VIRUS powercore at NAMM 2004

[Sunesha]

People that can afford a powercore is more likely to afford to buy the powercore virus. Thats my experince. Because if you put out the money for a powercore. I think it less privacy with powercore users. Because when a new powercore driver comes out you have to stay on old driver, then your cracked powercore plug maybe does'nt work. Cracked software maybe will work but dont belive that the crackers always crack the latest version. I spoke with alot of clients that trys out a cracked version before they buy and give me phonecall and wondering how the latest versions are working. But is hard for me to tell how the cracked version is working. V-stack is a good example. I had a client that wondered if the retail version had working midichannels. This was due to that there was no cracked version with working with midichannels this made the software complety useless. Just a annother day at MI7

I hope never vst-plugin will come because this lower the value of a access virus. I am just ego-centred. I dont my old hardware virus should be worth nothing because some kids and grown kids download it.I understand that people really want have this synth. But as all things. Good things costs.

I think powercore with powercore virus is great. You get nice plugins also.

One other thing, I am sorry that I dont have the time to spend in this forum.

[picato]

I've just read an interview with the boss of Novation in the swedish magazine called "Studio". I know everyone is reading this one Anyway he talked a lot about the future of the synth industry, and the importance of "knowing the market". He actually admitted that Access certainly got the best VA synth on the market today, but if the market suddenly turns they are into big trouble. 10 years ago softsynths were useless, but today it's a big and strongly growing market. If waldorf, clavia and all the other release VST softsynths, Access will just have two optins. Follow, or disappear... Sad but true

[Tomer=Trance]

no one of the big va companies will release a va because they will not get any money .
the audio warez indestury is huge today
there is a need for a solution first...

[ben crosland]

Originally Posted by picato

He actually admitted that Access certainly got the best VA synth on the market today, but if the market suddenly turns they are into big trouble. 10 years ago softsynths were useless, but today it's a big and strongly growing market. If waldorf, clavia and all the other release VST softsynths, Access will just have two optins. Follow, or disappear... Sad but true

Whatever happens to the market, I don't think 'disappearing' will be an option.

Personally, I don't think the big VA names will make the same mistake Novation have by releasing a VST version of their hardware synths. I think it far more likely that intead they follow Access in developing plugs that are hardware dependent, ie for PowerCore and similar products. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Waldorf make plugs that only run on Terratec cards for instance. I also wouldn't be surprised if Novation end up making plugs that use their remote control hardware as a dongle..

[Panopticon]

First, I should say that I have never used the TDM version of the Virus. So I don't have experience there. (Also, of course, I haven't used the Powercore version). But I've used (and OWN) the C desktop, Kb, and Rack Classic (don't ask why I have so many, I just like them).

In earlier posts, I expressed my distaste for the fact that the Powercore is on a proprietary system. I guess the main reason behind this is that I've been very pleased with the Access products I own; and while I would really enjoy tinkering with the new Powercore version, the fact is that I just don't need the Powercore card at all, and so there's no motive for me to try the software plug-in. In all honesty, I hope that it sounds great; and I hope it sounds identical to the Virus B, which is what it should sound like if I understood Ben correctly.

I use a combination of hardware/software in the studio; and I own plenty of each. I usually tend to stay away from soft-synths; with the exception of Absynth, which I believe to have a very unique sound and interface (BUT oh my god, you'd think they could write a stable version for once). I've always been really impressed by the entire Virus series; and so if it were affordable for me to purchase the software version, I would do it; but since I really don't need the Powercore, I can't justify the investment for a product that I already own so many versions of

I guess I haven't really arrived at a point yet; and this one probably doesn't folllow from what I've been saying. But the Novation example was an important one for me: particularly the new Basstation soft-synth. In one of the current magazines, I think it's computer music, this new soft synth is tested; and the tester was comprehensive enough to play the same sequences through both the soft an hardware versions of the Basstation. I was utterly surprised when there was a clear, audible difference between the two. The hardware version was identifiably brighter, fatter, and more robust (even though the audio examples were intended to show the similarities between the two). I A-B'ed the examples several times, and even had my friend who knows nothing about music or synths have a listen. We both agreed that the hardware sounded better. I really hope that the software version of the Virus sounds the same as the hardware version; and I'm looking forward to some opportunity to verify this, because I've always liked Access as a company and thought their products were superior to their competitors.


Sorry to have rambled seemingly mindless drivel for so long......

pan

[ben crosland]

The thing to remember Panopticon, is that *all* of the Virus series is really a collection of softsynths. The sound engine is just DSP code after all. The reason you heard such a difference between the hard and soft versions of the Basstation, is that the original is analogue circuitry. Obviously Novation haven't managed to recreate the sound of this as faithfully as they'd hoped

Trust me when I say: Virus PowerCore *is* the Virus.

[Tomer=Trance]

from what i understoond ben the bass station is not analog...
its also a digital analog emulation

[ben crosland]

Originally Posted by Tomer=Trance

from what i understoond ben the bass station is not analog...
its also a digital analog emulation

No, the original Basstation was analogue. The VSTi version is the digital emulation.

[Tomer=Trance]

of course the software is digital hehe
but the hardware synth is digital aswell i think
oh looking at the novation site it is analog
vco and vcf

[Panopticon]

*smacks head*....

oh yeah, that would make a difference.