My TI opinion...
 

Hi

Well Ive had the Virus TI for about a month now and have a few thoughts. My review is brief and to the point....and represent my preferences/opinon

Build Quality

Overall the TI continues in the tradition of being very well built and feeling very nice to the touch. In this respect its by far the best of any modern synth.

User Interface

Overall, I dont find the UI particularly intuitive.

The Mod Matrix is confusing (it would help if all LFO's had identical functions and routings). Once ive made my settings, glancing down at the mod section doesnt tell me much - I find im having to dive back into the menues to reaquaint myself with what ive done. I generally don't like having to do this.

The Oscilator section needs an overhall. This area is the worst culprit in my opinion. I would like to see Access expand the oscilator section with individual knobs for Osc 1, 2 & 3. I would like to see an LED under each osc to tell me whether I have classic, spectral wave, wavetable or hypersaw activated. This would provide me with some visual feedback. Additionally, get rid of that dedicated button for osc 3 on/off...its a total waste - stick it in the effects section (more on that later)

As things stand right now, there are a number of functions I cannot access simultaneously. I cannot tweak 2 different oscilators in real time - I do this all the time with the Pro-One and other dual osc synths. I cannot tweak ring mod whilst playing the keys. Must I do this through midi or have it auto assigned?

The Filter section is fine and easy to navigate.

The effects section. The onboard effects do sound good...but please can we have an on/off toggle button. I do not like recording synth parts which have lots of effects on them. Currently, one has to go into each effect sub menue and turn down the gain/effect send - its time consuming. Also, I think the delay maybe causing some of the pops and clicks (and other strange artifacts).

Comments about the overall sound of the TI - The wavetables have the potential to be interesting and should be explored further. Some of my favourite patches are those done by Ben Crossland and Matt Picone using the wavetables. A 3rd envelope generator for sure (make them 8 stage like the DX7 and we can get more detailed/intricate sounds).

Given the sonic character of the virus already, the hypersaws are useful in terms of maintaining polyphony, but they do lack the energy/fizz of the JP8000's. They are good to have none the less.

One last note about the presets. Im finding that they are becoming increasingly effects laden and this is beginning to detract from the overall sound quality. This is all personal preferance I know...but I find extreme eq'ing, feedback chorus, feedback phaser, delay and reverb and analog boost just overkill. It really deadens the sound (makes it dull sounding). If I could simply call up a patch and turn all the effects off with one click of a button...i wouldnt complain.

Lastly. Most of my preferences would require a hardware rethink/restructure and are obviously beyond the scope of an OS update. But I say this to Access, before you go adding more features, I think you need to consider ditching glow in the dark flashing logos and include some more knobs for the controls that really matter - namely the oscilator section. At any one time, we should be able to see exactly what waveform has been selected for each oscilator and be able to manipulate two independent oscilators simulataneously (ie: pulse width on osc 1 & 2 at the same time)

DS

That's a damn good review, Digi.

Didn't you have a VC at some point?

If so, how do you think the VC compares to the Ti in terms of sound quality/prgrammibility?

Is it 80% of a Ti, 90%?

Have fun!

Hi Alex. Yes I had a Virus KC back in May2003-Sept2004.

In terms of programability I actualy felt a bit more comfortable with the KC. I think the addition of Wavetable and hypersaw in the oscilator section has confused things a bit (for me atleast). Its just not intuitive to me to be using the pulse width knob to be selecting spectral waves (provided ive set the waveform knob hard left - oh headfuck) then to flick over to a different osc and then find that same knob doing a complettly different function. When you add into the mix, hypersaw density, spread functions, wavetable index position etc etc it becomes a little headachey.

Also bear in mind, that part of the sound designing process involves flicking from function to function (quickly) and to edit parameters when you've got a vibe going. The last thing you want is to be slowed down. The TI interface is becoming slow now. Ive battled with it for 4 weeks and it still doesnt feel intuitive to me. Read into that what you will....but bear in mind....i enjoyed programming a DX7.

In terms of sound quality, I have noticed some differences. The upgraded dac's, in my opinion have imparted a slighty dryer sound to the virus. I remember the KC being quite wet/warm sounding for a digital. I dont have the same feeling about the TI. There could be other reasons for this - Alot of the presets now heavily feature EQ. Surely EQ should be used further down the line on the production side of things? Ive never been a fan of heavy EQ'ing....and alot of the perceived lack of warmth in the new TI is probably due to this. Again, this would not be such a problem if I could just click a button and all the effects are turned off. Please correct me if im wrong, but is there already such a function on the TI? If so, why isnt it on the front panel?

The Virus Still sounds inherently dark. Functions such as analog boost and distortion deaden the tone into unuseable/muffled oblivion (IMO). There is still a distinct lack of definition in the virus's tonality (dull raw sound to begin with + effects). When I compare the digital waves to anything the DX7 puts out, then its really eyebrow raising. The DX puts out bright and energetic sounds, the Virus puts out sluggish, lazy dark tones. I really think that the Virus would benefit from 8 stage envelopes as used in the DX - the virus has/will never sound defined to my ears...but we might one day be able to make more intricate (read: interesting) sounds from it.

Another thing that rests uneasy with me, is the sheer number of factory presets. I love sound designing to the point reckless obsession. But when confronted with so many presets, the Virus ground is pretty much covered. I feel a dinstinct lack of motivation to get under the TI's hood. What point is there in me making an acid sound, an 80's bass sound, or a swooshing phaser pad/string or a wavetable bell/pad......when its already been done 100 times over? The TI is a synth workstation - Access's Analog Factory. Some may suggest I just wipe them all and do my own, I suppose I could do that...

So far, you might think im slating the TI - im not. The TI can do things no other synths can do. It can create textures and atmospheres unique to the virus and thats where it excels. For bread and butter analog sounds, I personally dont like it - im too critical as im biased towards true analogs.

The mark of a great synth is when, depsite some shortcommings, you have a desire/need to own it and use it anyhow. I sold the KC back in 2004 and I waited till xmas 2006 before I could afford the TI. I have a strange relationship with the Virus, I often bitch about its short commings....but at other times its the perfect tool for the job.

To answer your last point Alex, the VC is 65% of what the TI does. The hypersaws/sqaures and wavetables put out completly different tones to what a C can do, reverb and delay and be used to create unique effects.

DS

DS!

about the effects section.. i am getting my TI tomorrow, and as you say, i absolutely hate effects on my presets. its the first thing i do.. in any synth. i record everything dry, and shape the sound from there.

so i am worried about what you are saying.. now here comes the question. if i am using the VC to control the presets.. isnt it easer to do those things than using the menu on the TI itself? or is it just as much of a hazzle?

.x

If you dont want to use the delays reverb and EQ, you can disable these globally from within the system pages of the config menu.

Depends how you like to work I guess.. having them on is a pain if you like to work with audio loops.

Well, this is strange, I find the TI part to be the best part of the Virus, with Yamaha DX Type pitch stable FM (called PM, since Yamaha used Phase Modulation) and less of that earblowing and sound softening exciter hiss of the classic part...

Honestly, one of the single best hardware features Access could/should implement is a simple toggle (on/off) button for the effects section. Dont get me wrong, I think the onbaord effects are excellant and great if your jamming with friends.....but to record with? I prefer to record everything dry then towards the latter stages of production then get funky with effects etc.

There may well be a global effects on/off function within VC....which i havent discovered yet. If there isnt, then perhaps Access could implement such a feature for a future OS update. In the next Virus hardware revision Id expect to see a button on the front panel.

xerxes_ : Dont let my post put you off the TI. I like to tell it as I see things.....and I have no intention of selling my TI. If its good enough for DepecheMode (and Digital Screams!) it'll be good enough for you!!

Enjoy your Ti...and please let me know how you get on with it.

DS

Hi DS. Thanks for your comments about TI. I tested a Virus TI keyboard for 2-3 weeks earlier and I agree with everything you wrote. In fact I would still love to have my KC. It always felt very solid, never crashed and sounded good.

I also prefer real analog synths. Virus really sounds dark and most of the presets are made with built in fx. One thing I didn't like so much about the synth were the flashing lights. I heard that the new software gives the user the ability to switch off also the light on the back panel but the synth would really need an fx on/off -button.

The synth is well built but like you said, the hardware user interface is not very well thought. It seems that Access have put most of their effort into the Virus Control software but not everybody want to use it. We have discussed about the VC and usb transfer problems so much that I won't get into it anymore. Anyway, I like synths as synths and I want to control them directly from the hardware.

Currently I don't feel that I will get a TI. I still use virus powercore but I will probably wait for a new better virus or get a Virus C. I hope that Access forgets the TI and builds good problem free synths like Virus B and C.

Hey DS, I've only got a virus b but I've always got effect level assigned to one of the two assignable knobs so everytime i call up a patch I can just dial the effects off it with the turn of a single knob, surely this can just as easily be done on the TI?

hi DS!

i got my TI polar yesterday.. and well, so far i am baffled and amazed and i can´t stop smiling. i can really care less about syncing it to my sequencer (as i use a rather unusual one that access never will support.. called renoise).. all i want the TI for is sound design and sampling. and oh my god how good it sounds. and how beautiful it is to use.

and my biggest worry was obviously, after reading your post hehe, the effect issue. i remember trying a v-synth.. and turning of the delay and reverb for instance, was just a pain in the royal ass. on the virus, one of the first things i found in the config menu was how to globally turn off delay/reverb. it is GENIOUS!! :)

so without further ado.. i can proclaim my undying love for the access company and the virus TI. i can not wait to get home from work today and explore it further.

cheers,
.x