Access Virus TI2 Desktop Reviews

A monster of a Synth!

It took me a long time to commit to buying the Virus TI2. It had been one of those synths that I have read a lot about in magazines and watched a lot of Youtube videos by other artists and reviews before taking the leap.

It comes with many great sounds right out of the box, unique sounds, rich and lush analog pads. To get the most of this synth, you need to lean about synthesis. It is not easy to navigate through its menus for my linking but if you use a VST Editor program it makes a huge difference.

I use my Virus to make soundtrack type music but its application goes far beyond that. I prefer hardware to soft synths.

In my opinion, and despite its age now, it is still one of the best desktop synths out there and I find it is still relevant.

The Legend

This was my dream synth for a long time. Absolutely legendary sound that always finds its right place in my mix, the TI’s vst is also an awesome bonus, not many hardware synths have there

Own built in arpeggiator designer. It’s also 16 part multi-timbre which is just crazy. YOU CANNOT FIND A BETTER DIGITAL SYNTH!

Still a great synth in 2022

The Virus Ti2 still has everything I'm looking for in a digital synth sound wise. Total Integration software can be a bit buggy but it works on Windows 10/11.

After 10 years, still no competition

I have been eyeing for Access Virus TI ever since the first time I heard about it a few years ago (yes, I'm a bit late to the game). Initially, I was just curious: as the software synth grow more and more powerful these days, what's all the fuss about a virtual analog synth? I mean, there are many other synths that can do what virus can do and more... Or is there?

Well, first thing first, the Access Virus can do almost ANYTHING you desire out of a digital synth (be it software or hardware). I said almost, because there are few niche (complex FM with more than two oscillators) or new technology (resynthesis) that the virus can't do, but for most users, what the Virus can do is much more than enough. FM, Wavetable, Granular, Dedicated Supersaw (No the same as unison, which can actually be applied on top of the supersaw), and unique formant oscillators. On top of all that, the Virus also has some superb effects: reverb, delay, chorus, 3-band eq, vocoder, distortion (more than 20 modes!), character control (you can for example add some analog warmth or add enhancement to the lead or bass sound), a punch control (how much transient do you want).

Can I get all those using some software synths? Sure, I guess. But is there ONE synth that can do it all? Maybe, but definitely not as intuitive and straightforward as the Virus. I own Omnisphere and UVI Falcon, and they are deep and can get really complex, so they should do what the Virus can do and more, but when I use those synth, I often got lost in the GUI very quickly. The Virus somehow achieved the balance between depth and user-friendliness for general users like me. I said general users, because of course the complex software synth can do some crazy stuff the Virus is incapable of doing, but will those sounds end up in my music? Well they can, but probably won't. What the Virus can do is already more than enough for me.

Also, what I just wrote about is merely about capability, not the actual sound. The sound of the Virus is just so unique and can punch through the mix without doing collateral damage to other tracks. I think all the other software synth I have can only get "close" to the actual Virus, but it's never really the same.

One last note, don't be discouraged by the fact that the developer has stopped updating the software editor (but it doesn't mean we should stop bugging them). There is a third-party librarian/editor from Aura, which can even do audio over USB for newer macOS (the official one stopped working since Catalina, the Windows version however, is FINE).

Still a beast

Pros: huge sonic palette, MASSIVE sound, tons of great presets, well made, virus control is cool for sound edits (for PC users at least), multi mode!

Cons: no MIDI-only USB, no more updates to the firmware or the VST.

Glad I bought it!

Love it, love it, love it

Cant get enough of this synth, very adapable for all sounds, one too grow old with

what a machine

Ive had this unit for a few years now and boy does it keep on giving. I have had no issues with the hardware, Virus control can sometimes be a little glitchy.Contrary to other users reports I have had better success with Virus Control via a powered hub.The build is rock solid and everything works as expected. I originally had the snow but sold it to buy the extra voices.Very Happy

super synth

amazing synth ,ive always wanted this machine

A dream synth

For a late 90's underground electronic music enthusiast this is a dream synth. Controlled from a sampler/sequencer and using the multitimbrality the possibilities of creating soundscapes of past and present are literally endless.

The sound quality is great. Modulation and sounddesign possibilities are among the best that hardware synthesizers has to offer when using the multi mode. Learning how to optimize your programming to save the DSP resources and get the maximum polyphony out of the synth takes a bit time but the results are rewarding. As this is a quite complex synth it is highly recommended to read Access Music's / Howard Scarr's 'Programming analog synthesizers' and the user manual to understand the what, where, why and how.

The UI can be a hit or miss but the layout of everything is logical and most of the functions in menus are found from dedicated, labeled buttons, which go to the relevant menus. Some parameters need to be dug from deeper multi-page menus, especially the added features from the latest firmware updates.

The Total Integration can be tricky to get working without crashing and this I consider to be the Virus' weakest link.

Pro:

-Effects are good to great quality

-Can be used as an Aux multi effect processor and processing external signal

-Overall sound quality is great

-Modulation possibilities are among the best in hardware synthesizers

-Build quality is great

Neutral:

-Polyphony in multitimbral mode is good to average, depending on how efficiently it is programmed.

Cons:

-Total Integration part is quite unreliable and can cause crashing and other unexpected behavior of computer or software, resulting in BSOD in extreme cases

-Customizing some arpeggiator parameters can only be done from the TI-plugin

Essential

As a long-time fan of electronic music, this synth was on my wish list for a while. I use it mainly for tracks that need strong characteristic synth lines, as it has such a huge range of possibilities for synth manipulation.

The main pros for me are the comprehensive options for waveforms, voicing, filters, and all types of other effects you might want to put on the signal chain in one quality unit.

On the first day it arrived, I spent the entire afternoon programming perhaps the most disgusting distorted reece bass I've ever heard and I felt like I was 17 again. That is one of the main problems - there's so much you can do on this synth you can easily lose hours just tweaking and tweaking.

Another con is the fact that when you want to save a patch, you have to save it to the software, as the majority of the hardware banks on the synth are used up with presets. You can of course overwrite but they do have some great sounds for inspiration.

Overall though, an undisputed modern champion of the synth world, and well worth the investment.

Dreams come true

I am very exited to have a Virus Ti synth! Started to compose music before 10 years ago and I dream on to have an Access product. Now in 2017 I believe this synthesizer remains the best for anyone who composes electronic music. Sound quality and the opportunities it provides are unique! I can only say that everyone should have it.

Cheers,

Yavor Lyubenov

Instant superstar

Wow. This synth makes me sound like an instant superstar! I can almost play nonsense and still sound good!

The depth of the interface is fairly well exposed on the control surface, there are many instantly accessible aspects to any patch that permit real-time mutations to be made, and the results can almost always be used in a mix. The sonic versatility is vast in depth and breadth, with strong lead sounds that can only really be bettered by analogue equipment, and with pads and "soundscapes" that shimmer and shift very beautifully and naturally when properly programmed. The ubiquity of the Virus in recordings can lead to some preset sounds being rather recognisable and perhaps less valuable for people looking for originality, but we can't blame the Virus for being popular - it can't help it!

I have a few tunes recorded many years ago using arpeggiated analogue synth lines (e.g. SCI Pro-One) that will really benefit from a Virus "make-over" in which I can make a more complex sound with effects to finally create my original idea of muted arpeggios with a very atmospheric presence in the mix. The moment I played the Virus a list of these songs appeared in my mind, it was that evocative. The only problem I have now is that some synths I have always liked sound rather dated! A truly great instrument that has deserved every award it won.

Amazing Synth!

If you like me love modeling sounds to perfection this is the syntheziser for you!!

The TI (Total integration) with your daw is just perfect and really easy to get started.

The first impression when I recieved the access is that it sounds unbelivably great. Compared to most software synths its miles away soundwise. The interface and the possability to actually touch fysical knobs when modeling a sound is great and gives you an extra layer of feeling in control over the sound and what you are doing.

This classis synth is a must have for all sound fanatics searching for that little extra!

Sounds amazing

No problems with the hardware - a very nice piece of kit that sounds brilliant and I am really glad I bought it. The software is ok to use in a DAW (Ableton Live 9 in my case) - a bit fiddly, but then all multi-timbral synths are. There is a fairly steep learning curve with the Access Virus TI because it is a deep and complex synth.