Virus TI not compatible with MacOS Catalina / Big Sur

  • Hi all,


    I treated myself to a new MBP 16 and am gutted that new models cannot be downgraded from Catalina so (like everyone else) eagerly awaiting a 64bit version of this software allowing a return to simple, plugin driven beat-making.


    Whilst I'm not as ticked off with Access Music as some others (the impact on me being relatively low) I do know this is not the case for everyone and effect may be significantly different based on your current setup. As such, better visibility and communication of what's going on (rather than people being forced to make assumptions) would allow informed decision making - ranging from the nuclear option; sell device, or whether to splash out (minimum?) few hundred quid on MIDI and Audio Devices plus cables or, as in my case, simply to understand whether to go through the mild annoyance of re-racking/wiring studio due to inconvenient current placement of the TI2 desktop (having never had to access the front panel during workflow before) - Doh!


    In terms of software alternatives, has anyone actually tried this product mentioned above?

    'These folks have their own product, minus the audio though, but the UI looks polished and similar to VC. They are also working on Catalina compatibility though.

    https://www.mysteryislands-mus…editor-librarian-plug-in/'


    If so, any feedback for the group (specifically, me)? :/ -- As mentioned above, my issue is that I'd like to control the Synth from via a plugin (rather than rearranging studio to gain access to the front panel) if this does the job semi-decently, and achieves Catalina compatibility, I will happy buy a license to keep me ticking over until (if?) the Access offering is released.


    Losing audio via USB is less of a bugbear... although I would like it back, if possible :)

  • Zitat

    'These folks have their own product, minus the audio though, but the UI looks polished and similar to VC. They are also working on Catalina compatibility though.

    https://www.mysteryislands-mus…editor-librarian-plug-in/'


    I bought and tried to use this product since version 1.4.5 (now last version version 1.5.14)

    product in my opinion raw and buggy :(

    I tried to use this plugin with different hosts (Reaper/Cubase) - and the plugin always crash them for no reason)

    moreover randomly (crashes when switching presets, crashes when closing the plugin window, etc.)

    eventually returned to Virus Control

  • You appear to be trolling now. I’ve been working with synths and recording kit for more than 30 years now. I’m also a software engineer, working in embedded multimedia systems. I know a fair bit on what I’m talking about.


    I’m not obliged to help people like yourself mate. Good luck with finding solutions to your problems. I’m no longer responding to your posts.

    I have been doing it since I was 17, and now 47.. so.. guess what? Yeah, 30 years also. Ok, professionally since around age of 20 when I opened my first studio.

    You're the troll. When did I ask for YOUR help? LOL. Muted, if you are such a snowflake that you can't handle anyone telling you you are being too fussy over a couple milliseconds latency, then good riddance to you..And fat lot of good 30 years experience got you, as all synths have latency, and older digital synths have way more latency than using the virus via analog output mode. Bah bah.

    PS it works perfectly here going into my UA apollo using Console to monitor, go figure. It records a couple millesconds off, due to the D/A then A/D latency, but ALL my synths do (except for the analogs). That's just the nature of the beast. Live with it as there is no way around it. Well, in pro tools you can put a per sample level delay on every midi port, so you could effectively have it record 2 milliseconds early or whatever the exact figure is per synth, but I don't know about other DAWs as I don't use them, nor do I bother doing it myself. Who cares? Do we need our music THAT robotic? Geez. You nasty little troll.

  • TNM - “you buy other awesome EDM hardware synth” , well then what hurts you using the virus ti as a standard hardware synth then.... your the one being ridiculous about it , or Atleast apparently so because your acting like it’s totally unusable when it’s actually not...


    much more therapeutic programming it from the panel anyways I find

    when did i say it was unusable? I was asking others as I have NOT upgraded to Catalina nor do I want to, but won't have a choice when I buy the new mac pro later in the year (have to get it before the new OS as that will bring fresh set of problems again, so around September). The whole point was that I don't know.


    And if I used that word, it would have meant the plugin. If I buy something for a specific type of purpose, then I expect it to work. I am more than happy to use the hardware outs, but someone said MIDI is broken in Catalina also. Someone ELSE, not me. I don't have any midi ports left right now, all 11 i/o are in use (5 on a motu microlite, 6 outs on a motu micro express), and the rest of my 25 ish synths separate from that, all use USB for midi.

    I am even happy to not use the plugin if I can get the midi to work over USB.. But it is being said that midi over USB is now broken in current mac OS.

    So, that's very close to unusable. I'd have to control it entirely from hardware, and that's not what I bought the virus for, with it's tiny strip screen.. I bought it cause it HAS such a detailed editor.. why should I have to buy a 3rd party solution for it instead of access fix it? Not my problem. It's theirs. Oh, I even said I'd be happy to use the audio outs, midi over USB, and the stand alone librarian in windows.. I said precisely that.. I just wanted confirmation it would work and that midi still works ok in Catalina.. and finding this out for SURE one way or another has been like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.


    You come across as a condescending little troll, so another user blocked. Wow, what a day.

  • I think midi quest 12 might be an answer.. It is the only HW synth editor I know of with native AAX, and it indeed has full Virus TI support.

    It's not pretty GUI wise, but it's a full editor and librarian. Like yourself, I am more than happy to lose USB audio and use analog outs. MQ is (very) expensive at 400 US bucks, but since it can effectively turn all my HW synths into plugins, I am gonna get it regardless of my virus decision (whether to keep or sell). I am just not sure if I am willing to buy another midi interface or upgrade an existing one to use the virus via standard midi i/o, and move it's spot in the studio either. I have a 20 port MTT hub with 500 watt power brick just for the hub, which has all my USB HW synths, and my motu midi din stuff is all maxed out.. I suppose I could change one of them to the midi express XT and get 3 more ins and 2 more outs which would leave room for another old school synth in future, but I could also sell the virus at a profit where I am located and get something else, which is also enticing. Of course, access could just make it simple and fix it like everyone else has. I mean even Roland had a full Catalina upgrade for the Integra-7 ready very fast (for example).

  • Ploytec still haven't released their Catalina UAB Audio driver yet... I'm assuming that's also what Access are waiting on as well. - https://www.usb-audio.com/support/

    Yep - just this vague statement -

      Mac OS X Catalina

    Mac OS X Catalina no longer supports HAL plugins: Catalina Release Notes. We'll release a CoreAudio-only driver by early 2020.

    Please note: The current driver is not compatible with Mac OS X 10.15.

  • I am just not sure if I am willing to buy another midi interface or upgrade an existing one to use the virus via standard midi i/o

    Who said MIDI over USB doesn't work anymore?


    but I could also sell the virus at a profit where I am located and get something else, which is also enticing.

    That sounds like your best option then.

    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+

  • Dear All,


    Even though reading through the thread and following up regularly, I am a bit puzzled. Here my situation/question:


    I need to get a new Mac soon, coming with macOS Catalina and I will need my Virus TI working with it. I do have many other synths, hardwired through a MIDI-interface and an audio interface. They are all controlled by VST-plugins out of Ableton Live 10. This works all fine fine for a Moog Sub 37, Oberheim Matrix 1000, Waldorf XT, Roland JD990, Yamaha DX7 and many more ...


    Is there anyone out there who did exactly this with a Virus TI, hardwiring it through a MIDI interface and the six (3x2) audio-outs through an audio interface and still controlling it through the Virus VST-plugin out of a DAW ?? Any experience with it ?


    Of course, I would prefer the built-in Total-Integration-USB-solution, because it saves me 6 audio-ins on an interface. Nevertheless, I do not want to miss the Virus TI and I am prepared to invest in a dedicated audio/midi-interface for the Virus. If it works ....


    Thanks a lot !!


    Stefan

  • Of course, I would prefer the built-in Total-Integration-USB-solution, because it saves me 6 audio-ins on an interface. Nevertheless, I do not want to miss the Virus TI and I am prepared to invest in a dedicated audio/midi-interface for the Virus. If it works ....


    Thanks a lot !!


    Stefan

    Hi. It kind-of works, but I find that the timing becomes very unreliable and jittery.


    Also, Virus doesn’t receive MIDI via anything other than the plug-in, if the plug-in is running.


    I’d like to be proved wrong on all that though.

  • Hi. It kind-of works, but I find that the timing becomes very unreliable and jittery.


    Also, Virus doesn’t receive MIDI via anything other than the plug-in, if the plug-in is running.


    I’d like to be proves wrong on all that though.

    Thank you for the quick answer.


    So, I understood, that the original Virus-Plug-in only allows for MIDI via USB. To send MIDI through a MIDI interface, a third-party-plugin needs to be used (like from mystery islands or MidiQuest).


    Question: Does the timing issue become better, if both Midi and Audio are sent through dedicated interfaces ?

  • Thank you for the quick answer.


    So, I understood, that the original Virus-Plug-in only allows for MIDI via USB. To send MIDI through a MIDI interface, a third-party-plugin needs to be used (like from mystery islands or MidiQuest).


    Question: Does the timing issue become better, if both Midi and Audio are sent through dedicated interfaces ?

    My understanding, is that the plug-in only works with its own USB connection. When the plug-in is running, you can't separately send MIDI to the Virus over USB (or DiNs), without going through the plug-in.

    Mystery Islands is one way forward. I use that, but do prefer the Access plug-in.

    Again - I'd love to be shown a better way of doing this, but so far haven't found a way.

    Timing is better, if you treat the Virus as a standard external instrument. In my case, I'm setting up my DAWs to use Virus as an external instrument, with PDC applied. USB MIDI and DiN are pretty-much the same timing-wise, when working in that mode.

    Timing is also good for me, if I use the full Ti plug-in system, with USB audio. Obviously, we're waiting for a Catalina update for that.

  • “when did i say it was unusable?”
    you stating that your going to buy another “awesome EDM synth” - for a start there’s no such thing as an EDM synth


    is that easy to get blocked by stating a few facts about the nature of your post , get a grip eh who actually give a shit about any of this , nothing much more to be said that won’t change the situation..

  • My understanding, is that the plug-in only works with its own USB connection. When the plug-in is running, you can't separately send MIDI to the Virus over USB (or DiNs), without going through the plug-in.

    This is inaccurate. You have to enable midi in the plugin if it is running, and then it will work. Its on the tab on the right. You will know you are looking at the right page when you see a picture of the Virus panel. "Enable Midi" is in the dropdown. Otherwise just enable midi via the keyboard itself if you want to forgo the plugin altogether.

  • This is inaccurate. You have to enable midi in the plugin if it is running, and then it will work. Its on the tab on the right. You will know you are looking at the right page when you see a picture of the Virus panel. "Enable Midi" is in the dropdown. Otherwise just enable midi via the keyboard itself if you want to forgo the plugin altogether.

    I honestly hope I’m wrong. I’ve asked many times, on multiple forums (including this one) if there’s a way to do this and I’ve never had a useful response. I’ve seen many others ask the same question and it’s never been answered.


    I’ve also just looked at the manual again and I can’t see a mention of this.


    could you be specific about which “panel” enable midi is on? Which drop-down?

  • This is inaccurate. You have to enable midi in the plugin if it is running, and then it will work. Its on the tab on the right. You will know you are looking at the right page when you see a picture of the Virus panel. "Enable Midi" is in the dropdown. Otherwise just enable midi via the keyboard itself if you want to forgo the plugin altogether.

    The "Enable Midi" you're referring to I think, is the "Enable Midi Channel" item under "MIDI Channel Behaviour" on the "remote" setup page...?

    I don't think that it has anything to do with reception of MIDI note data. Enabling it, doesn't enable reception of MIDI note data.

    I *think* my original statement is not inaccurate. I'd be very happy to be proved incorrect though!

    Edit: from the manual, what that setting does is:


    "MIDI Channel Behaviour

    Select whether or not the controller messages are sent to the

    specific channel as determined by the MIDI string, or whether

    this part of the string is ignored, and the messages are sent to

    the currently selected channel."

  • I actually would never buy an Access product again after this. Going into 03 2020 and not even a response in this thread from Access.


    In comparison to other synth manufactures out there this is beyond poor & I'd be telling others to stay clear as well.

  • Hello everybody,


    Installed the driver for my Virus TI but it doesn't show up in my MIDI setup. During installation I got the message "UpdaterPlugin.bundle cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified". Only two had options "Move to Trash" and "Cancel". I pressed "Cancel" and choosed "Allow Anyway" in the Security and Privacy settings. It seemed to install the driver since I can see it in the MIDI Drivers folder in the system. However, as already said, it doesn't show in my MIDI setup. Any help would be appreciated. I'm on Catalina 10.15.3


    Thanks,


    Robert