While the world changes, Access Virus TI2 remains stoically silent

  • So I purchased a Virus TI2 about 4+ years ago and was amazed at the depth of this synth. Then came the patches and updates and I couldn't be happier.
    Bootcamp videos? Great idea! Additions to the modmatrix, filters and FX? Cool!
    Then, -------silence------
    Some prodding emails a few years ago received the same mantra "We cannot discuss future development...blahhh, blahh"
    Ok, fine. But I am very sick of randomly opening the Virus website only to see the well worn Halloween images of the Virus on stage and a Mac Sierra update.
    So what has happened in the world since the last serious upgrade(version 5.0 was delivered in June of 2012)?
    Nelson Mandela died, Bomb blast at the Boston Marathon, Pope Benedict XVI resigned, World Oil Price Plunges to Historical Low, The Olympics, Windows 10, 2 presidential elections (god help us all) and, on the Synth side, hundreds of new keyboards introduced, most notably, the Modal synthesizer series which competes directly with Virus TI2.
    Still, nothing from Access.
    I spent $3400 for a new Virus TI2 and have been generally happy with this incredible sounding and deep synthesizer. But please, say SOMETHING. Throw us a bone to let us know that we can take a Swiffer and dust off the old gal because there is still life left in her.
    Or tell us that your support and interest are discontinued and you are moving on to another relationship. Please, just something.

  • IMHO there hasn't happened anything new in the domain of digital synths since 2009 in general. The Virus TI and the Blofeld are still the top hardware synths.


    And on the workstation side of things, we're still limited to a couple of GB sampling memory while computers run off SSDs with TBs of space. The best offering is a 60GB SSD on the Kronos, all other hardware (synths, workstations, beatboxes, sample toys) are good if they offer 128MB (Kurzweil) or a whopping 2GB SD card (Akai) as storage. And don't get me started on the topic of hardware samplers... technologically the whole music industry is stuck in the late 90's to early 2000's. And most of the new products are ridiculous unprofessional gadgets.


    I for one prefer Access to keep producing a single dated model of a professional top synth instead of replacing that with ten useless dumbed down but dead cheap toys.


    However, I'd also love to see a TI3 with 10x the CPU power and a couple of features from competitors (Comb filter, step sequencer). :)

    Bass Player and Synthesist.
    Virus TI2 Darkstar | Virus TI2 Desktop | Sub 37 | Voyager RME | Machinedrum | Analog Four | Digitone | MPC Live | NI Maschine+
    Mac OS 13.5.1 (Ventura) | Cubase Pro 11.0 | Ableton Live 9.6 | Logic 10.4 | MainStage 3.4 | NI Komplete Ultimate 13 | RME Fireface UFX+


  • (BTW, doesn't the TI2 have a comb filter in the effects section though?).


    Yes, but the real fun starts if you have a comb filter in the oscillator filter section. Like Absynth, Massive and Blofeld. That and custom wavetables is the single reason why I consider adding a Blofeld.

    Bass Player and Synthesist.
    Virus TI2 Darkstar | Virus TI2 Desktop | Sub 37 | Voyager RME | Machinedrum | Analog Four | Digitone | MPC Live | NI Maschine+
    Mac OS 13.5.1 (Ventura) | Cubase Pro 11.0 | Ableton Live 9.6 | Logic 10.4 | MainStage 3.4 | NI Komplete Ultimate 13 | RME Fireface UFX+

  • Blofeld has a GREAT comb filter in the osc filter section! And the included classic PPG and Waldorf 'tables are a must have! :>)

  • Well, the point in me writing the topic to begin with is that I also see some slight advances in synth technology that Access could expand upon.
    Modulation is a major area where things can be thought of differently. I built many synths in Reaktor and forced modulation of aspects that normally aren't modulated and some great results have occurred.
    The Montage mod system and the Modal mod system can be expanded upon to allow the user and open architecture where you can modulate ANY parameter you wish with a modulation source that, itself, has a LOT of variance possibilities. I don't want to necessarily expand upon what I have done, but needless to say, that if *I* can think of creative ways to scrape, skewer, slip and spill a modulator as it dumps out its data to whatever it's controlling, then surely people much smarter than I can think of and implement such ideas.
    I am just asking people to be creative and stop looking a a Minimoog structure and say "Yeah, let;'s build something based on THAT!".
    Come on, with CPU power and memory these days, let's put the Moog aside and rewrite the signal path and see what happens - or - just make an update that refreshes the Virus.
    I had to buy a V-Synth XT recently just to give my brain a little drug to keep it active in synthesis and to see how far I can push it.



    JM

  • Some thoughts and insights about the future of Viruses regarding DSP and coding.
    https://synthmorph.com/blogs/n…ture-kemper-amp-virus-ti3


    Excellent read! Thank you very much for writing this all down. Nice stab at Massive's Performers, and I'd go for a 1k polyphony.


    With the mentioned feature set, and full backward compatibility, such an instrument would be worth between 5k€ and 8k€ to me.

    Bass Player and Synthesist.
    Virus TI2 Darkstar | Virus TI2 Desktop | Sub 37 | Voyager RME | Machinedrum | Analog Four | Digitone | MPC Live | NI Maschine+
    Mac OS 13.5.1 (Ventura) | Cubase Pro 11.0 | Ableton Live 9.6 | Logic 10.4 | MainStage 3.4 | NI Komplete Ultimate 13 | RME Fireface UFX+

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von ozon ()

  • Yeah - I do worry a little that when my Virus eventually dies, all the investment in patches that went in, might be lost due to the units no longer being made.


    A level of backwards compatibility was always a draw, with Virus. I can load my old Virus B patches on the current generation.


    When the silicon eventually goes EOL, I do hope that we'll still be able to buy something that'll reproduce the Virus system.

  • I would say bounce every single thing to audio.. the raw midi and patch, with each song where you use the virus, so at least you will never lose any sounds from your *songs*. This is the most critical.


    The units, hardware wise, are pretty well known for being durable though aren't they? I don't use mine much due to the lack of AAX, but it's never given me the slightest issue mechanically. (or with the AU in logic).


  • haha


    It's rather obvious why this won't happen for the DSP code, but in all seriousness, what about Virus Control + as much of the drivers as possible (I understand you rely on a 3rd party for part of the audio driver, which btw caused the macOS Sierra compatibility debacle, but ...) ?
    This is the only way to make Total Integration 100% future proof for users, regardless of what happens in the coming decades.

  • Their Busy developing the Kemper :) Which I own also BTW and if you play Guitar its an amazing piece of gear. But I would like to see a damn Patch Manager.. Just like the Rig Manager on the Kemper.. Now that would be amazing. And the most amazing part if the database for which a user simply adds a patch and you can load it directly into the Kemper. Could you imaging the vast possibility and sounds that could become available if the Virus had the same cloud/User exchange built into to what Access could call Synth Manager ? haha

  • It's rather obvious why this won't happen for the DSP code, but in all seriousness, what about Virus Control + as much of the drivers as possible (I understand you rely on a 3rd party for part of the audio driver, which btw caused the macOS Sierra compatibility debacle, but ...) ?
    This is the only way to make Total Integration 100% future proof for users, regardless of what happens in the coming decades.


    Total Integration and all related products are a part of what we ship and support. Yes, there are no feature news right now but that doesn't mean we don't verify that our products are working with the latest OS updates. We have no plans to change that.

  • IMHO there hasn't happened anything new in the domain of digital synths since 2009 in general. The Virus TI and the Blofeld are still the top hardware synths.


    As hardware synths - true, however the plugin world has come along in leaps and bounds helped an considerable increase in CPU and memory resource.


    I have to admit, because the product is still unstable and feels somewhat unfinished (too many outstanding issues) despite the many very welcome new synth engine features, I cant help getting the feeling this has been abandoned part way through an idea. I guessing the code is 'in bits' with a load of half done but abandoned new development that none can remember after 3 years...


    If Access have a future at all past Moto 56K dps end of life, then I guess they would be somewhat panicked and very busy re-writing everything for the kemper amp and virus from scratch (perhaps in in C++) instead of assembler. Maybe they had a panic when they realised time was running out for their dsp platform and pretty much dropped everything to ensure they have some hope of a future at all.


    Personally, after my experience with 12 years of virus TI (and im my personal opinion, then complete failure of the TI part), I think I would be far more likely to invest in a virus DAW plugin than any future hardware synth - especially after the price got hiked from 1500 UKP to 2250 UKP. That a hell of alot to pay for something with so many long standing issues and in a somewhat abandoned looking state.


    Perhaps there is some hope they may be rewriting it in C++...

  • So I just visited the Access website to check for firmware updates; and downloaded the most recent version and accompanying changelog.


    WHY THE F**K DOES THE WEBSITE STILL LIST 5 YEAR OLD NEWS ITEMS UNDER "Breaking News"?


    WHY THE F**K DOES IT SHOW THE EXACT SAME INFO "About TIOS 5.1.7.00" 27 TIMES on 27 PAGES?


    This is very indicative of the service quality level that Access provides: outdated crap that obviously has not been checked for quality.


    My Virus TI2 is STILL not usable in live situations - not even as a MIDI keyboard for external sound sources - because it STILL has the same silly software bugs (random pitch bend data being sent even when not touching the keyboard, and pitch bend range often incorrect until switching machine off and back on). As Khazul writes above, the product is still unstable and feels like 'abandonware'.


    The Virus TI2 was without a doubt my worst purchase ever. I would have sold it a long time ago - if I wouldn't feel so bad about selling something without informing the potential buyer about its problems, and the lack of service from its manufacturer. But who would want to buy a synthesizer after being fully informed what a piece of shit it is?

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