Something interesting happening at Access Music

[MBTC]

Originally Posted by TweakHead

Why? Because they don't suck resources out of your main computer. Because they're instruments, with their own physical interface that's better and surely more inspiring then fiddling around with a mouse or controlling it with cheap plastic controller. Then, it's arguably better because it's a dedicated system that does not have to share its resources with the rest of the tasks a computer has to run under the hood.

The Nord Lead doesn't allow you to lock initial phase position for their oscillators, but let's remember that Virtual Analogue was first thought as a replacement for real analogue machines, giving you more polyphony and options then most of them, while still allowing you the same level of interaction with it! The last part is of course important, since they also appeal to live usage and they can easily beat any software synth on that department!

In the studio, something like the Virus can be thought of like a bread and butter thing. But you can also throw big fat poly sounds or unison patches to a mix without seeing the cpu meter go up a notch, while having perfect control to tweak when recording while you're at it - contributing to a more organic feel overall, that's the main advantage of hardware vs software btw (to my mind at least). Then, software synths are getting a lot better lately, but I still love the sound!

There was a time when I could not quite get that "hardware tweaking" feel out of software, but these days with the quality of the knobs on the MK II Remote SL, and the ease of mapping each one to various controls (i.e. either just with MIDI learn or Automap, both work well), the overall feel of for example tweaking knobs on the Virus is replicated perfectly. In most respects it is actually better, because I am not limited by the physical placement of the knob on the unit (I can change where the knob is based on what type of piece I'm playing). Sitting right next to this of course is a true analog Leipzig with analog knobs (and a knob for every function), and the overall experience is actually better. On the MKII I have pots that feel as good as the pots on the Virus, or tactile knobs that are great too. Or, sliders if I want to use them for filters or the mixer.

More and more, I've come to believe that the functional gap between hardware and software was bridged a long time ago, but has since grown -- in the opposite direction. Software has surpassed hardware in a big way and hardware is struggling to catch up.

However, the limitations of hardware actually remain one of it's biggest selling points! Let me explain what I mean.

Since the early days of synths, there have always been limitations that the user of the synth must accept. Those limitations are what encouraged exploration of and experimentation of the instrument. They encouraged the user to spend so much time fiddling with the synth itself, so that after a few months the user ate/slept/breathed that particular synth's user interface (no matter how horrible) and could do things use it instinctively and effectively. When that bonding between hardware and user took place is when the really musically interesting stuff would happen.

So, that's one thing we kind of lose with software -- it's a little TOO good at times. It makes getting from point A to B so efficient, that the bonding process I mentioned above never gets the chance to occur.

I do get a "retro feeling" of bonding with my Leipzig-S for example -- it's so weird and quirky and has a mind of it's own as analog gear does, and sounds so great when it speaks it's mind. But these days are busy days, and I'm glad I have software to help achieve my goals where something like creating a substantial track with the Leipzig-S would require time I simply do not have anymore.

[Timo]

Aside from the sporadic recent pockets of analogue here and there, you could say just about every other synth in the last 15-20 years has simply been software attached to a hardware UI. They could all effectively run as VSTi's on a computer given the more than adequate CPU DSP thesedays.

Hardware synths still appeal to me as they can be run standalone. Instead of having to lug a computer, soundcard, MIDI keyboard controller and cables around and have to interact with an OS on-screen via mouse (or touchpad, God forbid), all you need is a hardware synth with its own UI. Switches on in seconds, has full instant patch recall, a UI that matches its intended use, no (measurable) latency, and hopefully no software crashes.

There's something appealing about being disconnected from a computer screen and mouse, and instead tweak a dedicated UI and connecting directly with the sound. That is unless you have an DX7, Wavestation, FS1R or similar, where old skool hardware UI was a hindrance.

However the fact also remains that, unless you have a large onboard screen or similar, there are some things that hardware can never do (easily). Other than programming the arpeggiator, the Virus has done pretty well to be able to still edit and do everything from the hardware that you can from within VC.

To keep up with competition from other VSTs, I personally wouldn't necessarily mind if Virus Control went further still and allowed more things to be done in the studio via VC that can't necessarily be done via the hardware itself - such as graphically editing oscillator or LFO waveforms akin to Z3ta+, or enabling more flexible step sequencing like Massive, or even modular editing like the Nord G2, etc. - allowing you to save such edits back onto the hardware as selectable presets to be taken on the road.

Of course a touchscreen would be awesome and plug this gap, but there's more chance of me walking on the moon...

... Virus Control via iPad/Android on the other hand would be pretty funky, neatly offloading the cost of a touchscreen elsewhere and also allowing for iPad sequencer functionality. Maybe this is the iOS/mobile reference? However if they're only just running the advert, I doubt they'd have something ready in time for NAMM.

Kemper Digital (inc. Access) are a smaller company than I thought they were, little more than a dozen or so employees in total, and they've seemingly been been putting all their energy and manpower into Kemper Amps the last few years.

Maybe the iOS reference is for Kemper Amp modelling natively on the iPad (like Amplitube has done with its iPad guitar amp suite), rather than the Virus? Would sound more plausible commercially, especially as there would be no hardware costs involved, unlike the Virus where iOS functionality would likely be an added-on freebie to the purchase of Virus hardware, rather than a commercially expandable tool (with further purchasable upgrades, etc.). In this sense, Kemper Amps potentially has fresh legs and a whole new market to tap into.

That said, they could do that with the Virus, turn it into a native iOS synth and charge for upgrades (unlike the free OS's we usually get) to monetize it. Actually I doubt this would ever happen, everyone with a hardware Virus would be pretty damn pissed off if it suddenly appeared on iOS for a fiver.

[TweakHead]

Yes, I think the appeal isn't just in its stand alone capabilities! It's also on the fact that it spares your main system from any stress involved in the creation and manipulation of sounds - that's still one main advantage hardware has over software.

Totally on the same page about the suggested new features! Those are exactly the ones I'd like to see implemented. Only thing to add is audio rate capable lfos, which would then be selectable as FM sources to. In fact, filter FM would also kill to. So, audio rate modulations throughout would kill!

But I've thought a little about the other, slightly more daring one, about Virus Control deviating a bit from the constraints of the hardware and enabling some added features. I think Virus Control acts mainly as some sort of hub between the "daw world" and the hardware, right? So including some features on it that wouldn't be present on the hardware, due to understandable limits of a physical interface, would mean one of two things: it would either include some sort of native generative sound features, where the plug-in would still act as a hub for the hardware, plus it would also have some things of its own up its sleeve, presumably only accessible with the hardware connection - sort like the way an ilok works. The second option would be that some features would be out of the physical interface, due to their complexity, but they'd also use the available dsp engine on the hardware. The second seems much more likely and, in a way, it's something that's happened already with the programmable arp/sequencer on the ti range.

[nutrinoland]

Clean Audio rate LFO's .... Oscillators as Mod Source.... Custom Waveforms / wavetables .... Sample and Granular synth engine..... 1 additional Real Analog Multimode Filter.... Multi segment Envelopes .... Proper adjustable Envelope Curves...Convolution/ Impulse Response Reverb...Built in Vaporizer for My Herb , Flux Capacitor for Time travel

Merry Christmas !

[TweakHead]

Convolution Reverbs take quite a lot of resources and so do Vaporizers

Clean Audio rate LFO's and Oscillators as Mod Source is the same thing! Cheers!

[nutrinoland]

Audio Rate LFO's can go up into the Audio rate like an Oscillator can...But to Get Harmonic sounds, You need Ratios or at least Semitone increments. LFO's generally have only Hz increments. They require lots of adjusting by Ear to hit the right Ratios, that result in Harmonic tones....You would also have to Keytrack the LFO rate so it stays Harmonic across all notes....and they also have limited Waveforms compared to an Oscillator. Oscillators are more flexible too, with stuff like detuning, unison etc....

[TweakHead]

^full range, broadband oscillators can do both - like you're likely to find on many euro rack modules. That's what I meant, since the implementation of both would be somehow redundant, as far as the programming goes. cheers

[Berni]

Well seeing as development of the virus ground to a halt years ago I think a VST/iOS version of the TI is definitely going to happen. As others have said, hardware synths just cannot compete with software one's anymore & will probably go the same way as the hardware sampler (remember them?)
Access are bound to cash in on the virus rep. & lucrative iOS market, it just makes plain business sense. Of course it will piss off a lot of existing virus owners but that has never bothered them before ; )

[TweakHead]

Yeah, it does make sense from a business perspective!

But it's a tricky road, that one! They also have in mind, presumably, that it would become the most wanted plug-in of all time - I'm sure most will agree on this; and piracy would be a great concern...

I get your point, but still feel like there's some uses for hardware digital to this very day! Even for studio work, there's still some uses for it! One advantage is the immediacy of the editing, the physical tweaking - which contributes to better, more inspired sounds. I'm among those who don't feel that's subjective at all! The other quite obvious advantage is saving computer's resources for demanding sounds, using unison for example.

With a good editor (and there's good ones out there now!), you can run it all smoothly without worrying about latency or timing problems, using good old midi and the audio outs. I like how Ableton has the driver error compensation feature, really useful for recording, managed to get sample accurate timing with that thing!

(for those in need of proper midi sync, check Expert Sleepers' stuff btw)

I don't think the sound is outdated to, nor its features... I mean, those old samplers had much less resolution then you get now, their memory just a breeze, some even used old formats that don't easily get by these days, or old converters - some are even praised for them, like the MPC 60, but a lot of that is just plain hype of course. But honestly don't see it happening like that for VA hardware, at least not this soon. I could easily see more manufacturer's doing something similar to Roland's Aira System 1 with its plug-out thing, allowing the same synth to incorporate a lot of different engines with their corresponding editors on screen. But then, I didn't even like that one, but still think it's a cool idea.

The way I see it, performance does matter (check new features on Cubase 8, for example) in a world where track counts can get huge! I'm always looking out for solutions to improve on this, and having some hardware does help indeed, as does stuff like Universal Audio, for example.

Think they may just go ahead and release the TI3 and keep things as they are! Clavia has done well with their new Nord Leads (A1 and 4), there's still demand for some sort of modern replacement for the Nord Modular (if only NI would listen and do some sort of Reaktor maschine when they go v6), Novation has also done well with their Ultra. Waldorf's Blofeld is another great one! Capable of very peculiar sounds. All of these combine very well with the Virus in a mix, or you can feed them to other hardware, specially euro rack stuff - much easier to do then with software plug-ins. Cheers!!

[TweakHead]

@MBTC I own the SL MK2 and to some extent I agree with you. Automap is a great software, but can't quite get the same feeling unless I edit the templates myself, special attention to the number of points per knob - so as to get the reaction speed I expect, sort like the Virus. I can't possibly engage with them with the regular templates. But all it takes is loosing some time tweaking the template and then "saving as default" for a given instrument! Then it's a bliss! I still think it beats other solutions on the market easily!