Virus - what's missing?

[PurpleSunray]

Hm, strange. I run a i5820K, 2 cores @4Ghz, 4 cores @3.6Ghz.
TPU barely kicks in on the "slow" cores at all, usually only the 4Ghz cores run at full overlock speed, while at least half of 3.6Ghz are almost idle or have low load. And that's for big projects, on small ones TPU doesn even drive the 4Ghz cores up to max. Are you working with 96Khz or something like that? CPU load issues on audio production are completly gone for me since the CPU upgrade.

[barryfell]

Hm, strange. I run a i5820K, 2 cores @4Ghz, 4 cores @3.6Ghz.
TPU barely kicks on the "slow" cores at all, usually only the 4Ghz cores run at full overlock speed, while at least half of 3.6Ghz are almost idle or have low load. And that's for big projects, on some ones TPU doesn even drive the 4Ghz core up to max. Are working with 96Khz or something like that? CPU load issues on audio production are completly gone for me since the CPU upgrade.

I work at 48k. It must be down to a difference in what plugins and how many of them we are using.

[zeusweiler]

My virus TI works then doesn't, then works again does some stupid shit then works again. it's a complete PITA, I don't care, it sounds amazing to me, I live with it.
I'm tired of being tied to a desktop though at times, so all I really want from access is a virus audio unit/VST. I don't want anymore features there's other synths for all that. I would pay twice the amount to access for a authentic virus plugin, than the current price of software heavy hitters like spire and serum etc, its sound means that much to me.
The other things I want is an access iPad TI control app and for a version of the TI plugin, for just control and not audio. I know there's other ways to do this and I know there's other editors like mystery islands, but I've paid all this money and I want it for free from access lol. Only joking I like the interface of TI plugin. but a scalable plugin would be great also.
If mystery islands ported there plugin to AU on the App Store on iOS I would buy it. I won't buy it for mac/PC as I have TI. Great plugin for A/B/C users tho.
If this is not possible I would like to see the virus ported to UAD over thunderbolt/USB 3.instead of watching it die. if it was a native I would like to see it ILoK, like falcon. I know this is controversial, but part of what makes me justify having this expensive synth apart from the obvious sound is that any cracker Warez whore can't have it.

[UltraJv]

AFAIK, you can't really compare DSP chip processing power to a PC processor, because you don't have all the additional stuff to compute you would have to, when you were running a sophisticated OS, with gazillions of background task etc., so, for a DSP chip, relatively low processing power is sufficient.

That is exactly my point. 10 years ago my CPU was really busy, running my DAW with 50++ lanes. Good idea to move real-time stuff to a dedicated chip. Today my CPU is prety much idle when running my DAW with 50++ lanes, no problem to run yet one more plugin.

IMHO many soft-synths fail on sound quality, because it is sooo easy to make one. All you need is something like JUCE and a bit of c++ knowlege, no DSP knowlege requried. But this also means that all synths that are made like that, use same FIR, IIR, FFT, ... codes / algorithms of the underlying framework and they all sound same somehow. If you implement that synth on a DSP chip, you need to have DSP experts that do know what they are doing - there is no way arround it and having expert-knowlege on your project might lead to better results overall, than if you only have noob-knowlege.

Now - why they cannot just port it to x86? Well... the point is that this DSP chip is much more specialized than a generic x86. Like, it has instructions to run a filter. A x86 CPU does not have that, but you need to implement the filter on your own. You will not able to do this same way like the DSP chip does it, unless you have access to the silicon schematics.

This has been covered a million times. They don't want to do it in software. Of course it can be done but their business is hardware.

[DrGonzo]

My god - I go away and take a nap, and when I wake up - we're back to the normal boring hardware vs software debate

I use hardware and software. Love them both.
Can put back the focus on the features what you would like to see in a future Virus?

/C

[PurpleSunray]

My virus TI works then doesn't, then works again does some stupid shit then works again. it's a complete PITA, I don't care, it sounds amazing to me, I live with it.
I'm tired of being tied to a desktop though at times, so all I really want from access is a virus audio unit/VST. I don't want anymore features there's other synths for all that. I would pay twice the amount to access for a authentic virus plugin, than the current price of software heavy hitters like spire and serum etc, its sound means that much to me.
The other things I want is an access iPad TI control app and for a version of the TI plugin, for just control and not audio. I know there's other ways to do this and I know there's other editors like mystery islands, but I've paid all this money and I want it for free from access lol. Only joking I like the interface of TI plugin. but a scalable plugin would be great also.
If mystery islands ported there plugin to AU on the App Store on iOS I would buy it. I won't buy it for mac/PC as I have TI. Great plugin for A/B/C users tho.
If this is not possible I would like to see the virus ported to UAD over thunderbolt/USB 3.instead of watching it die. if it was a native I would like to see it ILoK, like falcon. I know this is controversial, but part of what makes me justify having this expensive synth apart from the obvious sound is that any cracker Warez whore can't have it.

Go push my "Open source Virus Ti Drivers" post on the Virus forums
I also think that the Total Integration - thing is not as good as it could be.. and a lot more of cool stuff could be made out of it, like the iOS Control. Having an open source libVirusTI that implements all the low-level/driver stuff would be so cool ... iPad App inc

[aMUSEd]

I think USB 3 or at least 2 goes without saying. Ti could be more reliable in terms of timing too. But my biggest issue is with the appalling patch management.

[jacqueslacouth]

Sigh, this is rapidly encouraging me to re-list my Virus TI2 for sale again and actually letting it go this time.

[PurpleSunray]

Sigh, this is rapidly encouraging me to re-list my Virus TI2 for sale again and actually letting it go this time.

I would wait until they stopped selling it. You will get way more for it after it is not available on retail stores anymore *g*

[chk071]

My god - I go away and take a nap, and when I wake up - we're back to the normal boring hardware vs software debate

Where exactly is the "debate", i must have missed it.

[pdxindy]

AFAIK, you can't really compare DSP chip processing power to a PC processor, because you don't have all the additional stuff to compute you would have to, when you were running a sophisticated OS, with gazillions of background task etc., so, for a DSP chip, relatively low processing power is sufficient.

But that was not my point. I wrote that soft synths ARE able to run much more detailled sound modelling. The thing is, so far, only few developer have made excellent sounding soft synths, while hardware VA synths often sound very nice. Otherwise noone would even talk about the Virus anymore, or Waldorf's VA's, even "ancient" ones like the Q. Of course, also the hands on appeal is a important point, but, many soft synths simply fail to have as much character as hardware, and, especially, as much pleasing character.

Which soft synth only half as old as the Roland JP-8000 is even talked about anymore? I couldn't think of one. Why, when that sound already was possible on hardware?

The thing is, all the excellent hardware synths are the ones people talk about. The ones that were not so good have disappeared from discussion. There has been plenty of forgettable hardware too.

Also, softsynths are an easy entry. Lots of individuals have made softsynths because it requires little investment. Once made it can also be released into the wild at no expense. I can only imagine how many hardware synths made it to the prototype stage and never saw the light of day.

[rod_zero]

it is missing some knobs, for the sheer amount of stuff it has the amount of hands of control is quite minimal.

And a easy to use step sequencer.

[bronxsound]

Sigh, this is rapidly encouraging me to re-list my Virus TI2 for sale again and actually letting it go this time.

I would wait until they stopped selling it. You will get way more for it after it is not available on retail stores anymore *g*

well, i have three of them, so it might be serious investment

does it mean i will be finally rich?

[recursive one]

I'm really missing the ability to automate the depth of LFO assingment. Also MSEGs and/or steppers wouldn't hurt as well as the ability to rearrange the FX order. On the other hand, I don't care about the wavetable import, I know that people love importing all kinds of random sh!t into anything that makes any sound but frankly I think Virus wavetables are good and diverse enough so I don't feel any need to add any further WTs.

If we dream on, then I'd love to see 16 stereo outputs to use Virus Control as a proper multi-timbral plugin ( i guess in this case USB3 is a must).

As for that Virus vs VSTi thing, basically what Chk071 has said, the new plugins may have technically more advanced algorithms, less aliasing, more precise envelopes and whatnot but Virus just sounds good and has huge range of sweet spots in very different areas. Virus sound is kinda out of fashion now but it doesn't make it any worse.

[DrGonzo]

it is missing some knobs, for the sheer amount of stuff it has the amount of hands of control is quite minimal.

This is actually a good point. Although that I love the sound of the Virus and things you can do with it - I never felt happy controlling it with the knobs. Too much button pressing and menu-diving for my taste.

/C