[UNSOLVED] I can't get my Virus A to work with my Electribe

[mad synthisist]

I just bought the Virus and have read the manual but I can't get the korg to work with the Virus AT ALL. I have a midi to midi to USB cable, and I know they need to be on the same midi channel but I can't get it working and I've tried everything I can think of. The only sound I have got from the virus is the demo song... now my limited understanding is the sampler should be able to send sounds to the virus and then I can manipulate them. (am I wrong??) do I need a midi keyboard instead?? Please help me as I've wanted a virus for ages and now that I've got one, it's very frustrating not being able to use it!!!!!

[mad synthisist]

I also tried
plugging my sampler in to the line in... nothing! aghhhhh!!
if any one can tell me how to set it up properly I'd be so happy...

[myfilthyheart]

where are your speakers in this equation?

[mad synthisist]

headphones in the L/phones, speakers in r/mono. It plays the demo track fine.

[Onkel Dunkel]

Not sure what you are trying to do but here´s a short guide that might help:

To play the Virus you need to send MIDI note information to the Virus (via a MIDI cable from MIDI out of a sequenser/keyboard to MIDI in on your Virus).

To manipulate sounds from a sampler with the Virus filters, vocoder and/or effects you need an audio cable from you sampler to the Virus audio input and you need to make sure that the input is turned on (if you want to use the vocoder this has to be turned on as well as the input)...

[mad synthisist]

I first tried playing a sample from my sampler/sequencer into the virus via midi cable, then I tried to play it through the external input with the input and the vocoder on... I still get nothing! not a sound! :confused: My sampler woks fine and I think my virus is working 'cause it plays the demo song fine. My midi cable might be broken, but it should work going through the ext. input...

[Onkel Dunkel]

I first tried playing a sample from my sampler/sequencer into the virus via midi cable

MIDI cables are only able to send MIDI data (like note on/off, controller data and sysex). You can´t send audio through a MIDI cable...

then I tried to play it through the external input with the input and the vocoder on... I still get nothing! not a sound!

If you have the vocoder turned on it is probebly set up so you need to press one or more keys on the keyboard (to trigger a carrier wave). Since you don´t have a MIDI keyboard (you should get one, at least just a small one) you should be able to test if it works by pressing "edit" and "sync" (in the oscillator section) simultaniously. This will trigger a middle C (You can also listen to normal patches this way). You can also turn the vocoder off and leave the input on. This way you should be able to run sounds through the Virus filters and effects...

By the way; your Electribe has a small keyboard in the bottom right? Try connecting a MIDI cable from the Electribe´s MIDI out to the Virus´s MIDI in. Now you should be able to play your Virus with the keys on your Electribe (if they send MIDI that is). I bet that it is also possible to play the Virus with the sequenser of the Electribe but i don´t know it so you´ll have to read the Electribe manual on this...

[mad synthisist]

ok. I tired pressing edit and sync at the same time... nothing. I also tried turning the vocoder off (but leaving the input on) ....still nothing.
the electribe does send midi and should be able to play the virus via the sequencer, I'm sure I've seen it be done on youtube. I'm buying a new midi cable hoping that is the problem, but I should be able to send notes though the ext. input. I will also look at getting a midi keyboard, but if my virus is broken it will be a waste of money.

[Onkel Dunkel]

Did you try "edit" and "sync" with a normal patch? If this doesn´t work your MIDI cable is proberbly fine. Make sure patch volume is not "0" and that you send on the same MIDI channel as the Virus recieves (did you try in multimode?). If nothing works try a factory reset (should say in the manual how). If this doesn´t work either you might have a problem...

[mad synthisist]

Did you try "edit" and "sync" with a normal patch?.
what do you mean "normal patch"??
patch volume 100. don't know what you mean by multimode... device ID is omni.
I'll try a factory reset...

[mad synthisist]

ok. I can now pach in (well, through) I was using stereo plugs not mono... My manual doesn't say how to reset it. any ideas?? at least i can get some sounds out of it (even if they're the same sounds from my sampler)

[Onkel Dunkel]

Multi mode is when you press the "multi" button. Allows you to use more channels at once (when using sequensers) or more patches on one channel (for unison sounds and keyboard splits)...

By normal patch i mean a patch that is meant for playing with a keyboard and not for manipulating sounds sendt into it by the input...

Since i have a Virus C i can´t 100% tell you how a Virus A works but they are pretty semilar. I have never done a factory reset so i don´t know how to do this...

If you are able to run audio through it you should also be able to manipulate the sound as well.

If still nothing works i´m out of ideas. Maybe time to contact access...

[mad synthisist]

yeah I sent them an email.... but haven't got a reply yet.
I can sort of manipulate the sound with the filters, but not much. I'm getting a new midi cable and I hope that will enable me to manipulate sounds massively. thank you for you help. if a new midi cable doesn't help, I might just sell it and buy a x0xb0x.