Acces Virus (TI/TI2) keyboard/deskop version still worth to buy in 2023?

Without hesitation, the TI2. It is super powerful in terms of sound quality, enormous emulation possibilities, thousands of sound banks available
I use it every day, on M1 + Aura. On this forum we can help you, it remains active by its members
IT takes 3 months to understand and 10 months more to know what to use as parameters to achieve the sound you are looking for. So the first few months, don't regret your acquisition, you have to get on with it lol
With Aura, you empty your Banks as soon as they are full (RAM A B C D) or you recall them in the plug-in to send them to the Virus in TEMP to listen, or by entire block which will remain. Truly perfect so far.

I recommend to buy used. In some areas, they are available at great prices and if you find a more recent unit, there's little chance of hardware failures.

However, it is a professional instrument, and as Lioio suggested, you have to spend a considerable amount of time to read the manuals, work through tutorials, and fight through the myriads of problems with the computer integration setup, before you will enjoy it. But if you managed to pass all the obstacles, it is a truly amazing synth. And "trancy" is just a tiny fraction of what it is capable of. It can't do everything, but the possibilities are pretty mind bending.

DJRobertV the Aura Plug-ins Hardware Editor for Virus does work, but there are two things it won’t do:

1. Edit Virus “remote templates” so your Virus TI/TI2 desktop can control other plug-ins
2. Manage the firmware version of the Virus synth itself

Many of us maintain an older Mac (I have a 2010 MacBook Pro) or a Windows PC to load Access’ original Virus Control software for these two tasks.

If the Virus you purchase is on current firmware, and using the synth to control plug-ins isn’t relevant, Aura Virus HC could be your solution.

Welcome to the fellowship of Virus lovers!

The Virus keyboards are among the best synth keyboards you will find, so if you decide to go the keyboard version route it's unlikely that you'll regret it. The Virus doesn't have a sequencer but it can do keyboard split at least. If size is of paramount concern for you and you don't need immediate access to the Virus front panel then you may prefer to use a master keyboard.

I've just bought a 3rd - do it...

Congratulations!

Zitat von rhbmcse

I've just bought a 3rd - do it...

ENJOY

Zitat von DJRobertV

Today I bought a used TI2 desktop version from 2020 in immaculate condition

Welcome to the addicts club.

Congratulations.

Don't be hasty to sell that piece of history.

There's a lot to learn, some quirks.

I'm still very much learning !

Rob B...

號

Zitat von DJRobertV

Good day,

I have been looking already for a long time to add an Access Virus TI/TI2 to my music setup.

Love the trancy sounds it produces and my feeling is it just has to be part of my setup for EDM/Trance.

I use Ableton Live 11.3 suite, running on Macbook Pro M1 (Os Ventura), and a midi controller keyboard MIDI USB a Yamaha MX49 Mk2.

Also I have a Yamaha CS2X but that is more sentiments from my youth

Although I can still use the CS2X with my M-audio USB interface to my macbook pro and midi in/out cables.

Would you still recommend buying a Access Virus at the moment, with the ceased support/integration for Apple M1 computers?

Either the keyboard version, or desktop, and control the desktop with my midi keyboard.

I know that probably I shouldnt mention it here, but I would consider Novation Peak desktop as alternative, in combination with a nice ableton midi controller novation 61SL ML3.

Just because that unit has no integration issues, is still supported, and doesnt sound bad at all. Its not a virus though ......

Just a bit concerned about lack of support for Virus studio integration at the moment....

I know there are 3rd party solutions like Aura, but how does it actually work ?

Thanks for your experience,

DJ Robert V

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I purchased TI SNOW and TC PowerCore Virus about 11 years ago

but haven't used them in at least 9 years.

In contrast, I regularly use 56300 B~C and VIPER.

The adjustment techniques are quite similar, but in terms of modifications, 56300 and VIPER offer more convenience.

Whether to make a purchase or not depends on the user's level of experience. After all, seeing many users who are not proficient,

I don't highly recommend taking the risk of purchasing without sufficient knowledge.

Yes unless you buy a Waldorf Quantum keyboard. I use mine without the computer most of the time and that is the most fun. The total integration is mostly dead especially on new Mac OS X computers.

If your asking the question, your already there mate
I bought a Polar TI-2 the other day, in great condition, plastic still on the display (but not any longer because im keeping this one)
Ive just started to learn it, and man it is so much fun.
Im on Win 10 and Ableton so everything regarding the TI-part is working just fine.
Dammaged by all the software synths ive used I tend to do the sound sculpting through the VST, but im slowly starting to transition towards using the hardware. Still using the TI-software is great as well, automation in ableton works exactly as it should etc.
Using 3 parts over USB seems to work great as well, which is a nice touch since 3 major synts goes a long way in my projects

IMHO - give me a hands on synth any day.

I can't bear coming away from my synth to mess around on a computer - it drives me scatty.

Then again - I'm old skool. I was raised in the days of DX7s where there were no computers.

The more I can do on the synth without needing to mess about with a computer, the better.

My used VI2 Polar just arrived yesterday and I'm blown away by this synth! It still had the plastic protection on the screen and both sets of power cables. I could not find any reference to Virus Control anywhere. Is Virus Control on a CD or DVD? Is it even necessary to load presets, or is there some better software interface?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

Zitat von DJRobertV

Good day,

I have been looking already for a long time to add an Access Virus TI/TI2 to my music setup.

Love the trancy sounds it produces and my feeling is it just has to be part of my setup for EDM/Trance.

I use Ableton Live 11.3 suite, running on Macbook Pro M1 (Os Ventura), and a midi controller keyboard MIDI USB a Yamaha MX49 Mk2.

Also I have a Yamaha CS2X but that is more sentiments from my youth

Although I can still use the CS2X with my M-audio USB interface to my macbook pro and midi in/out cables.

Would you still recommend buying a Access Virus at the moment, with the ceased support/integration for Apple M1 computers?

Either the keyboard version, or desktop, and control the desktop with my midi keyboard.

I know that probably I shouldnt mention it here, but I would consider Novation Peak desktop as alternative, in combination with a nice ableton midi controller novation 61SL ML3.

Just because that unit has no integration issues, is still supported, and doesnt sound bad at all. Its not a virus though ......

Just a bit concerned about lack of support for Virus studio integration at the moment....

I know there are 3rd party solutions like Aura, but how does it actually work ?

Thanks for your experience,

DJ Robert V

Alles anzeigen

If you get a discount then yes the Virus is still amazing. I use mine with external mixer recorder and sometimes with Aura plugin and old Mac or Windows PC.

Zitat von AEGYRE

My used VI2 Polar just arrived yesterday and I'm blown away by this synth! It still had the plastic protection on the screen and both sets of power cables. I could not find any reference to Virus Control anywhere. Is Virus Control on a CD or DVD? Is it even necessary to load presets, or is there some better software interface?

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond.

I just tried the Virus Control and it was pretty straight forward.
You can administer your patches there after making them in the Synth or the VST
Are you running Windows, if you are then I would say that the Control does not seem that important since you can do alot with the presets in the VST, but if you want to burn your patches to the ROMs then you would need some way to transfer them from the .mid bank to the ROM, and thats where I think the Virus Control comes to play