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

[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?

[MACH4]

You ain't worthy son.

[LiveFromKyoto]

Polymoog?



(These patches impress the hell out of me btw, these are the actual ones he uses on stage now. You might want to give the Virus another chance, it can sound indistinguishably analog at times).

[Hi PHi]

If you want a sound similar to the Virus' virtual analog capabilities, then the DSI Polyevolver or the Andromeda A6 are worthy substitutes. I find the Polyevolver to have a nice aggressive sound (like the TI) that I like. The A6 can sound either vintage-y or modern (or aggressive, too).

If you want more of the wavetable aspects of the synth, then a Waldorf Q or XTk would get you in the ballpark. I'm assuming this is not what you're after, given your dislike of the digital sound. But I find these keyboards to be pretty similar.

IMO, the advantage of the Virus over all these synths is that I find it very fast to work with. It's easy to dial in a great sound: analog-y, digi, hard, soft, whatever...fast! 16 voices, each with their own awesome fx section is nice (I like the FX section better than the above mentioned synths). Automation is a breeze, yada, yada...

[tomcc]

Just get a theremin. Cant get anymore analog

[Resonance5]

Andromeda A6

[Augsy]

do you want a "newer" analog or something more vintage. I personally have a p08 and it can do some nice poly analog sounds if thats what your after.

[LiveFromKyoto]

Originally Posted by Hi PHi

If you want a sound similar to the Virus' virtual analog capabilities, then the DSI Polyevolver or the Andromeda A6 are worthy substitutes. I find the Polyevolver to have a nice aggressive sound (like the TI) that I like. The A6 can sound either vintage-y or modern (or aggressive, too).

As an Evolver owner, while it definitely has its own very unique sound, I really don't think the filter is quite ballsy enough to make that comparison, TBH.

[Hi PHi]

^^^Fair enough...when I used one I would crank up the filter feedback and the distortion to get some nasty timbres. I suppose that I shouldn't have said "like the TI), 'cause it doesn't sound much like it at all.

[tonewalker]

I thought you could get good organ sounds with the Virus. Otherwise check out Ebay for a good second hand Farfisa or Hammond organ. I think they are pretty cheap and are just dedicated organs.
Seems to be a lot of people interested lately in organ type sounds

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by tonewalker

I thought you could get good organ sounds with the Virus.

That's not what's meant with the word "organic" I think.

Just a hunch.

[studiomood]

Hi Googly man, just out of interest, what sort of music do you make?

[droolmaster0]

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?

The question is a bit strange. You want its analog counterpart, so you want an analog synth whose sound you can't stand? In what sense do you want its 'counterpart'? You mean a very expensive analog polysynth? Of course, taste is everything, but if you want to spend a lot, and you want the ultimate, hunt up a sunsyn. Not as much quantity as an Andromeda, but much more quality. But I'd also consider that maybe you just didn't like the virus, and it's not the fact that it's digital per se. Maybe split the difference and hunt up a Q+ - again, all these things are subjective, but I preferred it to the Andromeda, and I didn't like the prophet stuff at all.

[fuse]

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?

Others seem to manage that just fine. So the question has to be why YOU can't get the sounds out of that box? Or are you just another synth snob?

[Metasfera]

Virus has Analog warming knob, and couple of vintage presets under it)))
Check it.

[mildheadwound]

You would need something with a pin-matrix, to compensate for the Ti's matrix. But seriously, if you don't like it's sound, just feed it's output to an analogue filter, and tweek that. Maybe even feed that back into the virus, to overlay it's fx. It really is the most dynamic hardware synths available.

[energizer bunny]

Are you talking about the T.I.'s sound after you've tracked it through the USB out to your DAW or tracked it through the analog outs into a nice preamp into your DAW or listening to it through high quality headphones or......... .

Thats one amazing synth to be just "sick of". The roster of tunes made with the Virus is em.... impressive.

[sammytaters]

A replacement for your old Kurzweils with a Kronos is what you really want. If you liked analog you'd already have one by now.

[10 ton splash]

Who was the guy who posted that monstrous TI patch? Please post it again!!!! I hope I dont have to go through that 30 page Virus thread to find him.

[DarkPlasma]

lol...its analog counterpart?

That would be a synth that weighs a ton, and costs more than you can afford.
- Howard Scarr

[Tim Ragnur]

Originally Posted by mildheadwound

You would need something with a pin-matrix ...

That's what I'm dreaming about

[MACH4]

For some reason I dont see any analog keyboard matching the digital power, processing and effects a TI2 has.

Maybe its time to grow up a little and realize once you put a bunch of sounds into a real song, be it analog or digital, no one else will care what they are, its the product as a whole that matters, and good mixing skills can make a digital track sound great. Sound is sound at the end of the day.

If youre sick of a TI2 you mustve spent 5-10 years hearing every sound it can make Im assuming. And you must be a hell of a synth programmer.

[teamsterjim]

And the proud TI2 owners attack..
Virus like all VA's lose filter tracking and resonance in the lower registers. I assume that's where you're wanting some balls. If that's the case most Virus users have the SE-1 in a rack to use in the low end, and it also has snappy leads and layers well with Virus.
It's really the only area where analog just can't be replaced.
I recently got a Solaris hardware synth and it suffers the same thing but Solaris has an incredible Tube Filter which tracks really well in the lowest registers.
Had to show a friend who still drags his EuroRacks and SEM around to the gig just for FAT low end sounds.
01-SOLARIS SE-1-110719 1944 by JimmyVee on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

[JimmiG]

Originally Posted by MACH4

For some reason I dont see any analog keyboard matching the digital power, processing and effects a TI2 has.

Maybe its time to grow up a little and realize once you put a bunch of sounds into a real song, be it analog or digital, no one else will care what they are, its the product as a whole that matters, and good mixing skills can make a digital track sound great. Sound is sound at the end of the day.

If youre sick of a TI2 you mustve spent 5-10 years hearing every sound it can make Im assuming. And you must be a hell of a synth programmer.

Agree with the first part - you don't buy a Virus because you want something that sounds like a Jupiter-8 or Minimoog (though it can emulate those convincingly as well). You have to want some digital-like sounds with lots of effects, more oscillators than any real analog could possibly feature etc. The Virus is a modern synth and sounds like one.

However, I don't think you should have to spend 5-10 years with a synth to decide it "isn't for you". The Virus, like all instruments, has its own character that may or may not be what you're looking for. With experience and talent, you can perhaps create more "uncharacteristic" sounds with the instrument.. But why spend so much time and effort trying to change the character of the instrument, when other synths are perhaps better suited for your particular style and sound with much less effort?

[MACH4]

No I meant 5-10 years (or any amount of years) was in response to "sick of it". It has so many amazing and fun sound capabilities I dont see how you can be sick of it unless you got bored of everything it created. That's different from not liking its character.

Hell if you know how analog sounds and youre too lazy to pull analogness out of a TI2 why in the hell would you even go VA *facepalm* things dont add up to the threadstarters credibility.

[Googlyman]

I have a set of Jarre sounds on it, but they dont convince me enough to like the Virus.

And I programmed all basic sounds, as raw as possible disabling its EQ, FX and all that. Thats what I always do first before adding FX...
But I cant get it sounding like I think analog should sound: organic with balls.
Adding EQ doesnt mask the fact that the Virus sounds somewhat plastic.

So people, when you say that it can sound indistinguisly analog like a vintage synth, please direct me to those patches ? Or PM them to me.
Or I will give my email address.

I am VERY curious!


PS: I dont need multitimbrality nor its make over FX, I want organic quality in the basic sound.

PS2: I am not looking for the same analog synth spec'wise, sorry for the confusion

[Googlyman]

Originally Posted by studiomood

Hi Googly man, just out of interest, what sort of music do you make?

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).

[droolmaster0]

if you have some experience in programming synths, and you don't like the sound of this (or any) synth, trust yourself. Much of this is subjective of course - sometimes you can learn how to program a synth better, and sometimes it can grow on you. but sometimes, if you don't like its core sound, it will come to irk you more over time. You'll always get people who say that the problem is you - that others can make good sounds with it, etc, but if you spend some serious time with it, and you simply can't get it to sound pleasing to you - then you very well might never bond with it. With experience, you can tell how much time you need to spend before you 'know' - and it's hard to gauge that. But I'd agree that the virus does not sound analog. The fact that some people can post patches that might sound that way isn't the same thing as programming it yourself and hearing how it responds to what you do.

Originally Posted by Googlyman

I have a set of Jarre sounds on it, but they dont convince me enough to like the Virus.

And I programmed all basic sounds, as raw as possible disabling its EQ, FX and all that. Thats what I always do first before adding FX...
But I cant get it sounding like I think analog should sound: organic with balls.
Adding EQ doesnt mask the fact that the Virus sounds somewhat plastic.

So people, when you say that it can sound indistinguisly analog like a vintage synth, please direct me to those patches ? Or PM them to me.
Or I will give my email address.

I am VERY curious!


PS: I dont need multitimbrality nor its make over FX, I want organic quality in the basic sound.

PS2: I am not looking for the same analog synth spec'wise, sorry for the confusion

[droolmaster0]

how would an analog synth match the 'digital power' of a Virus?

this is all pretty silly. You don't need to spend 5-10 years with a synth to determine that you don't like it. I don't like the Virus myself. I have some experience at programming synths. Sometimes the issue isn't whether, with tons of time programming, you can get a sound here and there that you like - the question becomes whether you want an instrument that you have to fight so much to get there.

Of course, some people (and I don't know the op) bail on instruments too early, and it's hard to tell whether that's true in this case. However, there is no substitute for experience here, and ultimately most people learn themselves, and how to tell whether they are going to bond with a synth or not. And it doesnt' take 5-10 years or even close to it. What a colossal waste of time to spend 10 years fighting an instrument to then realize that you should have had other stuff all along!

Originally Posted by MACH4

For some reason I dont see any analog keyboard matching the digital power, processing and effects a TI2 has.

Maybe its time to grow up a little and realize once you put a bunch of sounds into a real song, be it analog or digital, no one else will care what they are, its the product as a whole that matters, and good mixing skills can make a digital track sound great. Sound is sound at the end of the day.

If youre sick of a TI2 you mustve spent 5-10 years hearing every sound it can make Im assuming. And you must be a hell of a synth programmer.

[droolmaster0]

no. this is just all wrong.

You can get sick of something pretty quickly if every time you play it, there is a core character to the sound that drives you crazy. For instance, I've had that with the elektron monomachine. There is much I like about it, and I've owned one THREE times because I always convince myself that I should come to terms with it. But then I always reach that point with it where I just hate turning it on...

Other people love the monomachine, but I don't feel like I'm wrong in any sense because I don't like the sound. I've heard nice things that people have posted, and haven't disliked everything I've come up with using it - but as I'm doing so, the sound just irks the hell out of me. These things are subjective.

Originally Posted by MACH4

No I meant 5-10 years (or any amount of years) was in response to "sick of it". It has so many amazing and fun sound capabilities I dont see how you can be sick of it unless you got bored of everything it created. That's different from not liking its character.

Hell if you know how analog sounds and youre too lazy to pull analogness out of a TI2 why in the hell would you even go VA *facepalm* things dont add up to the threadstarters credibility.