# VKO1 — Pro visuals, zero learning

> Visual performance app for musicians and DJs to create real-time reactive visuals. (iPhone/iPad app by Juan Maguid.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vko1/id6758398868 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Juan Maguid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680114440)
- Category: Photo & Video, Music
- Price: $11.99 with in-app purchases (on sale, was $14.99)
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 43 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-03-11
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vko1/id6758398868/reviews.md

## What is VKO1?

WHAT IS VKO1 (VisualKO)

VKO1 is a visual performance app for iPad, iPhone, and Apple Silicon Mac — built for musicians and DJs who want stunning visuals without a dedicated VJ. Load your clips, set your BPM, and let it run.

Made for performers
You're playing. VKO1 stays locked to your music and keeps visuals moving — no babysitting required.

Automix does the work
MIX mode pulls from all 8 banks, auto-switches on the beat, and rotates effects automatically. A full visual set, hands-free.

Build your own visuals
The Node Editor lets you wire together generators, modifiers, and combiners into custom reactive visuals — no coding needed. Import your own Metal shaders or start from scratch.

Browse the Store
Download free and premium GPU visualizers — real-time Metal shaders that run directly on your device. No video files. No lag. Drop them straight into your set and go.

Control from anywhere
iPhone in your pocket, iPad on a stand, MIDI controller on your table, Bluetooth gamepad in your hand. AirPlay to the big screen — no cables.

51 real-time effects
All BPM-synced, all GPU-accelerated via Metal. One knob controls everything playing.

Stays in sync
Tap tempo, MIDI clock, Ableton Link — four ways to lock visuals to your music.

## Key features

- Automated beat-synced visual mixing
- Node editor for custom visual creation
- Import custom Metal shaders
- Real-time GPU-accelerated effects
- Multiple control options (iPhone, iPad, MIDI, gamepad)
- Music sync via tap tempo, MIDI clock, Ableton Link
- Downloadable visualizers from the store

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $11.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Phosphor Cult Shader Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Computer Veld Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Alchemist Sketchbook Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daft Cyber Pack | $1.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (1 of 1)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vko1/id6758398868/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Too bad:(

*2026-04-01*

Sorry, but what's the point of this app? The recording function is unusable, as it only results in a screen recording that then outputs a black screen. So it's useless. Synchronizing to music is also impossible, since the app can't connect to either AUM or CUBasis. It would be much better if you could import an audio track that then synchronizes the images—essentially, movement to the beat with the ability to interact with the effects live.

## Frequently asked questions about VKO1

### What devices does VKO1 support?

VKO1 is available for iPad, iPhone, and Apple Silicon Macs. It leverages Metal for GPU acceleration on these Apple platforms.

### How does VKO1 sync with music?

VKO1 offers four synchronization methods: tap tempo, MIDI clock, Ableton Link, and it can also lock to your music's BPM automatically. This ensures your visuals stay perfectly in sync with your performance.

### Can I create my own unique visuals with VKO1?

Yes, VKO1 features a Node Editor that allows you to build custom reactive visuals by wiring together generators, modifiers, and combiners without needing to code. You can also import your own Metal shaders.

### What is the price of VKO1?

VKO1 is a paid application priced at $11.99. This one-time purchase grants you access to all its features for visual performance.

### Does VKO1 have ads?

No, VKO1 does not contain advertisements. As a paid application, it provides an uninterrupted visual performance experience.

### How often is VKO1 updated?

The latest version of VKO1 is 1.27, last updated on June 22, 2026. This indicates a relatively active development cycle for the application.

### What is the age rating for VKO1?

VKO1 has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in visual performance tools.

### Can I control VKO1 remotely?

Absolutely. You can control VKO1 from your iPhone or iPad, a MIDI controller, or even a Bluetooth gamepad. It also supports AirPlay for outputting visuals to a larger screen wirelessly.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.30 — 2026-08-10

- Stack multiple effects on a single pad — layer Feedback, Mirror, Kaleidoscope, and more together, each with its own intensity and on/off toggle. Add, reorder, and remove effects right from the pad menu.
- Stack Effects is now also available in the drag-down Quick Menu for even faster access.
- New keyboard shortcut: ⌘F opens Stack Effects for the pad you're working on.
- Node Editor: new nodes now auto-connect into your chain as you add them — no more manually dragging wires for every step.
- Node Editor: deleting a node in the middle of a chain now automatically reconnects around it, so you can quickly try a modifier and remove it without breaking your patch.
- Node Editor: delete the selected node with the Delete/Backspace key.
- Performance and stability improvements.

### 1.29 — 2026-07-06

MCP Control — AI Co-Pilot (Mac only)
VKO1 is now an instrument an AI can play — connect Claude Code, or any MCP-compatible agent, and it writes custom Metal shaders, builds node graphs, previews its own renders, and pushes visuals straight onto your pads, live
Real compile feedback — your agent compiles inside VKO1, reads actual Metal compiler errors, and fixes its own code until the shader works
Zero installation — VKO1 speaks the open MCP standard directly. One toggle (the new stars icon in the top bar), one Terminal command, done
Performance tools — your agent can trigger pads with HOLD layering, set BPM, switch AutoMix modes, drive both Master Effect knobs, and read live audio energy + beat strength to react to the music
Private by design — localhost only, off by default; nothing on your network or the internet can ever reach it
Full guide — see the new MCP Control section in the manual

Bug Fixes
Node editor wires detaching on external monitors — on large displays (viewport wider than ~2000pt) every wire drifted away from its pins after a resolution change. The wire layer now always covers the visible canvas
Wires clipped for imported graphs — graphs authored outside the app (Web Editor, MCP) could carry negative node positions, leaving wires cut off mid-air at the canvas origin. Imported graphs are now normalized into visible canvas space

### 1.28 — 2026-06-29

Video Export improvements

- Export now works reliably across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Recording HUD no longer appears in the exported video
- Smoother frame capture synced to display refresh
- New resolution picker — choose 360p / 540p / 720p / 1080p to balance quality vs. speed
- Mac cursor hidden during capture

### 1.27 — 2026-06-22

Music Player in the Node Editor:
Load a track or folder and your graph reacts live to bass, beats, and energy. Full transport, scrubbing, and auto-advancing playlists right under the preview.

New Palette node:
Cycle the color palettes on the beat, randomly, on an LFO, or pick a fixed one, and drive any generator's new Palette pin.

Node editor polish:
Preview and player resize together, new BPM settings, cleaner top bar.
  
Fixes:
.vkograph files from the Web Editor now open correctly; audio engine recovers from route changes.
Test the new web editor: https://temperamento.net/vko1/vko1-graph-editor-web/

### 1.26 — 2026-06-10

-- Daft Cyber Pack (new)

New paid shader pack in the Shader Store — 14 hand-crafted Metal shaders. Spinning vinyl, after-hours disco, neon ziggurats, Tokyo neon rain and synthwave villas. French-touch synthwave visuals, audio-reactive and BPM-synced for late-night sets.

Tap the pack in the Shader Store, then Installed ▾ → Add to Bank to drop the whole pack onto free pads at once — it fills empty slots and spills across banks, never overwriting your existing visuals.

The Shader Store now flags new packs: a badge on the store icon and a NEW tag on the tab, both clearing once you own the pack. New packs sort to the front.

-- App Theming from Your Images (new)

New App Theme section in the Session Manager. Pick any image and VKO1 extracts a color palette from it, then retints the entire interface to match.
Colors only — your image isn't stored or shown as a background; only the extracted colors are kept.
Smart contrast, light and dark mode — colors are re-derived so the UI stays legible in both appearances (dark surfaces stay dark, text stays high-contrast) for any palette you throw at it.
Palette library — every extracted palette is saved as swatches. Tap to apply, long-press to delete, and "Use Default" to return to the classic EP-133 look.
Syncs across your devices — your saved palettes follow you via iCloud, so a theme made on iPad shows up on your Mac.

-- Clear Colored Pads (new)

New "Clear Colored Pads" button in Session Manager under Keep Pad Colors. Shows the current count of tinted pads, asks for confirmation, and wipes all pad colors at once. Syncs immediately via iCloud.

-- VKO1 Player (AUv3)

10× more audio-reactive by default: soft-saturating spectrum response, higher RMS energy gain, more sensitive beat detection threshold, and slower beat decay so visuals hold each hit longer.
Tighter plugin window: smaller default size, better compact layout, square/centered video.

## More apps by Juan Maguid

- [Beatsogram!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beatsogram/id6463777066)
- [ColorPlanets!](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colorplanets/id6467719987)
- [DetonatorEP1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detonatorep1/id6502606562)
- [LowfiDojoVinylSimulator](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowfidojovinylsimulator/id6723889364)
- [Lowfi Dojo DJ Looper AUv3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowfi-dojo-dj-looper-auv3/id6739283339)
- [Lowfi Dojo Automaton AUv3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lowfi-dojo-automaton-auv3/id6741509788)

All apps by Juan Maguid: https://appshunter.io/developer/1680114440

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*