My Virus Ti can't play in time using DIN Midi

  • Our pleasure :)


    By the way you may still encounter voice stealing but it's really obvious when in multi mode and using many channels (voices) at the same time. It like "silences" some sounds. In multi mode there is also a "priority" setting you can play around with if in multi mode.


    Where can I find this priority setting in Multi mode?

  • Where can I find this priority setting in Multi mode?


    Reference Manual, page 118.

    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+

  • Thanks! In 5.1.7 that doesn't change anything in terms of MIDI timing..


    Yesterday, I did some extended testing, installing all OS-ses between 5.1.7 and 3.3.4, and OS 3.3.4 definitely handles timing the best!

    It remains super tight, even when using hypersaws, unison, and giant chords.


    I really don't get why Access would change such a basic thing like MIDI timing.. other then to ''fix'' USB midi timing problems, the Virus TI may have had at that time..

  • I sometimes have this problem too, but I can't reproduce it very reliably under practical conditions. Sometimes it appears that changing the clock to 48kHz slightly helps, but other people trying this reported that it got worse for them.


    I also noticed the problem can go away when I connect the TI to a computer via USB (in a simple USB mode without the virus VST) and set up the computer to route MIDI coming from the TI midi in directly back into the TI synth. (I use a HW sequencer connected to the Virus directly with a din midi cable)

  • I sometimes have this problem too, but I can't reproduce it very reliably under practical conditions. Sometimes it appears that changing the clock to 48kHz slightly helps, but other people trying this reported that it got worse for them.


    I also noticed the problem can go away when I connect the TI to a computer via USB (in a simple USB mode without the virus VST) and set up the computer to route MIDI coming from the TI midi in directly back into the TI synth. (I use a HW sequencer connected to the Virus directly with a din midi cable)


    It has nothing to do with using midi via USB or regular Midi!


    It has to do with the amount of voices a patch is using and how to Virus handles voice stealing. Try making a patch with 2 full hypersaws, the unison at x5 and then let your DAW play chords with more than 4 notes playing at the same time. In this circumstance 3 notes seems to be the limit before voice stealing starts to have an influence on the timing. (which it SHOULD NOT HAVE)


    I've found Setting the Synth to SEQ mode instead of multimode does help but the timing still isn't as tight as with OS 3.3.4

  • I have been testing this a couple of months ago and the usb midi loop hack seemed to work, but I wasn't able to reproduce it now.
    My hypothesis was that something related to the internal virus audio frequency (44.1kHz or 48kHz) had an effect on this problem and connecting it to a computer causes the virus to sync to the computer usb audio driver. But I was wrong, the usb midi loop doesn't help.

  • Try making a patch with 2 full hypersaws, the unison at x5 and then let your DAW play chords with more than 4 notes playing at the same time. In this circumstance 3 notes seems to be the limit before voice stealing starts to have an influence on the timing. (which it SHOULD NOT HAVE)


    That is just the nature of CPUs (DSPs) reaching their processing limit. Everything is always calculated in sequence and not in parallel. The more complex a sound, the more time it takes to calculate the waveform. At some point, you have to either defer some calculations or simplify them by degrading the audio signal. Both will happen on the Virus, with sound quality as priority. It seems that timing of Envelopes and LFOs is impacted first; I observed this behavior accidentally when I had programmed a very short high pitched FM based tick sound, which became considerably "broader" and "imprecise" as more other sounds (basses and pads) where added.


    Earlier TI OS Versions had substantially less complex Oscillator types and Effects. I guess that has more to do with processing timing behavior than potential changes of the MIDI over USB timing.

    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+

    2 Mal editiert, zuletzt von ozon ()

  • That is just the nature of CPUs (DSPs) reaching their processing limit. Everything is always calculated in sequence and not in parallel. The more complex a sound, the more time it takes to calculate the waveform. At some point, you have to either defer some calculations or simplify them by degrading the audio signal. Both will happen on the Virus, with sound quality as priority. It seems that timing of Envelopes and LFOs is impacted first; I observed this behavior accidently when I had programmed a very short high pitched FM based tick sound, which became considerably "broader" and "imprecise" as more other sounds (basses and pads) where added.


    Earlier TI OS Versions had substantially less Oscillator complex types and Effects. I guess that has more to do with processing timing behavior than potential changes of the MIDI over USB timing.


    The example I mentioned is a patch OS 3.3.4 can identically make. My point is that midi timing of the exact same patch will remain solid in 3.3.4, even upping the unison to x8, while in 5.1.7 the timing starts being off even at 2x unison. Sure, because it's a heavy patch (intentionally so ), voice stealing will occur in both OS-ses, but in 3.3.4 voice stealing doesn't change the timing of the notes played, while in 5.1.7 it does.

  • The example I mentioned is a patch OS 3.3.4 can identically make. My point is that midi timing of the exact same patch will remain solid in 3.3.4, even upping the unison to x8, while in 5.1.7 the timing starts being off even at 2x unison. Sure, because it's a heavy patch (intentionally so ), voice stealing will occur in both OS-ses, but in 3.3.4 voice stealing doesn't change the timing of the notes played, while in 5.1.7 it does.


    Yes, I understand you are talking about timing. Timing will shift if processing power is insufficient, because the calculation of a sound for a certain note has to be deferred until another sound is calculated. Maybe OS 3.3.4 does more aggressive note stealing instead.

    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+

  • I finally got stable MIDI timing with TIOS v3.3.5.02 (shown in the Virus as 3.3.4.00 when installed).
    I know there are a lot of features which were implemented afterwards,

    but since I only use external FX I am happy to have the typical Virus Oscs and Filters which is all I need from this Synth.
    With TIOS 4.5.3.00 the timing issues start when the Amp Release

    Envelope is higher than 0, also some MIDI notes get lost.
    Have not tried any lower version from 4.x but just took the highest version of v3.

    This solved the problems, no missing notes or timing problems anymore.

    Hope this helps (not tested the USB Plugin setup, just plain MIDI with Audio Outs).

    Thanks man, I had the same issue and was able to fix it thanks to this comment!