I'm just curious to know if Virus Ti soundbanks are backward compatible with the older models Virus C,A,B......
Virus Ti sounds compatibility with older Virus synths
-
The simple answer is: yes.
The complicated answer is that the TI runs the same algorithms and data for equivalent elements of the A, B and C -- meaning oscillators, filters etc. The only differences can come from hardware, as different CPUs and DSPs tend to have slight differences in their floating point calculations. The compiler that translates the coded algorithms into machine code usually knows how to overcome this, and it could be that the Virus is not that floating point intensive. -
OK, let's separate this into two questions. The VC/VSTi saves the patches in files of .mid format which is in fact a MIDI stream containing the sysEx data that represents the patch (or patches). If you have a friend with an older model you can send them the .mid file, and all they have to do is to set their Virus into whatever sysEx receive mode they are used to working with, and play that .mid file to the Virus (preferably in tempo < 100 BPM).
The problem is that newer models have additional features that are not supported by the older ones, so when you design a sound that is intended for an older model you need to first check what is the difference in capabilities and design your sound accordingly (e.g. there is no use in setting the oscillator to wavetable in a patch for a Virus A).
-
. Ok but i use only the Virus Ti VST editor to save soundbanks . So if i create and save a sound bank using the Virus Ti VST editor , that MIDI file will be compatible with previous Virus models ?. I don't use SYSX commands ..etc to save soundbanks . Just the TI editor.
you can use patches created on older models with newer ones (e.g. a Virus B patch work in a Virus TI). but it doesn't work well the other way around, especially with Virus TI sounds due to a format change.
best, marc -
you can use patches created on older models with newer ones (e.g. a Virus B patch work in a Virus TI). but it doesn't work well the other way around, especially with Virus TI sounds due to a format change.
best, marcso this means is not 100% acurate because Virus TI have new futures , but the patches will load in the older models with less accuracy ? but workable ? ..Ok thks
-
you can use patches created on older models with newer ones (e.g. a Virus B patch work in a Virus TI). but it doesn't work well the other way around, especially with Virus TI sounds due to a format change.
best, marcI would like to join Andy-Robert79's question: I noticed that with the Virus C, soundsets of a whole bank (128 patches) are ~34KB and with the Virus TI, whole bank soundsets are ~66KB. This is due to the format change, isn't it?. IIRC, The Virus C saved its sysEx in two pages (high and low). How is it done with the TI? Where in the manual is it explained? Does it have a new product ID in the sysEx dump compared to the C?
-
I would like to join Andy-Robert79's question: I noticed that with the Virus C, soundsets of a whole bank (128 patches) are ~34KB and with the Virus TI, whole bank soundsets are ~66KB. This is due to the format change, isn't it?. IIRC, The Virus C saved its sysEx in two pages (high and low). How is it done with the TI? Where in the manual is it explained? Does it have a new product ID in the sysEx dump compared to the C?
a TI patch consists of an additional sysex string which holds all the additional parameters. it is 4x128 bytes now, as far as i can remember. the ID is the same. the reason why you *might* get lucky with backwards compatibility is: we had to juggle a couple of things around and parameters which were originally present in the first two banks are now in the third or forth one which is simply ignored by pre-TI viruses. also, some tables, for instance the mod matrix destinations received some house keeping which renders them incompatible in order viruses, but only, if you use the values which were changed. rule of thumb for the day: try it, if it sounds the same start smiling
marc
-
What's the smoothest way to load patches made on earlier Virus versions into the TI? Is there an editor that work with both a TI and a Virus B plugged in at the same time?
-
I'd try to send the patches from the Virus B as sysex to a software (DAW, Sysex Librarian) and then send it back to the TI.
Naturally, make a backup of the synth banks before sending around patches...
-
yes, the SysEx Librarian is a great for this. (for example on Ableton you cannot work good with Sysex Files)
it did use Sysex Libarian last week to send patches to my old Yamaha S30 PLG150-AN. Works Great.
