Access Virus Ti2
Mirtha Hinrichs
The first Virus was released in 1997 and each new iteration has added more features more powerful hardware, and greater musical potential. That evolution explains why the Virus TI series is so sought after and why it receives such praise from owners, press, and fans all over the world.
Artists including Depeche Mode, Madonna, Linkin Park and The Prodigy tour with a Virus-based setup. Producers such as Sasha, Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez and Dr. Dre consider the Virus a core part of their studios. Composers such as Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, John Powell and Mark Isham are enthusiastic Virus users, utilising its signature sound for their Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks.
The Virus TI line of synthesizers includes 4 different variations: two keyboard models and two desktop versions. The great news is that all of these instruments produce the same award-winning sound. In this way, we offer you a choice of formats without compromising the most important aspect of any instrument: how well it performs musically.
This synthesizer will make any desktop proud! The TI Desktop features an all-metal enclosure with a wooden strip on the front. Loads of knobs and buttons give direct access to the most important sound shaping parameters. This range of instant access hands-on control will delight those who don't like menu diving. Like all other Virus TI synthesizers, a stereo analogue input offers the power to process external signals through the Virus' sound engine. An optional 19" rack mounting kit is available for purchase.
Its compact form factor makes the TI Snow an ideal choice for traveling musicians. It's footprint is not larger than an issue of Mix Magazine. Nevertheless it features the exact same sound engine of it's bigger brothers with about 50% of the voice count -- a top performer at every jam session. The patch select buttons make searching for the right sound a breeze and allow you to access any of the 1024 internal patches with four or fewer button clicks.
61 semi-weighted keys with great action and jacks for connecting pedals make the Virus TI Keyboard a performer's dream. The wooden side panels offer a great "grip" and make transportation a more enjoyable task. With over 3300 onboard sounds you will never run out of ideas while jamming.
Designed as the ideal companion to any DJ or project studio, this 37-key model is not only compact but also stunningly beautiful. The side panels are a mix of wood and pure aluminium, while the white LEDs add class and style. The sound engine is exactly that used in the powerful and versatile TI Desktop and Keyboard models.
I was wondering because I tried out the TI and liked the sounds but the interface doesn't seem very user friendly-especially for live playing. I had a hard time quickly turning on the arpeggiator in the preset and changing the tempo (no knob spaced in the corner of the panel to be able to turn for fast or slow tempo arpeggio changes) The other thing I wanted to ask is if the KC has more non-dance orientated and more vintage analog inspired pulses and sweeping pads or does the TI have plenty of those on other banks maybe?
Finally the sales guy said it can be set up to sound like anything, it's that good. Is the Access Virus better than the Nord stuff in your opinions for fuller analog emulation or are they on par with each other. Why such huge discrepencies in pricing?
Waldorf can emulate analog synths very well, it has a great synthesis engine under the hood, plus has something called Wavetable synthesis, which is a cool thing to make cool sounds It has 2 effects with various effect types and stuff. It's probably best buy synth of the decade. You won't regret buying it!
The Virus TI comes with 2,000+ presets, and there are zillions more available for download. Some of us who've owned a TI for a couple of years probably have yet to play around with half of them. Additionally, the TI is actually quite intuitive to program, even without using the VC software, and just the front panel. IMHO, the TI can do just about any vintage analog emulation you could possibly desire.
One of the features that makes the TI so powerful (and expensive) is the completely independent multi-effects and arpeggiators for each of the 16 parts in multi mode. If you're doing MIDI sequencing this can be invaluable - it is like have 16 Virus synths, without limitation (other than overall polyphony) inside a single box. This also allows you to stack multiple TI patches (each with their own effects and arpeggiators) on top of each other, or play them across MIDI keyboards with split points, all of which is especially handy and extremely powerful in a live situation.
I used to have a Waldorf Micro Q, but have since sold it. I found many of the sounds to be a bit too metallic for my taste, and the effects were horrible. Hopefully, the Blofeld sounds better. Another problem with the Micro Q was the shortage of knobs, which made sound programming and editing a bit too laborious for my workflow. I would imagine that one of the reasons the Blofeld is relatively cheap is that it has so few knobs.
With 30+ knobs and 40+ buttons, the TI is a joy to tweak in both the studio and on stage. It also has three knobs that can be independently programmed to adjust whatever you want on a patch-by-patch basis. So, for example, one of these knobs can easily be programmed to adjust clock tempo, which controls arp speed, if you want.
The Virus TI is, to me, the top-of-the-line VA synth currently being made. It has depth and features that could take years to explore. It is also very expensive, relatively speaking, but I believe Access continues to sell lots of them, even at high prices in the US (due to the continuing dismal weakness of the dollar vs the Euro and other currencies).
There are lots of fun synths out there, including the Nords and Waldorfs. And I am sure I'd love fiddling with a Blofeld, although I have yet to run across one in a store. Yes, the TI costs 3x - 4x as much as one of these synths, but that doesn't mean it's overpriced. The Honda Accord is a great car and a great value (I own one myself), but the market for Mercedes Benzes, BMWs, and Jags exists for good reason.
And to address the original question - I never owned a Virus C, but AFAIK the TI introduced several new synthesis types, the whole "totally integrated" Virus Control software/technology, completely independent multieffects for each part, just to name a few of the significant developments beyond the Virus C.
Before investing in the TI, I first purchased a used Virus Indigo (Virus B engine) for about $800. I sold it about eight months later to puchase a TI Polar. The TI is a big investment, and it likely wouldn't be a bad idea for anyone to purchase a cheaper, used Virus model first, before spending big on a TI, especially at today's prices.
To answer the original post, the TI has a tap tempo button which makes it extremely easy to set the tempo in a live situation. There are a couple of other ways to adjust it very quickly to a pre-defined tempo as well - either hit the main Edit button and it's the first available parameter, or use Shift+Amp Release.
+1 to michael's comments - I had mine for getting on for 3 years now - and I actually dont think Ill have fully explored whats there in another 3 - if ever - its by far my favourite, most used and most flexible synth.
Once you have figured out what control you want - dive into the mod matrix and setup the controlls you need - that includes assigning one of the 3 knobs to arp settings etc if thats what you need for that patch when playing. Of course for all the params with directly available controls, then no needs for this. Also you can make mod sources control many parameters at the same time.
The major differences from C to TI in addition to that which michael mentions above are a bunch of new oscilator modes available on the two main oscs for wave tables, hypersaw (access equiv of the roland supersaw), pwm wave tables allow for some wierd and fat arse sounds from a single osc and the two modes each of granular and format synthesis which are basically wavetable synthesis run through a huge bank of parallel filters with lots of tonal shaping params.
If I wasnt going for an access synth, then I must admit, Im qute coming around to liking the waldorf sound for alot of things, but its not a sound that I want to live with as my primary sound - have to be a Q or Q+ though - as I need the knobbage.
The Virus can sound very PPGish (go figure) using the 64 spectral waves, but it much darker and warmer. The effects are spectacular - there is no better phaser. The Virus line has a very broad range in what it is capable of producing due to a wide selection of oscillator
IMO, the Virus hardware interface is not very user friendly, despite the version. With the TI, if you use virus control from within a DAW, it's very simple though. It eliminates all that scrolling through menus trying to find stuff.
As to programming, Waldorf stuff is deeper, but the Virus is no slouch compared to a lot of others. You don't get a lot of filter types compared to something like the Alesis Ion, but what you do get sounds very good.
I am not that interested in setting up arp tempo via MIDI. I like to radically change arp tempos on the fly for interesting shifts within songs. So it is easy just to hit the arp buttin on a preset or homemade patch and start tapping the tempo of the arp out per song?
You don't have to do this though for things to work. You don't even need to create a device icon for the Virus for MIDI to get to and reach the EIE. The main benefit of doing this is that the EIE's port in Logic will appear with the name of the connected device (the Virus).
Create an external MIDI track, choose the appropriate port and MIDI channel from Logic's Library pane. Connect headphones to the virus's phones jack. Play your Alesis keyboard (making sure the external MIDI track is selected and record-enabled).
That way, the audio of your gear connected to tour EiE will go to Logic. And the sound coming out of Logic will go to your Akai speakers, providing that you have connected and set you EiE accordingly.
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