I think what you are talking about here is
CLARITY or perhaps a slight lack of. This is a relatively common characteristic of VA synths from around the late 90's. It is NOT a problem with the synth....it is more of a taste issue. I think most people who use the Virus and JP8000 probably recognise the 'fact' that the sound can get pretty muddy at times (True analogs dont tend to suffer from this as much). The Nords and Waldorfs dont suffer quite as much....and generally have a fresher/clearer/transparent presentation.
In recent days Ive had a revelation (you guys prob do this anyway!). Ive come to realise that I dont need to apply unison all the time (I tend to use it on leads, fx and bass). But for pads........ you will obtain greater clarity if you use 2 oscilators and NO unison. Extra 'movement' and 'fatness' can be easily obtained using subtle chorus/phaser. You should begin to notice more clarity in your sounds if you do this. One last point. If clarity is what you need....then check out late 80's/ early 90's digital synths such as the Roland JD800. Roland D50 and KOrg Wavestation (
www.vintagesynth.com ). These synths use a different technology and are famous for their transparent clarity (perfect for pads). Wanna hear a Korg Wavestation pad? Check this
http://www.clavia.se/MP3s/MP3%20files/alien2ed.mp3 out.......f*&%king classic digital sound!
The demo was made using....
"The instruments used on the song include my Nord Lead, Korg Wavestation, Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, and AKAI S3000XL. Without a doubt the Nord played the most vital role in the song. I programmed the bass sound on the Nord. The bass is what drives the song, and what great bass sounds you can make with that thing. The next sound I used from the Nord is the arpeggios. I would call that the lead instrument when it kicks in at the end, but it's also throughout the song as a texture. It adds motion and dynamic to the track. The AKAI handled all the drum sounds as well as the voice samples. The Wavestation was the pads and sound fx. And the Prophet played a few texture fx sounds. Here's basic rundown: Nord Lead: Bass and Arpeggios. Wavestation: Pads and FX. Akai: Drums and Voice. Prophet: Textures and FX"
To conclude......*Play* the Virus on its strengths (in my opinion ambient/atmospheric soundscapes) and use other synths where it is weak. No synth is perfect for everything.
DS