The Virus TI Setup Guide
A basic guide on how to connect your Virus TI with a software sequencer. Includes
loads of additional background information and troubleshooting tips.
2 Getting started with Total Integration
Welcome
This tutorial is a loose collection of tips, tricks and background information. It is also
intended to supply the necessary digest for those who don’t like to dig through
extensive manuals.
Why is a certain setup necessary at all? Actually, for the Virus TI itself, it isn’t. What
do need to be tuned, however, are your sequencer and your computer; this will
ensure you get the best out of “Total Integration” - the connection between your
Virus TI and your sequencer.
So here’s what to expect over the next couple of pages:
Connecting your Virus TI to a PC or Mac
To use a hub or not?
About bandwidth
Notes for Mac users
Notes for PC users
Installing the software
Choose a USB port for the Virus TI
Choosing the “right” USB port
For Mac Users
For Windows Users
Installing the Virus TI software suite
De-installing the Virus TI software suite
For Mac users
For Windows users
3 Getting started with Total Integration
Setting up your sequencer the right way
The right audio preferences
Apple Logic Pro
Ableton Live
Steinberg Cubase
Avid Pro Tools LE
Avid Pro Tools HD
Cakewalk Sonar
Imageline FL Studio
Motu Digital Performer
When loading up a project
Switch on your Virus TI before you launch the sequencer
Working with the Virus TI
Virus Control is a “multi-channel instrument”. What does this mean?
How to get the best recording performance
Direct monitoring mode
Live button
How to get the best playback performance
Space at the beginning of the song
Configure your sequencer and plug-in for multi-output use
Mono auxiliaries instead of stereo channels
Bouncing audio to disc
Audio Side-chaining
About automation
Troubleshooting
Voice-stealing
Buffer size versus bandwidth demands
Sync Errors
My Virus sounds less loud than other virtual instruments. What do I need to do?
My Virus is behaving strangely! What do I do now?
4 Getting started with Total Integration
Connecting your Virus TI to a
PC or Mac
To use a hub or not?
In general, we recommend you avoid using a USB hub between your computer and
the Virus. With newer motherboard designs, however, the situation becomes a little
bit more complicated. Some designs feature integrated USB hubs right on the
motherboard, thereby removing the option of running the Virus TI without a USB
hub unless you invest in a third party USB card. In many cases, however, this is not
necessary and your Virus will happily work alongside other USB devices on one
root hub.
Prominent examples of such a design are modern Intel processors motherboards,
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such as those found in many Intel i5/i7 driven Macs and PCs.
Here are a few golden rules to guide you on your path toward the attainment of
system perfection:
If you have to use a hub, only use a quality USB2 compatible hub supporting high
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speed transfers. We had good results with, for instance, Belkin USB 2.0 hubs.
Do not use devices generating loads of USB traffic, such as USB hard drives on the
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same hub or root with a Virus TI. Less demanding devices, such as mice and
keyboards, are usually fine. Webcams and Bluetooth receivers are fine as long as
they are not switched on.
Do not use a hub to extend the maximum cable length of 3 meters. Most active
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cable extenders contain hub chips and some of those are known to be incompatible
with the Virus TI.
Additional information on how to examine the USB layout of your computer can be
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found in the Finding the “right” USB port paragraph.
5 Getting started with Total Integration
About bandwidth
Even though the Virus TI’s bandwidth requirements are moderate for a modern
computer, there is a crucial difference to many other USB devices: the need to
perform tasks in real time. “Real time” means that, in difference to a hard drive for
instance, the Virus TI produces a constant stream of audio data which must not be
interrupted. If the data comes in late, or is partially lost, audible artifacts such as
crackling or popping might occur. Key components to enable the data to travel fast
and safe include a dedicated USB connection and, in some cases, disabled power
saving features on the computer side.
Notes for Mac users
Pretty much all up-to-date Apple computers share USB ports available from the
outside with internal components such as Bluetooth receivers, keyboards,
trackpads, and built-in webcams. These devices have proven to work fine with the
Virus TI and the warning that flags up when starting the Virus Control plug-in can
be ignored. If you can, you should find a USB port available exclusively to the Virus
TI.
Notes for PC users
The perfect recipe for trouble would be: an onboard USB connection with a bad
driver combined with a rather slow motherboard, not enough RAM, loads and loads
of USB devices on the same motherboard and of course far too many applications
installed.
If you want your computer to be fast - keep it lean! Buy a dedicated USB2 card and
connect only the Virus TI to it. In case you need more USB connections, use
another card, or at least add those step-by-step and watch how the operating
system behaves.
Try to select an energy profile that is dedicated for media usage. Settings designed
for saving energy or laptop batteries can cause problems.
6 Getting started with Total Integration
Installing the software
Choose a USB port for the Virus TI
Firstly, to all PC users: do not connect the Virus TI just now - read on, before you
do so! Depending on your USB peripherals used by your computer, a little research
on which port the Virus TI connects to best can save you loads of headaches later.
Ideally, you should choose a free port which is not shared with any other
components. If that’s not an option, choose a port which shares a root hub with one
other device. This device should not consume much bandwidth.
Here is some background info on high speed hubs and full speed USB devices:
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high speed hubs, also known as “USB2 hubs”, distribute USB signals to all
connected devices. When communicating with a slower device, also known as full
speed devices or “USB1 devices”, the hubs slow down the data rate by a so called
"transaction translator". Just think of it as a truck lane where the slower trucks are
supposed to drive on a highway. In case the USB2 hub features only one truck
lane, it will be used for all USB1 devices connected. As a result, all USB1 devices
connected share this one truck lane, or, in other words, share the bandwidth that
one USB1 device would normally have to itself.
As a result, if you use a USB2 hub, the Virus TI should be the only USB1 device
connected to this hub. This way the Virus TI will get the bandwidth it needs to
operate without problems. Connecting more USB2 devices is fine.
Again, for PC users: do not connect the Virus TI now. This software installer will ask
you to connect the Virus TI when appropriate.
Choosing the “right” USB port
The goal when choosing the port is to find one which doesn’t share its resources
with another port - only this way, can you be guaranteed to get 100% of the
bandwidth.
7 Getting started with Total Integration
For Mac Users
System Profiler is the tool of choice to take a closer look at the USB topology of
your Mac. To open the application, choose “About this mac” in the Apple menu and
click on “More Info”. Then choose USB on the left. Assuming that your Virus TI is
connected and switched on, your USB device tree might look similar to here:
As you can see, my Virus TI shares a USB port with two other slow devices. In this
case, this doesn’t result in a problem since there is still enough bandwidth left for
the Virus’ communication.
For Windows Users
Windows, unfortunately, doesn’t supply you with a graphical viewer showing the
entire USB tree. The device manager though, shows you which devices are
attached to a hub (which can be an external or internal hub). Below you can see
how it looks like on a Mac running Windows. Both the Virus TI and the built-in
bluetooth receiver are connected to the same internal hub.
8 Getting started with Total Integration
As you might have already realized, we find ourselves in a “chicken and egg” type
of situation. How can we check which port is best on a PC when we’re not allowed
to plug-in the Virus TI unless the installer requests us to do so? The easiest way is
to examine all available root hubs using the device manager. If one is not occupied
with devices at all, it should be considered to be a good contender. If you’re
uncertain which root hub is connected to which USB port on your PC, you can
always use a USB stick to identify a port. Don’t forget to hit “refresh” in the root hub
properties after connecting a USB stick.
9 Getting started with Total Integration
Installing the Virus TI software suite
The Virus TI software suite installer doesn’t need much explanation; nevertheless
here are a couple of guidelines:
PC users can choose the path to where they want the VST plug-ins to be installed.
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Make sure that you verify the path, otherwise the sequencer might not see Virus
Control (the plug-in for the Virus TI) or the sequencer will see the wrong version,
resulting in a version conflict.
Do not move components around manually after installation. The Virus TI software
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suite relies on finding certain parts in certain places. Moving these around might
render your installation faulty.
The installer also updates the Virus TI hardware if necessary. If the installer claims
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to see no Virus TI, even though you have connected it: remove all cords from your
Virus TI, wait for 30 seconds and plug them all in again. By “all cords” we mean: the
power cord, the audio cables and the USB cable.
De-installing the Virus TI software suite
For Mac users
A de-installer application is provided within the Access Music folder in the
Applications folder.
10 Getting started with Total Integration
For Windows users
Windows Vista and Windows 7 provide an uninstaller application (Programs/
Uninstall). Windows XP users need to go to the Windows Control Panel and launch
“Add or Remove Software”.
11 Getting started with Total Integration
Setting up your sequencer
the right way
The right audio preferences
Every sequencer features more audio settings and options than the most of us will
ever need. Below is a digest of the most important settings. Nevertheless, we invite
you to read through the sequencer related tutorials and learn setup tricks by
opening the tutorial songs provided. Both can be easily accessed with the “?”
button in Virus Control in the right lower corner.
All settings recommendations are intended for the software revisions we’ve tested
against. Those were: Logic 9, Cubase 5, Live 8, Sonar 8, Protools 8 and FL Studio
9. Older software revisions might have required different settings.
Apple Logic Pro
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the audio device and
general preference tab. Here are the most important ones:
I/O Buffer Size needs to be in the range of 64 - 512 samples. 64 samples might
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result in audible artifacts with older Macs. We recommend 128 samples.
Process Buffer range needs to be set to “Small”.
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Plug-In latency compensation must not be set to “Off”.
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Low Latency Mode should be disabled.
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12 Getting started with Total Integration
Ableton Live
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the audio preference tab.
Here are the most important ones:
(Mac OS) Audio settings > Buffer Size needs to be either 64 (Mac only), 128, 256
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or 512. Odd values will result in problems. We recommend 128 samples.
(Windows) Audio settings > ASIO Panel > Buffer size must be one of the
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following: 128 (“rapid”), 128+safety buffer (“fast”), 256 (“normal”) or 512 (“relaxed
normal”). We recommend 128 samples for modern PCs
(Windows) ASIO Panel > Application priority should be set to “High”.
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Options > Delay Compensation needs to be enabled.
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Preferences > CPU > Buffer Size needs to be set to"As Audio Buffer"
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Steinberg Cubase
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the audio device setup.
Here are the most important ones:
Device > Device setup > VST audio system > ASIO Panel > Buffer size must be
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one of the following: 128 (“rapid”), 128+safety buffer (“fast”), 256 (“normal”) or 512
(“relaxed normal”). We recommend 128 samples for modern PCs
Device > Device setup > VST audio system > ASIO Panel > Application priority
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should be set to “High”.
Avid Pro Tools LE
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the Setup menus. Here
are the most important ones:
Setup > Playback Engine should be set to nothing greater than a CPU usage of
85%
Setup > H/W Buffer Size must be in the range of 64 - 512 samples. We
recommend 128 samples.
13 Getting started with Total Integration
Note that Pro Tools LE does not automatically compensate the timing. You need to
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work with the TIme Adjuster plug-ins in order to get a sample-accurate timing.
Avid Pro Tools HD
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the Setup menus. Here
are the most important ones:
Setup > Playback Engine should be set to nothing greater than a CPU usage of
85%
Setup > H/W Buffer Size must be in the range of 64 - 512 samples. We
recommend 128 samples.
Cakewalk Sonar
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the Audio options menus.
Here are the most important ones:
Audio Options > General > ASIO Panel > Buffer size must be one of the
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following: 128 (“rapid”), 128+safety buffer (“fast”), 256 (“normal”) or 512 (“relaxed
normal”). We recommend 128 samples for modern PCs.
Audio Options > General > Sampling rate should be 44100 or 48000.
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Audio Options > Advance > Driver Mode should be "ASIO"
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Audio Options > Advance > Synchronization to "Trigger & Freewheel"
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Audio Options > Advance > Play Effect Tails after Stopping must to be enabled
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Audio Options > Advance > Record Latency Adjustment to "Virus USB ASIO
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driver"
Audio Options > Advance > Use ASIO Reported Latency should be enabled
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To bounce audio tracks, you need to disable “Fast Bounce“ in the Export Audio
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dialog box.
14 Getting started with Total Integration
Imageline FL Studio
Most settings which need to be adjusted can be found in the options menus. Here
are the most important ones:
Options > Audio Settings > ASIO Panel > Buffer size must be one of the
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following: 128 (“rapid”), 128+safety buffer (“fast”), 256 (“normal”) or 512 (“relaxed
normal”). We recommend 128 samples for modern PCs
Options > Audio Settings > ASIO Panel > Application priority should be set to
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“High”.
VST Wrapper Settings > Processing > Process inactive inputs and outputs
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needs to be enabled.
VST Wrapper Settings > Processing > Notify about rendering mode needs to
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be enabled.
VST Wrapper Settings > Processing > Allow threaded processing needs to be
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enabled.
VST Wrapper Settings > Processing > Send loop position needs to be enabled.
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VST Wrapper Settings > Processing > Use fixed size buffers needs to be
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disabled.
VST Wrapper Settings > Settings > MIDI > Input Port needs to be set in order for
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the track to receive MIDI from the Virus keyboard (if applicable)
Settings > ASIO Properties > Clock Source should be Hardware (if applicable)
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FL Studio only supports offline audio bouncing. The Virus TI requires realtime audio
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bouncing. You need to re-record the audio outputs of the Virus TI to capture the
performance.
Motu Digital Performer
Configure Hardware Drivers > Buffer size needs to be either 128, 256 or 512.
Configure Hardware Drivers > Host Buffer Multiplier needs to be set to “1”
Configure Hardware Drivers >Work Priority needs to be set to “High”
15 Getting started with Total Integration
Configure Studio Settings > Automatic Plug-In latency compensation needs to
be enabled.
Digital Perform only supports offline audio bouncing. The Virus TI requires realtime
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audio bouncing. You need to re-record the audio outputs of the Virus TI to capture
the performance. Note that Motu Digital Performer is not an officially supported
host.
When loading up a project
Aside from the obvious, there is one thing you need to take into consideration when
loading a project that contains a Virus TI: wait until the project has fully been
loaded. Virus Control shows a progress bar when recalling all project related
settings. The Virus will show a message stating “Configuring Virus Control”. If in
question, open Virus Control and check if the Virus TI is ready to play. Once that
bar is gone, and you’re presented with the usual menus and pages, it’s safe to
playback the project.
Switch on your Virus TI before you launch the
sequencer
With many hosts, the Virus TI needs to be switched on before you start your
Sequencer application; otherwise, the MIDI ports will not be available. If you decide
to put your Virus TI into standby while the sequencer is running, we recommend
that you reboot the sequencer after switching on the Virus again.
16 Getting started with Total Integration
Working with the Virus TI
Virus Control is a “multi-channel instrument”. What
does this mean?
Virus Control controls all 16 parts of the Virus TI with one interface. The benefits
include easy copying between parts and the most flexible audio routing (you can
choose the output per MIDI part and rethink your decision at any time). As well as
this, the part bar on the left becomes a mixer for all Virus parts using only a tiny
amount of space.
Only one instance of Virus Control needs to be opened per Virus TI connected.
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How to get the best recording performance
Timing is crucial when it comes to recording your performance. The Virus TI
features many invisible mechanisms, ensuring that you automatically get the
smallest possible latency when recording or playing the Virus on a keyboard.
Nevertheless, there are situations where you can reduce the latency by adjusting
the following options:
Direct monitoring mode
Direct monitoring can be enabled by clicking on the “D” button in the part bar on the
left in Virus Control. This mode switches any part to the analogue outputs and
ensures that the sound travels directly from the sound engine to those, bypassing
the sequencer. This mode undoubtedly results in the smallest possible latency and
feels the most snappy while recording a performance, but there is a mayor
disadvantage to it: every note coming from the sequencer on this part will be played
back too early by roughly 1/16 note (@120 bpm). Especially when you overdub, it is
not advisable to use direct monitoring.
17 Getting started with Total Integration
Live button
Live mode can be engaged by clicking on the “Live button” on the lower left corner
of Virus Control. This mode is intended to be used with the sequencers Ableton
Live and Cakewalk Sonar only. Sonar forces you to enable live mode while
recording, otherwise you will face an unpleasant delay between playing a note and
hearing it. Ableton Live doesn’t introduce an audible delay, but instead moves every
note automatically after recording. The amount is determined by the so-called
“latency” every plug-in reports. In this case though, the result is somewhat
counterproductive.
Live mode is not intended to cure faulty setups. If you feel a latency in sequencers
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such as Cubase, Logic and others, try to reduce it by changing the buffer size of
the sequencer. Alternatively, use Direct Monitoring.
How to get the best playback performance
Most modern sequencers automatically adjust the timing of all instantiated virtual
instruments to ensure they play at the same time. The biggest exclusion, at the
point of writing, is Avid Pro Tools LE which only allows for manual compensation. All
other supported sequencers take care of the timing automatically. So what needs to
be done if the Virus is suddenly playing early or late, whereas before it was totally
fine? Simply stop the sequencer and wait for a couple of seconds. Virus Control will
automatically re-calibrate itself and should be back on track.
Space at the beginning of the song
Inserting one or two empty bars at the beginning of the song helps the Virus TI to
settle into the tempo. This is not a requirement in every sequencer but, as a general
rule, it is advisable.
18 Getting started with Total Integration
Configure your sequencer and plug-in for multioutput use
In order to process discreet parts (or sounds in this case) with additional audio
plug-ins right inside the sequencer’s mixer, you need to instantiate Virus Control as
a multi-channel audio instrument and create up to 3 stereo auxiliary channels. Use
these channels to play out stems or individual sounds for post-processing.
Virus Control offers you 3 different output configurations. In order to make
everything work as expected, you need to select the mode before you move on:
2 Outputs / No Input: This mode offers two stereo outputs (one main output and
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one auxiliary output). Also, the Virus doubles as a stereo input/output soundcard.
3 Outputs / No Input: This mode offers three stereo outputs (one main output and
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two auxiliary outputs). The Virus will only partially work as a soundcard - the
outputs are working, but recording sound from the analogue inputs of the Virus TI
hardware is disabled.
3 Outputs / 1 Input: This mode offers three stereo outputs (one main output and
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two auxiliary outputs) and enables side-chaining audio into the plug-in. The Virus
TI’s ability to double as a soundcard is completely disabled.
Also see Audio Side Chaining.
Mono auxiliaries instead of stereo channels
To get even more discreet channels out of the Virus TI, you could split the stereo
auxiliary channels into two mono signals. This procedure differs from sequencer to
sequencer - in this example, using Logic Pro, we will split the main output of the
Virus TI into two mono channels:
Select the virtual instrument used for the Virus TI in Logic’s mixer and set the
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output to a free auxiliary channel.
Create another auxiliary channel strip with the same number
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19 Getting started with Total Integration
Now long click on the stereo symbol underneath the meter of the auxiliary channel
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strips and change from “stereo” to either “left” or “right”
Hard pan every part in the Virus you want on channel 1 to the left, and on channel 2
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to the right.
Bouncing audio to disc
“Bouncing audio to disc” means capturing the output of the Virus TI and writing it to
an audio file on the hard drive. There are various ways to do this, and you might
need to consult your sequencer’s user manual for more detailed information.
Nevertheless, there is one common denominator:
Only real time bouncing will work with the Virus TI. Logic, Pro Tools and Cubase
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users can choose the right settings straight away from the bounce dialogue
window. Ableton Live, FL Studio, Sonar and Digital Performer users need to re-
record the Virus. Details on how to do that can be found in the respective tutorials.
Users of hosts which do not feature realtime bouncing need to find an alternative
way, such as re-recording the TI’s output to an audio track.
Audio Side-chaining
“Side-chaining” means to feed audio from one device into another, bypassing the
actual audio inputs. For us, it means that you can send audio from your sequencer
into Virus Control (and therefore the Virus hardware), mangle with it, and then send
it back.
20 Getting started with Total Integration
In order to use side-chaining, you need to enable the “3 Outputs / 1 Input” mode in
Virus Control’s settings first. Please note that once this mode is enabled, the Virus
cannot double as a soundcard anymore. Also, please note that, at the time of
writing, the side-chaining implementation of some sequencers is either non-existent
or faulty. Steinberg Cubase for instance does not support it at all for virtual
instruments and, at the time of writing, Apple Logic has an issue which results in a
delayed audio signal at the side-chain input.
About automation
The Virus TI allows you to automate every feasible parameter of the sound engine.
The parameters which cannot be automated are those which would create an
audible artifact were you to change them whilst you play a note. Amongst these
are, for instance, oscillator types which switch algorithms within the sound engine.
Either all parameters are automatically “enabled” for automation, or you need to
enable a parameter manually by right-clicking on it in Virus Control and choosing
the option to add it from the contextual menu. Whenever possible we’ve used the
automatic mode which saves you the step of enabling a parameter for automation.
Pro Tools users need to use the automation button found in the status bar of the
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plug-in to add parameters to Pro Tools’ automation.
21 Getting started with Total Integration
Troubleshooting
Voice-stealing
So, how many voices or notes can you expect from the Virus TI at a time? The
answer is that since the Virus TI sound engine is highly dynamic, the voice count
can vary dramatically from one sound to the next, depending on which features are
being used. In other words, switching on every possible feature might not get you
as far as you like.
To help give you a rough idea of how many voices you can expect to achieve with
your chosen patch, we have provided a patch complexity meter in the top right
hand side of the display. This patch complexity meter does not indicate how many
voices are left to use - it is designed to show you how expensive a patch is. Ideally,
it will give you an idea of which sounds to go for when you are browsing - not when
it is too late.
The Virus TI has several features which are considerably more demanding of the
available resources than others, and this can become apparent when using multiple
parts at the same time. If you find you are running out voices too quickly, you could
take a closer look at the patches you are using, and see if they can be optimized in
any way. The following features should be considered prime suspects in this
situation:
Unison Mode divides the voice count by the chosen value.
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Reverb this is the second most ‘expensive’ of all the effects, especially if used on
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more than one part, so it can be advisable to try to avoid using it on more than one
part at a time. A delay will have far less impact on resources, and often be just as
effective – alternatively, don’t forget you can use external plug-in effects if you are
using Total Integration.
Long Amplifier Release Times can result in a significantly reduced polyphony
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count although you barely hear the difference or get any kind of audible benefit.
Analog 1-4 pole lowpass filter reduces polyphony by 50%
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22 Getting started with Total Integration
WavePWM or Grain/Formant Complex Oscillator reduce polyphony by 50%
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Oscillator 3 reduces polyphony by 25%
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More details on polyphony and voice-stealing can be found in the Virus TI Quick
Start manual.
Part Priority recently debuted in Virus Control and can be found by right-clicking on
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the “D” button on the left side where all the parts are listed. Part Priority tells the
Virus to put a certain amount of emphasis on a part. It works well on, for example,
long bass sounds which otherwise would be cut off in a dense arrangement. Even
though you can switch on Part Priority for all parts at the same time, it is really
designed to put emphasis on no more than two parts at the same time.
Buffer size versus bandwidth demands
The buffer size setting, which can be found in all DAWs, defines how much
information is collected before being sent off to the Virus TI in one big “block”,
sometimes referred to as a “chunk”. This block-processing is how most modern
audio workstations work. The counterpart to the buffer size, which describes the
size of this block, is the system’s performance. The better the performance, the
lower the buffer size that can be chosen without running into issues. The reason
behind this, is that the sending of data is considered to be a fairly big effort for the
operating system. The actual size of the data package doesn’t matter in this case,
and larger sized packages of data need to be transferred less frequently in order to
get the same amount of information over to the other side. So, we can see from this
that the smaller the blocks become, the more frequently they need to be sent off.
What you need to find is the right trade-off between snappiness (equals small buffer
sizes) and reliability (the maximum performance your system can provide). In
general, anything between 64 samples and 512 samples is recommended. 1024
samples buffer size and higher are not supported. If you use a host which allows
you to choose odd buffer sizes, make sure to choose one of the following: 64, 128,
256, 512.
23 Getting started with Total Integration
Sync Errors
Virus Control can show you potential synchronization problems by changing the
color of the info bar at the bottom to red. A “sync error” means that more than one
USB package (the data the Virus transmits via the USB cable) did not make it in
time or got lost entirely. The result can be everything from drifting arpeggiators,
pops and crackles to note hangs. Imagine that the information stating that you
released a key on the keyboard gets lost - the note in question will play forever.
Sync errors are mostly caused by driver problems, damaged hardware (including
the USB cable), device conflicts or a total overload of your computer. Your best
chance of solving these problems is a clean system installation and using a USB
port which doesn’t share its bandwidth with other ports. Also, updating the device
drivers for your USB card, if applicable, might help.
It is an urban myth that the USB transfer speed influences the accuracy of the sync
in the case of the Virus TI. The USB driver we use cannot adjust the amount of data
it sends. It either gets the data through in time or not. If the USB connection doesn’t
fulfill the requirements of the driver, you should find a way to improve the situation
or you will likely run into synchronization problems.
Another good indicator for transmission problems is the tempo LED, located close
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to the display section. If the tempo LED doesn’t show a steady pulse but flickers,
this indicates that the Virus TI is receiving damaged timing information. The tempo
LED might show a slight negative offset to the actual beat for technical reasons.
My Virus sounds less loud than other virtual
instruments. What do I need to do?
Using the USB outputs, you will recognize that other virtual instruments have more
output level than the Virus TI. This is because the Virus reserves enough headroom
to play dozens of voices at the same time. Fortunately this needn’t be a
disadvantage as long as you make sure that you use the headroom of your digital
mixer. Todays digital mixers and sequencer have more headroom than any of us
will need. Here’s an idea for you:
24 Getting started with Total Integration
Before you start working on your next project, put every channel fader to -20dB.
Next, put the master fader right up so you can still hear things loudly enough. Once
you instantiate Virus Control, put this fader to e.g. -12dB instead of -20dB to make it
equally loud. Here, you need to experiment a little - the Virus obviously gets louder
the more voices you play, and also all virtual instruments have a different loudness
to each other.
After working on the song for a while, you will notice that your mix gets louder when
you add more instruments. Reduce the level of the master fader once it gets close
to red.
You will be surprised how powerful, clear and dynamic your mix will sound and how
well the Virus fits in.
If you cannot achieve a suitable level by pushing the master fader right up when
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you start working, use a gainer plug-in to push it further.
My Virus is behaving strangely! What do I do now?
Every computer, mobile telephone and synthesizer with digital components inside
can run into a software issue. It’s a fact of life, as unfortunate as it is. The Virus TI
hosts multiple processors and I/O components which all, in theory, can run into a
problem due to a software glitch, a static surge, hardware issue or other things.
Therefore, it is important to understand that in a worse case scenario like a crash,
not necessarily “all lights go off” - the result can be much more subtle. It could
mean that USB communication cannot be established anymore, or only a fraction
of the parts in multimode play sounds. In other cases, the symptoms may include
note hangs or severe latency.
One good indicator for a software issue is the user interface becoming
✓
unresponsive or sluggish. Another indicator for a problem with the sound engine is
the LFO LEDs or parts of the LFO LEDs stop pulsing. A word of caution: there are
sounds which set the LFO to a very low frequency and that looks like they stopped
pulsing. Also, if you choose to let those LEDs show something different, no pulsing
might indicate something different. The flashing Access Logo (only available on the
25 Getting started with Total Integration
keyboard versions) can be an indicator for a problem as well. If it stops pulsing to
the beat, there might be a problem.
Fortunately, it can be cured easily by resetting the Virus. First, shut down your
sequencer application. Next remove all cables including the power cable from your
Virus and wait for 20 seconds. Then plug-in the power cable again while holding the
ARP EDIT key. This will trigger a reset. Last, plug-in all the other cables again and
fire up your sequencer.
If your Virus crashes on a frequent basis, please contact Access support by Email
and let them help you find the reason and suggest a solution to your issue.
26 Getting started with Total Integration
Legal Notice
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 Kemper
Digital GmbH.
Kemper Digital 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, by
smoke signals or otherwise without the prior written permission of Kemper Digital
GmbH.
Virus is a trademark of Kemper Digital GmbH. All other trademarks contained
herein are the property of their respective owners. All features and specifications
subject to change without notice.
www.access-music.de
support@access-music.de
© Copyright 2010 Kemper Digital GmbH. All rights reserved. 28. Mai 2010 10:42 -
Document Revision VTISG1
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