The EMS VCS3 synthesizer was one of the most widely used synths in the ’70s in the UK, but never quite made it to the States. That said, it made its mark on songs by The Who (“Won’t Get Fooled Again”), Pink Floyd (“On The Run”), Roxy Music, King Crimson, The Alan Parsons Project, and many more, not to mention its use as the main sound effects generator for the early Dr. Who series.

The VCS3 was actually one of the first portable synths, and one of the first to have a built-in sequencer. It also featured a very distinctive patching matrix that did away with the patch cables that most synths of the time needed for routing.

The EMS VCS3 now is available as a software synth thanks to Trunk Records. You can get it from the iTunes Store for just $14.99. Read more about the VCS3 here.

If you’re looking for that vintage early English sound, this is one way to get it.