Get your Virus TI running smoothly on your setup

    Hey everyone,


    I thought I might start a thread up where people can post their setup and how they got their virus running smoothly. It's probably best if you only post IF you have had trouble with it at some point and subsequently fixed it - you should be clear on your system spec, too, so that people can find your post and benefit from it...


    If people take interest in this I'm not sure what results we might get - maybe there is a one size fits all solution, maybe there will be many and varied... I'm pretty sure there will be a few variations e.g. people with super busy USB and those for whom the TI is the only USB device, or varying DAWs or whatever, and everything in between.

    I'll start with mine.


    OS: Windows 7 x64
    CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2
    Motherboard: ASUS nVidia chipset
    DAW: FL Studio
    ASIO driver in use: Creative ASIO
    USB Devices: Lots and varying


    Performance after solution: No noticable problems



    Solution:


    Not much going on, dedicated PCI-e USB card for virus and midi keyboards - predominently because I do not have enough USB bandwidth on my motherboard to cope with all USB devices - I don't know if I enjoy other benefits for the dedicated card beyond being able to have everything plugged in.


    I had problems with wandering delays and clicks/pops - This was fixed by disabling USB selective suspend in windows power options. Fixed everything and I no longer have timing problems.

    Problem: When in Sonar with the VC active, I would improv on the keyboard. If I clicked on another program (Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, etc), sound would stop coming from the TI, even when I played on the keyboard. If I kept playing on the keyboard (even with no sound) while switching back to Sonar, sound would return, but sometimes a note would hang.


    Solution: Options->Audio-Advanced-> UNcheck "Share Drivers With Other Programs"


    Now I can switch between Sonar and other programs while playing on the TI and the sound continues to play.


    Vista x64 +8GB RAM / Sonar 8.5.3.282 / TI2 Polar 4.1.1.05 / Virus USB ASIO driver

    So here comes mine:


    OS:
    Windows XP 32Bit


    CPU:
    Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (nothing overclocked)


    Motherboard:
    Gigabyte GA-X48-DS5


    DAW:
    Ableton Live 8.1.3 or Cubase 5


    Sound Card / Audio Interface:
    Integrated Sound Card by Korg Zero8 Mixer - sometimes I use a M-Audio Firewire 1814 Audio Interface or the integrated Virus TI sound card


    ASIO driver in use:
    Adverts to the Sound Card / Audio Interface I'm currently using (I've never tested ASIO4ALL so far)
    The sample buffer is 512. Lesser causes clicks, pops and dropouts. :(


    USB Devices:
    Lots and varying
    My motherboard has 8 USB ports.
    All port are taken by: Mouse / Keyboard / External HD / Printer / Midi Interface Emagic AMT8 / AKAI APC40 / Novation SL MK2 / Virus TI - no special USB e-PCI card for the Ti only in use!



    Problems I had:
    - Pops and clicks
    - Delay and Arpeggiator out of sync
    - Ti channels out of sync to other Audio channels in Ableton Live (lateny compensation is turned on)


    Solution:
    It's no joke, all I had to do was switching off The "Live Mode" in Virus Control before starting the sequencer.
    I always thought that the Live Mode will be deactivated automatically by starting the sequencer.
    Only the possibility to switch it on and off (while the sequencer is running) is deactivated, but Live Mode is still activated in the background.
    So: You have to switch off the Live Mode before you start the Seq!

    Bear in mind that 'Live mode' gives you a shorter, but variable delay - so arps and such will go in and out of time.


    With it switched off, you get a longer delay, but it is constant - so kinda vital for arps and such, and you just have to use delay compensation.

    Virus Help


    Thank GOD I found this thread. I've been struggling with my TI for over a year now. I contacted support and they instructed me to use Live Mode, but there are STILL major time delay issues both when I play and when I simply run my sequencer.



    Here are my specs:



    OS:
    Windows Vista 64 Bit


    CPU:
    Intel Core i7 (nothing overclocked) 920 @ 2.67 GHz


    Motherboard


    Manufacturer Clevo Co. Model D900F Intel X58


    DAW:


    FL Studio 9 (For the HATERS! :)


    Sound Card / Audio Interface:



    The integrated Virus TI sound card


    (Will it help if I were to purchase a dedicated sound card such as a Firebox? I currently used the Virus' Soundcard)


    Problem:


    Whenever I try to use the Virus TI with FL Studio, it never syncs with the Sequencer. I have tried using the Virus in both Live and non-Live modes and this still occurs. Even when I use the mixer to bounce down from the step sequencer, the stems are often out of sync. Also, I can't bounce down via the playlist editor because anything made with the Virus in the project is completely out of sync (even worse than from the step sequencer).


    Thanks for opening this thread! I appreciate any help you can provide! :thumbup:

    Thanks for the input, but the thread was ideally for solutions, not problems... but if you have been unable to get your problem solved you should definitely look to the wider community to try to solve it...

    I seldom post and show up here once in a blue moon, but I hope this helps someone...


    Virus TI Snow


    OSX 10.5.6 on a G5 Quad with 10 GB RAM on Cubase 4.5.2


    Soundcard = Steinberg MR816 CSX


    Overall TI Snow Performance = Stable (please read below).


    I found the Virus OS versions > 4 completely useless in my setup. I am sticking to 3.1.15 (or something like that) and will forever stay with it.


    Please bear in mind that there will always be a bit of lag when switching patches on the TI Snow. This is normal in my setup. Even my Nord Lead 3 sometimes needs nearly a second to update the patch. If you switch too quickly you might get the red message bar at the bottom of the plugin GUI containing the message "sync error" etc. etc. Just be patient with the TI and switch patterns smoothly. This, to me, is no big deal.


    As far as the arp sync issues, I have no use for an arpeggiator, so I have had no problems with at least one feature I never use. :thumbup:


    Also, look for the best USB port on your comp. I found that on my setup, having the Snow plugged into the front USB port works very well. When I used a PC in my studio, I also found that Texas Instruments firewire cards were the most reliable (this is a bit off topic since the TI is USB, but thought I'd add that in for anyone who ever wondered about firewire cards). Last I checked, those cards were hard to find.


    Live mode is a fair solution to latency issues. However, in my setup, as I stated in an old thread somewhere, the TI gives me minimal trouble (probably because I do not use the features that users usually have problems with, like the arp or sequencer... they just don't suit the type of music I write so I never use them). It has a sequencer, right??? :rolleyes:


    In 12-13 years of doing this stuff in a variety of settings, I also learned that updates are not always necessary. If your system works fine and a new featureless update is released, you would not be unwise to skip it (this applies to synth OS, DAW version, software version, etc.). However, if an update does not work well, simply revert and enjoy the item you purchased originally. Personally, I don't care about a new "whatsit" or some "blizblaz" that may be introduced in an update. The way I see it, electronic musicians in Germany (i.e. Kraftwerk) and elsewhere were making pretty great music and quality mixdowns with "obsolete" equipment 30 years ago that nowadays costs 4 times its original price on the gray/used market. I'm still on a G5 Quad... do you think I care about obsolescence? Just don't fix what isn't broken, make some music, and have some fun. Life is too short. ^^ I prefer improved stability over added features. But it is not always all that easy to develop, I'm sure.


    If the piece is too much of a pain, sell it. I recently bought a Future Retro Revolution and did not take to the interface - not that it is bad, it is just not my preferred method of working. I rarely work with sequencers, so I returned it and moved on. And selling is not a bad option when it comes to a troublesome piece. Someone else might have more experience, time, or patience to deal with troubleshooting. Test out something else, or at least research it well, and get another instrument. Better to lose a few hundred from depreciation in the used market than the entire price of a piece that just sits there because you hate the thing. Knowledge sometimes comes at a cost! 8o


    I remember that my Snow was a little moody regarding random shrieks it once produced with OS 4.x that suddenly stabbed my Dynaudio BM6s. They survived the attack and I'm back on OS 3. Big deal. :whistling: Since reverting the OS, it has crashed maybe once (and perhaps because of some unrelated reason... but with a little luck and a lot of research and despite my system being a bit dated, it works like a charm 99.9% of the time).


    Here's some final advice. Whenever possible, make a pre-sales call and ask what systems or DAWs the manufacturer tested their synths/interfaces/cards on. Call the company, say you have a pre-sales question, and allow them to work for the sale. For the prices most units fetch for, manufacturers need to provide more than marketing-speak to earn my hard-earned money. The marketing is a good intro to what a piece does. After that, you would be well advised to do your own research and read what others are saying either in magazine reviews or forums (though both should be taken somewhat lightly, since either can be in cahoots with a manufacturer or simply don't know what they are talking about). On an undeterminable basis, either one can even resemble astroturfing. I'm sure you have all read a post in one forum or another that sounded like some guy was pretending to be "Joe Average" but sounded like he was up to something. Who really knows, right? Either way, just do your due diligence.


    Two keys to purchasing a piece of equipment: make sure their customer service and tech support meet your standards (i.e. availability, means of communication, average or mean turnaround time on repairs or Q&A, etc.) and that the company who makes the piece is both reputable and viable. I have a Hartmann Neuron that, should it ever keel over, cannot be serviced because Hartmann folded years ago. When I bought it, the company had been around a few years. Then, it all came crashing down. Great synth, though, and former developers as well as hard core Neuron users maintain a forum for tech support to this day. The administrators are sharp, friendly, and know their stuff. The community is also very friendly.


    In any case, I have little patience with email tech support. Although, I do not know if he still works at Access or Celemony, but Jorg Huetner is one of the best techs I have ever encountered. By email, he helped me with some Melodyne and TI-related issues and proved he both knows his stuff and cares to do a good job. He's a good guy and an efficient worker.


    By the way, as an unrelated tip, never underestimate the value of treating your room with a few bass traps and other sound absorbing materials to remedy bad reflections. Don't completely deaden the room, just minimize standing waves as much as you can (there are great sites on this topic, for instance http://www.ethanwiner.com/basstrap.html. Lastly, a good pair of monitors (at least in my humble opinion) are more important than buying the latest synth. Think about it... when you audition a synth at your local store, bear in mind the quality of the speakers it is hooked up to. Bad speakers/monitors will make a Neuron, SEM, or even a miked-up Stratovarius sound like hell. Bad monitors can either hide things you want to hear or show things that aren't really in the mix.


    In my experience with Access, they have been helpful and provide a good product. But that's me. I have a small list of brands whose products I will never buy and stick to it. But from my time as a hobbyist musician, the best brands I have interacted with are Moog, Elektron, Audio Ease, Prosoniq, Oberheim, and Mark of the Unicorn. I have had little reason to ever contact Access, but in my few encounters with them, they've been pretty good. Moog, however, is by far the best at taking care of its customers, at least as far as I am concerned. I have to give them props.


    Alright fellas, I hope that helps someone. Until the next blue moon. 8)


    Cheers,


    The Wood.

    Wood,


    Maybe you can help me please. I cannot get this Snow to work in multimode allowing more than 1 part to controlled with one midi channel. I am used to legacy MIDI, mapping a part in a synth to MIDI channel, simple and it works. This Snow is with me for three weeks now and I still have not been able to fully integrate it into my Logic Pro 9.0 environment. I am running 9.1.3 on a Mac Mini Intel Core Duo with 4GB of memory. My audio interface is a Protools Mbox Mini. I am close to the point of returning the unit if I cannot get it integrated this weekend. I'll sacrifice the sound and get another box that maps easier in Logic with Midi to Part mapping and move on with life. Any help is greatly appreciated.


    Thanks,
    Mark

    Mark,


    Do you want to use the plugin or the MIDI connection? In my experience, if you want to treat the snow like a standard MIDI module, disconnect USB and connect your MIDI interface to the snow's MIDI in. You will be unable to run the plugin without USB though.


    Each part as far as I know is assigned a channel 1-4. Use multimode and switch between patches as shown in the instructions.


    Lastly although I own logic as well, I still only use cubase. Call or email tech support if my advise doesn't help. Btw, if you use virus control, just setup 4 MIDI tracks with channels 1-4. Enable those tracks in logic as its manual indicates and strike some notes.


    I hope that helps. 8) Anyone else want to chime in?


    The Wood.

    It irritates people when you tell them what the problem fix could be, but you decide not to tell the way or how to get there.

    Hallo,
    I had several problems within the last four years with my TI2. I think this is also due to the fact that it was one of the first TI2-machines on the market. But one after the other. My equipment is:
    WinXP SP3, Intel Core2Duo 2GB
    Steinberg Media Interface MI4
    Three usb-Keyboards/Midi-interfaces for keyboards
    Cubase (currently Studio 5)
    1.
    Problem: TI-System crashes, sudden screaming sounds etc.
    Solution: OS-updates (everybody does this, I think)
    2.
    Problem: Audio-crackling, long response-time, Cubase-crashes
    Solution: Do not use motherboard-integrated usb-interfaces! I installed two separate usb-cards for the Steinberg-interface and the TI
    3.
    Problem: sudden parameter changes in Cubase-tracks, especially on track volume, "magic" midi controller data changing parameters
    Solution: WAIT while booting systems!
    This is no joke! I now boot windows, wait until no harddisk-activity is shown, THEN boot the TI and still wait until not harddisk-activity from windows is shown. If I do not keep to this procedure, the above mentioned problems come back...
    4.
    Problem: Sudden parameter changes while playing live in multimode without computer connection + midi notes hanging from time to time
    Solution: no idea up to now, does anybody have an idea?
    Best regards
    Frank

    Dell Vostro Laptop
    Dual core 2 processors
    Tascam US1641 Rack Audio card
    Ableton Live 8.2.8
    Korg M50
    Roland Sh-201 + few other midi synths
    Novation Launchpad
    Ti1 with Belkin express card
    WinXP32
    --------------------------------------


    problems...


    audio crashes
    timing issues using synced delays and Arpeggios


    ---------------------------------------


    Initially i found that the wifi card was sending an interupt regularly..... solution.... disabled that in hardware..in fact i disable everything not for audio.


    usb controller...used pc examining software to plot out what controllers were operating the usb ports... using sisandra software.. and placed the audio card on its own controller
    i use asio4all as this is more stable than the native tascam driver. the virus seems to battles with your audio card profusely.


    i set the audio buffer to 128 or 256, but virus must match this in the virus's driver settings. note the virus will still use these settings, i believe, even if its not the main audio output. i never use the vc in the
    priority setting. thats asking for a guaranteed crash.


    this is the cute stuff..


    synced pre-delays should be avoided if possible. especially the reverb's pre-delay... it can be set to clock timing in vc but this seems to be the source of most hesitating timing problems these days in the latest os's. i have removed it from many patches, even pads, and now the virus is very much happier. the pre-delay should be switched off if not needed. it produces a cleaner mix anyway for my liking. when attempting those lovely rolling pouncing beats ala... van dyk
    in fact i think letting the virus do its timing and setting it the old fashioned way by ear leaves the virus making sound and not being confused.


    well known stuff..
    dont start your track with an Arpeggio. if you have to then bounce it down or run an empty scene in ableton for a few bars.


    make sure you dont have any software that might run in the background. ie. that tries to contact the internet for updates. the vc does this. why????????
    theres loads of these awful software packages that treat us like numbo's. :D


    also..... keep your sample/recording hard drive regularly defragged. the cpu seems to have enough work to do without having to go running around looking for samples.


    stop every known windows service that takes up cpu and does not do audio. make this your goal in life to find out what that lot does.
    go to site... blackviper for info.

    pugface,


    virus control runs just fine with a standard installation. you don't need to perform all those "tricks". if you PC is setup correctly, it will work.
    if you PC crashes, please contact support, there is no specific setting which is prone to crashes, we would remove or fix it otherwise. as for the timing dependent tricks posted, if sync'ed delays/predelays etc. do not work, sync is not working. it has nothing to do with Virus Control because the timing information which the sync is based on is being transmitted anyway. the problem your setup suffers from is that for whatever reason, this timing information doesn't end up in the virus correctly.
    i appreciate your effort to help people but what you post above is no solution, even though it might work for you.
    best, marc

    Hi All


    i appreciate i probably dont have the most up to date pc around for the ti. but most of the time its ok. i do tend to overload my usb ports a bit. i think buying the tascam was a mistake
    but it was incredible value at the time and it ment all my synths could be wired in straight away. i think the tascam is my problem not the virus for crashing. its just the tascam is so nervous,
    the ti if it gets pushed, causes the tascam to bring the pc down. i am waiting for thunderbolt audio interfaces to come of age before i upgrade my set up.


    it does seem really happy with some patches but older ones i produced on older os's seem to be much more vulnerable to syncing problems.


    the pre-delay in reverb is i find, the main culprit when the virus does not sync up neatly when its asked to start an Arpeggio and some pads. so i switch it off. it muddies up sounds anyway.
    marc, it does do this because when i have switched off the pre-delay in arppeggio patches. scene changes in ableton triggering different parts are much more reliable.
    its when its set to clock times. yes its true the timing data has to get to the vc. i know that. you know what the virus ti should do... work on a statistical basis for its timing not absolute on every transmission.
    ie. if the timing has been repeated for over and over again then corrupted timing transmissions that are far away from the original data that it has been transmitted should be ignored by its os.


    im quite happy with it to be honest. most of the time its ok.