Here's a sample for you guys illustrating the differences between running the virus at 44 vs 48. Just a basic saw waveform but it proves an easily audible difference. If you want brighter sounds and more top end clarity and sizzle, you want the Virus generating at 48k internally! In order to make for perfect comparison on a level playing field the samples are seamlessly looped with levels matched and the 48k render is downsampled to 44k just as you would do if you are producing in 44.1khz natively.
First half is rendered at 44.1khz, second half is 48khz downsampled to 44.1k: http://www27.zippyshare.com/v/86783886/file.html **NOTE - Do NOT listen to it off the zippy player! Download it.
Sample Rate Conversion done by the best SRC I know of: Izotope 64bit SRC. If you do decide to run the virus at 48k make sure you use a top notch offline SRC to convert it to your project's sample rate. Letting the host do that on the fly is not the best way to go.
The Virus normally allows you to choose between running 44 or 48k internally but once you plug in the USB it goes on autopilot. The Virus will render at 44k internally if your audio interface is set at 44k or 88k. Likewise it will generate at 48k if your interface is running at either 48k or 96k. Those rates remain the same regardless of if you're using the analog or digital outputs.
The great thing about standalone mode is you get to choose to generate at 44 or 48k and it gets generated as such then sent out the analog outputs and recorded at whatever your project is running at, so you don't need to convert the sample rate.
I wonder if Access will ever let us pick internal clock rates while USB is connected? Less aliasing is a known benefit to going above 44.1khz since more of the aliasing (high end non-harmonic digital dirt) is moved above the audible range.