RTMS VAPolyMod is a new analog modeling polyphonic Synthesizer for iOS and macOS with an adjustable modular brain.
And so it goes again, or how should one get into this new release? I’ve mentioned several times that Ryo Togawa’s apps look all very similar, different only minimally.
The new RTMS Synthesizer app, VAPolyMod, is not an exception. It looks like the others, and the feature set is also very similar.
RTMS VAPolyMod
VAPolyMod is a new modular-style 8-voice polyphonic Synthesizer for iOS and macOS. Modular, yes, but different from how modular synths are usually known.
At the RTMS, VAPolyMod is a pre-configured modular architecture. A highlight is the ability to reconfigure this. No virtual cables need to be pulled or re-patched for this.
In the global section, you can have four audio routing configurations. One press/touch and you have a new signal path routing. You can create stereo channels as well as layered channels.
VAPolyMod has two independent voice modules, each with a VCO, a VCF, and a VCA. The VCO has continuously variable waveshapes (triangle, sawtooth, and square) with PWM and exponential FM options. Noise generation is also available.
Then, the filter is a low-pass filter modeled on the cascaded OTA -24dB per octave low-pass filter circuit, with 12dB and 24dB low-pass and 12dB per octave high-pass. Filter frequency modulation is also available via an ADSR, LFO, or key follower.
More Synth Features
Alongside these, you have six global ADSR envelope generators with velocity and five multi-wave LFOs with delay. Built-in delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, EQ, and compressor offer different ways to refine your sound.
Like the previous RTMS apps, VAPolyMod also features a 3-channel analog-style step sequencer with a 16-bar pattern per clip, a piano roll editor, and parameter automation. A handy audio recorder is also available in the standalone app, capturing your audio in linear PCM format.
VAPolyMod supports Ableton Link, MIDI 2.0, foot pedal (CC#11, CC#64), and iCloud Drive. On the latter, you can save your project files.
First Impression
At first glance, VAPolyMod looks like a solid, good-sounding polysynth. However, upon closer inspection, its key feature is the pre-configured modulated architecture. The other elements are familiar from various other RTMS synth apps.
I hope Ryo Togawa will make completely different music apps sometime and not just endlessly recycle his designs. The latter would be a shame, as his apps are good.
RTMS VAPolyMod is now available on the Apple App Store for $5.99 instead of $ 14.99 (until July 12, 2026). It runs on iOS (iPhone/iPad) and macOS (native Apple Silicon) as a standalone app and an AUv3 plugin.
More information here: RTMS / Apple App Store
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