Close to buying a TI2 Polar but have a couple of questions

[ChrisN]

Hi everybody,

I'm very close to buying a TI2 Polar but just wanted to clarify a couple of things which I can't quite find exact answers to - sorry if they have been asked before but I did try a search but couldn't find anything.

- There is a transpose mode which seems to indicate that the transpose buttons will affect the internal engine "or" the notes sent out via MIDI. Can this be set to do both at the same time as it would be really useful to be able to both at once as I want to use it as a MIDI controller as well as for the sound engine itself.

- Virus Control looks really useful but I was wondering, can it be run as a stand-alone application for editting. It's just that I run Cakewalk Sonar Home Studio 7 and I a little concerned about it not necessarily working correctly but would still like to use it as a librarian and real-time editor.

- I know this will sound silly but looking at video tutorials of Virus Control on the Access site (Is this the latest version - it says it's v3?), the mouse "greeen splash" animation when you click - can that be turned off - that looks as though it will drive me mad!!!

- And most important of all - which should I get, the black or white polar as I can't for the life of me decide!?! ;)

Thanks in advance

Chris

[feedingear]

Transpose affects both the MIDI and the internal engine so if you hit transpose, the midi messages will be sent up or down an octave same as on the actual TI.

VC does not run stand alone, has to be run in a DAW environment.

There are no animations when clicking and using parameters inside VC.

Matt.

[ChrisN]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the response. That's good to know about the Transpose feature - I guess it was a bit unclear in the manual.

I'm surprise that there isn't a standalone version of the Virus Control as that would seem to be a useful tool if you just quickly want to mess around with patches and stuff - but maybe most people are happy just using it in a DAW - lets hope it works in mine!!

[Berni]

Funnily enough it REALLY does depend on the DAW you use. If you use a VST host the chances are pretty good it will work, as long as you are prepared to do a LOT of trouble shooting & probably have to install a seperate PCI USB card etc.etc. If you use an AU host then you'll probably have more issues depending on your platform & technical/computer skills. If you run it on an RTAS DAW forget about it unless you have the latest & greatest computer/software cos it just does'nt work.
On the whole VC is a pretty crappy piece of software & the old USB connection does'nt help matters. Dropped notes, crackles, pops, out of sync with host are all common problems with the synth & I would seriously think twice before I layed down some hard earned for one. If mine got stolen today I dont think I would replace it. Great synth but under powered & the software is a joke.

[feedingear]

As a counter comment to Berns, I run on Cubase 6 on Win7 and previously C5 on an XP machine. Havent had crackles or pops since OS 4 was released, the only sync issues I have now are with arp clocks messing up randomly at times, which can be very frustrating (they tend to go out, and then come back in, requires you to hit play a few times). I definitely dont need a PCI/USB card, I replaced the original USB cable and since then have had no issues...

VC software actually runs really well for me. I would buy it with a refund policy and give it a solid work over if you are concerned with those issues.

[kittonian]

I've got a ProTools HD|3 Accel PCIe rig and Virus Control works just fine for me. I use it all the time with my TI2 Keyboard.

[ChrisN]

Thanks for the replies.

I finally got my TI2 Polar "Dark Star" this week and lovely it is too :D.

I now have it set up and running under Sonar 7 and it all seems to be working (which in a way is unnerving cos it can't be that easy right?). I'm still a little confused by the whole VST thing particularly when I add it to the synth rack. It's creates a track for the Virus and then I need a separate MIDI track for each part and then when I get around to recording the audio I will need an audio track for that - so what is the virus track for!?! - but not sure if I should go via USB or out via my MOTU (sorry lots of rhetorical questions there!!!). It's all rather confusing at the moment.

[Roby31]

The Virus track itself is "useless" (IDR in Sonar 7, but with other hosts you can use it as the midi track for Channel #1) - then you have the other tracks controlling chans #2-16 and 1-to-whatever audio tracks where you record the audio :)

[Berni]

I've got a ProTools HD|3 Accel PCIe rig and Virus Control works just fine for me. I use it all the time with my TI2 Keyboard.
Like I said in my post which you obviously did not read properly before replying, unless you have the latest & greatest computer/software, not to mention a pro tools HD accel PCIe rig then the RTAS version sucks. Try running it on a 5 year old computer with just regular PCI slots with pro tools LE...trust me you will be pulling your hair out in no time.
What is also funny is the fact that when I contacted Access support about my problems many years ago they told me that they did not have a pro tools le set up to test things on, only a HD rig...go figure.

[feedingear]

Do you still work on Protools? I'd rather $*$*$ my $*$*# then work on PT tbh - cant fucking stand it.

Chris I recommend setting up audio out for the TI out of Out 1 into any of your MOTU inputs - as well as using USB outputs - you can assign it in VC at any time to any part.. This allows you to do free recording if you prefer to just sample audio straight from the synth instead of say recording midi, bouncing it down to audio etc etc.

[Berni]

[quote=feedingear;299652]Do you still work on Protools? I'd rather $*$*$ my $*$*# then work on PT tbh - cant fucking stand it.

yes just me I guess...

[feedingear]

lol hardly, its just interesting to note. i have to use it at uni for our mixing and mastering assignments and it drives me up the wall.

[ChrisN]

Do you still work on Protools? I'd rather $*$*$ my $*$*# then work on PT tbh - cant fucking stand it.

Chris I recommend setting up audio out for the TI out of Out 1 into any of your MOTU inputs - as well as using USB outputs - you can assign it in VC at any time to any part.. This allows you to do free recording if you prefer to just sample audio straight from the synth instead of say recording midi, bouncing it down to audio etc etc.

Hi feedingear,

Thanks for the tips - I'll give that a try - I guess it's just about getting use to how it all works nowadays - just reminising about the days of Music X on the Amiga and how easy it all was - happy days!!!

[Berni]

lol hardly, its just interesting to note. i have to use it at uni for our mixing and mastering assignments and it drives me up the wall.
Really? Your probably not using it right mate, Lol.

[feedingear]

Possibly. Interestingly across our course of around 70 people, composers working with Ableton, Logic and Cubase and even MAXMSP all seem to agree with Protools feeling counter intuitive for writing and producing music - but each to their own of course.

@Chris its cruisy once you get it all going - enjoy :)

[Berni]

Well I've tried them all & still keep coming back to PT. The only other DAW I run is Live. Cubase is so clumsy & logic...totally illogical to me. It's what works for you I guess. The bottom line is, its not about the platform or the DAW, it's about whats in your head & how well you can translate it into sound & any old DAW & computer will do if you have the skills & the talent...

[ChrisN]

The bottom line is, its not about the platform or the DAW, it's about whats in your head & how well you can translate it into sound & any old DAW & computer will do if you have the skills & the talent...

Totally agree. I am strictly a PC user (never used a Mac!!) and at the moment have only used Sonar 7 HS indepth with the occasional demo of some other ones. But it was "Music X" on the Amiga which I felt most comfortable with - I never worried about or got hung-up on the process and just got on and wrote music - those were the days!!

I actually found myself going old school with the Virus TI and bypassed Virus Control and just used it via MIDI and it worked so well. Whether it's just because I'm still learning - but it's just that it seems a lot to learn and configure nowadays!!