Virus TI - how good is the built-in sound card / keyboard?

[montigo]

Hey everybody.

I'm thinking about buying a Virus TI as my first hardware synth (I have used quite a lot of software synthesizers).

I was wondering:

1. How good is the Virus TI built-in sound card in comparison to other professional studio USB sound cards? (e.g. RME, E-mu, M-Audio, etc.)?
Is it only good for ASIO, or can it be used as a "normal" (WDM) sound card?

2. How good is the keyboard of the Virus? The keyboard versions cost quite a lot more than the non-keyboard version - is it worth it?
What professional MIDI keyboard can it be compared with? (in terms of build quality, touch, weight, durability etc.)

Would love to hear your opinion

[gassle]

Its keyboard is great. Excellent semi weighted touch. But the audio card side is still buggy I guess. Latency/glitches due to low bandwidth of USB.

[danbroad]

The keyboard has the best synth/aftertouch action I've played - and I had a go on the Prophet, Voyager, Radias, V-synth, Evolver, Nord lead and M3 again last week. It's not weighted or graded though, if that's your thing.

As for the soundcard, it's OK [use it as such with Logic on my mac] - but there is an issue with latency using the Viruscontrol. Other vsti's play fine as any other soundcard. With the VC, I use the direct outs. The TI can bounce normal vstis in offline mode, but needs realtime bounce for its own audio bounces.

[montigo]

What do you mean by "synth/aftertouch action"? (I know what aftertouch is, but why "synth"?)

I don't care that it's not graded
It is semi-weighted. I guess this is enough for my needs... Do you think I should use a weighted keyboard for electronic music production?

I do understand that the Virus needs realtime bounch - I'm okay with that.
Why would you want to use the Virus in direct mode, unless you record something and need zero-latency?
About the latency issues or glitches does it have - where can I read more about it? is it avoidable by using an external sound card?

[danbroad]

Synth action refers to the weighting of the keys, as opposed to a heavier piano wood. If electronic music is your thing, as it is mine, then I'd definitely recommend not having a piano weight - fast runs, drum patterns become more difficult with the inertia of a wooden key, both on and off note. Synth action is fine. I believe the keybed is made by Fatar. A completely unweighted keyboard feels quite plasticky in my opinion.

The same analogy would be that an acoustic guitar, or a set of electric 12's can't play as fast as a lighter guage would for most folks [OK, there are some extraordinary exceptions, but you know what I mean..]

The aftertouch is monophonic [but I know of only one synth with polyphonic aftertouch, and that's not available for Virus money....!]

As for the direct outs, zero-latency is exactly the reason. Even with the new 'live' mode enabled, latency of the VC plugin is still a little too long for anything but pads and effects.

I understand why: by using a 'synth-in-a-synth', the midi data has to reach the sequencer, then back to the Virus, then return as audio back to the sequencer! By using a direct monitoring [which routes the virus's produced audio directly into the speakers, whilst sending midi data to the DAW, you can play everything perfectly - with absolutely zero latency.

It sounds convoluted, but because the Virus is your soundcard and so the speakers are run from the synth aswell, it works perfectly.

I will say this, though - if you use Mac, you cannot create an aggregate device using the TI. This means my NI Kore inputs cannot be used with the Virus as my soundcard. The synth itself has plenty of input options of its own, but it's a small bugbear.

My other disappointment was that Tracktion is incapable of 'bouncing' the audio down, even in 'realtime'. This is T2/T3 Tracktion specific - I've spoken to Beno at length about it aswell. Using Logic on the same computer, there are no such issues with the 'realtime bounce'. That was the reason I now use Logic, rather than continue to use T3 [even though I did upgrade.]

As a soundcard, it's fine for VSTi's and general duties. As a synth, it sounds awesome - and as hardware, it gives you a tangible instrument as your DAW frontend. If you buy it as a synth that happens to negate your need for a new soundcard, you'll do fine. If you truly want an all singing soundcard which happens to have a virus sound, buy the TC card and the Virus plugin.

[danbroad]

By the way, I was really impressed with the Prophet8 - even more than I was by the PolyEvolver. If you want a synth, and a decent investment, don't dismiss it out of hand. I think the virus sounded better, but my ears are my own, and you should give it a try. Are you in the UK? If so, head over to Soundcontrol and try them all out...