How do you use your Access Virus TI in your Daw

    I was wondering how you incorporate your virus in your DAW.





    Do you use all 16 Virus tracks?





    Do you only produce songs with a couple virus tracks?





    Do you use soft synths and your virus?





    What is also the most effective way to not make your tracks sound muddy. I am having this problem alot when producing on logic. I am using all 16 parts. How can I in the most effective way produce music with my Virus that it wont sound so muddy. It is tempting to use the virus with all 16 tracks.






    If you have any tips and tricks that would be awesome! Thanks again guys!

    I've done things in all combinations. It really depends on what I hear in my head before I start working. I first listen to the sound in my head and then I think which is the best source to get it from. For example, for a grand piano sound, or a live drum kit I would go to a sampler VST such as SampleTank. For complex FM sound I would go to an FM VST, and so on. Of course, in order to be able to do that, you should first get to know your VSTi-s really well. It doesn't help much if you have all the VSTi-s in the world but know each one superficially, so choose a few, and spend quality time with them - just to check them out, not with the intent of making new music (although it does happen that you start just playing around and end up with a song). To sum it all up, there is no "one good way" to use your synths and it all depends on the requirements of the production. Moreover, I find that starting with the same setup every time limits my creativity. I would go further by saying that my music starts in my head when I am away from my DAW, it doesn't require a DAW or a certain setup in order to exist at all. And also, experience helps you make the right decisions, but you gain experience only by trying and making mistakes, so don't be afraid to guess and to get it wrong sometimes. Here's a hint: when somebody else listens to your music, they accept it as a whole. They don't know that somewhere in there there's an imperfection or something is not quite as you intended.
    Here's what another enthusiastic Virus user has to say about how not to make your tracks sound muddy.

    im using all the 16 channels of the virus also,but in order to get the not muddy effect i export them all into waves and mix and eq them sepreatly...
    that way each sound gets his own eq work/compression work and stereo work.
    if you apply 1 eq and etc to the virus channel,you will get the same eq to all the sounds,and thats not good,you need to give each sound his own eq and effects in order to get the best result.
    if you need any help with that,feel free to ask...

    Zitat von flabberbob

    The moment you are ready for the mixing stage, you should disable all effects on the Virus output and project out bus, then solo each Virus MIDI track at a time, and do a realtime bounce of the soloed track to an audio track. Once you are done you can bring back the effects and start mixing.

    How would I disable all effects on the virus output and project put bus?


    How would I solo each track even if its on multitimberal?

    Zitat von lordclemi

    Hi there, interesting question. Is there also a way to automate this process, so to speak, record the midi track including the autmoated controler changes and then turn it into an audi lane.


    In fact, Logic has a very sophisticated macro language which you can program to send environmental events instead of all your mouse and keyboard actions. I never took the time to learn it.


    and discodeer, sorry I missed your post... you should solo the specific MIDI track, IIRC Logic knows it should be processed further by the Virus. Now locate every AU on the Virus and main out and bypass them.

    Once you've bounced everything down to audio tracks, to avoid a muddy mix, use EQ to give each instrument it's own "notch" in the frequency spectrum. For example, if you have two arps going on, and you want them both to be clear, have one with a little boost at 8k and a cut at 7k, and vice versa for the second. Tones that are supposed to blend, or melodies that trade off can easily live in the same frequency range. Oh, and a high pass to cut out bass is VERY useful for cutting down on mix-mud.


    And going back to your original question, when doing film scores, I tend to use mostly orchestral sounds, with a bit of virus to spice it up (rarely more than 4 tracks at once though). Less worries about mix EQ there, beyond the original sound design on the Virus. For my band, I'm using 8-14 tracks of Virus, drums from an EMU XL-7, guitars, lap dulcimer, electric violin and vocals. VERY busy mixes, usually at least 30 tracks of audio (after comping). Good planned EQing in the mix stage is necessary, and like everything else, I'm still learning.

    Zitat von discodeer


    What is also the most effective way to not make your tracks sound muddy. I am having this problem alot when producing on logic. I am using all 16 parts. How can I in the most effective way produce music with my Virus that it wont sound so muddy.

    Work at 48khz or 96khz. If you're relying that heavily on the Virus and want more clarity that's the first place to turn. There's a significant boost in clarity, openness, and reduction in amount of aliasing when the virus is generating at it's max resolution internally (48khz). To get 48khz operation while working at 88khz the only way is to run it via an external midi interface and use analog outs.



    Aside from that, go buy an analog synth. Adding something like a Minitaur to your setup will make a big difference to your sound and expand your sonic palette. I use my extra slots as scratch pads and project specific banks.. not an opportunity to use 16 sounds from the virus all in one track ;)