ApeSoft iVCS3 synth now available for iPad

It might not be as widely revered as the Minimoog, but for hardcore synth fans, the EMS VCS3 is just as important. And now, thanks to the release of apeSoft's iVCS3, you can play an emulation of the instrument on your iPad.

Released in 1969, the VCS3 was a three-oscillator synth, with the third oscillator intended as an LFO. These oscillators are recreated in iVCS3, as are the noise generator, two input amplifiers, a ring modulator, a voltage-controlled low-pass filter, a trapezoid envelope generator, a joystick controller, a voltage-controlled spring reverb unit and two stereo output amplifiers.

You can also get your fingers on a recreation of the VCS3's distinctive patchboard matrix, and, unlike on the original, there's a built-in keyboard. The specs don't say anything about Audiobus or Inter App Audio support, but we'll look into it.

iVCS3 is available now on the Apple App Store priced at £10.49/$14.99. Check out the video above to see and hear it in action.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.