KVR Audio

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:00 pm

I have the Virus waveforms in wave format (Don't PM me and ask for them) I also have the Powercore demo installed. (It doesn't make a sound, but I can see the preset parameters) If I put them in Z3ta+ we could probably do a compare, but nobody has the kind of oscillator mix of the Virus. I've studied the Virus intensely in an insane attempt to recreate one in Synthedit. Dependant on which way the Mix knob is turned, there's always a pulse/saw blend mixed into what wave you select.
http://media.soundonsound.com/sos/aug04 ... gram.s.jpg

If that's too tiny here's the page link:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug04/a ... ustips.htm

I don't know if you can do that with the Z3ta. I don't know that you can do that with ANY VST

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 6:50 pm

osiris wrote:I've studied the Virus intensely in an insane attempt to recreate one in Synthedit. Dependant on which way the Mix knob is turned, there's always a pulse/saw blend mixed into what wave you select.

Interesting! I know that the mistake of many early softsynths is they had perfect waveforms, whereas the actual waveforms produced by analogs like the Minimoog were far from perfect. Maybe it's this pulse/saw blend that produces an end sound that many people prefer.

Jace-BeOS · Post by **Jace-BeOS** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 7:18 pm

Johnny Cherry wrote:As I only make music for a hobby I think the actual experience and process of making music with synths is much more important to me than the final output and the TI was a fun instrument to use.

Thanks for stating that. i'm kind of in the same situation. i find a great amount of enjoyment just playing with the sounds and the tools (except for the crashes and other bad stuff of software) and i often bash myself for not being more productive (or at all productive, some times).

And i happen to be reading this thread because i own an original TI desktop (bought used, not for cheap) and i also really love the sounds Z3ta+ creates, though i've not included either synth in any of my songs thus far.

mkdr · Post by **mkdr** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:43 pm

JimmiG wrote: The advantage of the hardware Virus with its analog outs is that 15 years from now, when people view PCI-Express the way we think of the ISA slot today (you remember ISA, don't you?), it will still work just fine as a standalone synthesizer. Those Powercore cards will be completely useless with no slot to plug them into, and the software plugin itself will be incompatible with your DAW, your audio card and the operating system.

My 26-year old JX-8P is still working fine today.. can't say that about the music software I had for my Commodore 64 that came on some kind of proprietary cartridge...

To some extent i have to agree with you on this. But there is a little bit of gray area here..

Like mentioned the computer hardware won't go bad itself, and you can use your current system even after 15 years if you don't need to update it. You can then use tools like FXteleport on your PCI-less machine to run the Poco through normal 100mbit network with very low latency(i recall i tested this with 256 samples setting, and it ran smooth). And even that latency is better than what you can achieve with current USB tech of the TI.

On Windows 7, over a decade old programs work just fine. But i understand if you've used to the way Macs work.. drop support after a year etc.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:53 pm

I also believe (but don't know for sure that there's a HP filter after the oscillator. The thing that makes me think this are: to prevent aliasing. And how people talk about the waves sound darker. I've got schematics and nothings there.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:01 pm

And PS: Now that I've given synth secrets away. I'll expect a NFR copy of any new synth from ANY developer that implements this oscillator mix structure in the near future...

(I'd love Richard to do this with DUNE. And change that filter config)

mkdr · Post by **mkdr** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:16 pm

mkdr wrote:
SLiC wrote:I have the Powercore Virus, best of both worlds IMHO, power of a Virus (or Z3ta) without the CPU hit.

So, it is a Virus, in software only....

Z3ta 2 = £69
Virus Ti over £1500....

The Virus Ti hardware would have to be A LOT better for the average home studio (assuming you already have a PC, control surface/keyboard, soundcard...) but if you gig, I would go with the hardware....
Been looking forward to acquiring a Poco Virus too. Already got a few cards to run it on(dirt cheap stuff!). But what i do have now is a Virus B and it's miles ahead of Z3ta's sound.. It's not so much the "quality" or ease of use of it, but the character of the sound. Attitude. But Z3ta can make nice sounds too, no doubt, and i use it all the time. There's just no sense in comparing these, even though they have a very similar sound structure.

Btw.
2x poco cards = 100-150e
poco virus plugin = ~350e
equals
32 multi parts, 128 voices of Virus B sounds with 128 samples latency. All ITB.

Compare that to TI's 3 stereo outputs, over usb(facepalm)... for over 3x the price..
No sense at all in getting a TI

Ok, finally did this. Got a monster setup to replace my Virus B: 3 poco cards + the unlimited Virus plug = 48 parts(and stereo-outputs) with up to 192 voices of polyphony.. For under 400€

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:16 pm

mkdr wrote:Ok, finally did this. Got a monster setup to replace my Virus B: 3 poco cards + the unlimited Virus plug = 48 parts(and stereo-outputs) with up to 192 voices of polyphony.. For under 400€

Sweet setup!!!

mkdr · Post by **mkdr** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:58 pm

Uncle E wrote:
mkdr wrote:Ok, finally did this. Got a monster setup to replace my Virus B: 3 poco cards + the unlimited Virus plug = 48 parts(and stereo-outputs) with up to 192 voices of polyphony.. For under 400€
Sweet setup!!!

Yeah!
And if someone didn't know already; TC Electronic is doing a final blowout sale before they stop selling Powercore plugs: -75% on everything. Virus Unlimited upgrade for example is just 24$.. no-brainer of the century!

Fabrik plugs are also 24$ each.
NonLin2 49$.
It's crazy prices for such quality..

http://www.tc-now.com/

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:09 pm

mkdr wrote:Yeah!
And if someone didn't know already; TC Electronic is doing a final blowout sale before they stop selling Powercore plugs: -75% on everything. Virus Unlimited upgrade for example is just 24$.. no-brainer of the century!

Fabrik plugs are also 24$ each.
NonLin2 49$.
It's crazy prices for such quality..

http://www.tc-now.com/

Wow!

The VSS3 is still my go-to reverb and the MD3 is still my go-to mastering processor. I basically keep my Powercore around for those and for the Virus.

Access Virus vs. Z3TA2