VA-1 1.1.0 Is Here: AUv3, MIDI Learn, User Presets, and Smoother Performance

VA-1 1.1.0 is now available on the App Store. This is a major update for Gillespie Audio's virtual-analog synthesizer, focused on making VA-1 more useful in real music-making workflows while keeping the instrument fast, direct, and hands-on.

The update adds AUv3 instrument support, expanded MIDI Learn, a dedicated user preset area, independent oscillator noise controls, tighter sequencer timing, smoother chord playback, better audio recovery, and performance improvements across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

VA-1 Now Works as an AUv3 Instrument

The biggest addition in VA-1 1.1.0 is Audio Unit v3 support. VA-1 can now run inside compatible AUv3 host apps, so you can use it as part of a larger production setup instead of only as a standalone synth.

The AUv3 version includes the VA-1 synth engine, plugin editor, MIDI input, parameter automation, saved plugin state, and factory preset access. That means you can start from the same core sounds, automate parameters from a host, play VA-1 from host MIDI, and reopen projects with your plugin settings intact.

Expanded MIDI Learn

MIDI Learn has been improved with a cleaner tap-to-learn workflow and more consistent behavior across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AUv3 use. Hardware mappings are persistent, easier to manage, and designed to stay out of the way once you are playing.

External MIDI handling has also been improved for note input, control changes, program changes, pitch bend in the standalone app, all-notes-off handling, and panic/all-sound-off messages. Standard MIDI CC mappings are still included for common controls like mod wheel, master volume, filter cutoff, filter resonance, attack, decay, and release.

A Better User Preset Workflow

Your saved sounds now have their own dedicated area in the preset browser. User presets are easier to find, manage, favorite, rename, duplicate, delete, and return to alongside the factory sound library.

VA-1 also includes 500 factory presets across categories including bass, pads, leads, keys, plucks, arps, and effects. In version 1.1.0, those factory presets are available in the AUv3 version too, making it easier to move between standalone playing and host-based production.

Independent Oscillator Noise

Oscillator 1 and Oscillator 2 now each have their own noise control. This gives you more ways to add air, grit, texture, transient bite, and analog-style movement to a patch without treating noise as a single global layer.

For sound designers, this makes VA-1 more flexible when building plucks, pads, basses, keys, lo-fi textures, and hybrid sounds that need a little extra movement or edge.

Smoother Sound Engine Behavior

VA-1 1.1.0 includes a wide pass on sound-engine stability and output behavior. Gain staging, output dynamics, release-tail handling, effect-load management, and CPU behavior have all been improved for demanding patches.

This update also fixes an issue where sine-wave chords could produce clicking or crackling. Polyphonic sine playback is smoother now, especially with longer releases, stacked voices, dense chords, and sustained playing.

The chorus, phaser, delay, and reverb chain has also received stability and behavior improvements so heavier patches hold together more reliably.

Tighter Sequencer Timing and KEY Mode

The built-in sequencer has been refined for live use. Playback timing is tighter, loop wrap behavior is steadier, and the sequencer remains more consistent while opening preset and effects controls.

KEY mode has also been improved. Pattern transposition now lands on a 16th-note grid while keeping the loop running at its current position, so changing keys feels more immediate and less disruptive during performance.

Better Audio Recovery Across Devices

VA-1 now recovers more reliably when audio conditions change. That includes switching audio devices, changing Bluetooth routes, returning from interruptions, and recovering after system-level route changes.

For a music app, these details matter. The goal is simple: keep the synth stable and ready when you are playing, sketching, or performing.

Platform Polish for iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Version 1.1.0 includes layout refinements for iPhone and iPad, improved Mac performance workflows, and stronger consistency between the standalone app and the AUv3 instrument.

VA-1 remains a universal purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. There is no subscription, no in-app purchase, no ads, and no account requirement.

Download VA-1 1.1.0 on the App Store