Need Virus C / Indigo 2 experts & users help pls!

I just got a 2nd hand Virus Indigo2. Having some issues where the synth would just crash and freeze up unexpectedly. I would have to restart to correct the problem.This usually happens when I'm tweaking the synth while the voices are in unison with the arp and reverb on, modulated by LFOs. So it's pretty "CPU" intensive.

The freeze or crash symptoms don't always behave the same, sometimes it would just freeze with no sounds. Other times it would freeze while making high pitched buzz . On one occasion I could hear only the low-end content but the high-end weren't audible. If I switch it off & on again. Using the same patch and settings which is still stored in the edit buffer, it will play for awhile then the freeze symptoms would come back.My question is if this is a chip board / hardware malfunction or more of a CPU overload?

Has anyone encountered issues like this? I tried searching online, some people seem to have the same issue but never described the circumstances leading to the synth "freeze".

Absolutely love this the Virus C sound, would like to know if this is a problem I can fix or have to live withAny input would be appreciated! thanks thanks thanks

So I made a video of one of the symptoms,

At end of the video you can hear the freezing / crash / noise problem Im referring to on the OP... usually its just a consistent buzz or could just go silent on me. Notice I'm actually running another synth through the fx section of the Virus C.

Support told me it was an CPU intensive problem with too many voices causing the crash / freeze etc. But it clearly isn't the case, as none of the OSC are running. Just the FX/Filters & LFO.

Support told me there are't any Virus C parts left. What so am I suppose to just throw the synth away?

Zitat von oliAtBass

If I heard that correctly, you are using a reverb with long tail which is rather CPU intensive. Additional you're doing lots of modulations of various parameters of the effects, including Reverb, which also use up CPU power.

Remember that pretty much every digital synthesizer does not really have "voices" but everything is calculated on a specialized CPU (DSP). The power of that CPU is expressed in how many "voices" it can calculate at the same time. Now, every signal processing task beside plain oscillator also uses up CPU cycles and therefore the synth can run out of "voices" (aka CPU power) without even using a single oscillator.

Maybe you should consider using your Indigo as a regular synth and getting a TI2 or dedicated effects unit for your extensive effect needs.

Hey thanks for your reply, but I seriously doubt this is a CPU usage problem. Otherwise the design of this machine is flawed.

Call me crazy! But I suspect it has nothing to do with the Indigo 2 malfunctioning. I've noticed this morning when I was fiddling with the synth, I could feel electricity current when I'm touching the side metal chassis. I'm no electrician but I think it has something to do with power cable & synth not being grounded properly since it only has 2 pins ( i have now added a 3 pin adaptor to the end of the power cable), and somehow current is leaked from the cable passing through the main board causing the synth to crash due to unregulated current.

I tried just using the headphone out today, with no output L/R to the my audio interface. I made sure I couldn't feel any minor current run through the side metal chassis. I tweaked the synth for over a hour making new sounds etc, no crash no nothing. One different thing I've noticed is during shut down and turning it up again, there was no slight high pitched sound coming through the output of the indigo 2 which normally happens during normal operation shut down.

The noise I'm referring to sounds like power discharging, not sure if this is the right term. I will do more investigation to see if I can prove anything, but I think I might be on the right track. I suspect there is electricity current build up which is causing the synth to crash.

Zitat von Marc

if you feel current you might have a broken synth in front of you (and potentially this might be dangerous). remove all audio/MIDI/USB cables and check if you still feel the electrical current. if you don't, plug-in cables again and once you feel it you know which connection creates the issue. the grounding problem is likely to be in between the Virus and the other hardware you've just connected. email support can help you with that.

UGHHHH... NO its not other gear thats causing the problem. The grounding problem is from a faulty power supply inside the Virus C. Emailing support is no use because its just emails back and forth no real ACTION offered to correct the problems.

Zitat von Marc

No Virus has a grounded power supply. Look at the plug: it is 2 pins, the 3rd one (which is usually the grounding) is not present. If the power supply is broken, i'm sure they've referred you to a service center.

SERVICE CENTRE did not bother talking to me, he just said it sounded like a CHIP board problem and that was it. I asked if it could relate to the power supply, and told him the symptoms, and no reply after that. The owner is not a dedicated repair centre for ACCESS. They repair for different instrument companies.

If its not grounded then there is a design flaw. especially when the chassis is all metal. I can feel the electricity flow especially during rainy days. Any know why this is so?

Anyone know what the specs are for the Virus C / Indigo 2 power supply?