Virus TI and unstable MiDi handling - A serious matter
 

:!: I have to ask, have you noticed that the responsiveness of midi slows
down the more parts of the Virus you use at the same time :?:

EDit: I should clarify that im not using the Virus TI with the VST plugin, so
its not a case of Vcontrol bugs, im using plain old midi over USB cable.

Have you ever done a 6+ part project including #CC automation
with complete stable miditiming?

I use Cubase VST 32 5.1 as my midi sequenser, and are unable
to use the Virus TI in a multimbral way because of this problem.
After some 5 parts as well as recorded automation,
some elements of the Virus start to react slower
when recieving midi wich manifests in shuffle-effects on
some parts, and also in stuttering effects. Artifacts wich makes
the sequensing of music impossible.

I contacted Ben Crossland and sent him a midifile containing a
arrangment sysex dump as well as notes & #cc data.
And he responded that he got the same problems i have.

The reasons i post this here is:

1. The more people that discover the problems, the faster they will
be fixed - and that will mean that i can do what i bought this instrument for
in the first place - create and sequense music - not only use it in Singlemode.

2. Since no one else have reported such basic problems as bad midi timing.
I start to wonder if my trouble is connected to the use of sounds from my old VirusB banks that have been dumped into the TI.
Could it be that people that have not dumped VirusB or VirusC banks
suffer from less problems because the bugs is releated to the use of B/C
patches?

Here you can download the files and check this out for yourself.

http://web.telia.com/~u23704554/misc...stablemidi.mp3
:arrow: Recorded audio of what it sounds like.

http://web.telia.com/~u23704554/misc...stablemidi.mid
:arrow: Midi file with sysex dump as well as Note and #CC data.

If you use analog Output2 of the Virus - make sure you mute this output on the mixer, soundcard etc. before testing the midi file.
1. Enter Sequense mode, 2. Dump the arrangment, 3. Loop the notes

Hopefully, you will have a sense of rhytm to be able to hear that it sounds shuffled - but looks 100% straight 16th note quantizied in your sequenser.
To me - this is a very serious matter and until this have been fixed, at least i cant recommend anyone in getting the Virus TI.
The process of recepting and handling midi data is the most basic part of a modern synthesizer and has to work without flaws.

When people say they have no problems with their Virus TI it makes me wonder how much they really are using it. Send me a ordinary midi 16 part project that runs tight and i will believe you. :wink:

Haven't checked out the midi file (I take your word for it), but even on my dodgy laptop's speakers the audio mp3 certainly does sound like some dodgy jiggery pokery is happening, almost an increasing amount of groove/shuffle quantisation modulation as the piece evolves.

Do you get the same effect if you transmit the midi using standard 5-pin DINs (ie. not via the USB)?

Actually I get something very similar when using the TI with VirusControl in Live 5.0. Using any type of midi controller data (panning or modulation) definitely makes it much worse. Almost like a data log jam in that the data can't get to the TI hardware fast enough.

But if remove VirusControl and just use Midi over usb then things run much better.

The midi file in question is churning out one helluva lot of cc and sysex data. It is not unheard of for this to affect note timing on playback - I've had this happen to me with other instruments even with the Atari (renowned for it's midi stability).

Personally, I'm not convinced this is a problem which is specific to the TI.

Nonetheless, it has been forwarded to Access - if there is anything untoward going on, I'm sure they will address it.

I did alot of automation just to really make the effect obviously hearable.
But when i do light projects with very little automation i still get timing problems, just that they are more subtle.

If i would have uploaded one of those there would be a few people with lesser sense of rhytm that would not be able to hear any big difference...
8O

But sure, give me some days and i can upload some more stuff, all wich
proves that the more midi you feed, the slower the virus gets - and there
is not much midi needed really. Just go beyond 5-6 parts and listen carefully.

And im sure its a case of the TI.

I would love still having a Virus B ready just now, and i would do a similar
test and it would prove to be rock steady - and handle midi not so the
engine get hiccups the more midi you feed it. But rather stop passing the midi information instead of making shuffled notes.

I have tried it on a B. It behaves no differently with that arrangement.

Right, that would explain enough for me. One of my golden rules of midi sequencing, is never to embed sysex data in a running sequence. Control data should be fine, no probs.

Dump any necessary sysex data separate to the sequence, and then use control data to manipulate your sounds when the sequencer is running.

I'll take a look at the midi file later on.

Mr O

Then why did you report it to Access? If its just the case of me overusing sysex i cant see no point..??

I tried your arrangement, it did what you described - I passed it on. It was only tonight that I tried it on the B.

Ok, i didnt know i was not allowed to change phaser and distortion
intensity on 4-5 parts at the same time. Forgive me for this mistake.
(Although i did not find this information in the manual??)

So i took the project, and stripped many tracks of automation and reduced everything down to:

5 tracks of CC# data and
one (1!) track of Sysex (altering of distortion intensity parameter)

And this is how it sounds:

http://web.telia.com/~u23704554/misc...tablemidi2.mp3

For you to check out with your TI:

http://web.telia.com/~u23704554/misc...tablemidi2.mid

If the VIRUS TI - CANT TAKE 5 F-CKING TRACKS OF CC# AND ONE TRACK OF SYSEX YOU SHOULD SERIOUSLY PUT A STICKER ON IT - MIDI CRIPPLED MACHINE......!!!

Im tired of the bullshit - please just give a working software.