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So what's the obsession with Access' Virus? What ever production forum you go on you can bet your house that there is at least one big thread with "What plugin sounds most like a Virus!?"

I think they sound good and wouldn't mind a Virus C if I ever had the spare cash, but does it really deserve so much attention?

I personally think that overall quality Alesis' Andromeda A6 pisses all over the Virus.

Views?

Well, its all in your taste...

One difference, is that the A6 bankrupted Alesis, while the Virus became legendary... Just observation, but this has metaphysical effects also...

The Virus is easy to use, its got presets that sound dark and phat as fuck, its VERY easy to get around...

Shit, its likely that one artist had one (like Trent Reznor) someone got a photo of him with it, and then everyone wanted one...

But ultimately, who cares?

Just make a fat bass and everyone will be asking you what you used.

once you sit down and have a playaround with one you'll appreciate it.
There are loads of other synths that compete though. but like the Synth man said the presets are dark as you like and easy to manipulate.
It also had quite a distinctive sound when it came out which people just went nuts over.

Yeah one of the few hardware synths i've had a good muck around on... The appeal for me is that its so damn fun and easy, yet sounds massive

EDIT: Virus Access Indigo is what i was chattin bout

After the 80s to mid 90s, everything sounded either plain as fuck (think GM sounds), analog which had been done (all the Moog and 303 knock-offs that started appearing, or digital and fairly shit (Yamaha). This was when electronic music as a whole was taking a turn for the dark side. Techstep was on its way, Trip-hop was getting mainstream, Trance had already had its MDMA rush and was hitting the comedown hard, Beltram copycats were two a penny. The Virus was the first synth that came along and was purpose-built to sound AGGRO. Producers didn't need to wire up modular synths through guitar distortion, or MIDI up several synths and samplers to get a solid, phat, layered sound anymore, they had it all in the Virus. And soon everyone had one.

Why it's still as popular today? No idea. I guess everyone here knows I'm a hardware nut by now, but I've no intention of saving up for one, not at the prices they still go for. It's becoming the 303 of its day. The big, single, penis-extending true status symbol that marks you as a Serious Producer.

I've said it before, but just to evangelicise this synth one more time, Massive had a big update where they added two new oscs that basically are the Virus.

Auan wrote:Massive had a big update where they added two new oscs that basically are the Virus.

which ones?

tempest wrote:

Auan wrote:Massive had a big update where they added two new oscs that basically are the Virus.

which ones?

A Pulse->Saw one where the middle knob controls the PWM, and Pulse->Saw one where the middle knob controls "the rate at which the oscillator is reset" (from the manual), which sounds something like a Detune knob.

my computer was getting a bit slow, as i was rinsing the korg collections, albinos etc... i also needed a new soundcard...

so i bought a Access virus TI, its my midi keyboard, my soundcard and has 16 channells to use as different midi channels.it has built in DSP chips, so takes up no CPU in cubase. and the sounds in it are insane, recent updates to the software have added some wikid new functions too.

SORTED.

only issue is you have to bounce everything in real time to audio. if you got a 6 minute track with 20 individual tracks inside...(tries to count on fingers).. well i dunno the maths, but it takes a while.

thesynthesist wrote:One difference, is that the A6 bankrupted Alesis, while the Virus became legendary... Just observation, but this has metaphysical effects also...

Far out. That definitely makes the Andromeda better in my book though. It is down to taste but analogue is lush...

You do tend to get this phenomenon of creepy levels of attachment to it among virus-nuts, i have seen several videos on youtube of people getting ridiculously excited about their new virus. I've only ever seen one once in real life, when my girlfriend played a gig at some pub, the band on before had a virus, but they used it in one song to play three notes that sounded like an organ.

Made me a bit ill, but obviously some people have more money than sense.

Virus synths are cool for some sounds like pads and fx but I find they sound hollow and plasticy a lot of the time.

Give me a proper analogue anyday.

they're... nice.

crazy expensive for what they are BUT-- they do sound great, are easy to get into right off the bat and can go really, really deep as far as programming goes.


but still... rrrrreally expensive for a single desktop synth.

TeReKeTe wrote:they're... nice.

crazy expensive for what they are BUT-- they do sound great, are easy to get into right off the bat and can go really, really deep as far as programming goes.


but still... rrrrreally expensive for a single desktop synth.

it's multi-timbral though, so you can run multipal patches at one time, meaning it's not a one trick pony.


get a used virus B and tell me it's not incredible.
believe it or not, hardware is STILL very different from software. don't pick one or the other, they are both great.

don't believe the hype!!!

go and get yourself a Nord instead,I have the Nord Lead (still the bass king of modern synthesizers) and a Nord 3 which is the most versatile synth I've come across in recent times.

Yeah Nords run tings IMO

Man, viruses are the shiz nit. Easy interface, great engine (the B is the best) and come with the best presets out of any synth.
My tafe teacher though swears on the nord so it's probably all about what synth you own as to preference

..or you could just get both agagagagaga

i have a virus c.


very powerfull. love it.

as T-power said ... virus is nice ... but aint worth shit without an analog eq!!!!

Aagagagagagaga -... so all you crapminded nuts go fuckj your boutiq bullshit

tudniillik wrote:as T-power said ... virus is nice ... but aint worth shit without an analog eq!!!!

Aagagagagagaga -... so all you crapminded nuts go fuckj your boutiq bullshit

Agagagagaga ....