Access Virus Classic User Manual

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Virus Classic user manual in English and German.

This manual, as well as the software and hardware described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice and should not construed as a commitment by Access Music GmbH. Access Music GmbH assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this book.

Except as permitted by such license, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Access Music GmbH.

Virus is a trademark of Access Music GmbH. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. All features and specifications subject to change without notice.

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Table of contents

> PROLOGUE !9

Important Safety Remarks 12

> INTRODUCTION 15

The Amplifier Envelope 18 The First Filter 20 Filter Modulation 21 The Saturation Stage 23 The Second Filter 24 Filter Routing 26 The First Oscillator 28 The Second Oscillator 29 The Mixer Section 31 The LFOs 32 LFO 1 33 LFO 2 35 Volume and Panorama Position 36 Velocity 37 Unison Mode 37 The Chorus/Flanger Effect 38 The Delay Effect 39 More to Come 40

> CONCEPT AND OPERATION 41

Operating Modes 41 The Multi-Single Mode 42 Edit Buffers 43

> HANDLING 45

Parameter Selection and Data Entry 45 Knob Modes 47 Display of values 48

> ALL ABOUT THE MEMORY 49

Store 49 Compare 50 Store To Flash 51

> ABOUT TIME ... 53

Master Clock and Midi-Clock 53 The Mod Matrix and Soft Knob 54 The Virus’ Soft Knobs 55

> THE EFFECTS SECTION 57

Audio Inputs 57 Osc Volume and Input 59 Input Level Indicator 59

> INTERNAL AUDIO ROUTING 61

Aux Buses 61 The Audio Outputs 62

> ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS 63

Panic Function 63 Audition function 63 Reset Function 64

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 5

Table of Contents

> THE PARAMETERS 65

Front Panel Parameters 65 LFO 1 – Panel 66 LFO 1 – Edit Menu 67 LFO 2 - Panel 69 LFO 2 Edit Menu 70 LFO 3 Edit Menu 70 Oscillator 1- Front Panel 72 Oscillator 2 – Front Panel 73 Oscillator 1 Edit Menu 74 Oscillator-2 Edit Menu 74 Oscillator-3 Edit Menu 76 SubOscillator Edit Menu 77 Osc Mixer Edit-Menu 77 Mixer 78 Filters – Front Panel 80 Filter Edit Menu 84 Amplifier 87 Main Edit Menu (Common) 88 Key Mode 89 Unison Mode 92 Assign 93 Velocity 94

> WITHIN THE CONFIG-MENU 97

Common 97 Arpeggiator 98 Soft Knob 1/2 100 Soft Knob Modes 101 Multi Mode Parameters 102

> THE EFFECTS MENU 107

Input 107 Input Mode 108 Input Select 109 Envelope Follower 110 Ring Modulator 111 Vocoder 112 Distortion 112 Analog Boost 113

Phaser 114 Chorus 115 Delay And Reverb 116 Delay Specific Parameters 119 Reverb Specific Parameters 121

> GLOBAL AND SYSTEM PARAMETERS 125

System 130 Random Patch Generator 133 Categories 134

> PURE TUNING 137

Pure tuning the Virus 137 Theory 139

> THE VOCODER OF THE VIRUS 141

The Parameters Of The Vocoder 143 Notes About The Vocoder 146

> THE VIRUS AND SEQUENCERS 149

Parameter Control via MIDI 149 Organisational Information 149 Handling MIDI Parameter Control 151 Adaptive Parameter Smoothing 151 Parameter Control Insides 153 DUMP: The Sound in the Song 154

> TIPS AND TRICKS 157

All About Inputs 158 About The Delay/Reverb 159 The Virus as an Effect Device 160 Envelope Follower 160 Oscillators 161 Filters 163 Saturation - Adding Grit and Dirt 164 LFOs 165 Arpeggiator 167 MIDI 168 OS Update Installation 169 Support 172

> APPENDIX 351

System Exclusive Data 351 Parameters Description 358 Multi Dump Table 369 Classes 371 Mod Matrix Sources 374 Mod Matrix Destinations 374 Soft Knob Knobs Destinations 375 MIDI Implementation Chart 376 Oscillator and LFO waveforms 378 Block Diagram 381

> LEGAL STUFF 383

FCC Information (U.S.A) 383 FCC Information (CANADA) 384 Other Standards (Rest of World) 384 Declaration of Conformity 385

> GARANTIE BESTIMMUNG 387

> WARRANTY 389

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 7

Table of contents

Prologue

Dear Virus Classic Owner,

Congratulations on your choice, the new Virus Classic. You have purchased a cutting-edge synthesizer that comes fully loaded with several revolutionary features. Here are just a few of the highlights:

The Virus delivers the sound characteristics and tone of traditional analog synthesizers - for instance the Prophet 5 or Memorymoog to name just two popular examples of the species - in a previously unparalleled level of quality and handling ease. We’re not kidding, the Virus Classic actual delivers the authentic response of an analog synth via a digital signal processor chip, although the sound shaping and voicing options out-perform those of it historical predecessors by a considerable margin.

The Virus comes with 1024 slots for storing SINGLE sounds. These are organized in eight banks. The ﬁrst two banks (A and B) are located in the RAM, so you can overwrite them with new sounds. The other two banks are ”hard-wired”, i.e. they’re programmed into the FLASH ROM.

The Virus offers a maximum of 24 voices. In Multi Mode, these are allocated dynamically to sixteen simultaneously available sounds.

You have no less than three audio oscillators plus one suboscillator, a noise generator, a ring modulator, two Multi Mode ﬁlters, two envelopes, a stereo VCA, three LFOs and a saturation stage (SATURATOR) for cascade ﬁltering, tube and distortion effects.

The Virus Classic offers a veritable arsenal of effects. You have seven powerful sound-sculpting functions, including chorus, phaser and distortion, at your disposal, with each effect available separately for every sound. Thus, in 16-way MULTI mode, the Virus offers 80 effects, no less!. You also get a global reverb/delay unit that lets you create high-quality reverb effects and rhythmic delay taps. Delay time can be synced up to MIDI clock.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 9

With the beneﬁt of two external audio inputs, the Virus may also serve as an FX device and signal processor that you can use creatively to come up with all kinds of effects. External signals can be processed with ﬁlter, gate and lo-ﬁ effects, routed to the Virus effects section and serve as a modulation source for frequency and ring modulation.

Beyond that, you can use internal or external signals as sources for the Virus’ on-board vocoder serve. The vocoder works with up to 32 ﬁlter bands and offers diverse manipulation and modulation options.

The three main oscillators produce 66 waveshapes, three of which are dynamically mixable so that spectral effects are possible within the conﬁnes of a single oscillator. In conventional synthesizers, this type of effect requires several oscillators. Synchronization, frequency modulation and ring modulation between the audio oscillators delivers additional complex spectral effects that you can use for all kinds of sound shaping purposes.

The ﬁlters can be switched in series or in parallel within the voices via several options. When you switch the ﬁlters in series, the saturation stage is embedded between the ﬁlters. Consequently, an overdriven ﬁlter resonance can be re-ﬁltered within the same voice! A maximum of six ﬁlter poles (36 dB slope!) enables radical tonal manipulations.

The LFOs feature 68 continuous variable waveshapes each, including a triangle with variable symmetry and inﬁnitely variable aperiodic oscillations for random variation of the controlled parameters. The LFOs are capable of polyphonic as well as monophonic oscillation. In other words, if several voices are active, the LFOs can run independently or in sync. A number of keyboard trigger options enable you start LFO waveshapes with variable phase lengths at the beginning of a note and/or to cycle once only, like an envelope.

Next to the numerous ”hard-wired” or ﬁxed modulation conﬁgurations, you can assign three modulation sources to up to six different modulation destinations via the Modulation Matrix. For your modulation sources, you have LFOs, velocity, the pitch bender, aftertouch, the modulation wheel, numerous MIDI controllers and other sources to chose from. For your modulation destinations, you can select any sound parameter of the Virus Classic that is conducive to being remote controlled.

Up to 16 arpeggiators are available in MULTI mode. These give you countless options for creating arpeggios, which can also be synced up to MIDI clock.

Sounds and effects are patched out via six audio outputs which of course can also be used to route three stereo signals out.

In additional to its killer sounds and tone, the Virus was designed to deliver ultimate handling and control comfort. It is equipped with dedicated knobs and buttons for the crucial synthesizer functions, further parameters are accessible via data entry procedures. We distinguished between these two levels of expertise to enable you to create complex sounds while keeping the user interface as clear and uncluttered as possible.

In all modesty, we are especially proud of a feature we developed called Adaptive Parameter Smoothing. For the ﬁrst time in the history of synthesizers equipped with memories, you can manipulate a knob or control feature without an audible step or increment. In other words, the sound does not change abruptly but SEAMLESSLY. No more zipper noises! The Virus responds just as smoothly as analog synthesizers did prior to the introduction of digital sound storage

And users of contemporary software sequencers will appreciate the fact that the Virus sends all sound shaping commands immediately in the form of MIDI Controller or Poly Pressure data (and of course accepts all of the corresponding Controller and SysEx messages). This feature lets you dynamically control the Virus and all its functions via computer.

Although far from complete, the features listed above give you some indication that you now own an exceptionally versatile, high-quality musical instrument that will give you plenty of joy for years to come. We certainly hope you can fully exploit the enormous potential of this ﬁne instrument.

Have fun and enjoy! Your Virus Development Team

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 11

Important Safety Remarks

A few fundamental rules on handling electrical devices follow. Please read all notes carefully before you power the device up.

SET-UP

> Operate and store the device in enclosed rooms only.

> Never expose the device to a damp environment.

> Never operate or store the device in extremely dusty or dirty environments.

> Assure that air can circulate freely on all sides of the device, especially when you mount it to a

rack.

> Don’t set the device in the immediate vicinity of heat sources such as radiators.

> Don’t expose the device to direct sunlight.

> Don’t expose the device to strong vibrations and mechanical shocks.

CONNECTIONS

> Be sure to use exclusively the included mains power supply adapter.

> Plug the device only into mains sockets that are properly grounded in compliance with statutory

regulations.

> Never modify the included power cord. If its plug does not ﬁt the sockets you have available, take

it to a qualiﬁed electrician.

> Always pull the power plug out of the mains socket when you won’t be using the device for pro-

longed periods.

> Never touch the mains plug with wet hands.

> Always pull the actual plug, never the cord, when you’re unplugging the device.

OPERATION

> Don’t set beverages or any other receptacle containing liquids on the device.

> Make sure the device is placed on a solid base. Set it on a stable tabletop or mount it

o a rack.

> Make sure that no foreign objects fall into or somehow end up inside the device’s housing.

In the event that this should occur, switch the device off and pull the power plug. Then get in touch with an authorized dealer.

> Used on its own and in conjunction with amps, loudspeakers or headphones, this device is able

to generate levels that can lead to irreversible hearing damage. For this reason, always operate it at a reasonable volume level.

MEMORY BATTERY CHANGE

The Virus Classic stores its sound programs in a battery-buffered RAM. This battery (general type designation: CR2032) should be replaced every three to four years. The housing has to be opened to change the battery, so take the device to a qualiﬁed service technician. Do your part in protecting our environment and take it to a shop that disposes of batteries properly.

Before you have the battery changed, save the entire memory content of the RAM by loading it to a sequencer via "Total Dump". Be advised that RAM content is lost when the battery is swapped (see “Midi Dump TX” on page 125).

CARE

> Do not open the device, it is not equipped with any user-serviceable parts. Repair and mainte-

nance may only be carried out by qualiﬁed specialists.

> Use only a dry, soft cloth or brush to clean the device.

> Do not use alcohol, solvents or similar chemicals. These can damage the surface of the housing.

FITNESS FOR PURPOSE

This device is designed exclusively to generate low-frequency audio signals for sound engineeringrelated purposes. Any other use is not permitted and automatically invalidates the warranty extended by Access Music Electronics GmbH.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 13

Introduction

THE VIRUS

This section provides deliberate, step-by-step guidelines on operating and handling the Virus for those of you who are new to the world of synthesizers and MIDI. The following covers basics such as how to connect the Virus to an AC power supply, your MIDI system and your audio system. Then we will guide you through a series of experiments designed to demonstrate the different functional groups, their control features and the tasks they execute.

After you have ﬁnished reading this section, you will be able to handle virtually all of the sound generating and sound shaping functions of the Virus. All of these are described in context, along with their control features. Even the majority of less signiﬁcant functions, accessible via menus, are discussed here. You will ﬁnd a detailed, comprehensive description of all functions of your new synthesizer in the section following this introduction.

Please keep in mind that within conﬁnes of this introduction, we are unable to impart all of the knowledge and skills in acoustics, sound synthesis and MIDI control you might desire or need to acquire. If you are keen to learn more about these subjects, you should consider becoming a regular reader of one or several of the leading trade publications in your country. Your local musical instruments dealer or more experienced musicians will be able to recommend the best magazines to you. And of course there is a wide range of books available on these subjects.

If you decide to read this section, we recommend you read it in its entirety from the start rather than begin with a subsection that is of particular interest to you. A ﬁtting metaphor for the basics discussed in this section might be a house where each bit of information in a subsection is a brick that builds on a preceding brick and interlocks with those next to it. You want your knowledge base to be a sound structure so you won’t run into problems when you ﬁnd one of the “bricks” is missing.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 15

Introduction

CABLE CONNECTIONS

Before you connect the Virus to an AC outlet and the rest of your equipment, ensure that all of the devices are switched OFF. If your Virus does not have a build-in keyboard, then connect the MIDI OUT of the desired MIDI send device (keyboard, computer, hardware sequencer, etc.) with the MIDI IN of the Virus.

Connect the audio outputs of the Virus with the signal inputs of your audio system. In order to receive a signal, as a minimum you must connect the output OUT 1 R/MONO. However, we recommend you also connect the output OUT 1 L so you are able to enjoy the stereo sounds of the Virus.

Once you have established the desired cable connections, make sure the main volume controls of all the connected devices (Virus: MASTER VOLUME, located at the upper left hand of the control panel) are dialed to the lowest possible setting. Switch the devices on in the following sequence: the MIDI send device (computer, master keyboard, etc.) ﬁrst, then the sound generators (Virus and the other signal sources), followed by the mixing console and ﬁnally the ampliﬁer.

Now while you are sending notes on MIDI Channel 1 of the Virus, turn the master volumes of the connected devices up in the same order that you switched the devices on. Be sure to keep on eye on the signal level indicators of your mixing console.

LISTENING TO THE FACTORY SOUNDS

The program memory of the Virus was loaded with sound programs (SINGLE PROGRAMs) and sound combinations (MULTI PROGRAMs) before it left the factory. To hear the SINGLE PROGRAMs (and gain an initial impression of the possibilities your new instrument has to offer in terms of sounds), ﬁrst make sure your MIDI source is sending on MIDI Channel 1.

Press the SINGLE button. A number, a letter, number and name appear in the display. These indicate the the MIDI Channel, the current Program Bank (A to D) as well as the number and name of the current sound program. Now if you play notes you should be able to hear this sound and a note (the round dot at the end of the note staff is solid black) should appear in the display every time you press a key and release a key. If you do not hear a sound but you see a half note (blank note head) check to see if you are sending on the wrong MIDI Channel.

Press the VALUE button to call up the 128 single programs of Bank A in sequence. (The VALUE pot is inactive in this operating mode.) In order to hear the sound programs in banks B, C and D, simply use the PARAMETER/BANK buttons to step from one program bank to another.

You’ll ﬁnd that some sound programs are labeled with the abbreviations ”INP” or ”VOC”. These use the external audio input as a signal source for the ﬁlter section (INP) or vocoder (VOC). This means that you won’t hear anything until you route an audio signal into the external audio inputs.

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LISTENING TO THE MULTI PROGRAMS

The Virus not only has the capability of playing SINGLE PROGAMs, but also combinations consisting of more than one sound simultaneously (MIDI Multi Mode). To call up the MULTI PROGRAMs, press the MULTI button and select these combination programs via the VALUE button. The Virus features “only” 128 MULTI PROGRAMs, so you don’t have to switch back and forth between banks they way you just did while activating single programs.

The majority of available MULTI PROGRAMs contain sound combinations that are controlled via a single MIDI channel. In these MULTI PROGRAMs, the sounds involved are allocated side-by-side (split) or on top of one another (layered) on the keyboard. In other MULTI PROGRAMs, the sounds are divided up over several MIDI channels to make it easier to work with a sequencer. If you activate a MULTI PROGRAM and hear a single sound only, then you can control this MULTI PROGRAM via several channels.

YOUR FIRST SOUND PROGRAM

If you have never created or changed a sound on a synthesizer, we now have the pleasure of introducing you to this fascinating process.

Select the single program “A127 - START -”. Press any key on the connected keyboard. You should hear a sound that, for lack of better description, is a bit harsh or biting, but above all completely static. It should start immediately after you press a key and sustain indeﬁnitely for as long as you hold the key down. As soon as you release the key, the sound should end abruptly. This sound is not designed to be especially pleasant; it is intended to be as neutral as possible to give you a basis from which you can begin creating or shaping your own sound.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 17

Introduction

The Ampliﬁer Envelope

Long-term exposure to this sound will deﬁnitely grate on your nerves, so let’s get started with changing it into a signal you might enjoy hearing, beginning with the volume characteristics. Locate the section labeled AMPLIFIER at the bottom right of the control feature panel of the Virus. Here you can see ﬁve pots labeled ATTACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN, TIME and RELEASE, respectively.

These controls will help you to dial in volume characteristics called an ampliﬁer envelope and put an end to the nerve-racking drone that may remind you of one of those cheesy organs that you hear in ‘60s B-movie sound tracks.

Rotate the ATTACK pot while you repeatedly engage a key to hear the note. The further you turn the pot up, the longer it takes for the sound to achieve maximum volume after the start of the note. So you can say ATTACK controls the initial volume swell of the sound.

Presumably the ATTACK pot was set to a random position before you made any adjustments. Nevertheless the volume automatically increased to the maximum level before you started rotating the pot. The reason for this is that an ATTACK value of 0 is saved in the sound program - START - and this value remains valid until you determine a new value by adjusting the position of the pot, even if you turn it ever so slightly.

Take a look at the display of the Virus to gain an impression of the difference between these two values. It shows two numeric values when you dial a pot: at the left you can see the value stored in the sound program and at the right, the numeric equivalent to the value determined by the current position of the pot.

Always keep in mind that for a programmable synthesizer the position of the control feature or pot does not necessarily indicate the actual value of the given function. The reason for this is that when you ﬁrst activate a sound program, it will reﬂect the programmed value. You have to adjust the control feature before the programmed value is superseded by the value you determine manually.

Now ﬁddle with the DECAY pot while you repeatedly press a key to activate a note. Hold the key down for good while. You will notice that the volume, once it reaches maximum level at the end of the ATTACK phase, drops until it reaches a minimum level. The DECAY pot determines the speed, or in synthesizer jargon, the rate at which the volume decreases.

However, the DECAY level does not always drop to the minimum level; you can determine a random value between the maximum and minimum levels at which the volume remains constant. This level in turn is controlled via the SUSTAIN pot.

Whenever the SUSTAIN level is set to maximum, the volume cannot drop during the DECAY phase; in other words, in this situation the DECAY pot is ineffective.

The individual functions of a synthesizer are designed to interact; many functions are dependent on other functions. In a number of cases this means that some functions are subordinate to others, i.e. the effectiveness of a control feature is altered, modiﬁed or even negated completely by other related functions.

The ﬁnal pot, RELEASE, determines the speed or rate at which the volume decreases when you release the key: At low values the sound ends relatively abruptly, at high values, the sound fades out more gradually and softly. The length of the RELEASE phase also depends on which level the ampliﬁer curve is at when you release the key: The lower the level, the shorter the RELEASE phase. If you dialed in a brief DECAY or SUSTAIN-TIME phase and it ended while you held the key down then of course there will not be an audible RELEASE phase.

The next phase of the ampliﬁer envelope is determined by the SUSTAIN-TIME pot: If the pot is set to the center position (12 o’clock) indicated by the mathematical inﬁnity symbol, then the SUSTAIN level remains constant through to the end of the note.

If you turn it counter-clockwise to the left (towards FALL), then the level drops off at an increasing rate towards the minimum level much in the manner you just experienced with the DECAY pot; If you turn the pot clockwise to the right (towards RISE), the level rises at an increasing rate to maximum and remains there until you release the key.

The ampliﬁer envelope can be described as a variable curve which, depending on the type and duration of attack, hold and release data, automatically inﬂuences an imaginary volume pot (turns it up or down). At the beginning of the note, ATTACK controls the rise or rate of increase to the maximum level. Once the maximum level is achieved, DECAY determines the fall or rate of decrease to the SUSTAIN value, which is inﬁnitely variable between the minimum and maximum levels. The ampliﬁer envelope may remain at this value until the end of the note, fall towards the minimum level as determined by the variable TIME value, or even rise again towards the maximum level. After the end of the note, RELEASE controls the fall or rate of decrease to the minimum level. Consequently, the control pots labeled ATTACK, DECAY, TIME and RELEASE control a speed or rate, where as SUSTAIN actually controls a level.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 19

Introduction

The First Filter

Now we will take a look at a component of a synthesizer that is generally regarded as the most important functional unit as it enables drastic sound shaping measures: the ﬁlter - or in the case of the Virus, the two ﬁlters. But ﬁrst we will concentrate on just one of the two ﬁlters.

Locate the CUTOFF pot (not to be confused with CUTOFF 2) in the section labeled FILTERS, directly above the section labeled AMPLIFIER. Rotate the pot to the left and right and note how the sound becomes muddier and clearer in response to the direction in which you turn the pot. (To ensure this effect and the following aural experiments are most pronounced, adjust the ampliﬁer envelope so that the Virus generates a constant level while you hold a key down).

This is how a low pass ﬁlter works: it suppresses, or in technical jargon, attenuates the higher frequencies in a signal and allows the lower frequencies through. Think of the CUTOFF pot as a bouncer and the Virus as your pub. You can tell it which frequencies to let in and which frequencies to keep out. The frequencies above the so-called cutoff or ﬁlter frequency are suppressed, those below it remain unaffected.

Now locate the FILT 1 MODE switch, which is also located in the FILTERS section. It enables you to select a ﬁlter operating mode from the four available options:

Mode Description

LOW PASS (LP)

HIGH PASS (HP)

BAND PASS (BP)

BAND STOP (BS)

Now activate the different operating modes and rotate the CUTOFF pot to get a feel for the way each ﬁltering option works.

the low pass ﬁlter we have just discussed.

the high pass ﬁlter which works in the opposite manner of the low pass ﬁlter: It suppresses the lower frequencies in a signal and lets the higher frequencies pass.

the band pass ﬁlter which suppresses both ends of the tonal spectrum and allows only a narrowly deﬁned bandwidth of the original sound to pass.

The band stop ﬁlter, band reject ﬁlter or notch ﬁlter which works in the opposite manner of the bandpass ﬁlter. It allows all of the frequencies of a signal except for a narrow frequency band around the cutoff to pass. The term “notch” is fairly descriptive; you might say this ﬁlter chops a notch out of the sound spectrum.

Along with the CUTOFF pot, the RESONANCE pot is the most important control feature of a ﬁlter. The ﬁlter resonance increases the volume of the frequencies located near the cutoff frequencies and suppresses the more remote frequencies. This sound shaping feature has a striking effect - especially when used in conjunction with the low pass ﬁlter: it produces a nasal or honking type of tone which increases as you turn the resonance up. Experiment by varying the RESONANCE setting in the different operating modes in conjunction with different CUTOFF settings. You will ﬁnd the effect that the RESONANCE pot achieves is markedly different for the band stop ﬁlter in comparison to the effect it has on the other ﬁlter types: as the resonance increases, the bandwidth of the notch decreases; in other words more frequencies on both sides of the ﬁlter frequency are allowed to pass.

Filter Modulation

Of course we don’t want to require you to execute every sound modiﬁcation manually by twiddling pots. All kinds of sound modiﬁcations in the Virus can be executed automatically much in the way of your previous experiments with the volume controls: The ampliﬁer envelope can be described as a variable curve which, depending on the type and duration of attack, hold and release data, automatically inﬂuences (turns it up or down) an imaginary volume pot.

Similar procedures are applicable to the ﬁlter frequencies. The FILTERS section features its own envelope, the structure of which is identical to the ampliﬁer envelope, located directly above the ampliﬁer envelope on the control feature panel. Much like the ampliﬁer envelope, the ﬁlter envelope automatically “rotates” the CUTOFF pot.

However there is one signiﬁcant difference between the two envelopes. With the ampliﬁer envelope, you are always dealing with an initial volume level of 0 because of course you want absolute silence prior to the beginning of a note. After the RELEASE phase, it is again highly desirable that your box is silent. With the ﬁlter envelope, the situation is somewhat different: It always starts at the CUTOFF value that you determined manually. And it is deﬁnitely not always desirable that the ﬁlter frequency is brought to the maximum level.

Consequently, you need a tool that limits the effective range of the ﬁlter. This is why we equipped the Virus with a control labeled ENV AMOUNT (short for Envelope Amount). When the pot is turned counter-clockwise to the far left, the ﬁlter has no effect on the cutoff frequency; the further you turn the pot to the right, the greater the effect the ﬁlter envelope has on the ﬁlter frequency. The maximum level of the envelope may lie outside the audible range when the ﬁlter has already been par-

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 21

Introduction

tially opened via the CUTOFF pot or was manipulated via other control options. In extreme cases where the ﬁlter is already completely open, the ﬁlter frequency cannot be increased regardless of how high you set the ENV AMOUNT.

Go ahead and spend some experimenting with different ENV AMOUNT, CUTOFF and RESONANCE settings for the diverse ﬁlter operating modes. Also try varying the settings for the ampliﬁer envelope. You will ﬁnd that with just these few parameters you are able to come up with a vast amount of sound settings. If you are among the many musicians who are associative listeners, you might say many of the settings produce sounds reminiscent of stringed-instruments; some sound picked, plucked or snapped, others sound bowed.

For your next experiment set the ampliﬁer envelope so that you hear a constant level when you press and hold a note. Now deactivate the ﬁlter envelope by setting the ENV AMOUNT to 0. Set Filter-1Filter-1 to low pass mode and decrease the ﬁlter frequency until you just barely hear a muddy signal when you play notes in the mid-range.

Now play a few higher and lower notes. You will ﬁnd that the lower notes have a greater overtone content, whereas the higher notes sound muddier and their volume decreases until the notes are completely inaudible. You might already suspect what this is all about: As the notes are transposed ever lower, more portions of the signal fall below the cutoff frequency, whereas with the notes that are transposed ever higher, more portions of the signal rise above the cutoff frequency and subsequently are suppressed until the root note and the last audible portion of the signal is silenced.

To avoid this effect - or if desirable, to amplify it - you have the option of inﬂuencing the cutoff frequency via the pitch of the note, i.e. the note number. The degree of inﬂuence is determined by the KEY FOLLOW pot.

Please note that KEY FOLLOW is a so-called bipolar parameter: Its control range is not limited to the positive end of the spectrum (0 to a maximum of 127). Bipolar controls effect negative values as well, in this case from the negative maximum of -64 through 0 an on to the positive maximum of +63. Consequently, if this pot is set to the center position (12 o’clock or 0) the pitch of the notes corresponding to the keys on your keyboard has no effect on the cutoff frequency. If on the other hand you turn the KEY FOLLOW pot clockwise towards the positive control range, you will ﬁnd that the ﬁlter opens up increasingly as the pitch increases with higher notes. At lower notes, the ﬁlter closes down again. If you turn the pot counter-clockwise towards the negative control range, the KEY FOLLOW effect is reversed. With the Virus, you will encounter this feature - intensity control via a bipolar parameter - again in conjunction with other modulation sources and targets.

Now experiment as much as you like with different KEY FOLLOW settings and tune the settings via the CUTOFF pot. And remember to bring all of the other parameters you have encountered thus far into play.

The Saturation Stage

In the signal chain of the Virus, Filter-1 is followed by a saturation stage. It enables you to add overtones to the ﬁltered signal via distortion. Locate and press the button labeled EDIT in the FILTERS section.

DISPLAY

FILTER EDIT > SATURATION > CURVE

01111111111111111112

1 SATURATION Curve Off≤

61111111111111111154

The display will read ”SATURATION CURVE OFF”, which means exactly what it says. With the VALUE buttons or the VALUE pot, you can now select from a number of saturation/distortion curves. Next to the distortion curves, the SATURATION stage offers further DSP effects such as the shaper, rectiﬁer and ﬁlter. These are explained in detail in the section on the SATURATION stage.

At this point we would like to mention the OSC VOL pot in the MIXER section. The portion of the control range from the far left to the center position (12 o’clock) determines the volume of the ﬁlter section’s input signal. The portion of the control range located to the right of the center position (12 o’clock) does not achieve any increase in volume; it simply intensiﬁes the degree of saturation or distortion. This effect is only achieved when you have activated a saturation curve. The intensity of the remaining available DSP effects is also controlled via the OSC VOL knob. Feel free to experiment with the diverse saturation curves and be sure to vary the OSC VOL settings. Note how the different CUTOFF and RESONANCE settings inﬂuence the saturation curve.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 23

Introduction

The Second Filter

You probably noticed that by a adding a bit of saturation to the signal you can come up with a pretty heavy, aggressive sound - especially with a low ﬁlter frequency level and high resonance. You’re probably thinking these types of sounds could do with some more ﬁltering. We had the same idea, which is one of the reasons why we equipped the Virus with another ﬁlter per voice.

The technical design of this second ﬁlter is identical to the ﬁrst, so we won’t discuss it in as much detail as we did the ﬁrst ﬁlter. However, there are few differences in how you handle the second ﬁlter:

Only two control features of the Virus are allocated exclusively to Filter-2: CUTOFF 2 and FILT 2 MODE.

The RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW pots can be allocated to either of the two ﬁlters or both simultaneously. Use the two SELECT buttons located at the far right of the FILTERS section to select the desired operating mode. For instance, if you press the FILT 2 SELECT button, then the values you set via the RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW pots apply exclusively to Filter-2. The corresponding parameters of Filter-1 remain unaffected. On the other hand, if you press both SELECT buttons at the same time, the values that you dial in apply by the same measure to Filters 1 and 2.

In the sound program we are using for our experiments, the LEDs of both buttons are illuminated, so that all adjustments to the given parameters affect both ﬁlters. However, you have yet to actually hear the effect of Filter-2 on the signal because it is mixed out of the audible signal path of the Virus.

Before we get started with our next experiment, deactivate SATURATION, set the ENV AMOUNT of the ﬁlter envelope to zero and set CUTOFF 2 to the center position (12 o’clock) so that Filter-2 always has the same cutoff frequency as Filter-1 (we’ll explain CUTOFF 2 a bit later). Set CUTOFF to a medium or middle value and turn the RESONANCE pot counter-clockwise to the far left to achieve a relatively muddy sound. Now locate the FILTER BALANCE pot at the upper right hand of the control panel and rotate it from the left to the right. You will note the sound becomes muddier as you turn the pot towards the center position (12 o’clock) and that the sound is somewhat brighter at the far right of the control range then at the far left.

The reason for this effect is that when you turn the FILTER BALANCE pot to the far left, only Filter-1 is audible. When you rotate the pot to the right, Filter-2 is blended in so that it follows Filter-1 in the signal chain. When you turn the FILTER BALANCE pot clockwise, Filter-1 is blended out of the signal chain until at the far right position only Filter-2 is active and audible.

Each ﬁlter in the Virus normally features 2 poles. However in the FILTER ROUTING operating mode SER 6, Filter-1 operates with 4 poles, so the signal patched through Filter-1 (FILTER BALANCE to the far left) is trimmed more drastically than when it is routed through Filter-2 (FILTER BALANCE to

the far right). When you set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o’clock) - as we mentioned before - the two ﬁlters are routed in series, which means they respond as if they were a single ﬁlter with 6 poles and consequently a great deal of slope. This is why the input signal is trimmed substantially when you set the pot to this position.

Experiment with the diverse FILTER BALANCE positions to get a feel for the different degrees of slope. Rotate the CUTOFF pot or activate the ﬁlter envelope (for both ﬁlters!) to hear the ﬁlters in action.

The CUTOFF 2 pot is a special feature: It controls the cutoff frequency of the second ﬁlter, but is subordinate to the CUTOFF pot located above it. In other words, at the center position (12 o’clock) the manually selected frequency of Filter-2 is identical to that of Filter-1. When you rotate the pot to the left the cutoff frequency level of Filter-2 is increased relatively to Filter-1, when you turn to pot to the right the cutoff frequency level is decreased relatively. Now when you adjust the CUTOFF pot, you adjust the cutoff frequency of both ﬁlters by the same measure! This feature lets you determine a difference in values in the ﬁlter frequencies (called an offset) via the CUTOFF2 pot which remains constant whenever you adjust the CUTOFF pot.

Yet another experiment in which you can come up new ﬁltering characteristics that are typical of the Virus:

Set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o’clock) and CUTOFF 2 to the maximum level. The FILTER ROUTING operating mode must remain SER 6. Set CUTOFF and RESONANCE to a middle value and select a clearly audible SATURATION curve.

Now you can ﬁlter this complex signal produced by a combination of the saturation stage and the Filter-1 yet again. Rotate the CUTOFF 2 pot slowly towards the center position (12 o’clock). You can hear how Filter-2 gradually modiﬁes the distorted signal. You can set a RESONANCE value for Filter-2 if you press the FILT 2 SELECT button and rotate the RESONANCE pot to the desired position. Set the CUTOFF 2 pot to a position to the right of the center position. This conﬁguration can be described as a complex non-linear ﬁlter set up where the cutoff frequency is controlled via the CUTOFF pot. You can dial in a wide range of sound-shaping option via CUTOFF 2. Also try modifying the resonances of both ﬁlters as well as the SATURATION curve to come up with different ﬁltering characteristics.

Now experiment with the diverse ﬁlter modes and listen closely to the effect of the parameters RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOLLOW in conjunction with the SELECT button. Please also keep in mind that the chances of choking a sound off are substantially greater when you are using both ﬁlters: For instance, if the ﬁrst ﬁlter is used as a low pass with a low cutoff frequency and the second as a high pass with a high cutoff frequency, the Virus will not generate an audible signal when you set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12 o’clock).

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 25

Introduction

Filter Routing

The ﬁnal parameter we’ll discuss for the time being is FILTER ROUTING. This feature offers several ﬁlter routing options which allow you to operate the ﬁlters in series, i.e. patch one after the other in the signal chain, or in parallel, which means side by side in the signal chain

Regardless of which FILTER ROUTING option you chose, the SATURATION stage is always post-Filter-1, i.e. after Filter in the signal chain.:

Mode Description

SER-4

SER-6

PAR-4

SPLIT

The ﬁlters are switched in series; with two poles each (12dB/Okt.), both ﬁlters have the same slope for a total of four ﬁlter poles (24dB/Okt.).

The ﬁlters are switched in series; Filter-1 has four poles (24dB/Okt.), Filter-2 has two poles (12dB/Okt.) so the overall slope is equivalent to six poles (36dB/Okt.).

The ﬁlters are switched in parallel and feature two poles each (12dB/Okt.).

The ﬁlters are switched in parallel and feature two poles each (12dB/Okt.). Additionally, they receive independent input signals (more on this later). Each of the two oscillators routes its signal into one of the two ﬁlters whose signals can be spread in the panorama via a parameter called UNISON Pan Spread.

Her is the ﬁlter routings capabilities of the Virus.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 27

Introduction

The First Oscillator

To this point, we have turned our attention exclusively to sound-shaping functions and have always started with the same basic material: a so-called sawtooth wave. This waveshape is especially wellsuited as a neutral starting point as it contains all of the so-called natural scale of overtones, which give the ﬁlter plenty of quality material to work with.

The ﬁlters, with the exception of a notch ﬁlter or band stop (BS), trim the far reaches of the tonal spectrum, so for instance a signal sounds muddier after it has been routed through a low pass ﬁlter. You can well imagine that this type of sound modiﬁcation is substantial but insufﬁcient for shaping more subtle differences in tone. For instance the tone of a trumpet differs signiﬁcantly from that of a saxophone even though no one would seriously claim that either of the instruments has a muddier tone than the other.

What you need is a sound-shaping option for the portion of a signal that a ﬁlter allows to pass. And of course you also need a tool for determining the pitch of a signal. In synthesizers, both of these tasks are executed by oscillators. They oscillate at a variable pitch that can be modulated and they also generate different waveshapes which give the ﬁlters a wider variety of material to work with.

The Virus is equipped with two main oscillators and a so-called suboscillator. We will ﬁrst take a look at Oscillator 1, which is the oscillator you have already heard in action during your experiments thus far.

Dial in the same basic sound that you started with at the very beginning. Now modify the ampliﬁer envelope so you are working with a less grating sound, but hold back on any other ﬁlter or saturation modiﬁcations so you can hear the purest oscillator signal possible.

Locate the section labeled “1”, it is bordered off in a separate area at the far left of the section labeled OSCILLATORS. No check out the two pots labeled SHAPE and WAVE SEL/PW. These enable you determine the waveshape and consequently the tonal spectrum of Oscillator 1.

In the sound program, SHAPE is preset to the center position (12 o’clock), which is equivalent to a value of 64. On the pot, this position is identiﬁed via a graphic depiction of a sawtooth wave. You can deﬁnitely see why this waveshape bears the name “sawtooth.” Press and hold a key and slowly turn the pot clockwise. You should be able to hear how the tone becomes increasingly more hollowsounding. You might say this effect thins the sound out, but in any case, the entire tonal spectrum is affected by an equal measure, which is an audio result ﬁlters are unable to achieve.

The waveshape that is audible when you turn the SHAPE pot to the far right is a so-called pulse wave. The graphical representation of this waveshape on the control panel gives you a good idea of its appearance. It is unique because the duration of the negative pulse is equal to the duration of the positive pulse: It has a so-called pulse width of 50%. The tone of a pulse wave is different to that of a sawtooth wave because it does not contain all overtones in the natural overtone scale, only the

odd-numbered tones, i.e. the ﬁrst (the root note that determines the pitch), third, ﬁfth, and so forth. By turning the SHAPE pot from the sawtooth control range towards the pulse control range, you are actually dialing every other overtone out of the mix, which explains why the sound becomes thinner.

You can continue modifying the sound by reducing the symmetrical width of the pulse wave. In the Virus, you can execute this sound-shaping measure via the WAVE SEL/PW (PW = pulse width) pot, PROVIDED THE SHAPE POT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE RIGHT HALF OF ITS CONTROL RANGE (LATER THAN 12 O’CLOCK). Rotate the WAVE SEL/PW pot slowly from the left to the right and leave the SHAPE pot at the far right position. You can hear how the treble content of the sound increases while the sound becomes ever thinner. At the far right position, the signal is no longer audible because the pulse width is equivalent to 0% and consequently the wave no longer oscillates.

Starting at the center position (12 o’clock) indicated by the sawtooth, turn the SHAPE pot counterclockwise towards the left. You can hear how the overtones are increasingly mixed out of the signal until you can only hear the root note. This sound is produced by a so-called sine wave, one of 64 other waveshapes that you have at your disposal for sound generation purposes. These waveshapes can also be activated via WAVE SEL/PW (WAVE SEL: Wave Select), PROVIDED THE SHAPE POT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE LEFT HALF OF ITS CONTROL RANGE (EARLIER THAN 12 O’CLOCK). Regardless of the current SHAPE setting, you can also select a wave in the EDIT menu under Oscillator 1 WAVE.

Go ahead and check out the different waveshapes. The second of the 64 waves is a triangle wave, the remainder of the waveshapes are each a unique tonal blend. After you have familiarized yourself with this raw material, experiment with the parameters of the FILTERS and AMPLIFIER sections you have dealt with thus far (don’t forget about SATURATION and the corresponding function of the OSC VOL pot), to get a feel for how the diverse waveshapes respond to ﬁltering, saturation and ampliﬁer modiﬁcations.

The Second Oscillator

As we mentioned previously, in addition to the other sound sources, the Virus is equipped with a second oscillator. Judging from the amount of control features on this oscillator’s section of the control panel, you have probably already gathered that it has more sound-shaping options than Oscillator 1.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 29

Introduction

Dial in the basic sound program that you had at the very beginning; change the ampliﬁer envelope to suit your taste. In the sound program, the OSC BAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in the MIXER section is preset to the far left. In order to hear Oscillator 2 in action, rotate the OSC BAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in the MIXER section to the right. Towards the center position (12 o’clock) you will hear how the tone is modiﬁed and as you rotate the pot further to the right, how the intensity of this modiﬁcation is reduced. This effect is known as the comb ﬁltering effect. It occurs when two signals with the same frequency but different phase lengths are mixed. Press the same key on your keyboard several times with the OSC BAL set to the center position (12 o’clock). You should notice that each note has a slightly different tone. The oscillators are the source of this effect. The oscillators of the Virus oscillate freely, consequently every time you play a note, the phase constellation between the two oscillators is different. For now, leave the OSC BAL POT at the center position (12 o’clock).

You are already familiar with Oscillator 1’s SHAPE and WAVE SEL/PW pots. These functions are identical for Oscillator 2, so we won’t go into detail on them again.

Locate the pot labeled DETUNE and slowly rotate it to the right from the far left position (which is preset in the sound program). You can hear the tone start to waver and as you turn the pot further to the right, how this vibrato effect increases until Oscillator 2 sounds distinctly out of tune with Oscillator 1. This wavering or vibrato-type effect has a popular traditional in synthesizers. It is used to achieve chorus effects, create sounds reminiscent of stringed instruments/ string sections or simply beef up the sound.

The SEMITONE pot enables you to transpose Oscillator 2 by plus/minus four octaves in semitone steps while Oscillator 1 maintains the pitch. This feature is especially interesting when used in conjunction with two other oscillator functions: synchronization and frequency modulation.

Locate and activate the SYNC button in the Oscillator 2 section (the LED must illuminate). The synchronization function forces Oscillator 2 to restart its wave cycle at the same time as Oscillator 1 waveshape starts its cycle. The initial effect of this measure is that the wavering tone that resulted from detuning and mixing the oscillator signals disappears.

The SYNC effect really becomes interesting when you transpose Oscillator 2 upwards in comparison to Oscillator 1 via the SEMITONE pot. What happens is that the wave cycle of Oscillator 2 is interrupted as soon as Oscillator 1 starts its cycle. The pitch of the second oscillator no longer has the expected effect, instead it generates special tones, in some cases for lack of a better description “screaming” type effects.

The other effect that beneﬁts from manipulating the interval between the oscillators is frequency modulation (FM). It generates new tonal spectra in which the signal of the ﬁrst oscillator controls the frequency of the second oscillator similar to the manner in which ﬁlters can be controlled via envelopes. And here too you have a pot which allows you to control the intensity of: FM AMOUNT. Basically, this effect is similar to a vibrato, although here you’re dealing with an extremely fast vibrato featuring a frequency within the range of human hearing. This signal is not actually audible as a

vibrato effect. Instead, you’ll hear a sound modulation, in some cases, a very drastic one at that. Choose the pure sine waveshape for Oscillator 2. In conjunction with the sine wave, the frequency modulation generates very clear, in some cases bell-like, spectra.

In the Virus you have the option of combining the two functions called oscillator synchronization (SYNC) and frequency modulation (FM AMOUNT, to generate new harmonic spectra. Switch SYNC on and experiment with the FM AMOUNT. Also try out different SEMITONE settings and the diverse waveshapes of Oscillator.

The Virus is equipped with a third master oscillator that lets you create further oscillations and spectra. You can access the parameters of this oscillator, which are described in a later chapter, via the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu.

The Mixer Section

You have already come across two parameters of the MIXER section: OSC BAL determines the mix ratio between Oscillators 1 and 2; in the left half of its control range, OSC VOL determines the master volume of the oscillator mix. In the right half of the control range from the center position to the far right, OSC VOL increases the saturation intensity when a SATURATION curve has been activated.

Now we’ll take a closer look at the ﬁnal control element, the SUB OSC pot: It controls the volume of the fourth oscillator, the so-called SubOscillator, which always operates an octave below Oscillator 1.

The SubOscillator is mixed to the Oscillator 1 and 2 master mix signal as determined by the OSC BAL pot. The master volume of the composite mix is controlled by the OSC VOL pot. The only other parameter available for the SubOscillator is accessible via the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu where you have the option of selecting a triangle or pulse waveshape (SUB OSCILLATOR WAVE SQUARE/TRIANGLE).

Another voice-internal signal source of the Virus has no visible control features on the control panel: the Noise Generator. The dedicated sound parameters are its volume and coloration (NOISE Volume and Color in the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu). On the middle position of NOISE Color the Noise Generator produces white noise. Please keep in mind that the level of the Noise Generator is not subject to the master volume controlled by the OSC VOL pot. In other words, it is audible even when OSC VOL is set to zero.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 31

Introduction

The VIRUS’ ring modulator is a new sound source. The output of the two oscillators is multiplied to create interesting sounds with rich enharmonic overtones. These overtones are highly dependent on the frequency coherence of both oscillators and it’s waveforms. The frequency coherence can be changed, for instance use the OSC2 SEMITONE parameter. To blend in the ring modulator use EDIT: RINGMODULATOR VOLUME (in OSCILLATOR EDIT Menu). If the RINGMODULATOR VOLUME is zero, the ring modulator is switched off. OSC VOL does not affect the ring modulator level (or indeed the noise volume). Therefore the original oscillator signal can be leveled independently of the ring modulator. Be sure to check out what the ring modulator does when you select a sine wave for Oscillator 1 and 2.

Now we can go on and solve the mysteries of the signal ﬂow as determined by the FILTER ROUTING operating mode SPLIT: Here Oscillator 1 and the SubOscillator are routed to Filter-1, whereas Oscillator 2 and the Noise Generator are routed to Filter-2. Although the sound sources are split into two signal paths, you can still control the volume levels of the different elements as well as OSC VOL in the usual manner.

The LFOs

When you ﬁrst started this series of experiments with sounds, we promised that many of the functions the Virus can be “programmed” so that they are executed automatically. You have already learned how to control the volume and cutoff frequencies of both ﬁlters as well as the pitch and intensity of the frequency modulation of Oscillator 2 via “preprogrammed” envelopes. These options are great, but you have already encountered a number of functions where it would be a helpful if you could also program them to be executed automatically. And of course envelopes are great modulation sources, but you have to play a note every time you want to initiate an envelope. During your experiments you probably came across a function or two you would like to be able to control periodically - independently of notes. Some features that come to mind are traditional techniques such as vibrato (periodic pitch control) and tremolo (periodic volume control). Another option you might like to have at your disposal is random parameter control.

In the Virus, both of these tasks are executed by a so-called LFO (low frequency oscillator) that oscillates at frequencies below the audible range. An LFO is similar to the oscillators you have encountered thus far, but it oscillates signiﬁcantly slower so that its output signal is too low for human hearing. So what good are they if you can’t hear them? LFOs are used in much the same manner as envelopes, with the major difference that the are repeated indeﬁnitely.

LFO 1

Start with the usual basic sound conﬁguration or chose a modiﬁed sound to suit your taste. Locate the RATE pot in the LFO 1 section of the control panel. The RATE pot is equipped with an LED that indicates the speed of the LFO as well as its waveshape. Turn the RATE pot and check out how the ﬂash of the LED indicates the change of pace as you rotate the pot.

Currently you are unable to hear the effect of the LFO as its modulation intensity is set to 0 in the sound program. In order to change this setting, you must access the AMOUNT button which works in conjunction with ﬁve vertically arrayed LEDs labeled OSC 1, OSC 2, PW 1+2, RESO 1+2 and ASSIGN: Press the AMOUNT button repeatedly and observe how the LEDs ﬂash in succession (the LEDs OSC 1 and OSC 2 ﬂash separately as well as in unison). The corresponding modulation targets appear in the display, along with the modulation intensity values as determined by the VALUE pot and VALUE buttons. (You can also scroll through the modulation targets via the PARAMETER button after you have pressed the AMOUNT button once.) Once you have dialed in a value other than 0 for a modulation target, the corresponding LED illuminates continually. This feature tells you at a glance that a modulation is underway even when the display indicates some other type of operation.

Value Description

OSC-1

OSC-2

PW 1+2

RESO 1+2

ASSIGN

Modulate the ﬁve parameters separately and in combinations with different intensities. Try to anticipate the sound you will come up with when you modulate the ﬁrst oscillator, the second oscillator or both oscillators at once and see if the results match your expectations. If you can fairly reliably predict the outcome of your sound-shaping efforts, you should have a handle on the information discussed thus far and can use your knowledge to create speciﬁc sounds you have in mind.

refers to the frequency of Oscillator 1

refers to the frequency of Oscillator 2

means that the pulse widths of both oscillators are controlled in unison

refers to the resonances of both ﬁlters. Please keep in mind that although each set of these parameters is assigned a common modulation intensity, you can still dial in different sound-shaping settings manually. In other words, the audible result of a joint modulation varies according to the values you have determined for the other parameters.

Here you can freely select any modulation destination.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 33

Introduction

During the course of your experiments, it is entirely possible that you have generated modulations that have no effect whatsoever on the sound, for instance if you modulate the frequency of Oscillator 2 although it is dialed out of the oscillator mix. When you run into this type of problem, check out the signal routing, if any conﬁgurations conﬂict with each other and memorize the situation, problem and solution. If you make a habit out of this, you won’t panic when you run into similar situations; instead you’ll keep your cool, analyze the unexpected sound and ﬁx the mix.

You are currently using a triangle as the LFO waveshape. You shouldn’t have any problem associating the periodic up and down ﬂuctuation of the target parameter with this waveshape. Now activate the other available waveshapes for LFO 1 and try to picture the respective waveshape and associate it with the results of the modulation.

The third waveshape is a descending sawtooth wave. You can convert it into to an ascending sawtooth by simply dialing in the requisite negative modulation intensities (AMOUNT).

In the WAVE setting, you have access to 64 LFO waveshapes. Select these in the display section using the VALUE buttons:

Value Description

S&H

(Sample and Hold) is a structured random modulation. Here random modulation values are generated. The value is held until the next beat impulse, then it abruptly jumps to a new random value.

S&G

(Sample and Glide) is a continual random modulation. Here the random values glide seamlessly into one another, the rate of which is determined by random modulation of the RATE value.

The following 62 waveshapes are identical to the oscillator section’s digital waves. These can be used to create interesting rhythmic effects.

Continued your experiments with different LFO waveshapes. Note that after a while you no longer consciously hear minimal modulation intensities - depending on the waveshape and modulation target (e.g. S&G +1 on OSC 1 or 2). However they do pep up the sound of lend it a certain vitality. The key to many great sounds are these types of minimal modulations.

You may have gathered that the LFOs of the Virus are polyphonic: If several notes are played simultaneously, these are controlled by dedicated LFOs, each with a slightly varied rate. This effect livens up the sound of chords, especially when they are sustained. To enhance this effect, activate the LFO 1 KEY FOLLOW in the LFO-EDIT-Menu.

This function enables you to control the rate of the LFOs via the pitch, or more accurately, via the MIDI note number, so that higher notes generate faster LFO rates. As result, when you press and hold several notes you will hear all kinds of substantially different periodic ﬂuctuations.

Finally, the LFOs can also be used as additional envelopes. The control feature for this effect is the ENV MODE button. When you press this button, two things occur: For one, the LFO no longer initiates its cycles periodically, but only once at and in sync with the start of a note, and for the other, the active range of the LFO is switched from bipolar (in both directions from the zero position) to unipolar (from zero in one direction only). Please note that this applies to the modulation target but not the modulation intensity. Here you can still determine a value in the entire bipolar range.

This effect is especially prominent when used in conjunction with the sawtooth wave, which enables a fade-out type of effect (when you dial in a positive AMOUNT value) or a volume-swell type of effect (negative AMOUNT) for the available modulation targets. Using the LFO Curve parameter located in the LFO EDIT menu, you can have the ”ramp” rise or fall exponentially. If you choose a triangle for your waveshape, the device will generate an ascending phase (attack) and a descending phase (decay). LFO Curve also lets you determine the temporal relationship between attack and decay; in other words, their respective rates.. Dial in the desired speed via the RATE pot.

You can also use S&H and S&G in ENV MODE to come up with some attractive results: S&H generates a single random value at the start of a note (in this case, the RATE pot has no effect); S&G works in the same manner although in this case the RATE value is crucial. It determines the amount of time it takes to glide from the previous to the new random value.

LFO 2

The design of the second LFO is essentially the same as the ﬁrst, so we’ll spare you the repetition of details SHAPE 1 and 2 are available as a joint modulation target; the ﬁlter frequencies and the Panorama position can be manipulated individually. You may also freely select a parameter for your modulation destination.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 35

Introduction

Volume and Panorama Position

You probably noticed that the many of the sound shaping options available in the Virus occasionally inﬂuence the volume level. For instance, an unﬁltered sawtooth is naturally louder than a highly ﬁltered sawtooth because whenever you blend a part of the frequency spectrum out of the mix, you are automatically reducing the overall volume of the signal. This is why the Virus is equipped with a programmable volume pot for each SINGLE PROGRAM. It enables you to balance out the volume levels of your sound programs.

Locate the parameter PATCH VOLUME in the COMMON section of the EDIT menu.

DISPLAY

EDIT > COMMON > PATCH VOLUME

01111111111111111112

1 COMMON PatchVolume 100≤

61111111111111111154

Its value is set to 100 so that you have a reserve or headroom of 27 volume increments when you are dealing with highly ﬁltered sounds.

You have already dealt with the Panorama position as a modulation target of LFO 2. Here you can not only modulate it, but also determine settings manually. For this purpose, use the parameter PANORAMA which is also located in the OUTPUT section of the EDIT menu. Like many other parameters, Panorama is a starting point for modulations. For instance you can modulate the Panorama position via LFO 2 even if you have already set the Panorama to the far left position. In this case of course you will only hear the Panorama position shift to the right.

Velocity

Velocity is one of the preferred modulation sources of keyboard players: A light key attack generates a low velocity value for the given note, a heavy touch generates a high velocity value. In the Virus you have ten modulation targets available for Velocity. Locate the VELOCITY section in the EDIT menu.

DISPLAY

EDIT > VELOCITY > OSC1SHAPE

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITY Osc1Shape +0≤

61111111111111111154

There you will ﬁnd the modulation intensities for: OSC1 SHAPE, OSC2 SHAPE, PULSE WIDTH, FM AMOUNT, FILT 1 ENV AMT (Filter 1 ENVELOPE AMOUNT), FILT 2 ENV AMOUNT, Resonance 1, Resonance 2, VOLUME and PANORAMA which you can manipulate independently of one another in the familiar bipolar control range.

A light key attack generates a low velocity value for the given note, a heavy touch generates a high velocity value.

Unison Mode

When we talked about the oscillators, we mentioned that by subtly detuning signals, you can beef up sounds and achieve string-like sounds. The Virus is equipped with features that allow you to take this type of tonal manipulation a step further. On of these is the so-called UNISON MODE. It enables you to initiate two or more voices for each note played, which in turn lets you detune many oscillators. UNISON MODE also offers the option of spreading the voices generated by one note in the stereo panorama and shifting the phases of their LFOs so that all types of periodic effects can be used to produce an even more exciting signal.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 37

Introduction

Locate the parameter group UNISON in the EDIT menu.

MENU EDIT > UNISON > MODE

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 UNISON Mode Twin≤

61111111111111111154

UNISON mode determines how many voices the Virus will use to render a played note. In a nutshell, it determines how ”fat” the sound will be. You can use the UNISON Detune parameter to determine to which extent the active voices are detuned. UNISON PanSpread distributes them uniformly across the stereo panorama, a process by which you can also determine the width of a sound’s stereo base. When you activate UNISON mode for a sound, it can still be played polyphonically. However, depending on the number of voices you’ve dialed in, its polyphony will of course be considerably reduced in UNISON mode. The most efﬁcient and the standard setting is UNISON mode = Twin, where two voices are played for every note. In the ”OFF” position, one voice per note is played.

The Chorus/Flanger Effect

Another function that delivers great effects based on pitch ﬂuctuation is the so-called chorus effect. Chorus actually consists of a brief delay (generally up to approx. 50 ms) which is varied periodically. By modulating the delay, the delayed signal is slightly detuned to the input signal (the so-called Doppler effect). This inconsistency in pitch between the original and effects signal is the source of the chorus effect. Feedback in the delay line enhances this effect. The left signal side is automatically modulated in a different manner than the right, so a chorus effect is great for converting mono signals into stereo signals.

If the delay is less than approx. 10 milliseconds, than the effect is called ﬂanging or a ﬂanger effect rather than chorus. In this case feedback is even more signiﬁcant because it generates resonances that can be modulated and is thus yet another source of radical sound effects. If you determine high feedback values, you can clearly hear how the two sides of the signal are modulated differently - in reverse phase - by the LFO.

Locate the parameter group CHORUS in the EFFECTS menu.

MENU EFFECTS > CHORUS > DIR/EFFECT LEVEL

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUS Dir/Eff OFF≤

61111111111111111154

CHORUS DIR/EFF determines the balance between the original signal and the processed signal. The parameters RATE and SHAPE control another LFO that was installed speciﬁcally for the chorus LFO. DELAY is used to set the delay time, DEPTH determines the modulation intensity, and FEEDBACK controls the feedback level. When you want to generate a ﬂanger effect, the FEEDBACK parameter’s negative control range lets you dial in softer characteristics for the ﬂanger. Please keep in mind that the Chorus section in the Virus is fully stereophonic: Stereo positions as well as panorama modulations and stereo spread values that you have dialed in elsewhere remain intact in the effects signal.

The Delay Effect

A delay effect is traditionally used to generated an echo of the input signal. Locate the parameter group DELAY in the EFFECTS menu.

MENU EFFECTS > DELAY > EFFECT SEND

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 DELAY EffectSend 0≤

61111111111111111154

Here you ﬁll ﬁnd parameters that are virtually identical to the parameters of the CHORUS group. Do not allow yourself to be confused by the slightly different terminology: The delay time is set via the parameter entitled TIME (equivalent to DELAY in the CHORUS section); the other features are FEEDBACK with a dedicated LFO and the familiar parameters RATE, DEPTH and SHAPE.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 39

Introduction

Only two functions in the Delay section are different to the Chorus section: For one, it features an EFFECT SEND instead of the balance parameter DIR/EFF. EFFECT SEND is especially signiﬁcant in MULTI MODE, where several PARTs with different levels are patched through the same delay effect.

For the other, LENGTH enables you to create substantially longer delay times, for instance to achieve complete echoes (maximum of 693 ms) that are fully audible. The LFO allows you to modulate the delay as you would the chorus to achieve similar detuning effects. A stereo effect is achieved via different modulations of the left and right sides of the signal.

More to Come

We have come to the end of these detailed instructions for novices. We hope we were able to help you become a bit more familiar with your new synthesizer and gain some conﬁdence in how to handle it. As we mentioned earlier, this is just an introduction and does not cover all the functions and features of the Virus, only the basic components and how they affect the sound of the Virus. You should now be able to come to terms with the in-depth look at the Virus in the following section.

Concept And Operation

Operating Modes

In the Virus you can select from two basic operating modes, SINGLE MODE and MULTI MODE.

In SINGLE MODE, the Virus is able to generate a single sound program only. All 24 voices, all effects and most importantly, all control features (with the exception of the MULTI button) function in conjunction with this one sound program. You might say a SINGLE program is a combination of all functions and effects that determine the sound of the Virus. In other words: A SINGLE program is a ”sound” of the Virus, that can be stored and recalled.

The Virus provides access to 1024 SINGLE sounds. Next to the 768 RAM sounds (Bank A and Bank B), you have six banks available with a total of 1024 factory sounds. These banks, C to H, are stored in the FLASH ROM and can not be overwritten via STORE.

The MIDI receive channel in SINGLE MODE is the Global Channel. You can change the Global Channel in the CONFIG menu.

In MULTI MODE, the Virus can combine up to sixteen (SINGLE) sound programs, among which the maximum available number of 24 voices are allocated dynamically. All simultaneously available sounds can be manipulated in real-time; for this purpose the control panel enables you to switch among the sixteen so-called PARTS.

In MULTI MODE, the actual sound parameters are augmented with other functions that deal with how the involved SINGLE programs are structured or organized. These include the volume levels of the single programs, their MIDI channels, output assignments, etc.

On the Virus, we differentiated fundamentally between SINGLE mode and MULTI mode. This distinction is reﬂected in the contents of the menus: If the LED on the SINGLE button lights up, the CONFIG and EDIT menus let you access the sound parameters of the current SINGLE program. If the LED on the MULTI button lights up, the CONFIG and EDIT menus will contain the appropriate ”administrative” parameters for the current MULTI program. For example, here you have the option of selecting the SINGLE program for each of the 16 MULTI PARTs.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 41

Concept And Operation

The Multi-Single Mode

In MULTI mode, the EDIT and CONFIG menus are responsible for administering the 16 PARTs. Consequently, you can’t access SINGLE program parameters directly here. Beyond that, you’re unable to change the SINGLE programs directly here, which would admittedly be a handy option when you’re working with a sequencer. This is why the Virus features MULTI SINGLE mode, which, strictly speaking, is more an alternative view of MULTI mode rather than a further mode in its own right.

Activate MULTI SINGLE mode by pressing the MULTI and SINGLE buttons simultaneously. The name of the selected MULTI program will disappear and instead you’ll see the name of the SINGLE program for the selected PART. Now you can page or scroll through the 16 PARTs using the PART buttons and select a SINGLE program for every channel. You can process the currently selected PART or, more accurately, edit its sound, using the control features. The CONFIG and EDIT menus let you access the usual SINGLE parameters. In this operating mode, you’ll ﬁnd that the CONFIG menu has been expanded to include some organizational parameters, for instance, the PART’s volume level, panorama and output assignments. You’ll always see the number of the selected PART on the upper left in the display. The PART buttons don’t actually change sounds, they simply set the user interface of the Virus to the desired PART. Irrespective of the given setting, all PARTs can be controlled simultaneously via MIDI. Consequently, MULTI SINGLE mode, which makes handling so much easier, is the ideal choice when you’re working with a connected sequencer.

Please bear in mind that MULTI SINGLE mode is really just another view of the normal MULTI mode. MULTI SINGLE mode doesn’t offer a unique data type for storing sounds, it always works with the MULTI program currently selected in normal MULTI mode. All of the normal MULTI mode parameters (keyboard zones, etc.) remain intact and in force even though you can’t view or vary them in MULTI SINGLE mode. You can set the device to normal MULTI mode at any time by pressing the MULTI button. To return to the MULTI SINGLE mode view, simply press the MULTI and SINGLE buttons simultaneously.

When you’re working with a sequencer, start with a MULTI program that features neutral settings for its ”administrative” parameters, for example, the MULTI program M0 Sequencer. Here the PART numbers are identical to the MIDI channels of the PARTs. Now when you work in MULTI SINGLE mode, the Virus responds as if it were in SINGLE mode, except that you have 16 sounds available simultaneously on 16 MIDI channels. Use the PART buttons to select these sounds.

You only need to exit MULTI SINGLE mode when you want to store the MULTI program, for example, to save the current global delay/reverb setting. In MULTI mode, these settings are not stored along with SINGLE sounds.

In addition, you can activate another complete MULTI program in MULTI mode only.

Edit Buffers

Whenever you play or edit a SINGLE program, its current data is stored in an edit buffer. This is an individual memory slot for SINGLE programs that has nothing to do with the memory slots in the sound banks. When you activate a new SINGLE, its data is copied to the edit buffer. There you can edit it as you see ﬁt while the original remains unchanged in the bank. When you activate STORE (more on this in a bit), the content of the edit buffer is copied back to the original slot in the bank (or, if you so desire, to another memory slot).

In MULTI mode, you have one MULTI edit buffer and 16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs at your disposal. When you activate another a MULTI program, its data is copied from the MULTI bank to the MULTI edit buffer. The MULTI program in turn contains address information for the SINGLEs involved, in other words, the bank and program numbers. These addresses are also copied from the SINGLE banks into the 16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs.

When you store a MULTI program, only the addresses of the SINGLE programs’ original slots are saved, but not, however, the sound data in the 16 SINGLE edit buffers. These must be stored separately in the SINGLE program banks.

This type of edit buffer is used in most synthesizers; its advantages are many:

> It lets you edit copies of sounds without sacriﬁcing the original sounds.

> Edit buffers can be stored in a sequencer and sent from it to the Virus independently of the

sounds stored in the device See “DUMP: The Sound in the Song” on page 154.

> In MULTI-Mode (or MULTI-SINGLE-Mode) the same SINGLE-program can be recalled and edited

on different parts. In this case all involved EDIT-buffers contain variations of the same original sound.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 43

Concept And Operation

Handling

Parameter Selection and Data Entry

In the Virus, we distinguished between two types of parameters. On the one hand, it features parameters that are essential in generating or synthesizing sounds, on the other hand it has sound parameters and organizational parameters that are more of a peripheral nature. This distinction is apparent in handling and operation of the Virus: All essential sound parameters feature a dedicated knob or button so that you can access these directly - especially while you are playing!. In just a few cases (where appropriate or where it facilitates better handling), the control features have dual functions.

Peripheral parameters, on the other hand, are compiled in menus. Among these menus are above all the EDIT, the CONFIG (short for ”Conﬁguration” and the EFFECTS menu as well as the four local EDIT menus in the individual function blocks. The EDIT menus contain parameters that you will require less frequently, but some of these are nonetheless indispensable for programming sounds. The local EDIT menus are there for a purpose – to help you distinguish clearly between the various parameters. Here you’ll ﬁnd parameters that affect directly the given functional section, but are not equipped with dedicated control features.

Irrespective of which operating mode you may have activated, the EDIT menu contains the sound parameters of the selected SINGLE program (in SINGLE mode and MULTI SINGLE mode) or organizational parameters for MULTI mode. In SINGLE mode and MULTI SINGLE mode, the CONFIG menu contains further SINGLE parameters such as the arpeggiator, etc.

In the CONFIG menu, you’ll also ﬁnd – irrespective of the given operating mode – a number of global parameters. These are called MIDI, SYSTEM and so forth and are not stored with a SINGLE or a MULTI program.

Located next to some of these parameters, you’ll see the abbreviations ”ENA” and ”DIS”. The option ENA means enable and DIS means disable.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 45

Handling

Call up a menu by simply pressing the corresponding button. Once you have opened the menu and it appears in the display, you can scroll through its parameters one after another using the PARAMETER buttons and edit them using the VALUE buttons and knobs.

If you press the PARAMETER buttons brieﬂy, you can scroll through the parameters contained in any given menu step by step in the desired direction. If you press and hold one of the parameter buttons for a bit longer, the display will automatically scroll through the list of parameters in the given menu. When you press and hold one PARAMETER button and then press the other PARAMETER button, the display will scroll through the menu in parameter groups in the direction of the button that you are holding down. This handy feature lets you swiftly go from one parameter type to another, for instance, from all chorus-related to all delay-related parameters. If you also hold the second parameter button down, the menus will automatically scroll in the selected direction. Once you’ve scrolled to the desired parameter group, simply select the desired parameter by pressing the button brieﬂy. You can also step through the parameters by repeatedly pressing the same menu button.

The menus, particularly the EFFECTS menu, contain parameter groups that are related by virtue of their function, for instance, all parameters that are used to control the phaser. When you switch the phaser off (PHASER Dry/Eff = OFF), all Phaser parameters are of course irrelevant and will no longer appear in the menu. In other words, when the phaser is disabled, you can’t view its parameters. The reason for this is to make menus clearer and less cluttered.

The VALUE +/- buttons let you change the value of a parameter in steps. When you hold one of these buttons down, the value changes automatically and the longer you hold the button, the faster the pace of the value change. You can increase this pace even further by pressing and holding one VALUE button and simultaneously pressing the other VALUE button. If you press and release both VALUE buttons simultaneously, the parameter is set to its default value (mostly zero). This pertains to unipolar parameters (value range of 0 to 127) as well as bipolar parameters (value range of -64 to +63).

You can also use the VALUE knob to change the value of the selected parameter. The VALUE knob responds to the KNOB MODE settings as described in the paragraph below.

The triangular icon located next to the parameter value indicates in which direction you have to change a value if you would like to reset the parameter to the value that has been stored to date. The previously stored parameter value as well as the current value are displayed for parameters that feature a dedicated knob.

Knob Modes

For all knobs with the exception of MASTER VOLUME, you can select from four operating modes in the CONFIG menu. These are located under the menu item KNOB MODE:

Value Description

OFF

JUMP

SNAP

RELATIVE

The knobs are inactive.

In Jump Mode, the parameter jumps directly and absolutely to the value determined by the current position of the knob.

When you adjust a knob In Snap Mode, the original setting determines the value until the point where the movement of the knob passes beyond this position. In other words, the parameter does not jump to the value as in JUMP Mode. However, keep in mind that your adjustments have no effect on the parameter until the knob “snaps” on at the position equivalent to the original value. In SNAP mode, an ®-sym- bol appears to the right of the number. It indicates in which direction the VALUE knob must be turned to exceed the current parameter value.

When you adjust a knob in RELATIVE Mode, the parameter is affected immediately but not absolutely. In other words, the value change from the original value to the value reﬂects precisely the amount you adjusted via a given control. Generally this operating mode allows you to adjust a parameter immediately, without radical jumps. However, the down side is that in an unfavorable conﬁguration - the worst-case scenario being a maximum parameter value and a knob position at the minimum value - you do not have the full control range of the knob at your disposal. To counteract this situation, you have to turn the knob in the opposite direction to adjust the physical knob position so that it is equivalent to the actual parameter value. In RELATIVE Mode, the triangle to the right of the number indicates if the VALUE knob coincides with the parameter value (

≤≤≤≤) or not (ΩΩΩΩ).

MENU CONFIG > SYSTEM > KNOB MODE

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEM KnobMode Jump≤

61111111111111111154

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 47

Handling

Display of values

When a menu is active, different display options are available for parameters with a dedicated knob. These can be selected under the menu item KNOB DISPLAY in the CONFIG menu:

Value Description

OFF

SHORT

LONG

Knob movements are not displayed; the current contents of the display remain intact when you turn a knob.

When you turn a knob, the current contents of the lower display line are brieﬂy overwritten by data representing the change in parameter value; once the action is completed, the original contents reappear in the lower display line.

Same as SHORT, except that - you guessed it - the display shows the knob data for a longer period of time.

The contents of the display are overwritten when you turn a knob; the original menu does not reappear in the display.

All About The Memory

Store

The mode structure of SINGLE, MULTI and MULTI SINGLE MODE is mirrored in the STORE functions: In SINGLE MODE, STORE saves the current SINGLE PROGRAM; in MULTI MODE, STORE saves the current MULTI PROGRAM; and in MULTI SINGLE MODE, the SINGLE PROGRAM of the current PART is stored.

The STORE process is always the same regardless of the operating mode: Press STORE. You then gain access to the STORE menu. There you can use the PARAMETER buttons to move among the individual letters in the lower name entry line and the number of the destined memory location as well as the bank number in the upper line. Use the VALUE button to make entries. The term in the upper display line indicates the name of the memory location which you will overwrite when you store the program.

Once all of the entries correspond to the data you have in mind, press STORE again to conclude the process and return to the previously active operating mode of the Virus. If for whatever reason you change your mind and want to cancel the operation, simply press SINGLE or MULTI to return to the previous operating mode without storing the program.

To belabor the point, when you store a MULTI program, only the content of the MULTI edit buffer is saved, not however the sound programs in the PARTs. These must be stored individually in MULTI SINGLE mode.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 49

All About The Memory

If you want to store the SINGLE programs in the PARTs to their original slots in the SINGLE banks all at the same time, simply press STORE and 1 C126 - Init

MENU STORE

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 C126 - Init [STORE] TO...

61111111111111111154

Compare

When you press STORE and then EDIT or CONFIGCONFIG, you will activate Compare mode. After you have programmed or edited a SINGLE sound, Compare mode lets you hear the unedited sound that was originally stored in this memory slot. Press EDIT or CONFIG repeatedly to switch back and forth between the Compare sound and the edited sound so that you can - surprise, surprise – compare the two sounds. Use the PARAMETER/BANK buttons and the VALUE buttons to step through the bank and program numbers of the Compare sound. This lets you search for a new memory slot for the edited sound and, at the same time, hear the sound that you will overwrite. The edited sound is not modiﬁed or overwritten during this process. Press STORE to do just that to the edited sound – store it. Press MULTI or SINGLE to quit the STORE process and/or exit Compare mode.

MENU STORE -> EDIT+CONFIG

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 C126 -Init compare

61111111111111111154

Store To Flash

This function allows you to write your favourite patches into the patch ROM of the Virus. The actual process is similar to that used to update the operating system. For technical reasons, only complete banks can be written.

The Store To Flash function can be found here: SYSTEM>STORE TO FLASH

MENU CONFIG -> SYSTEM -> STORE TO FLASH

DISPLAY

A>C, A>D, A>E, A>F, A>G, A>H and B>C, B>D, B>E, B>F, B>G, B>H indicate which RAM bank will be written into which segment of the Virus patch ROM. A>C means, for instance, that the RAM bank A will be written to ROM bank C. Hit the [STORE] button and conﬁrm the safety alert message to write the chosen bank.

01111111111111111112

New ROM-Bank? [VAL+]«execute!

61111111111111111154

WARNING: Despite the fact that the manufacturer of the FLASH ROMs guarantee thousands of write cycles, we recommend you use this function wisely. We took every technically possible precaution to ensure that even a power failure during the process of writing won't affect the operating system of the Virus. In the unlikely case of permanent damage to the FLASH ROM, the FLASH ROM has to be exchanged by an authorised Access dealer or serivice facility. This is not covered by the standard warranty.

01111111111111111112

1 STORE TO FLASH A>C ≤

61111111111111111154

One of the most effective ways to put your patches into the right order is to use SoundDiver Virus.

But before you start, save any precious sounds in banks A and B ﬁrst! To do this, you can use SoundDiver: Request either bank by clicking the long button 'Singles Bank A' in the Device window, and then choose Entry>Build Library>Selected Entries. Save the library and repeat for bank B if necessary. Alternatively, go to SYSTEM>MIDI DUMP TX>SingleBank (A or B), set your sequencer into Record mode, and hit the STORE button.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 51

All About The Memory

To prepare your custom banks in SoundDiver, open a library and the Device window. Shrink the windows so that both can ﬁt on the same screen, with the Library window on the left. Now you can drag and drop any of the patches onto a speciﬁc patch location in banks A or B. When the dialog opens, click on 'Store'. The patch will then be transmitted to the equivalent location in the Virus' RAM. If you like, you can drag and drop multiple patches in one go, or if you wish to do an entire library of 128 patches at once, choose 'Select All' from the Edit menu and make sure that you position the ﬁrst patch over location 000 in the relevent bank.

Once you have compiled banks A and B to your liking, use Store To Flash to write them to your least favourite ROM banks :-)

All that's left to do, is to load your old sounds back into banks A and B, should you wish to do so. Either play the sequence containing the Midi dump, or open the library you saved earlier, Select All, and then drag and drop to the relevent bank in the Device window.

About Time ...

Master Clock and Midi-Clock

The Virus is equipped with a global clock generator that lets you sync the LFOs, arpeggiators and delay up to a common song tempo and rhythm. The clock generator works either internally with a freely variable speed or it can, in turn, by synced up to the MIDI clock of an external sequencer. This synchronization occurs automatically when the device receives a MIDI clock signal via its MIDI In. You can vary the speed of the clock generator within a range of 63 to 190 BPM (beats per minute) via CLOCK TEMPO. When the device is synchronized via MIDI clock, the clock generator automatically accepts the speed dictated by the connected sequencer; the internal tempo setting is in this case meaningless and thus disabled. The individual sections of the Virus are synced up to the clock generator at rhythmic intervals such as 1/16, 1/4 and so forth. These values may be assigned individually for every section. (ARPEGGIATOR CLOCK, CLOCK LFO 1, CLOCK LFO 2, CLOCK LFO 3, DELAY CLOCK, see the respective sections).

In SINGLE MODE, CLOCK TEMPO pertains to the current SINGLE PROGRAM and is stored along with it. In MULTI MODE, the CLOCK TEMPO settings for the involved SINGLE PROGRAMs are ignored. Instead, all involved SINGLE PROGRAMs are controlled via the same clock generator. Its CLOCK TEMPO is saved in the MULTI PROGRAM (as are the settings for the global delay effect).

This feature lets you control the LFOs and arpeggiators of several MULTI PARTS in a common rhythmic context.

A small you do NOT want the device to be synchronized automatically to MIDI clock, set MIDI CLOCK RX to Off (in the CONFIG menu).) To avoid confusion, please keep in mind that MIDI Clock is not the same thing as MIDI Time Code. The latter doesn’t deal with tempo at all but with time-related information structured in hours, minutes, seconds, etc. which is of no beneﬁt to you in this context.

will appear in the display when the Virus is receiving MIDI Clock data. If you’re sure

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 53

About Time ...

The Mod Matrix and Soft Knob

CREATING MODULATION CONFIGURATIONS VIA ASSIGN

As a rule, it is of course desirable to be able to create modulation routing conﬁgurations on a synthesizer. In other words, you want to enjoy the freedom to combine different modulation sources and destinations as you see ﬁt. Sometimes you may come up with ideas for standard modulations that the ”hard-wired” factory modulation routing options simply can’t satisfy. This is why we opted to equip the Virus with a versatile Modulation Matrix – you’re sure to ﬁnd it a welcome addition. On the Virus, you can create modulation routing conﬁgurations freely as you see ﬁt using ASSIGN options. They are located in the EDIT menu, where they appear under the name of – you guessed it – ASSIGN).

The three ASSIGN options let you control up to six modulation destinations via up to three modulation sources. Simply go to ASSIGN, select one of the modulation sources (SOURCE) and one or several modulation destinations (DESTINATION). Each of these conﬁgurations features a parameter that determines modulation intensity (AMOUNT). ASSIGN 1 can control one modulation destination, ASSIGN 2 can control two and ASSIGN 3 can control three modulation destinations, each with independent AMOUNTs.

These ASSIGN options serve several purposes: for one, they let you assign an external MIDI controller, for example, the keyboard’s modulation wheel, to the desired parameter. You can also chose to use the sound generator’s internal modulators, such as LFOs and envelopes, as modulation sources. The control range of the source may be limited via the AMOUNT values or inverted so that the modulation occurs strictly within the desired value range for the target parameter. For your target parameters, you can chose from among virtually all sound parameters that feature an inﬁnitely variable control range – ergo, you have more than 100 modulation destinations at your disposal! Since the sources and destinations may be selected independently, you may even modulate a single parameter by using up to three modulation sources simultaneously. For this purpose, the control signals of the modulation sources are added up or overlapped. Conversely, you can also modulate up to six parameters with just one controller, which gives you all kinds of sophisticated sound morphing options. For this purpose, select the same source for all three ASSIGN options so that it modulates all six possible destinations. This lets you radically reshape sounds and even transform or morph them into entirely different sounds.

In addition to the three ASSIGN options, the user interface features – as discussed earlier – a modulation destination for LFO 1 and 2 called ASSIGN. Here the same principle applies: you can select a modulation destination and vary modulation intensity as you see ﬁt. The only difference here is that the modulation source, i.e. the respective LFO, is a ﬁxed default that you can’t change.

MENU EDIT > ASSIGN > SOURCE

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 ASSIGN Source OFF≤

61111111111111111154

You’ll ﬁnd a list of available sources and DESTINATIONS in the appendix.

The Virus’ Soft Knobs

The Virus is equipped with two knobs that, rather than being dedicated to predeﬁned tasks, may be assigned to different parameters by you, the user. This option is quite handy, for it lets you control directly the many menu parameters that do not feature a dedicated knob.

These Soft Knobs operate in three different modes:

Value Description

GLOBAL

SINGLE

The knob controls the parameter that you have set to Global in the SOFT KNOB menu regardless of what the other settings and the selected SINGLE program may be.

The knob controls the parameter that you have set to Single in the SOFT KNOB menu. The setting for this parameter is stored in the SINGLE program and called up whenever you select this program. If, however, you have not selected a parameter for this program (SOFT KNOB Single = OFF), the setting for SOFT KNOB Global is automatically enabled.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 55

About Time ...

Value Description

MIDICONTRL

Here the controller number entered in the SOFT KNOB MIDI menu is sent regardless of what the other settings and the selected SINGLE program may be. Comparable to a small MIDI fader box, this mode is used to control connected MIDI devices. Note that this information is not processed internally in the Virus.

The setting for the actual SOFT KNOB mode is global. Under normal circumstances, you should set SOFT KNOB mode to ”Single” because this is the most versatile mode. When you select a SINGLE sound whose SOFT KNOB mode is set to ”Single”, this setting is of course enabled. If not, Global SOFT KNOB mode is enabled.

The Effects Section

For every SINGLE program and every PART, you can access up to ﬁve different stereo effects individually. You’ll ﬁnd these effects – ring modulator, distortion, analog boost, phaser and chorus – in the aptly named EFFECTS menu. In MULTI mode, you thus have a total of 80 simultaneously available effects.

The vocoder and the delay/reverb section are each available just once, but you can address them individually via the PARTs’ Effect Send parameter. In the signal path, all effects are connected in series in accordance with their sequence in the Effects menu.

Each SINGLE program contains its own settings for the delay/reverb section. In MULTI mode, the sound programs involved share the same delay/reverb section. For this reason, the parameter values are determined by the settings of the currently active MULTI program. (See “The Effects Menu” on page 107).

Audio Inputs

You can also opt to use external audio signals in place of the on-board oscillators for the sound programs or MULTI PARTs. The Virus is equipped with two inputs for external signals. You can route these to its sound generating components (the ﬁlters, the saturation stage as well as the volume and panorama stage) or patch them directly to the effects section of the Virus. External audio signals may also be used as carrier or modulator signals for the vocoder. Any PART that you use to process an external audio signal in MULTI mode can, like every other PART, be routed freely to one or two of the six audio outputs.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 57

The Effects Section

As a rule, when you’re processing external audio signals, you need to distinguish between the following two operating modes:

Value Description

DYNAMIC

STATIC

TOEFFECTS

To make external signals audible in this operating mode, the volume envelope must be triggered via a note. This option, for example, lets you create typical gater effects. INPUT Dynamic mode is also polyphonic. If you set the KEYFOLLOW value for the ﬁlters to 100%, the resonant frequencies of the ﬁlters and oscillators can be played in a tempered manner via the INPUT signal. This lets you play entire chords as well as arpeggiator lines using the ﬁlters. The noise generator is also active in INPUT mode.

In Input Static mode, the external audio signals are audible via the output without having to trigger a note. Bear in mind that the oscillators as well as all functions that have to do with trigger and pitch are disabled (envelopes, LFO Env mode, keyfollow...) In INPUT Static mode. When you set the device to this mode, one voice of the Virus is activated automatically. If you select a stereo source (L+R) for INPUT Select, two voices are activated much like in UNISON mode: Twin. In this case, you can also use the UNISON Pan Spread parameter to determine the basic width of the panorama and UNISON LFO Phase to shift the LFO phase position between the voices.

An alternative to INPUT Static mode, here the audio signal is routed directly to the effects section of the SINGLE program or PART. This mode doesn’t use the voices of the Virus, which means that its polyphonic performance remains fully intact and available. The ﬁlter section is unavailable in this mode.

MENU EFFECTS > INPUT > MODE

DISPLAY

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT Mode Dynamic≤

61111111111111111154

Osc Volume and Input

When one of the two INPUT modes is activated, the OSC VOL knob rather than the oscillators controls the level of the INPUT signal in front of the Filter section and of course also the gain of the SATURATION stage. In INPUT Dynamic mode, the level increases quite rapidly when you play several voices polyphonically. The reason for this is that – in contrast to when you’re dealing with several oscillator signals – the voices are correlated because they are receiving an identical input signal. In the event that the Virus generates distortion when you’re dealing with this type of signal routing setup, be sure to back off the input level a tad via the OSC VOL knob.

Input Level Indicator

Alternatively, the RATE LEDs of LFO 1 and 2 can also serve as level indicators for the left and right external audio inputs. The Virus automatically switches to this level indicator mode when the selected SINGLE program accesses the external audio inputs. The LEDs will ﬂash rapidly to indicate that the inputs are being overloaded. You should dial in the proper level on the device that is sending the analog signals. The reason for that you want to feed the highest possible clean signal level to the analog-to-digital converters of the Virus so that they will deliver the best possible performance.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 59

The Effects Section

Internal Audio Routing

Aux Buses

The Virus is equipped with several analog outputs and inputs. We ﬁgured that you might want to connect an input with an output via a patch cord so that you can process a part routed to this output via another part that is addressed by this input, for example, to have on part ﬁlter the other part.

You can do this if you like, but the good news is that you don’t have to mess with patch cords because the Virus gives you internal signal routing options in the form of stereo aux buses (bus is another term for circuit) that let you conﬁgure this type of set-up for two or several of these PARTs. The two aux buses appear as virtual outputs in the OUTPUT Select menu and as virtual inputs in the INPUT Select menu. In MULTI mode, the output signal of a PART (or several PARTs) may be routed via OUTPUT Select to one of the two aux buses. In order to make this signal audible, you must select the same aux bus for another PART (or several PARTs) via INPUT Select and set the given SINGLE program to Input mode (Static or Dynamic). You can then process the signal patched in to this PART via the aux bus exactly the same way you would process conventional analog signals routed in via the external input.

There is, however, a simpler option than this relatively involved processed of connecting PARTs directly to one another: You can also use one of the aux buses as a ”second output” for the PART. We’ll look at this function a little later in the section ”SECOND OUTPUT”.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 61

Internal Audio Routing

The Audio Outputs

In MULTI mode, you can choose a mono or stereo audio output in the OUTPUT Select menu independently for every PART. The signal can also be routed to the aux buses that were discussed earlier.

In addition, you may also deﬁne a second mono or stereo output in the SECOND OUTPUT menu (under the CONFIG menu). This second output is global, in other words, it applies to all PARTs. Using the SECOND OUTPUT Balance parameter, you can set the levels at which the output signals of the PARTs are routed to this second output individually.

In conjunction with the conventional output of the given sound, you end up with a quadraphonic signal that is suitable for Surround applications. Using Panorama (left, right) and the SECOND OUTPUT Balance (front, back), you can create a genuine quadraphonic mix in the Virus and automate it via a sequencer.

When you opt to use one of the aux buses as a second output, the aux bus can also serve as an FX loop. You can route the aux signal to a PART and have the PART process this signal (via ﬁlters, effects etc.) further.

In contrast to the majority of other effects, the delay/reverb section is not available individually for each PART. Instead, it processes the signals of the PARTs collectively. You can, however, control the intensity of the effect individually for each PART using the respective Effect Send parameter. Consequently, the delay/reverb section has just one signal output, which cannot be distributed to the outputs of the individual PARTs.

This is why, for example, the delay effect of a PART that is routed to the pair of outputs labeled OUT 2 will still be audible on OUT 1. This can be desirable yet may also lead to confusion. To encourage the former and prevent the latter, set the Effect Send parameter of the PART to zero when you’re using individual outputs.

In MULTI mode, the delay/reverb section feature its own OUTPUT Select that is independent of the PAR Ts.

Additional Functions

Panic Function

The Virus features a Panic function to remedy stuck notes caused by MIDI transmission parity errors and the like. When you press the two TRANSPOSE buttons simultaneously, then all voices of the Virus that are still sounding will be released.

A double-click on both buttons initiates a controller reset. The various voices that are still sounding will be cut off instantly and controllers such as the modulation wheel, channel volume and pitch bender are reset to the default settings.

Audition function

On the Virus panel, you can trigger notes without using a keyboard. When you press the OSCILLATOR EDIT and SYNC buttons simultaneously, the Virus will play the note C3. If you hold the buttons down for longer than a second, the note will continue to sound after you release the buttons.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 63

Additional Functions

Reset Function

If you get the impression that the VIRUS is behaving unstable or indeed strange, we suggest you perform a system reset. Holding the keys LFO 1 SHAPE while switching the VIRUS on, performs a system reset. No data will be lost during this procedure, although some global system settings as ”Global Channel” will be reset.

The Parameters

The following section lists all parameters in the Virus, each with a brief deﬁnition or explanation. For the purpose of clarity, we ordered the parameters with a dedicated control element according to the module you will ﬁnd it in.

Front Panel Parameters

MASTER VOLUME

Controls the overall volume of the Virus. This control determines the volume of the signal pair piped through Output 1 before it is converted into an analog signal. This means that under normal circumstances, you should turn Master Volume all they way up because you of course want the Virus to deliver the most dynamic signal possible.

SOFT KNOBS 1/2

These two knobs are freely deﬁnable. You can deﬁne the knobs via the CONFIG menu (SOFT KNOB 1/2 MODE). Settings can be saved globally as well as individually to SINGLE program slots See “The Virus’ Soft Knobs” on page 55.

TRANSPOSE

Transposes the entire SINGLE program by octaves. If your Virus is equipped with a built-in keyboard, the selected SINGLE program is not transposed. Instead, the keyboard is transposed globally.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 65

The Parameters

LFO 1 – Panel

RATE

Determines the speed or rate of the LFO. In polyphonic sounds, the manually selected RATE value deviates slightly from voice to voice to liven up the sound of the LFOs, which also oscillate polyphonically. When the LFO is synced up to the master clock, the desired note value is selected via the RATE knob.

SHAPE

Determines the waveshape of the LFO. You can select from a sine, triangle, sawtooth or pulse wave. WAVE opens a local menu. Here you can select 64 further LFO waveshapes in the display using the VALUE knob or the VALUE buttons. You can chose from a stepped random modulation (S&H; short for Sample & Hold), a smooth random modulation (S&G; short for Sample & Glide) and 62 cyclic modulations that are based on the oscillator modes. The latter allow you to create interesting rhythmic LFO modulations.

ENV MODE

Activates an operating mode in which the LFO oscillates like an envelope: The LFO cycles once only following the start of the note; the response of the LFO shifts from bipolar to unipolar. If the LFO waveshape S&H (Sample & Hold) is active, then the LFO is assigned a new random value with each new note. This new value is valid for the entire duration of the note.

AMOUNT

This button does not actually control a parameter, it opens a local menu. This menu contains independent modulation intensities for controlling the following parameters via LFO 1:

Target Description

OSC 1

OSC 2

PW 1+2

RESO 1+2

Pitch of Oscillator 1

Pitch of Oscillator 2

Both pulse widths jointly

Both ﬁlter resonances

Target Description

ASSIGN (DEST)

ASSIGN (AMOUNT)

While you are dealing with one of the parameters discussed here, the corresponding LED will ﬂash. If this parameter is assigned a value other than 0, it will illuminate continuously when you exit the menu. Located between OSC 1 and OSC 2, you’ll ﬁnd OSC 1+2. It lets you determine the modulation intensity collectively for both oscillators. When you select it position, both OSC 1 and OSC 2 LEDs will ﬂash.

A freely selectable sound parameter for LFO modulation

Modulation intensity for the freely selected sound parameter

LFO 1 – Edit Menu

LFO CONTOUR

By LFO Contour you can now bend or ”morph” (almost) all the LFO waveforms. A brief survey of the LFO Contour options for the different LFO modes follows:

Waveform Function

SINE

TRIANGLE

SAWTOOTH

SQUARE

WAVES

Contour morphs from sine to a triangle wave (Contour to the left) or to a square wave (Contour to the right).

Contour morphs from a triangle to a declining (Contour to the left) or ascending sawtooth (Contour to the right).

Contour morphs from a linear declining sawtooth or decay to any exponentially declining decay(Contour to the left) or to a square (Contour to the right).

Contour modulates the pulse width of the square wave.

Contour ”zooms” into the wave, thereby shortening the wave’s loop length (Contour to the right).

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 67

The Parameters

CLOCK

When you set it to OFF, the LFO oscillates in the normal manner, independently of the global Master Clock (CLOCK TEMPO). When you enter a note value here, the LFO rate is synced up to the global master clock. The length of the waveshape’s cycle will then correspond to the note value that you have entered. You can also set the rate via CLOCK TEMPO (refer to the appropriate section) or synchronize it to external MIDI clock. When the LFO is synced up to the master clock, you can also select the desired note value via the LFO RATE knob.

LFO MODE

Value Description

POLY

MONO

In polyphonic mode, each of the voices involved is assigned a dedicated LFO. The LFOs oscillate in different phase positions for each voice. This livens up the LFO modulation.

In polyphonic mode, all voices are assigned the same LFO. This accentuates the LFO modulation, making it more pronounced.

TRIGGER PHASE

Selects the position in the wave cycle - i.e. the phase position - at which the LFO starts oscillating in response to the start of a note. The control range of 1 to 127 is equivalent to phase positions of 0 to 360 degrees; the value 0 switches the KEY TRIGGER function completely off so that the LFO oscillates freely and appears on random phase positions at the start of a note.

KEY FOLLOW

Controls the intensity of the KEY FOLLOW function - i.e. the rate at which the LFO follows the pitch of a played note. At a value of 0, KEY FOLLOW is deactivated. At a value of 127, the rate doubles with each octave.

FILTER GAIN

An additional modulation destination of LFO 1. Here the input level of the ﬁlter section is modulated (and thus the subsequent saturation level). The effect of a FILT GAIN modulation is a periodic change in the saturation level which is linked to a corresponding tremolo (periodic change in volume). If the signal is not saturated in any manner, then the only audible result is a tremolo effect. We

purposely placed the modulation point in front of the ﬁlter section in the signal chain. This means that the distortion amount – i.e. the intensity of the effect – is also modulated when you activate SATURATION. Furthermore, you can use fast LFO oscillations to generate brief impulses (transients) in the oscillator signal that excite the resonant frequencies of the ﬁlters. The ﬁlters will fade out freely since their output signal is not affected by the FILT GAIN volume modulation.

LFO 2 - Panel

RATE, SHAPE, ENV MODE

Same as LFO 1

AMOUNT

This button does not actually control a parameter, it opens a local menu. This menu contains independent modulation intensities for controlling the following parameters via LFO 2:

Parameter Description

SHAPE 1+2

FILTER -1

FILTER -2

PAN

ASSIGN (DEST)

ASSIGN (AMOUNT)

The SHAPE parameters of both oscillator jointly

The frequency of the ﬁrst ﬁlter

The frequency of the second ﬁlter

Panorama position

A freely selectable sound parameter for LFO modulation

Modulation intensity for the freely selected sound parameter

While you are dealing with one of the parameters discussed here, the corresponding LED will ﬂash. If this parameter is assigned a value other than 0, the LED will illuminate continuously when you exit the menu.

VIRUS CLASSIC MANUAL 69

The Parameters

Between the two positions Filter-1 and FILTER-2 you will ﬁnd the position Filter-1+2, which lets you jointly control the modulation intensities of both oscillators. In this position, the Filter-1 and Filter-2 LEDs ﬂash.

LFO 2 Edit Menu

CONTOUR, CLOCK, MODE, TRIG PHASE, KEYFOLLOW

see LFO-1.

AMOUNT

FM Amount. An additional modulation destination of LFO-2. The intensity of the frequency modulation of Oscillator 2 is modulated.

LFO 3 Edit Menu

RATE

Determines the speed of the LFO.

DESTINATION

Destination Remarks

OSC 1

OSC 1+2

OSC 2

PW 1

PW 1+2

PW 2

SYNCPHASE

The pitch of Oscillator 1

The pitch of both oscillators

The pitch of Oscillator 2

The pulse width of Oscillator1

The pulse width of both oscillators

The pulse width of Oscillator2

Determines the phase position of Oscillator 2 when it is synced up to Oscillator 1 via the SYNC function.

OSC AMOUNT

Controls the modulation intensity of the LFO.

FADE IN

This parameter lets you automatically initiate a delayed fade-in the LFO3 modulation that you set up via OSC AMOUNT (see the section above). FADE IN controls the overall delay and fade-in time.