Ultranova - Got one! Here are my thoughts..

[TweakHead]

Just checking in on this forum (been real busy) I sense a great deal of tension! Everything's better then boredom I guess.

My 2 cents on this: Virus is a wonderful instrument and was so even before the "total integration" thing came into be. From my point of view - I've also said this plenty, but will dare say it again - it has been gaining a lot of features meanwhile (from C onwards) that set a high benchmark for either hardware (hardly anything out there that can do so much) and even software if you're a sound quality freak.

I've also said that if you take a look at the Nord Lead 4, that has just came out (sort of) and look at it's features and compare them to the Virus ti (even without complementing the ti side of it) the difference in terms of the timbres you can get out of it, the modulation options, the fx section (high grade, and you can run audio through it), the number of voices and the flexibility of it's routings, etc. If you compare the prices between the two you may come to the same conclusion I did long ago: if Access were to keep away from the adventure of TI, no one would be bashing on it the whole time.

This is a thing that really puzzles me: if you go "down" (no smoke yet eheh) to Gear Slutz (I could say level just to catch the smoke, no? ok, level) you see perhaps hundreds (if not thousands) of threads either bashing on the Virus or insanely comparing it with just about anything or even a dumber virus vs pick your software synthesizer of choice, can even be an additive or a rom player like Nexus - minimum requirements don't mention using reason or any sort of specific knowledge, so as long as the Virus is the target everything will be fine.

Makes me wonder: how come it's always about the Virus? And not the fiddly knobs on the Blofeld (a friend of mine had to send one back because of it), or the buggy software it had. Or the menu diving required (yeah, I've used it), even without a proper editor (let alone...) and costing (the rack one) half the price of a snow. How come no one bashes on the Nord Lead for not having a bipolar envelope for the filters? For not having effects prior to version 4? Or Korg Radias? Does it have more features then a Virus C? Hell no! When was the C released?

So I figure that the Virus - like it or not - is the benchmark against which all Virtual Analogue synthesizers are measured against! And even without the integration functioning properly, it's a synthesizer work horse, like a swiss army knife kind of synthesizer with very good build quality!

Will dare say this: does the quality on the Ultra compare to it? if you focus on the integration side of things, then yeah, working better. What about the sound? The modulation options? What you can actually get out of it? Doesn't even have FM, I have plenty of FM modes on the C - and that was 2004 for the record! Even the number of voices is higher then more recent products!

So in the synthesizer department, unless people are eager to compare it with just about any software instrument there is (most specially those who don't have the money for it and are nothing more then net trolls), I think it's doing pretty damn well and way better then King Korg, Nord 4, Blofeld, or the Ultra. Is it not?

If it wasn't for NI's geniuses and Urs's genius (U-he) making software so incredibly good, this topic wouldn't even be worth a look behind the shoulder! For those making music, the Virus is one of the most versatile and inspirational machines out there and great performance devices to for live usage!

If you ask me, I like older products much more then I do love new ones. Such companies like Roland, Korg, Yamaha (oh boy), Waldorf (outch, they're coming back so no pun intended) simply lost the sparkle along the way. Roland is like beyond belief. How can they trigger EDM music into be with the 303, TR x0x groove boxes, Junos, SH and what not, and then completely go out of inspiration with the brilliant exception of V-Station (probably being harsh and unfair here, but... they've set the standards high, not me)... What about the Virus? Well, you add user drawable stuff to it, fine tune the TI thing and it's the best thing on the surface of the planet for sure.

I'd get the TI if I didn't have the C and wouldn't give a shit about TI not working with so many features on my hands. A template made for midi automation and it's good to go - like the C.

No one bashing the Moog, a mono synth with knobs on it, not so many features, but such kind of menu diving that you need the manual at hands! Does it come cheap? Hell no! Living from the reputation? You bet. Yeah, it's analogue and all, but...

Having said all this, I think it's fair enough to ask people about their personal experience on Foruns. Where else should they go to? And there's no smoke without fire, and the USB thing... well, you don't need to ear it again. Everyone knows about it! I ear it's a lot better since version 5, judging by people I know that own one! All I can say about it! I

smoke on the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...