iVCS3

From the start I was excited to have access to such an incredibly rare synthesizer experience as the hardware version of this model is next to impossible to find even in a synth Mueseum! But the roster of artist who have used this is as long and thick as an old phone book! The icing on the cake is apesoft and especially James Edward Cosby continuing to support and build upon this synth with updates and presets that customize and help any sound designer and synth musicians from newbie analog programmers to the geniuses that understand the deep complexity of the real wires and patches of CV and modulation “electronic goodies” that make this such a special secret weapon to any kit! Roger Waters was the artist famous for saying “there are lots of electronic goodies made available for us to be bothered with....and we will be bothered!” From the documentary “Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii” when Roger was positively inspired creatively when he says ‘bothered’ in a most noble way ....with parts of the film showcasing Roger programming and playing this very synth in what would become “The Darkside of the Moon” album of all time! When I saw this strange synth I never realized how rare it was but since technology has made it possible with programming and development by apesoft and James Edward Cosby (Jim Cosby)! This is after many years of surprise and intrigue oh and much joy in sound design playing this instrument that I finally wrote a good review in honor of yet another addition in “captivity” to blow my mind yet again! So this review is well past due and much deserved! Bravo! Bravo! And Bravo, indeed!

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.

IVCS3 really provides the sound and experience of playing a real vintage hardware synth. One of the best software emulations of an old analogue synth I have found on any platform. Sound quality is just fantastic and the possibilities of sound manipulation feel almost limitless. It is even unpredictable like old analogue hardware. Would love to see a polyphonic version but understand the adherence to the monophonic gem it emulates. Basses, leads and atmospheres are flat out stellar.