Virus with Thunderbolt to USB adapter?

  • Hi all,


    I have just bought a new Macbook Pro, 13".


    It has two USB3 ports, and, somewhat surprisingly, the Virus Control plug-in seems to work well with it, despite telling me that it is connected to the same USB bus as my soundcard. I have only tried out basic functionality and haven't really put any strain on it yet.


    The Macbook Pro also has two Thunderbolt ports, and you can get Thunderbolt to USB adapters. It occurs to me that if the Virus worked with this, then it really would be alone on a bus, and it would free up a USB port for other stuff.


    Has anyone ever tried this?


    Tks,


    Daniel

  • I am also interested in this as a solution. Has anyone tried it or can recommend a Thunderbolt to USB adapter. Tearing my hair out with the software side of the Virus TI2. The hardware is great, software has so far been very unreliable Although there's lots of stuff on the built in USB bus on my MBP it's USB 3.0 which in my simple understanding should mean that it has plenty of data bandwidth to cope with Virus TI plus other audio and controller devices. So far the only reliable way I have found to use this synth is midi, (fine but a bit annoying to be missing out on one of the main selling points of the synth).


    So is Thunderbolt to USB the answer? Or just stick with midi...

  • I really wish I could add something of worth to this, but I was also intrigued!


    I have to say, with the latest software update my TI is working incredibly well on Yosemite despite the sharing message and I've never been happier (unusual for me that ;)! The only TB unit I have seen is a Belkin one that includes a multitude of other connectors and is rather expensive. Access - can you get one in your lab to test it out?


    Cheers.

  • Just bought myself the Kanex TB to USB adapter. It's working perfectly so far - no conflicts, sync issues or bad noises which I was getting before, even with no other kit plugged into USB. I have an RME interface running on the built in USB which can now be used simultaneously. Will update over the next few days if I experience any issues.

  • Just bought myself the Kanex TB to USB adapter. It's working perfectly so far - no conflicts, sync issues or bad noises which I was getting before, even with no other kit plugged into USB. I have an RME interface running on the built in USB which can now be used simultaneously. Will update over the next few days if I experience any issues.


    After a couple of weeks struggling to get my new TI2 Desktop up and running reliably with my Late 2013 iMac, I also did the same thing and ordered the Kanex Thunderbolt adapter. I'm happy to also confirm that -- at least in my initial tests -- everything is working as I imagined it should have from the start. Neither my iMac nor my Macbook Pro had the throughput to handle the TI2, even if it was the only device on the USB Root.


    I will do likewise and report back if I run into any issues in "real-world" testing, but for now, it looks like the Kanex might be a viable solution for many of the USB issues on the Mac, especially if, like me, you must run a lot of other USB peripherals in conjunction with the Virus!

  • definitely let us know how you get on. thanks
    I'm in a similar positions, with quite a few usb devices that I use for music production


    btw, did you get a KTU10 (w / eSata) or KTU20 (w/ethernet) ?


    I am using the KTU10 (eSata) one. However...


    After my initial success yesterday, I am finding that I am again experiencing the same issues with Virus Control that I have been experiencing since day one, even with the Virus on its own dedicated root hub. Namely, I either get stuck notes, no sound, or audio only on the odd MIDI channels when I use the Virus TI features. Without Virus Control launched, everything works great, and Access tech support has been very responsive to helping me troubleshoot the TI stuff. It simply will not work for me, though. I have tried every combination I can come up with of cabling, connections, rebooting, restarting, disk permissions, and now $75 for the Kanex. I'm starting to think that either the software itself is broken or my Desktop itself is defective.

  • I have tried every combination I can come up with of cabling, connections, rebooting, restarting, disk permissions, and now $75 for the Kanex. I'm starting to think that either the software itself is broken or my Desktop itself is defective.


    what do i need to do to run into the problems you line out? can you post some more details on your setup? like for instance which sequencer you're using, which mac os etc? also, does the problem persist when you playback the tutorial song?
    marc

  • what do i need to do to run into the problems you line out? can you post some more details on your setup? like for instance which sequencer you're using, which mac os etc? also, does the problem persist when you playback the tutorial song?
    marc


    I've been working with Jörg Hüttner via email troubleshooting over the last few weeks. He has been great, by the way -- very timely and thorough responses -- and some of the solutions he gave me seemed to get things straight, but alas, only temporarily.


    I have tried the Virus with 2 computers: Late 2013 iMac and Mid-2012 Macbook Pro. Both machines were tested with the Virus as the ONLY USB device attached. OSX Yosemite on both, TIOS 5.1.0. Tried Logic Pro X and Ableton Live 9 on both machines. Behavior is the same across the board:


    - If I use the Virus controlled via MIDI DIN, with no USB cable attached, all is well.
    - If I connect a USB cable and launch Virus Control, I will experience one or more of the following issues, and can only return the Virus to a useable state by rebooting it:


    1) notes are delayed or hang, and the Virus only generates sound on MIDI Channel 1.
    2) I can play 3 or 4 notes "normally", then there is a loud crackling/static noise and the Virus falls silent.
    3) Virus makes no sound at all on any channel.
    4) Virus responds normally, but only on channels 1,3,5,7,9,11,13, and 15.
    5) Virus makes a constant horrible digital squelching sound at maximum. Its not MIDI, it's digital noise.


    The same behavior happens when used as an AU in Logic and as an AU or VST in Live. Sometimes, exiting Virus Control allows me to continue to play the Virus normally as a "Single" sound, but other times, the silence or suppression of even-numbered channels continues until I shut down and restart the hardware.


    I bought the Kanex adapter as a way to isolate the Virus to its own high-bandwidth USB root hub, since Macs share the root hub with things like the built-in camera, thinking my issues were the result of congestion on the USB bus. But I get the same behavior on every USB port, hub, and device I've tried.


    As far as the tutorial song goes? I was able to play it exactly once in Logic X and hear it as "normal". I was so excited thinking that I managed to get it working, but when I tried to reopen and play it back a second time, silence. I think I got it to launch again a couple of times after that, but only some instruments sounded (odd channels!) and everything was out of time. It never loaded or played back properly from Live. It never worked on the Macbook, iMac only.


    I am now at the point where I am debating keeping the Virus and simply doing without any software functionality or sending it back since I'm still within the return window.

  • Hi Guys. Just a note to say I've just received the latest Belkin Thunderbolt 2 Dock and I can confirm it does NOT work with my Virus Polar TI 2. The Thunderbolt 1 version of this Belkin Dock was the same when I tried it out as well. Hope this helps!

  • An update to let people know that things are still rock solid using the ethernet version of the Kanex adapter (KT20). Not a single issue so far, although I agree with the point about these not being particularly cheap. I'm using the Ethernet port at the same time as the plugin. This hasn't made any difference to performance.


    For me, it's a worthwhile investment to get the total integration software working reliably. In the end I still go back to MIDI when mixing and recording since mapping this way is more suited to my workflow. For sound design and patch management the plugin is well powerful.


    Sorry to hear that some people are still seeing issues… Very frustrating to be troubleshooting rather than making good noises!

  • 1) notes are delayed or hang, and the Virus only generates sound on MIDI Channel 1.
    2) I can play 3 or 4 notes "normally", then there is a loud crackling/static noise and the Virus falls silent.
    3) Virus makes no sound at all on any channel.
    4) Virus responds normally, but only on channels 1,3,5,7,9,11,13, and 15.
    5) Virus makes a constant horrible digital squelching sound at maximum. Its not MIDI, it's digital noise.


    sounds like one DSP is crashing, which has nothing to do with USB. if you get frequent DSP crashes, you might deal with a hardware related problem.
    best, marc

  • I have the same ridiculous issue. When I plug in the Virus into my new imac with only the virus in one port and only my cubase dongle in another port i get this message:


    "A device called "BRCM2070 Hub" sharing the same USB root hub with the
    Virus TI has been detected. This is a potential problem and might cause
    sync errors and audible artefacts when using Total Integration. Try to
    solve the problem by using another USB port instead."


    Driving me nuts. So I have ordered this Kanex adapter and I will report back if it works for me.


    I have VIRUS TI and imac 3.5ghz i7 16 GB ram, OSX 10.9.5
    All latest drivers

  • Hi Chaps,


    Very intrigued with this Kanex TB to USB adapter. Electroandy, what computer are you using? Wouldn't mind a bit more info before I shell out £80!


    Also, the eSata would be more useful to me, I wonder if there are any differences spec wise. Might ping them to try and find out.


    Cheers.

  • Hi Aj,


    Computer is a 2.6g mid 2012 mb retina (10,1). Agree that £80 is a lot to shell out, the only downside as far as I'm concerned, esp. as the Virus isn't cheap to begin with.


    I'll be honest and say that the virus in Ableton still isn't absolutely perfect, (sometimes timing strays a little and it's well sensitive if you have put either machine to sleep or loaded the plugin in another host). Nowhere near the initial problems that I had though.


    I generally use the audio outputs and the plugin with the 'Live' button lit for sound design, switch to the USB outs for rendering, and good old midi input without plugin at all for totally live stuff as that seems to be the most reliable timing wise.


    Hope it helps and good luck!

  • I bought the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock (F4U055ywAPL), and every thing is just perfect now!! No sync problems, no crackles, no weird behaviour at all. Using Virus TI2 Desktop, 8 to 10 timbres at once, with the audio output either though usb and the fiscal outs, and everything is working.


    I hope you find this helpful.


    Best,
    Iván

  • <p>I connected my Virus Ti using the Kanex thunderbolt to usb adapter and no more silly messages in Cubase about shred hubs. Not sure if it has improved performance but it seems to work ok now. I had major timing problems before, but i changed the audio buffer to 64 or 32 and they seemed to go.</p>

  • <p>TAGpass same for me for problems i am even running Apollotwin duo for audio interface. might just have to take my Virus ti snow back. or run midi in and run audio into apollo. so much for total intergration.</p>