iVCS3
| Category | Price | Seller | Device |
|---|---|---|---|
| Music | $14.99 | Alessandro Petrolati | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
Official EMS VCS3 emulator
The VCS3 was created in 1969 by Peter Zinovieff's EMS company. The electronics were largely designed by David Cockerell and the machine's distinctive visual appearance was the work of electronic composer Tristram Cary. The VCS3 was more or less the first portable commercially available synthesizer—portable in the sense that the VCS 3 was housed entirely in a small, wooden case.
The VCS3 was quite popular among progressive rock bands and was used on recordings by The Alan Parsons Project, Jean Michel Jarre, Hawkwind, Brian Eno (with Roxy Music), King Crimson, The Who, Gong, and Pink Floyd, among many others. Well-known examples of its use are on The Who track "Won't Get Fooled Again" (as an external sound processor, in this case with Pete Townshend running the signal of a Lowrey Organ through the VCS3's filter and low frequency oscillators) on Who's Next. Pink Floyd's "On the Run" (from The Dark Side of the Moon) made use of its oscillators, filter and noise generator, as well as the sequencer. Their song Welcome to the Machine also used the VCS3. The bassy throb at the beginning of the recording formed the foundation of the song, with the other parts being recorded in response. The VCS3 was also a staple at the BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop, and was a regular (and most frightening) sound generator for the Dr Who TV series. Many fo the monsters and atmoshere;s created for the show came directly from the VCS3.
Description
The VCS3 has three oscillators (in reality, the first 2 oscillators are normal oscillators and the 3rd an LFO or Low Frequency Oscillator), a noise generator, two input amplifiers, a ring modulator, a 18dB/octave (pre-1974) or 24dB/octave (after 1974) voltage controlled low pass filter (VCF), a trapezoid envelope generator, joy-stick controller, voltage controlled spring reverb unit and 2 stereo output amplifiers. Unlike most modular synthesizer systems which use cables to link components together, the VCS3 uses a distinctive patch board matrix into which pins are inserted in order to connect its components together.
Keyboards controller
DK1 keyboard controller
Although the VCS3 is often used for generating sound effects due to lack of built-in keyboard, there were external keyboard controllers for melodic play. The DK1 in 1969 was an early velocity sensitive monophonic keyboard for VCS3 with an extra VCO and VCA. Later it was extended for duophonic play, as DK2, in 1972. Also in 1972, Synthi AKS was released, and its digital sequencer with a touch-sensitive flat keyboard, KS sequencer, and its mechanical keyboard version, DKS, were also released.
(See: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCS3)
Reviews
Great synth, but the matrix...
GadgetMojo
I like this synth but I don’t like the matrix, so I hardly ever use it. You can zoom in on the matrix but still it’s difficult to see where you need to put the pins. I always trace them by hovering with my finger. Basically the farther the hole from the labels, the harder it is to see which two items it connects. Don’t get me wrong, the holes are big enough for the finger, so when you tap on the one you intend to put the pin into, there’s no problem there, it’s precise. But to visually find where you need to put the pin is a challenge and always takes too long. Looking up and left a few times, and ultimately ending up having to hoover my finger over the holes to visualize the signal flow. It’s a bad design, humans need visual queues. Take Factory (by Sugarbytes) for example, it's got about the same overall size of its matrix but it’s so clear to use. I look, and then tap to place the circle, without having to figure out which hole connects what. Glancing at the matrix, to figure out what’s going on in the patch... is not something I’m able to do in iCVS3, and that’s pretty much kills all the joy of using this synth for me. I get that it’s looks were modeled after hardware but that doesn’t change my experience using this app on (10.5”) iPad. Using this matrix is frustrating because there’s too much visual information to process/interpret for my mind, and there are no visual queues to help. Perhaps if a different “skin” for the matrix was available as an option, it would make things clearer. If you look at the screenshot of the matrix, try to visualize the connections. If you find it effortless or not a big deal, then I’m sure you’ll love this app as the rest of it is actually very well made.
Phenomenal. The best app in any App Store!
Soundister
After using this for well over a year. I’m still amazed at how much more there is to learn. There seem to be no limits. I can only hope this will come to Mac soon, as Mood already has.
Faithful and Better
BozoToo
I used a VCS-3 for a few years and owned an AKS (more portable version of the VCS-3) for over 30 years. I used the AKS professionally for about 18 of those years. So I have a pretty good handle on what this app should be. I am happy to say, iVCS-3 is stunning in it's faithfulness to the original. The sound quality is 99% identical to the original. (You can even set the spring reverb to "glow" when you rattle your iPad!!) And the ranges and response of the various functions are almost exactly identical to the original. The biggest difference is that while my beloved AKS gradually decayed, iVCS-3 will not be subject to the laws of thermodynamics. It will work just as well 30 years from now as it does today. The added functionality of the dual sampler, additional effects and the editable note values of the sequencer extend well beyond the hardware version. The VCS-3 was both deep and simple at the same time. This software version does not disappoint. My only criticism is that the "back pannel" where the samplers, effects and sequencer reside is somewhat confusing. But it's not impossible to master. VERY well done indeed.
Best of the best
Goldenage2012
This modular synth is amazing. I have all ipad synths and nave from Waldorf was my fav one before i got this :) Like someone said, its worth buying an ipad for this. While i cant get a buchla this will bring me some comfort . Thank you so much for bringing this to the ipad.
The love is evident...
MikeylikesU
in this charming recreation. I would also love for audio to work via Bluetooth, but we will probably have to wait until a new version.
Hands down best analog synth app ever!
Moogulus Odysseus
Although I am a hardware guy (about 40 synths or so), I do enjoy fiddling around on an iPad when I can. The animoog has been one of my favorites, and the M3000 Mellotron app I now use in live situations. iSEM, Nave, Korg…all decent and fun. But this VCS3 app is head and shoulders above anything out there. Its interface is exceptionally well thought out, but it is the sound that brings it home. I have only been around a couple of real Putneys in the past, and their distinctive 60’s sci-fi soundtrack vibe is easily distinguishable. While some latency can exist on 2nd gen iPads, this thing works like a charm. My initial reaction was that it had roughly 80% of a real VCS3 under the hood. Given the almost $10,000 price tag a solid vintage Putney can fetch today, the $14.99 price tag is a literal no brainer. It is amusing to see people debate in some forums as to whether they should throw fifteen dollars at this unheard. Let me put it this way-this app is worthy of its own dedicated iPad to make it a stand alone VA synth. So, is it worth fifteen bucks? Its worth far more than that. Purchase immediately, all analog heads!
Crashes in iOS 8 please fix
moxlust
Yep. Crashes in iOS when going to the settings page. iPad Air. Also audiobus cannot be initiated - gives me an popup error . I have high hopes for this app! Please fix and I will raise my low rating!
Moves with the flow of your intuition
Aka monkey dope
This gigantic volcano of noise is ALSO the example for ALL OTHER app makers. Why? Because they care about their users enough to make sure that as the touch device it lives on evolves ..so does their baby ..the beautiful VCS3! I love these guys! Please! Give more step by steps on how the sampler and such on the backside work on some thing like utube for us non manual kind of "I want to see how it's done first "people.many thanks christo
Fun
doodooface70
I have spent quite some time with this app and it continues to amaze me. Worth the price!
