This is the space where I will post updates regarding the development of Ribbons. This will include: firmware updates and changes/bug fixes I’m working on.
Only admins (myself) can post on this topic. I will update the post below this one to share what I’m currently working on / what I’m aware of and then add new posts when firmware updates are available.
When Ribbons is released, all of its core features will be implemented and it will do exactly what the manual says it will do. I may occasionally investigate and implement additional feature requests.
Potential To-Do’s / Feature Requests Being Considered (last updated Nov 2024):
Misc. UI improvements and bug fixes:
November 2024 — The list below reflects firmware version 2.0.
Units manufactured in 2024 ship with firmware 2.0 installed. We are working on porting this update back to original units and will make it available to all users soon. In the meantime, firmware 1.3 is still the latest firmware available to download (see previous update).
New UnrealPlayer Touch Mode — Emulates the imperfections of lossy digital codecs and early streaming services. Provides controls for spectral degradation (T1) and spectral blur (T2).
4-Track Looper + Touch Modes — You can now use the 4-track looper and any of the Touch Modes simultaneously.
Magnetic Dance enhancements
New utilities — 3 handy utilities can be configured on the pedal and saved into a preset:
New presets — New factory presets showcase a wider variety of “lo-fi mediums.”
Expanded presets — There are now 32 preset slots available. Presets 1-8 can be accessed directly on the pedal, while the full range can be accessed via program change messages.
Reverb revamp — The reverb effect has been enhanced for a smoother sound at short decay times and better dry/wet mix. Same lush sound at long decay times.
Mix control revamp — Added all-pass compensation and equal power curve to the mix control for overall improvement.
Fine-tuned UI — Redesigned all user interface code for smoother and faster operation.
Page navigation — One tap of the push button will show your current page, and multiple taps advance the page. This uses an 8 second timer. The idea is to show the current page as a reminder if you haven’t touched the pedal in awhile, but to not interrupt flow if you are actively editing settings.
Clipping meter — Added a clipping meter for input level monitoring. The Bypass LED changes color if your input audio is too hot.
Persistent bypass state — The bypass state is now persistent between power cycles and state saving occurs more frequently.
Quieter bypassing — Crossfading has been improved for quieter bypassing when using the buffered bypass option.
Hands-free looping — You can toggle through the 4 tracks and clear loops hands-free using the footswitches.
Enhanced looper visual feedback — The Bypass LED flashes when switching between normal operation and looper mode, regardless of the pedal’s bypass state. 4-track looper color is more distinct when recording to avoid confusion between recording and playback colors.
Preset LED feedback — After loading a preset, the LEDs briefly glow to indicate the preset color and then return back to normal UI.
INIT preset protection — The INIT preset can no longer be erased, and the pedal provides a warning if you attempt to do so.
MIDI CC improvement — MIDI CCs have been reallocated to improve compatibility with all MIDI controllers. The MIDI clock ignore setting is also now persistent between power cycles.