Access Virus TI2: I cant stand its digital sound..... what is its analog counterpart?

[droolmaster0]

Originally Posted by 10 ton splash

Here is an objective point. If you can make that patch once you can save it. Better yet share it. heehe hint hint.

I'm not sure of your point, or the derisive emoticon laughter....

[zosthegoatherd]

Originally Posted by droolmaster0

The question is a bit strange. You want its analog counterpart, so you want an analog synth whose sound you can't stand?

I am still confused by this. I mean the Virus has a feature set very different from any non DSP synth out there. An A6, evolver, P8, etc. have their own sounds and interfaces (which is why you should get something different as you don't like what you have). So, in what way do you want its counterpart? You will not find an analog synth that matches it in polyphony, or in the extensiveness of its effects section. If you want something with 3 OSCs and a bunch of routing options the field is a bit limited, if you don't mind hybrids then the aforementioned evolver and the esq1 both work.

[teknosmoker]

I too had a Virus (when they were first released), programmed the hell out of it for a year and just could not get into its sound. Didn't like the waveforms or the filters at all.

Go modular and roll your own synth.






-T

[sizzlemeister]

Originally Posted by teknosmoker

I too had a Virus (when they were first released), programmed the hell out of it for a year and just could not get into its sound. Didn't like the waveforms or the filters at all.

Go modular and roll your own synth.

-T

Uhoh. Hope you're prepared for the 15 year olds to beset upon you with their derision.

[energizer bunny]

OK the concensus on GearSlutz is in: The Access Virus is Shit.

LMAO! Gimme a break.

[4damind]

Originally Posted by Googlyman

I REALLY tried HARD to like its sound and oscillators.... but really, I cannot stand its digital souding nature. Even my beloved Kurzweils sound more organic (analog).....

Now I need a much better alternative, preferably analog.

What is the best recommended synth to replace it with?

I know that some people going back to the Virus B/C because of the "other" sound. I will not say "better" because there are always different opinions... But some guys saying the old series is sounding warmer and better.

[Psynthman]

Originally Posted by energizer bunny

OK the concensus on GearSlutz is in: The Access Virus is Shit.

LMAO! Gimme a break.

I don't think it's shit, it's a cool synth that can do lots of interesting and different stuff. I do however find the sound to be thin, harsh, and digital in a generic way. The virus sounds boring if it's not drowned in effects, in my honest opinion. Other than that, it's extremely versatile. I just don't see why anyone would want one when you can just buy a soft synth and sound the same or better.

[energizer bunny]

Sixteen part multi timbral with no hit on cpu. Softsynths are wicked these days for sure. But my Virus has a different feel/sound than say Omnisphere (which is absolutely awesome too). Pick your tools and use them, and then quit telling everyone that the tools you dont use are crap.

[10 ton splash]

One day its the Virus has its own sound, the next is it sounds like a softsynth. I just hope you guys an gals dont take old men's hearing as truth.

Actually im interested in what softsynth sounds like a TI2? I have some softsynths and when I play the TI2, there is a huge difference. Even with the USB connected.

Its absurd to judge a piece of equipment by ignoring its features. Unless of course you were biased from the start. The Virus is not the same without its effects. They are excellent, why would you not use them? The distortion, the speaker modeling, the tape thingy...Who knows what effects will be next, Access has lifetime feature upgrades for free.

[fuse]

When people having opinions there is no truth so talking about opinions as being truths is a complete waste of time. The point is that the OP cannot from the synth what he desires. He blames the synth for it and (to be frankly) I blame him for it. There is nothing wrong with the synth whatsoever.
I does a fine job at emulating other synths. It's not 100% similar to the original but otherwise we wouldn't call it emulation. And one can argue to great lenghts (as done many times before) if you can get 80, 90 or 99.9%.
But why a synth to emulate another synth if you're so 'sensitive' to the sound? Then you should either get the real synth you crave for or have it sampled.
Like an A6 never will satisfy the owner of a memorymoog to sound the same. Or a P8 will sound the same like a P5/P10. Or a Omega never will sound like a CS80 even when it has the same filters.
It all comes back to using a synth for what it can do and not for it can't do. If it doesn't do what you expect move on and get something else.
Fact is that there hardly is any replacement for any synths because they all are unique. In this case you have a limited choice of analog polyphonic new(ish) synths which shouldn't be too hard to chose from. The OP shouldn't try to compare any of those ones to a synth he clearly doesn't like.

[Vectorman]

Expecting a Virus to sound convincingly "analog" is probably not very realistic. The Virus still has a fair amount of code running that's a decade or more old and inherited from previous models (like the classic oscillators and filters), code that would have been written to be lean enough to run on 1990's DSP chips. The fact that you can still load Virus B and C patches into a TI and have them sound as they should suggests that the classic oscillators and filters can't have changed much, if at all. I don't think there's any uber-complex analog modeling going on there - surely nothing on the same level of detail as in, for example, DCAM.

I didn't think the Virus was a bad synth when I had one - had a sort of dusty fizz to it that could be kind of cool for some things. I tended to gravitate more to the wavetable oscillators with my TI as opposed to trying to do traditional analog-esque sounds. Like the Nord, Waldorf Q, etc., those early VA's still have their charms for some, regardless of the authenticity (or lack thereof) of their attempts to emulate analog. It is what it is.

[Psynthman]

Well, I don't think the Virus is MEANT to sound Analog, really. If it was...tutt
Like I said, I don't think it's a bad synth by any means. I just don't think it stands out enough for the price you pay for it, that's all. It's probably a great workhorse synth, for doing all kinds of weird little things here and there to glue a song together, but I wouldn't use one by itself to make a piece of music. I think it's one of those synths that best compliments another piece of gear, if that makes sense to anyone. I've never owned one, just played with one for a while and heard it on youtube a ton, so take my opinions with a grain of salt, but this was my impression upon using the TI. Maybe if I owned one and was able to tweak it for a few days, it'd be a different story.

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by droolmaster0

The question is a bit strange. You want its analog counterpart, so you want an analog synth whose sound you can't stand?

Still the most hilarious reply of this thread. Thanks DM

Originally Posted by sizzlemeister

Uhoh. Hope you're prepared for the 15 year olds to beset upon you with their derision.

They can afford Virus TI2s?

I thought that was the age you were supposed to say VST plugins were better, and around 20-25 you'd start with Viruses and stuff

I've had a lot of VAs - Q, Nova, Virus, AN1x, etc. I've kept the Virus (and a Nord Micromodular). I like its sound character. I'm not interested in stripping away all the effects - they're part of the synth as much as that chorus is part of a Juno-60. It doesn't always have to be on, but there's no reason to skip it completely. Yes, the filters have that particular flavor. Never found it a problem because I have enough other stuff that has different flavors. I like it better than all of the others, and that's all that matters to me.

The problem is that there is no equivalent, because a TI2 packs a boatload of features in a single box. The answer is just not going to be a single synthesizer that does all the TI2 does. Certainly not an analog machine. Forget about polyphony entirely, too, because the Frankensteinian combination that brings you at least feature parity is going to be split up over 5 or 6 units.

If you say "fine, I only care about the analog part", then it becomes easier; now you just need something with a multimode filter, enough modulation routings, 2 envelopes, 3 oscillators that sounds good without effects. As long as you don't worry about the part that says "80 voices of polyphony" - that's good. Enough options for those. So uh, yeah, get the modular.

Thing is - if you don't use the digital parts (wavetables, alternative oscillator models etc.) at all, it kind of raises the question why you got a TI in the first place. It's an important part of what the Virus does that only got bigger with the TI.

Stuff like this:

Before I bought it I extensive compared it to the Virus A, B and C.
Yes, the A B C are a bit rawer in sound but its very close if you disable the EQs and FX.

just does not make any sense whatsoever. The A, B and C have exactly the same analog modeling parts; the TI just piles other features on that with the new oscillator models. Yes, the code for those is old. It also sold thousands of units - why change a winning team?

So, mr. Googlyman - after "extensive comparison" you didn't find out that you just didn't like the character of the A, B and C - but it took the TI2 to figure you hated it? Perhaps there's a language barrier or something and you mean something completely different than what you're actually typing here.

[sizzlemeister]

Originally Posted by 10 ton splash

blah blah blah

You, and some others here, are caught up on the features and capability of the Virus. The OP, and some others in this thread, are concerned with the SOUND of it.

When it comes to any instrument, the bottom line is the sound, and if it inspires you to play it.

Judging another person based on whether they like and/or inspired by the sound of synth is absolutely inane and immature.

Just because YOU may like the sound, doesn't mean EVERYONE must as well. Just because YOU may appreciate the features (despite the sound), doesn't mean EVERYONE should as well. These are basic tenants of fairness and sociability most people learn between the ages of 10 and 15 years old.

That anyone here must be reminded of these things is ridiculous. I thought Don Solaris ran a better ship than this.

[sizzlemeister]

Originally Posted by Yoozer

Thing is - if you don't use the digital parts (wavetables, alternative oscillator models etc.) at all, it kind of raises the question why you got a TI in the first place. It's an important part of what the Virus does that only got bigger with the TI.

Yoozer, you're an old coot, too; you should know the answer to this:

You don't know if you like apple pie until you're tried it. Or, you don't know what's in the pickle barrel until you've taken the lid off of it.

There is also the likelihood that the OP hadn't had a chance to try before he bought - Viruses aren't sold at Walmart.

With all of the praise for the Virus on the internets, even if someone had the opportunity to try it out at the store and was slightly doubtful - it's easy to expect to grow into it based on the "possibilities".

The Motif series gets a lot of love - I bought an ES knowing it sounded really nice and had lots of capabilities. After 6 months I had completely regretted that decision; my old Alesis Fusion was FAR easier to program and organize and FAR more intuitive to use live. I was happy to sell that user-interface nightmare.

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by sizzlemeister

Yoozer, you're an old coot, too; you should know the answer to this:

You don't know if you like apple pie until you're tried it. Or, you don't know what's in the pickle barrel until you've taken the lid off of it.

Fair enough - further down on page one:

I am looking for convincing analog sounds, meaning well enough organic emulations of vintage synths and enough flexibility to create original sounds since I like to program stuff

So, it's kind of obvious that requirement nr. 1 fails. If the TI2 is sufficiently capable for the second part then it's probably a better idea to keep it and add something that's actually analog to it, or if budget is a reason, sell the TI2 and get the Snow, then use the pocket change left to get whatever tickles the fancy.

Sound, as you mention, is of course a great reason - but if it means doing away with it entirely means you also lose the parts you actually loved, it might not be the best strategy to take.

[sizzlemeister]

Yeah I know. Dude really doesn't know what he's after. We've all been there I think, going through gear looking for what satisfies. Eventually you wind up owning the same synth or whatever a couple of times because at some point you can't remember why you didn't like it in the first place, and then after having it again you go "oh yes, I remember why I sold this..."

There are some things to music making and production that despite your best intentions, you can't compromise on (as in "it has lots of bells and whistles, but the basic sound still gnaws at me...").

This doesn't make the guy stupid, and it doesn't prove he has crap ears; it means he's new to the game a lot of us have been playing for a long time.

You know most people won't listen to advice that goes against what our lust is telling us - keep it, learn it, you'll appreciate it later. So, okay, go through the cycle. One day you'll learn.

What makes it crappy here is that you have the immature mindset that says "well, I like it, so it's good for everyone..." or "it sounds good to me, it works for me, it should work for you..." or "I spent $2.5k on an instrument, damn straight I'm going to defend my $2.5k expenditure..." That mindset is simply wrong - it doesn't work that way, never has, and it's this selfishness that brings down good forums...

[drifter7508]

I sold my Snow rec. Sure,
It can sound great. But why the hell would I pay such money for a Virus when I still need to tweak it with software and have it connected with lame USB that it cant handle without Audio drop outs?! I rather spend my money on software in that case.

[shaft9000]

Originally Posted by sizzlemeister

There are some things to music making and production that despite your best intentions, you can't compromise on (as in "it has lots of bells and whistles, but the basic sound still gnaws at me...").

This doesn't make the guy stupid, and it doesn't prove he has crap ears; it means he's new to the game a lot of us have been playing for a long time.

You know most people won't listen to advice that goes against what our lust is telling us - keep it, learn it, you'll appreciate it later. So, okay, go through the cycle. One day you'll learn.

What makes it crappy here is that you have the immature mindset that says "well, I like it, so it's good for everyone..." or "it sounds good to me, it works for me, it should work for you..." or "I spent $2.5k on an instrument, damn straight I'm going to defend my $2.5k expenditure..." That mindset is simply wrong - it doesn't work that way, never has, and it's this selfishness that brings down good forums...

these are the wisest words ever written in this lousy place

[Teknobeam]

The Virus is a great synth. It's a Virus, won't ever be a Minimoog. A Rottweiller won't ever be a Border Collie (both great dogs). In the VA world IMHO, the Virus sounds so much better than the Nords, or the other stuff. But the thing about the Virus is it's huge modulation capabilies, and it's "analog" style tactile interface. It's really accessible. I will be keeping my Virus B. it's a gem.

[sentokan]

Originally Posted by Googlyman

Organic music: sweet jazzy groove, soulful house, bigband jazz etc... but I also create JMJ, Jan Hammer, soundtrax and movietrax music like CSI.

I am looking for convincing analog sounds, meaning well enough organic emulations of vintage synths and enough flexibility to create original sounds since I like to program stuff (hence the Kurzweils).

Man, Get a Prophet 08 and a Tetra or a Mopho keyboarsd and a Tetra. I bet anything u'll like it...I mean I got the TI and the DSI and I really feel u cause I felt that too... What u will not find on the market is a 16 channels simultaneous synth with so many effects on each part and with the so called Integration with software sequencer... but the rest is weak man... Try what I said above and u won't regret. Not very expensive and really easy to program and great great full fat organic but still modern sounds
All the best!

[astraeus000]

I am more than willing to trade my Polyevolver keyboard for a Virus TI. Anyone want to trade ?

[Liquid360]

The distortion/OSC overdrive on the Virus is top-notch for a digital synth. Pre-filter distortion. Stored with the patch. Nice.

[KennaOkoye]

Lol don't you buy a virus for its incredible onboard sounds??? So why even mention it with them off. If you buy a TI for its raw waves, I think you fail at decision making. I'm no expert but that doesn't seem right lol. Hey OP I think the consensus is Andromeda, good luck man... I would love to own one :(

[KennaOkoye]

As of this weekend I am a proud owner of a TI, I love it already... It sounds like a soft synth with better filter, more bass, and wider. Its great, versatility... Awesome I guess. If I loaded some of the patches in logic my computer would die from a vst, so this is great lol

[KennaOkoye]

Originally Posted by sentokan

Man, Get a Prophet 08 and a Tetra or a Mopho keyboarsd and a Tetra. I bet anything u'll like it...I mean I got the TI and the DSI and I really feel u cause I felt that too... What u will not find on the market is a 16 channels simultaneous synth with so many effects on each part and with the so called Integration with software sequencer... but the rest is weak man... Try what I said above and u won't regret. Not very expensive and really easy to program and great great full fat organic but still modern sounds
All the best!

LMAO..... This guy answered the OP perfectly! *applauds*