• Hey Marc / Access Team,


    we are waiting since years (2016) about updates which never comes, can you please do a statement if the Virus just became abandonware on the software side so we can move on and find a different solution?


    No discussion it's a great synth, but the support just feels like it became abandonware, and for a 1500+ dollars gear we have the right to know what is going on in your HQ.

  • Hey Marc / Access Team,


    we are waiting since years (2016) about updates which never comes, can you please do a statement if the Virus just became abandonware on the software side so we can move on and find a different solution?


    No discussion it's a great synth, but the support just feels like it became abandonware, and for a 1500+ dollars gear we have the right to know what is going on in your HQ.

    They should remove the "MacOS" support from the box.

  • I think it's atrocious the way they have gone completely silent on their user base. They either don't give a damn or they are completely unprofessional.

    They are still selling the synths and still shipping new stock. https://www.andertons.co.uk/ke…/access-virus-ti2-desktop

    I've been actively harassing them on social media for months and even filed a complaint with the local consumer protection agency in NL.

    Indulgence gets us friends, but truth gets us hatred.

    OB-6, Polivoks, Polivoks Pro, Virus TI x2, Waldorf M, MS-20, MS2000, Radias, Minilogue, Minitaur, Argon8, Erebus, Alpha Juno 2, TR-8S, Xio 49, Ultranova, Microfreak,

  • Agree, we are all clearly dedicated fans to still be hanging around here (even if only very occasionally) and still we have no word from Access. For many years now. From best synth company in the world to.... non existent. Anyone who buys a TI now for the studio is totally mad though (unless they are just playing live on stage, then go for it, don't hesitate!)

  • Also, just trying to use my Ti for the first time in a fair while, and the thing just stutters and faults when sending any fast pattern to it and in unison mode with anything more than 3 voices. Not using Ti vst here, using just midi out.


    Comparing it to my JP-8080 which is perfectly in sync and in time every single time without fail.


    The Virus is okay when not in unison mode, but as soon as it goes into unison and has anything like 16th's sent to it at much above 105BPM and unison 4 and above. Now i remember why i gave up with it

  • Anyone who buys a TI now for the studio is totally mad though […]

    … or on Windows!

    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+

  • It's a shame - true. If we would at least get a "state of the art" software solution...

    I just got myself a PolyBrute - the control software ist not free of bugs yet, but it is smashing.

    Bi-directional control - no fiddeling about with upload/download/parameters - and it works standalone too - no DAW needed. And I must say - I am overwhelmed by it - it is not a replacement of my Virus - by no means!

    It is Analog up to the patch field and of course the effect section, arp and seqencer - they are digital - a wonderful hybrid :)


    I was hoping to get a new generation of the Virus - now it is a PolyBrute - sorry guys of Access/Kemper

  • I think producing a HW synth and earning money is difficult today in terms of cost and development because of all these SW-synths arounds and the flood of cheep analog synths (produced by mainly one company).


    However there are possibiliteis to improve an existing hardware even when CPU is running out of time. It is possible to simply exchange functions which became obsolete because too many people made use of it by new functions and provide exisiting customers with an alternative software so they can use both versions when they like. With a better SW, you could imagine to tweak it that way, that it runs on a higher sample rate in order to make use of better filtering and sound generation strategies with reduced number of voices. For mixing and composing one could provide a SW-version with a limited quality to get around in real time with all the voices and exchange it by a better one to produce the voices with an increased quality piece for piece with several recording seesions. For many users this would be okay since most of them a semi prof customers anyway.


    I proposed exactly this strategy at least 15 years ago in the old access virus. Furthermore I posted my idee, how I did that with my first synths in the 90tees: LEt the system run on half sample speed and thus doulbe time parameter seetings offering half MIDI spped. Then it can calculate the double number of voices / or the double precision and rename the track from 48kHz to 96kHz. Doing that in both directions you can even shun the bandwidth limits given by the DACs.


    I thus had been able to use my TMD320-DSP-System and the Soundart-Chameleon in 96kHz-Mode and produce bass-Frequencies down to 10Hz easily in production mode, although the are designed to operate 48kHz DACs only.

    http://www.96khz.org/htm/chameleonsynth.htm


    For the nowadays synths this would be even more easy since they could operate the tota asynchrous way and push all data into the USB-Buffer.

    One of my FPGA synths slightly does this since it operates on a VIDEO / VGA Frequency and the Synth engine can produce 148.5 MHz / 192000 = 777 and there is only RAM for 512 voices. So it makes use of gaps and black shoulder time outs to produce the voices ahead and use a sample buffer.

  • Also, just trying to use my Ti for the first time in a fair while, and the thing just stutters and faults when sending any fast pattern to it and in unison mode with anything more than 3 voices. Not using Ti vst here, using just midi out.


    Comparing it to my JP-8080 which is perfectly in sync and in time every single time without fail.


    The Virus is okay when not in unison mode, but as soon as it goes into unison and has anything like 16th's sent to it at much above 105BPM and unison 4 and above. Now i remember why i gave up with it

    Could it be that you're running into the same issue detailed here? Downgrading TI to OS 3.3.4 fixes MIDI timing!