Buying Access Virus TI2 Desktop

  • Hey guys,, i saved some money and now am ready to buy an access virus ti2 desktop but i have few questions i hope u can help me,
    am buying its because i want to use it with ableton instead of the vsts plugins.


    - Is the setup difficult and easy to use with ableton ?
    - does the controller works fine with ableton ?
    - and is its a good choice for a beginner in music production


    I hope u can help me so i don't make the wrong choice.


    Thanks
    :?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?::?:

  • The biggest problem with Ableton Live is that live doesn't have a realtime render option, which the Virus needs since it can't process audio offline. This can be worked around by either bouncing the Virus to audio using a live recording of a track send, or by inserting a dummy external midi device in the Virus' plugin chain. Regarding general setup difficulties, the ones you most probably might run into are USB bandwidth problems, so it is good to get to know your USB architecture beforehand, read the setup guide thoroughly, and if you are not computer savvy, then it is good if someone who is, is around.
    If you know your way around subtractive sound synthesis and know the MIDI standard then you will have no problems in learning how to use it. I didn't completely understand your question about "the controller".

  • question about "the controller".


    i mean , most of the videos ive seen about the virus and ableton doesnt show how the controller work, i mean after you do the routing for the multiple channel, can i use the controller knobs for automation and tweaking for each instrument. I only see vidoes of people using the software its self not the controller. i hope u can understand me and answer my question

  • VirusTI comes with a bunch of "starter" Tutorial projects, and one of the example projects is Ableton!


    Your best bet is to start with that project and use it as a basis for all future work. That project shouldn't have any glitches.

  • Yes, patch/part parameter changes made on the Virus itself are reflected in the plugin GUI, although the two separate UI-s (LCD and plugin) do not influence each other in terms of the currently displayed menu item. Also note that the knobs are panpot style, not motorized, and not endless rotary encoders. This means that if you change a parameter in the GUI, the corresponding physical knob will not automatically move to indicate the change, and when you do move the knob the parameter value will suddenly jump to the physical knob value.

  • Since you write that you saved money for it, I understand that you are not looking into buying a Virus just as a status symbol. It really depends on what kind of "newbie" you are - if you are just looking for more preset sounds then keep using your VST-s and buy additional sample packs for the type of sounds you cannot produce with your VST-s. If you want to learn how to design/program synths then I suggest you begin with your VST-s and move on to the Virus when you are ready. You can also buy the more modest Snow. If you already know how to do all that, then yes, the Virus is an excellent synth to implement your sound design knowledge on. Just don't throw away your VST-s because every tool has its strengths and weaknesses and a Virus and a set of VST-s complement each other in the studio and increase the polyphony.
    I hope you don't think that it is not worth it to make music without the Virus, because that's simply not true. Start by using what you can to the best of your abilities, then move on to getting what you want when the situation allows you to.
    Hope I helped.

  • do i need to buy sound card or a usb hub to run the access virus snow on my mac pro 2.4.
    i only have ableton on my computer and i use the build in sound card.
    please let me know if i need to buy other parts to run it perfectly. it will be shipped next week

  • The Virus can double as a pro soundcard, if you are willing to give up the ability to use it for sidechaining. I'd recommend getting a pro soundcard if you are planning to record live playing or singing. You can still use your internal soundcard if it doesn't add too much latency. The one thing you might need to be prepared to add to your setup is an external hub or an additional USB expansion card if your Snow starts crackling and none of the onboard ports helps.