XILS-lab resurrected the VCS3 sound with its XILS 3 software emulation for Mac and PC. That patch method allowed the VCS3 to be housed in a small wooden cabinet. Its innovative modular matrix-based patch board bypassed the “telephone exchange” cabling of other existing (and much larger) modular systems, in favor of connections made with colored pins.

The VCS4, a ‘dual VCS3’ analogue matrix modular synthesizer, was prototyped by Electronic Music Studios (EMS) back in 1969, but was never commercially released.Īt its introduction in 1969, the VCS3 was the first portable synthesizer commercially available anywhere in the world. Here’s what XILS-Lab has to say about XILS 4 and the VCS4:

More than 1100 possible connections per patch.

More than 100 parameters mappable to midi controllers.

Comprehensive manual with a getting started and tutorial sections.

Preset Database Engine ( Find the right patch in a flash, create your own tags ).Nearly 700 presets made by worldwide famous Sound Designers.6 Play modes (including Unison 2/4/6 ), Polyphonic and mono Portamento/Glissando/Legato, 2 different Keyboard Scaling, Polyphonic Aftertouch and VCA handling.Pitch Tracker, Enveloppe Follower, Transient, Gate, Sample & Hold Modules.Sequencer can behave as modulation source.Polyphonic Sequencer with 3 independent lines, Slew rates, 3 recording modes.2 Programmable Joystick Vector Controllers ( up to 32+32 modulation targets ).4 independent outputs feeding the Stereo Bus, each with one analog Lp/Hp filter.Cascade Mode : Synthesizer 1 can feed Synth 2 engine inputs.Polyphonic Ring Modulator and VCA engine.5 Polyphonic LFOs ( including 4 Oscillator acting as LFO at audio rate ).4 Trapezoidal, looping, Envelope Generators.

2 Analog Multimode Filters, Non Linear and zero delay Behaviors, with 3 Modes (12/18/24 dB).12 Aliasing free Oscillators, grouped in 6 pairs, with WaveShaping, 3*2 Hard synchronization modes, + 2 additional Noise oscillators.

With XILS 4, they are coupled them the classic 256 analog polysequencer. The XILS 4 emulates a prototype that was never released, the EMS VCS4, based on two integrated, interlinked and interacting VCS 3 ( Synthi) cores. French soft synth developer XILS-lab today released XILS 4, a software emulation of the legendary EMS VCS4.

Ems vcs3 emulator for mac book pro