Access Future,hardware or software or both?

[Roby31]

To me "tell me about it... paitiently waiting for them to catch up with more modern synthesis approaches...also some logic modifiers and some low pass gates. Id also like to see them implement a good filter model that doesnt turn the original signal to a caca when you bring up the resonance" IS a pretty big complaint about something the instrument wasn't designed to do.

But whatever floats your boat (or should I say, whatever does not float your boat because you bought it not to).

[Roby31]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I was mostly just having some fun on the last comment, I wouldn't visit forums at all if I didn't enjoy it.

I am actually one that doesn't appreciate incessant whining, either, but I do try to differentiate between constructive complaints and those who just like to bitch.

I've always considered the Virus a really interesting study in all of this, because on one hand it is such a beautiful and sought-after instrument in the world of synthesis, yet many folks experience with it seems to be kind of like having a high-maintenance, tempermental girlfriend with a perfect body that you can't really seem to just force yourself send packing for various reasons but can never get to do what you want her to. I accepted the Virus as a similar entity, and I keep coming back here looking for maturity in certain areas of the product so that I can hopefully re-kindle the relationship. So on one hand I don't like unwarranted whining but I can understand why, at the current price point vs. what's available in software based plugins, a lot of folks have expectations that are not met by Virus hardware.

This I can understand a lot. But I don't understand buying something without certain missing features that one seems to need so much, especially when the object we're talking about costs a very high price. They weren't forced to buy it I suppose yet when there is/was the option to return it (again) many didn't use it and complain

Another example: I wanted LFOs that could do FM and go in audio range, and more than two envelopes - I bought a Waldorf synthesizer. The Virus didn't have those features and I didn't consider it. I wanted the versatility of the Virus, I didn't consider buying a Voyager

I feel the same limitations in most software instruments: many of them don't have nearly as many features that I would consider enough, while they are in some hardware instruments. If my processor is way more powerful than current DSPs, why not use it? Yet I don't find many plug-ins that do what I want them to do, and until I program one myself I will refrain from buying those that don't satisfy me.

Some of these "I wish..." "Why the fuck don't they..." "The filter sounds like shit..." have never belonged to this thread, yet they're here as the usual complaining, sort of a microwave background radiation in the synth universe.

[to-pse]

Hi everyone,

I think the next version of the virus will most probably
contain the newest generation of Motorola 56k DSPs

Instead of the two single-core 150Mhz (TI) or 180Mhz (TI2),
they will probably use the newer single-chip dual-core DSP
at 250Mhz. This will decrease the price for the PCB and
increase performance by a good amount...

USB 2.0 integration would good, to allow for 24bit VSTi
Integration with more parallel channels.

Even better than using USB might be the usage of Ethernet AVB,
a new standard supposed to replace all the proprietary ways to
transfer audio over network cables. There are quite a few
manufacturers going in this direction (Dante, MyMix for example)

This way a virus could be integrated via AVB for the audio path.
Since more & more people start using digitial snakes for live,
This would also make sense for gigging...

Tobias

[MBTC]

To even discuss Mhz in the days of multicore Ghz is a total embarassment for Access. The difference in processing power cost to them from a manufacturing standpoint is more like the difference between one postage stamp and two, yet the see this as the money ticket for slow upgrades and rolling out a new multi-thousand dollar product every few years.

Unacceptable, they should get with the times.

[feedingear]

@Roby: my post was an attempt to put an end to a fruitless path of discussion

@Mtcb..c.b .Isn't the above pure speculation? Do you have any facts to back up that statement?

Make music, not forum posts

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by feedingear

@Mtcb..c.b .Isn't the above pure speculation? Do you have any facts to back up that statement?

To back up which statement? I do have several decades of software engineering experience and could talk a lot about why a processor measured in gigahertz is more modern than one measured in megahertz, but that seems a bit like explaining why or justifying that a mile is longer than an inch? Anyone can research this easily enough.

[feedingear]

"To even discuss Mhz in the days of multicore Ghz is a total embarassment for Access." You dont know what they are making for the new Virus product, so yes, that is speculation.

"The difference in processing power cost to them from a manufacturing standpoint is more like the difference between one postage stamp and two, yet the see this as the money ticket for slow upgrades and rolling out a new multi-thousand dollar product every few years."

Again, this is an assumption.

"Unacceptable, they should get with the times."

You don't know what they are doing with the next model? So a scathing comment barely hiding your clear animosity to Access (which comes across in every post, no matter how you go about wording it) seems like speculation to me.

Anyway, whatever they put out, will be received with interest from me, as I prefer to make music then forum banter...

[MBTC]

I understand your point of view there and how my words came across different than intended -- in retrospect they could be a little read as a little more scathing than I wanted them to be. Sometimes the lighter side of my personality does not come through very well in my day to day posts.

If I were posting a more humble version of that, I suppose I could simply say that clock speeds measured in Mhz are a bit passe, much faster processors are available at a negligible cost and have been for many years.

To put everything in perspective, the only reason that I throw out negatives like I do is in an effort to be included in the voices that hopefully shape the direction of future Access products. If I don't complain about the issues that are important to me, I am simply sitting back hoping someone else complains about same.

But animosity is a misguided term for my feelings toward Access. I have no animosity toward them whatsoever, just want to see some aspects of the product line improved.

Originally Posted by feedingear

Anyway, whatever they put out, will be received with interest from me, as I prefer to make music then forum banter...

Actually I've noticed you fairly regularly post to the forums about how you wish others would make music instead of posting to forums

But yes, I will be keeping an eye on future Access products as well.

[IamEvil]

so you believe that the virus would be improved by having a ghz cpu, one which no doubt would require some form of cooling.

Given that, even in its poor old mhz state :-

A) the virus is probably one of the most feature packed synths out there
B) the virus holds its own with all these soft synths that I have tried on my multi-core, multi ghz cpu in my pc
C) that small 20mhz boost on 2x cpus can give the virus 25% more power.
D) the virus doesn't seem to be lacking grunt unless you play massive chords with all oscs turned on.

What exactly do you believe these hugely more powerful ghz cpus would have given you extra ?
The virus has to compute waveforms out of data, not multitask running operating systems and various software programs. My old 333mhz pc quite happily ran windows + cubase 3.7 + antivirus + firewalls etc etc so given that the relatively small amount of data that the virus has to compute on the spot, I fail to see where you're coming from with your latest attempt to get a reaction.

[MBTC]

The cooling issue is a good point but since it can be done in laptops I don't see why it would be challenging in the Virus box.

The main benefit of hugely more powerful processors, in my mind is polyphony/voice count, and the ability to use more onboard FX. I saw some very sad cases of note stealing on some of the default patches on the Ti2.

As far as holding its own against soft synths, yes it does hold its own against a couple of instances of a soft synth, but with something like a Core i7 processor and an efficient plugin you can often have more instances than you'd know what to do with and still be under 50% total CPU utilization.