Eight blendable layers.
Stack up to eight layers over a background — each with its own blend mode and opacity. Reorder by drag, solo or mute any layer.
4
Polyphonic voices
VS.
A visual synthesizer that plays pixels instead of sound.
VS borrows the architecture of a synth — voices, layers, LFOs, modulation — and points it at the screen. Press a key and pixels answer, in sync with every sound you make.
[ OVERVIEW ]
The short version.
VS is a visual synthesizer — it borrows a synth's architecture (voices, layers, LFOs, envelopes, a modulation matrix) and points it at the screen. Feed it audio or MIDI and every parameter can answer in real time, running standalone, as a plugin inside your DAW, or on iPad.
Eight blendable layers, nearly 60 factory shaders and a built-in editor for writing your own. Whatever you route in — a track, a MIDI performance, a camera — turns straight into pixels, in sync, at up to 4K and 60 FPS.
CategoryReal-time visual synthesizer
PlatformsmacOS · Windows · iOS
FormatsVST3 · VST · AU · AUv3 · Standalone
Layers8 blendable · 4 voices each
Library~60 factory shaders · 63 presets
OutputUp to 4K / 60 FPS · NDI · Spout · Syphon
01 · Sources
Every layer, different pixels
Shaders, audio visualizers, an oscilloscope, your images and video, text, live camera feeds and feedback loops.
02 · Reactive
Audio & MIDI in, pixels out
Frequency bands, peaks, envelopes, notes and CC read straight off your performance and wire to almost any parameter.
03 · Modulation
Nothing holds still
Four LFOs, MIDI-fired envelopes and audio modulators meet in a single modulation matrix.
04 · Everywhere
Standalone, plugin or iPad
Run it on its own, drop it into Ableton, Logic or FL as a plugin, or take it to a gig on iPad. One instrument, every stage.
[ The instrument ]
Core engine.
One engine plays pixels. Write your own shaders, drive them with audio and MIDI, stack polyphonic visual voices, and wire everything through a full modulation system — all in real time, all in sync.
[ Shaders ]Play any shader,
Play any shader,
live.
Aurora Tunnel
Hue0
Zoom0
Glow40
Write shaders from scratch, or port existing ones from ISF, GLSL Sandbox, Shadertoy, or ChatGPT-generated code. A real-time preview shows every change instantly — so your development loop never leaves the app.
[ Reactive · Audio ]
Hear it, see it.
Feed VS a track and the material answers instantly — peaks, envelopes and frequency bands read straight off the waveform. Shape the incoming signal with the audio modulator, then hit Listen to bring real sound in.
VS · audio-reactive material
[ Reactive · MIDI ]
Watch it respond.
Notes, velocity, CC and clock — every MIDI message maps to a parameter, live. Draw notes in the clip; as the playhead crosses them it triggers an envelope that drives the material.
VS · MIDI-reactive material
[ Polyphony ]
Polyphonic visual voices.
A layer isn't one visual — it's up to four simultaneous voices. Draw notes in the clip; as the playhead crosses each one it fires the layer's material. When several notes sound together, VS stacks the same material into a chord of pixels — hold four and you see four instances at once.
VS · polyphonic visual voices
[ LFO ]
Set it in motion.
A low-frequency oscillator cycles on its own — sine, triangle, saw or square — and you patch it into any parameter. Here LFO 1 drives the material's scale; change its waveform, rate and offset and the motion follows.
VS · LFO → parameter
[ Modulation matrix ]
It all lands in one matrix.
This is where it all comes together. Envelopes, LFOs and audio modulators meet in a single modulation matrix — straight from the hardware-synth playbook. Pick a source, pick a parameter, dial the amount. If you've patched a synth, you already know how this works.
VS · modulation matrix
[ Every layer ]
Visual sources.
A layer can be almost anything. Audio visualizers and an oscilloscope, your own images and video, live text, feedback loops and a real-time camera feed.
[ Audio visualizers ]
See the spectrum.
Specialized shaders turn live waveform and frequency data into motion. Feed any layer audio, then dial in gain, buffer size and spectrum decay — from precise meters to pure abstraction.
Audio visualizers
[ Oscilloscope ]
The shape of sound.
A nod to classic analog gear — the oscilloscope traces your audio waveform in real time, geometric and alive. Perfect for glitch aesthetics, experimental sound and a scientific edge.
Oscilloscope
[ Images & video ]
Your media, your style.
Drop your own images and video into any layer, then blend and modulate them like anything else. Your logos, footage and textures become part of a reactive show.
Images & video
[ Text ]
Say it visually.
Put custom text on screen as a reactive element — messages, lyrics, branding. Modulate it like any material, from pulsing titles to glitching typography.
Text
[ Feedback loops ]
Feed it back into itself.
Route the rendered output back into a layer to create feedback loops — trails, echoes, fractals, recursive distortion and infinite zoom, all from a single connection.
Feedback loops
[ Live input ]
Live feeds, live layers.
Feed real-time video from Resolume, TouchDesigner, a webcam or an external camera straight into a layer — modulate and blend it like any source. Syphon and Spout in; NDI, Syphon and Spout out.
Live input
[ Also inside ]
A few more essentials.
Up to 4K, 60 FPS.
NDI, Spout (Windows) and Syphon (macOS) — up to 4K at 60 FPS into your VJ rig or stream.
Built-in recorder.
Capture your performance straight to a video file — up to 4K at 60 FPS, portrait or landscape, no screen-capture tools needed.
Map anything.
MIDI-learn any control — notes, velocity, CC and clock route to any parameter. Assign a controller once and play VS like hardware.
Set lists that run themselves.
Line up scenes into playlists and trigger them in order — or let them advance on their own. Your whole show, sequenced and one tap away.
[ Who it's for ]Four workflows,
Four workflows,
same instrument.
[ For performers ]
Your live set.
Your show gets a visual half — and it plays itself, in time with you. Trigger scenes, beat-sync layers, MIDI-map a controller, run full-screen on a second display.
[ For producers ]
Right in your DAW.
It's already in your session. Route a track to VS and watch the mix — visuals built from the same performance, in perfect sync.
[ For streamers & VJs ]
Your stream.
Plug into OBS, Resolume, or the projector — VS feeds them all over NDI, Spout and Syphon. Music-synced motion, no second operator.
[ For artists ]
Generative installs.
Set it running and it never plays the same frame twice. Long-form, audio-reactive pieces for galleries, lobbies and residencies — saved and recalled in a tap.
[ FEATURES ]
The features that stand out.
018 blendable layers over a background · per-layer blend mode + opacity · reorder, solo & mute liveLayers
024 polyphonic visual voices per layer · notes stack the material into a chord of pixelsVoices
03Nearly 60 factory shaders · 63 presets · 100+ media files · built-in shader editorShaders
04Eight source types · shaders, audio visualizers, oscilloscope, image, video, text, camera, feedbackSources
05Audio-reactive · peaks, envelopes & frequency bands off any input · per-layer audio modulatorsAudio
06MIDI-reactive · notes, velocity, CC & clock · MIDI-learn any controlMIDI
074 LFOs (sync + MIDI trigger) · 2 MIDI-fired envelopes per layer · 4 audio modulatorsMod
08Single modulation matrix · wire any source to any parameter, bipolar amountsMod
09Output up to 4K / 60 FPS · NDI · Spout (Windows) · Syphon (macOS) · built-in recorderOutput
10Scene playlists · trigger in order or auto-advance · full-screen on a second displayPerform
11VST3 · VST · AU · AUv3 · standalone · instrument & FX · macOS / Windows / iPadFormat
[ HIGHLIGHTED TUTORIALS ]From open to on-stage,
From open to on-stage,
in three lessons.
Lesson 01 · 8:14
VS in 8 minutes — sources, layers, output
Lesson 02 · 12:30
Building your first reactive shader
Lesson 03 · 6:48
Beat-mapping any layer with MIDI
[ EXPANSION PACKS ]
Ever-growing visual collection
Granular
VS 2.0.0+A collection of image-driven shaders inspired by granular synthesis, sampling the natural world through stock imagery. Graphic slice patterns, noise displacement, and raymarched 3D grain clouds move through waveform oscillators, pixel-sort breakdowns, and turbulent feedback textures.
Battles
VS 2.0.0+Battles renders life’s friction as a digital odyssey. These faceted solids don't just move—they retaliate. Watch geometry parry the weight of the mundane, mirroring our rhythmic standoff with reality. From social static to inner storms, it’s an abstract theater of pure, unyielding endurance.
Dimensional
VS 2.0.0+A collection of bold visual shaders inspired by brutalist architecture, warehouse raves, and underground clubs. Geometric structures, fractured 3D primitives, graphic vector overlays, and striking typography combine with dynamic light and shadow to create a raw, dimensional visual experience.
12 expansion packsSee all VS expansions →
[ PRESS ]
What the press says.
Sound on Sound
Why review a visual synth in an audio magazine? Well, many of us put our music online, and on platforms such as YouTube that support videos as well as sound, experience shows that you’ll get far more…
Imaginando VS is a visual synthesizer designed for music and…Read review →
Magnetic Magazine
On a mission to innovate rather than imitate, Imaginando has built a solid reputation for releasing products that excite musicians and producers, offering new ways to maximize creativity.
FORWARD-THINKING SYNTHS AND TOOLS FOR MUSIC PRODUCTIONRead review →
KVR Audio
VS provides a creative way to generate beautiful graphical representations of your music projects. Driven by both audio and MIDI data, VS is the visual equivalent of a traditional synthesizer.
VS - Visual SynthesizerRead review →
CDMVS from Imaginando could be the visual synth you’ve been waiting for, thanks to…
GearnewsVS is really easy to use and only takes a few moments of fiddling to get the…
[ TESTIMONIALS ]
Artists who play it.
“Takashi Mori · Drummer & sound engineer · Kyoto
VS is really great and is the perfect tool for my solo performance. I look forward to many more expansion releases.
“Andrián Pertout · Composer, PhD
I found VS by chance and love using it in live performances to create layered visuals from audio or MIDI inputs. It's highly customizable and delivers stunning effects, backed by a supportive team.
[ Integrations ]
Plays nicely with everything.
It's already in your DAW.01
Ableton Live
VST3 / VST / AU, instrument or FX. Route a MIDI or audio track and your visuals are built from the same performance.
02
Logic Pro
AU plugin, Apple Silicon native. Runs beside your session with audio and MIDI in.
03
FL Studio
VST3 plugin. Bridge MIDI from your patterns straight to VS layers.
04
Resolume · VDMX · MadMapper
Syphon, Spout and NDI feed clean video into any VJ or projection-mapping host.
05
OBS · TouchDesigner · Notch
Drop VS into a stream or a generative patch with no capture overhead.
[ Pricing ]
Own it your way.
[ Rent-to-own ]
Pay monthly
€9.90/mothen yours forever
- Flexible monthly payments
- Pause or cancel anytime
- Same licence as buying once
- Yours to keep after the final payment
[ Standalone ]
Pay one-time
€129one-time · macOS · Windows
- One-time payment, no subscription
- 14-day refund guarantee
- Nearly 60 factory shaders, 63 presets
- Up to 5 computers per licence
[ Bundle ]
Get the full bundle
€219one-time · desktop
- Best value — save vs buying separately
- Desktop licences only
- VS 2 + every expansion pack
[ EDUCATION ]
Students & teachers, 50% off.
Verify your student or educator status and get 50% off — across all Imaginando desktop software, with updates included.
[ MOBILE ]
Also on iPad.
VS 2 runs on iPad too, sold separately on the App Store. VS 1 now stays only as the upgrade path to VS 2 through the VS Bundle.
[ REQUIREMENTS ]
Will it run on your rig?
macOS
12 Monterey or later · 64-bit · Universal Binary · ~2.1 GB download.
Windows
Windows 10 / 11 · 64-bit · ~1.2 GB download · dedicated GPU recommended for 4K output.
iOS
iOS 17.0+ · ~907 MB download.
◇
Formats
VST3 · VST · AU · AUv3 · standalone · instrument & FX.
[ Before you try ]
Quick answers.
Six most-asked questions.
Do I need a powerful GPU?
+
Yes, VS is GPU-intensive. Plan on a dedicated GPU around an NVIDIA RTX 2060, or an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer), as a sensible minimum. Higher frame rates, 4K output and dense, many-layered scenes will want more headroom. It handles incoming audio up to 192 kHz.
Can I send video out to a projector or VJ rig?
+
Yes. Full-screen on any display, plus NDI, Spout (Windows) and Syphon (macOS) into Resolume, VDMX, MadMapper, OBS and more. The built-in recorder also captures up to 4K at 60 FPS — portrait or landscape — with no external software.
Is there an iPad version?
+
Yes. VS 2 runs on iPad, sold separately on the App Store. VS 1 now remains only so existing owners can upgrade to VS 2 through the VS Bundle.
Will my VS 1 projects open in VS 2?
+
Yes. Scenes, layer routings and modulator setups migrate automatically on first open. Some legacy effects map to upgraded equivalents and are flagged in the project log.
Does it work as a plugin in my DAW?
+
Yes. VS runs as VST3, VST and AU on desktop, and AUv3 on iOS, in both instrument and FX versions. Route MIDI or audio from any track in Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic and more.
What do I get out of the box, and what's the licence?
+
Nearly 60 factory shaders, 63 presets and 100+ media files; across all expansions the full VS library runs to 458 shaders and 702 presets. A desktop licence covers up to 5 computers, and the unlimited-time demo (watermarked until you licence it) lets you try before you buy.
[ HELP ]
Stuck? We got you.
User manual
VS full documentation
Every panel, every parameter, every routing option. Searchable, with shader-by-shader diagrams and signal-flow walkthroughs.
Read the manual →Video tutorialsWatch the walkthroughs
Step-by-step videos covering shaders, modulation, MIDI mapping and DAW integration — plus performance recipes from working VJs.
Open YouTube →SupportTalk to Imaginando
Stuck on a license, a mapping, a scene? Open chat — we usually answer the same day, in English or Portuguese.
Open chat →