Got it installed, up and running ... just looking through presets to see how they look, definitely useful just for that. Only looking at single, multi's come next ... then on to Init and design ...
Great stuff Faijai!

So this thing has just seen a substantial price drop (over $1000 at some retailers) here in Aus. It's got me interested again. There's not a lot of great demos out there it seems, but it seems the general consensus from owners is that they're happy with it, even with it being seemingly abandoned by Waldorf already?!

I am still more drawn to the Iridium (I have a Virus TI and even though some ppl have said it's not the case, I do feel there'd be an amount of overlap between it and the Kyra), but for almost half the price, it seems the Kyra could be a nice synth for the money...

So - how is it on current firmware? Are there any glaring issues that could be dealbreakers if no future updates come?

I'm happy with it, no deal-breaking bugs found, and great sounds. I see it as highly complimentary to the Iridium, the latter is a very complex sound engine, the Kyra is for huge multi-timbral layering ...

One more payment to zzounds and it’s mine...

I just got one, not only because a need for compact multitimbrality has popped up, but also for its realtime per-key microtuning capability.

can it actually replace a virus Ti2, given I only ever use mono timbrality? or is irridium the better option.

Be aware there are people for whom the Virus is irreplaceable when you ask that question.
Kyra has pretty powerful options for each layer, it comes into its own as you stack and layer them. Iridium has far more complexity in it's layers, but only two. Both very rich palattes to choose from ... big sounds vs complex ones maybe?

Oh I know that.

Ill try and make it clear though. I play in a band context, not recording. I dont use my Virus in multi timbral mode - nor would I kyura or iridium.

I run an Fantom 7, with Peak, Virus Ti2 and a Deep Mind. Each has their own strengths. Virus is the mod matrix, envelope decay slopes, and the amount of core waveforms available with the spectrals. its week point is the filters which are functional but nothing more, and lack of slop (in DSi terms) or drift (well there is SOME there hard coded but its not as natural or as controllable as more modern VAs) - and of course the aliasing which isnt massive but is there. It does the 90s/2000s sounds really well (deep mind covers 80s, Peak more modern sounding - and Fantom covers most bases actually but has poor mod matrix).

Technical capabilities of Virus, Kyra an irridum are of course readily available - and its obvious where each has strengths and weaknesses. Provided Kyra/Iridium offers the unique sound design parts Virus does (and they both do - iridium more than Kyra but they do most things virus does in that regard).

HOWEVER what they SOUND like at core level is what Im most interested in at this point. The question is really, with a single sound, doing a basic detuned twin saw brassy type sounds (for instance), or a typical moog esc lead sound, or a DX7 bell type sound - which of the 3 sounds more authentically analogue (using any tricks up its sleeve). Which is fattest, most harmonically rich etc.

That is and foremost my choice making criteria. Of course wave table style sounds have their own thing - and are welcome, as is FM 9that Iridium does well), etc BUT there all textures and I know which Id like and which Im not bothered about - core sound however is very important.

so given all that... If you had to do a traditional synth brass, moog lead and DX7 bell sound. Used as single patches - nothing more, nothing less. Which of the 3 synths best dopes this?

yes Im aware there are other alternatives to look at - Proper analogues like Rev 2, P6 - Hydrasynth, nords etc, BUT they dont offer the functionality I m, looking for elsewhere. All 3 of these synths have what Im looking for on a technical capability front - its the sound, filter quality, feel etc I dont know about.

I don’t have the iridium but I hear some complaints in that thread about quality issues. Not so much sound quality, but build quality and software bugs.
I think you can get your Virus and analog-style sounds from the Kyra but there are probably cheaper ways and the interface has some menu diving.

I know there are cheaper ways - but while they get the sounds I mentioned - you then loose the more "esoteric" sounds both kyra and Virus can achieve.

Hydrasynth is an option - but Ive played with that as well as watched LOADS of vids (both on its on and comparisons) and its just too cold sounding. Even the "vintage" patch collections arnt as warm as Id like. Virus gets pretty much the same level as hydrasynth in those respects so Im not gaining anything on that front changing, and Im not really interested in the wave table mangling it can do.

The only real reason for looking at Kyra or Iridium, is Virus is getting older, harder to repair if it fails, more likely to fail., The technology is missing something by todays standards (cutting edge in its time of course). Its screaming out for better and more varied filter algorithms and the very least, along with controllable drift/slop/analogue behaviour controls. its not gong to get them though - so the search for an ultimate replacement is on.

Im not changing for the SAKE of changing, the Virus is still great, but if something comes along (if its not in Kyra or iridium) that offer the same or similar sonic possibilities in a single timbral instrument (as I say Im really not concerned about multi temporality) but with better analogue emulation - then thats the time to change.

I bought a Kyra because I liked the idea of it's features and sound. I considered, but didn't buy a Virus because I saw it as old-tech like you describe. I like these sounds, big fan of Modal instruments too. I was never going to buy a Quantum because of cost and size ... but then the module version in the form of Iridium arrived, irresistible to me! Delighted with both Waldorf's.
Peak, Hydrasynth & P12 all also have things to offer me ... I have recently tried a P6 to explore what I might be missing in the VA world, and find more exciting and stimulating sounds in my hybrid/digital instruments.
I would think the Iridium is possibly a good foil to your Virus, it's FM kernel opportunities might be a route to your DX7 bells, it's wavetables and waveforms might give you a satisfactory brass and leads ... and you're not tapping into particle and other stuff yet.
But if you were minded, as quite a lot of Virus fans appear to be, towards multi-timbral sounds with multiple i/o options ... then Kyra does huge hypersaws, massive brass arrays and a gorgeous clarion of bells ...

A while back, I was looking into getting an Iridium, and the rap on it was that it's also cold sounding, so you might want to look more closely at that. In fact, the people who love the Iridium were saying the cold aspect is exactly why they like it, and it's what I liked, too, as a complement to my other stuff. I never got one because of the other rap: unreliable quality control. From my location, to put it briefly, return for refund (let alone repair) is way too much of a pain in the ass. If I could have gotten it at a local store to try for up to a week, I would have. I did actually pay for one in full, but took the refund when they still didn't have it in stock after a month. I consider myself lucky there. Instead, I got a Tasty Chips GR-1 because I decided that the live granular was my main motivation for the Iridium, so why not get a box that specializes in that.