VAPolyMkII (macOS, iOS) is a further development of Ryo Togawa’s VAPoly Synthesizer app with more voices, modular patching, and more.
There has been a lot of hardware synth news in the last few days. Now let’s get back to software. An iOS Synth news, where things have become a bit quieter in the last few months. The Japanese developer Roya Togawa has a variety of apps in the AppStore, including some synthesizers with a vintage character.
With VAPolyMkII, he has now released a new version of its flagship synth VAPoly. Not as a free update but in a new app.
Details
VAPolyMkII is a new virtual analog bi-timbral poly Synthesizer for macOS and iOS. It’s the successor of the VAPoly app. Unlike the first version, it features a new 16-voice engine consisting of two 8-voice vintage-inspired synths. Otherwise, the engine is the same as VAPolyMkI in the majority of the features.
Each synth offers two oscillators with continuously variable wave shapes and deep modulation options. Then, they go into two different filter styles. One is modeled on the Sallen-Key filter circuit (MS-20), and the other is on the cascaded OTA filter circuit.
Besides this, each voice comes with two ADSR envelopes and an amp section. There are also effects, including delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, EQ, and a compressor.
Onboard is also again a sequencer. It has a piano roll editor for programming 16 bar patterns per clip. It also offers parameter automation with a dedicated editor.
An addition in VAPolyMkII is a new modulation system inspired by modular synthesizers. It uses patch points, allowing you to patch the modulators to different parameters.
Further, it comes with MIDI 2.0 support and a new user interface built on SwiftUI. It improves the performance and ensures compatibility for future OS, says Ryo Togawa. Ableton Link, MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI and audio file export are also again supported.
First Impression
I use the VAPoly (Mk1) Synthesizer and it sounds very good. It’s great that the app has been further developed. I just find the marketing of the app a bit strange. Besides the Mk1 version, you can find a VAPoly16 and now the Mk2 on the AppStore.
I wonder if the whole thing hadn’t been done in an app and implemented with updates. The app is available in three versions and this could be a bit confusing.
VAPolyMKII by Ryo Togawa is available now for an introductory price of $5,99 until February 29, 2024 (reg. $14,99). It runs on iOS devices and macOS (Apple Silicon only) as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin.
More information here: AppStore
boooo apple only…
although from the description sounds like nothing profound so it’s rather inconsequential
it’s an iOS app and with Apple Silicon, you can use iOS apps as AUv3 plugin on macOS. So simple is the story of the Apple only thing.
This app was my baddest purchase ever.never had such a bad experience in performance, sound, quality, features, etc.
Number one of the baddest iOS music apps!