Using Virus as a workstation

[Angstwulf]

I doubt there are too many single box workstations that have kept anyone happy for long. The closet I've ever gotten was an E-mu Command Station. Good drums/basses/pads and 128 voice polyphony. Up to 32 tracks onboard or MIDI out. But even then you will want a keyboard and some outboard effects.

If you do go with a Virus then get a sequencer that will also provide sounds: an MPC or an Electribe would match up well. So would either a MachineDrum or MonoMachine. Of this list the MPC will give you a more powerful sequencer. You could use samples for pads and drums and focus the Virus on the monosynth leads/basses.

[SamZah]

Originally Posted by Angstwulf

I doubt there are too many single box workstations that have kept anyone happy for long. The closet I've ever gotten was an E-mu Command Station. Good drums/basses/pads and 128 voice polyphony. Up to 32 tracks onboard or MIDI out. But even then you will want a keyboard and some outboard effects.

If you do go with a Virus then get a sequencer that will also provide sounds: an MPC or an Electribe would match up well. So would either a MachineDrum or MonoMachine. Of this list the MPC will give you a more powerful sequencer. You could use samples for pads and drums and focus the Virus on the monosynth leads/basses.

Yeah I've been speaking to someone else who has a TI2 and I am getting the impression that after 4 or 5 parts I could really run out of juice. The sampler option you noted would seem to be a good compromise. Depending on much ram the sampler has. Which is a shame because the of all the Akai samplers I like the 2000xl most but it only has 32mb ram.

You know though many old EDM track I've heard sound like they are not really made of that many parts. Often when I look at a completed track I don't have more than 7 parts of synths anyway.

Its difficult because

1) its just theory right now since I've not way to try this set-up out without spending a LOT of money

2) If I am going to have to sample the Virus anyway do I really even need a TI. Or even a Virus for that matter. The main appeal was the sound and the 16 parts, however other synths sound good including analog synths and other hardware synths sound good also and are cheaper, like the Nords although they do less. I supposed that's where you get a lot of people asking why would you buy the TI these days?

Well I am going to have to think about it and look into it more I suppose. Analog synths that I am interested in are the Evolver, Leipzig and MacBeths new synth when he finishes it.

[Innovine]

I'm using my Virus kB with an Akai MPC 1000 and I am very happy with the combination. The MPC is a superb sequencer, and if i want more processing power, I can sample the output of the virus, and run it back through the Virus FX section again, resample that, and so on. I only do this for the more twisted basslines. I've made a few kick drums and sampled them too, but I mostly load up drum samples into the MPC. The workflow is quick and easy and I don't miss having a PC at all.

I tried working with a Command Station too, but the small display and list-based editing frustrated me. The MPC also brings sampling and excellent loop chopping abilities and for me it's fantastic. Definitely take a close look at it (especially using JJ os2xl).

About the only reason I see to use a PC these days is just to add tons of EQ and reverbs and compressor plugins to each track. If you can live without that, then you'll be fine with an MPC!! Its a huge step up from grooveboxes (I own an EMX and ESX too), while still not being a DAW. Excellent!

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by Innovine

About the only reason I see to use a PC these days is just to add tons of EQ and reverbs and compressor plugins to each track. If you can live without that, then you'll be fine with an MPC!! Its a huge step up from grooveboxes (I own an EMX and ESX too), while still not being a DAW. Excellent!

Without knowing what genres you work in, I will say I've always seen the value of MPC / grooveboxes / Maschine and so forth in hip hop and some other genres. But I don't think any of these machines claim to be an end-to-end solution, they still require a computer to mix and master as far as I understand? This is where EQ and compression and such is really all about.

In my case, the PC has become an instrument in itself -- arguably the most powerful one and the one I can least live without. I have to still be able to input melodies using a musical keyboard, but aside from that its what happens with the mouse and PC keyboard that results in a track. Really if I cannot work on a screen of at least 1920x1200 I feel like I'm playing a piano with two octaves. Doing what I do just using the piano roll would be daunting any other way.

Again, highly dependent on the genres a person is into I guess.

I would no doubt learn some things and probably be amazed watching someone who does everything all with an MPC or even a keyboard workstation.

[oscillator]

As told before, i had your same dream. I hated Pcs and i thought i could play without it.

I had a MPC500 with 128Mb, a Virus C, a proteus 2000, a midi keyboard, connected with midi. After one year i discovered that this setup was frustrating to me in terms of music composition.
All the sounds were badly mixed, the Virus poliphony ended immediately, and i was not satisfied without a touch of good mix and effects. To sample and resample in the MPC was a pain. So the work to move all the files and samples from the MPC to the computer is frustrating too, so one day i decided to stay in one place only, without suffer.

This place is the Pc. and i tell you that I'm happy now thanks to Ableton Live, which is a wondeful new approach to composition. It's non-linear.
Every midi/mpc/sampler combination allows you to compose in the same way of all DAWs around there. With Ableton Live your approach is completely different, try it.

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by oscillator

This place is the Pc. and i tell you that I'm happy now thanks to Ableton Live, which is a wondeful new approach to composition. It's non-linear.
Every midi/mpc/sampler combination allows you to compose in the same way of all DAWs around there. With Ableton Live your approach is completely different, try it.

Its probably another thread but I'd love to hear your specific thoughts about what you like about Ableton. Right now I am FLStudio on the PC and Logic on the Mac. I'm using FL and the PC for "real work", and also the fact there are a lot of VSTs that arent available for Mac, and I find Logic more wonky and less inspirational to work with but there are some things it excels at. The idea of having a DAW that would work on either box does appeal to me. As I said I don't mean to hijack the Virus as workstation thread.