Emulation

  • Tape modulation effects (wow, flutter, crinkle, dropouts) carefully modeled after spectral and waveform data collected from numerous functioning and non-functioning tape players.
  • Dedicated dry/wet mix to dial in complex vibrato and chorus sounds.
  • 24dB/octave, four-pole virtual analog low-pass and high-pass filters modeled after the filter of a classic 1970’s synthesizer.
  • Compression inspired by a vinyl simulator found in a famous sampler from the early 2000’s.
  • Static tape hiss and clicks & pops.

Reverb

  • A beautiful stereo reverb designed from scratch, with controls for wet/dry mix, decay time, and where the reverb goes in your signal chain (pre or post tape effects).
  • Capable of infinite sustain.

Touch Modes

  • Four playful performance modes that can be activated momentarily or latched, and interact with all of the stereo tape effects:
    • Magnetic Dance – Creates a drone of sound using a micro-loop. Tune it to chords; play it forward or backwards.
    • Tape Stop – Slows down and bends the pitch of your audio in real-time, then picks it back up, with separate controls for stop and start times up to 10 seconds.
    • Broken Machine – Makes a garbled mess of your incoming audio. Use subtly for some added tape modulation or at extreme settings for rewind effects.
    • Repeater – Captures a small slice of audio and divides into tiny subdivisions for glitchy effects. Synchronizable via MIDI clock. Includes a resampling option that can sample new audio by detecting transients.
    • Crushed Cassette – Provides continuously variable sample rate reduction as well as bit depth reduction down to 4 bits with µ-law companding.
    • Disintegration Loop – An experimental looper with controls for loop decay, speed, and direction. Each time your loop repeats, it gets re-run through all of the tape effects.

Presets, MIDI Control, CV

  • Use 8 onboard preset slots to save your settings, or queue them up using your favorite preset device.
  • All parameters are fully controllable via MIDI, CV, or an expression pedal.
  • Directly compatible with all of your favorite MIDI controllers – no external MIDI box required.
    • Internal jumpers available to switch between TRS MIDI A, B, or CBA.
  • CV control up to 500Hz.
  • Download our handy Max for Live devices to control Ribbons via MIDI using Ableton.

Four-Track Looper, Sine Wave Synth

  • Four-track looper mode
    • Allows up to four stereo loops
      • Length per loop: 40 seconds at 0.5x speed, 20 seconds at 1x speed, 10 seconds at 2x speed
    • Each loop has separate controls for: playback direction (forward or backwards), playback speed (continuously variable from 0.5x to 2x), track volume, and track speed scale (quantization).
    • Synchronizable via MIDI clock.
    • Overdubbing possible at any speed.
    • Looped sounds can be processed by the tape effects.
  • Four-voice sine wave synthesizer
    • Connect your favorite MIDI controller and start playing.
    • +/- 5 semitone pitch bending.
    • Includes controls for attack and release.
    • Synth voices can be modified by the tape effects and used in looper mode.

Specs

  • DSP: 480Mhz ARM Processor
  • Processing: 32-bit floating point
  • Ultra low-noise audio codec: 24 bit, 48kHz, >110dB Dynamic Range
  • Max Input Level: +2dBu
  • Max Output Level: +5dBu
  • Latency: 1 msec
  • Power: +9VDC, 2.1mm, negative tip PSU
  • Power Supply Protection:
    • Reverse polarity protection down to -20VDC
    • Over voltage protection up to +20VDC
  • Current Draw: 160mA
  • Frequency Response: 24Hz to 20kHz

  • Input Impedance: 400 kOhm
  • Output Impedance: 1.5 kOhm
  • PCB: 6-layer PCB with two ground planes
  • Bypass Options:
    • Stereo true bypass (using relay)
    • Stereo buffered bypass
    • Stereo buffered bypass (with trails)
  • Dimensions: 121 mm x 66 mm x 62 mm
  • Manufacturing:
    • 100% lead-free
    • Circuit boards fabricated in China
    • Circuit boards assembled in Minneapolis, MN
    • Enclosures drilled, painted, and printed in the USA
    • Final assembly and testing performed in Minneapolis, MN

Firmware Updates

Firmware updates for Ribbons can be found on the Ribbons Development Blog.

Check out this video for a hands-on guide to updating your firmware:

User Manual

Ribbons Quick Start Guide

Ribbons User Manual

 

Extras

Download our Max For Live devices to control Ribbons with MIDI

Ribbons Parameter Controller:

 

Ribbons Looper Controller: