Why is the Virus TI so acclaimed?

I'm in the market for a good VA or even a good rompler with a huge synth selection and checked out the Virus TI for the first time. The patches, categories and selection are nice, but what's with the small, thin sound? is it just me? In the radias or even a nord lead, you can hear the sounds are meaty and right up front and phat but the virus ti's sounds, though the patches themselves were great, were not very big, it reminded me of an old alesis QS synth. Am I alone in this?

*not touching this*

Most negative stuff I'm aware of is based on the fact that so many people have/use one. "I don't want one 'cuz everyone else has one," sort of thing. Of the piles of .MP3s I've collected regarding this instrument, I'm more than impressed, so I'm not a detractor.

How did you audition it? 'Phones, or any particular monitors? Your post sounds like you may have actually tried one in-person.

This isn't a bash thread, trust me I am not negative because most people use them, I want to like it, I want to be persuaded to get one, but I can't figure why it is so praised if the sound is thin. I like the patches themselves but worry that the quality of them might be lacking. Even the Ion had a richer sound. I did use headphones for most auditioning though, but that applied to everything I listened to.

I wasn't suggesting that you were. Just citing that most who don't like them more often complain of the ubiquitous nature of the instrument rather than the sound.

Sound is an entirely subjective thing, so use what works for you.

Some say the Andromeda is thin.

Holly Bloody Loo Yaah.

Don't get one then.

Hmmm... If you're looking for a "meaty" and "up front" sound, perhaps the TI isn't for you. As an aside, personally, I prefer not to audition synths using headphones.

The Nord Leads, without effects, definitely have a more "up front" sound to me as well. I don't care for it, but that's just me.

There seem to be a fair number of people who are really interested in "phatness" and "meatiness" and all that with synths. I'm not suggesting these people are wrong - after all it's all a matter of personal preference, but IMHO there are many other qualities I look for in an instrument. Sounds that are too big can often hog a mix and not blend well.

I've got a Moog Little Phatty, and honestly, I don't phind it to be phatter than anything else in my little studio. I like the way it sounds, but for reasons that have nothing to do with phatness. And I just bought a Lexicon digital effects processor for my analog synth, so I must be an idiot.

good points, thanks

what were you listening to it through?

If everything sounded phat, mixing would be a challenge, no?

I actually prefer digital sounds to analog (HORRORS).

Pthin and brilliantine is the button of by porky belly.

It all really comes down to - if the sound and the possibilities don't grab you, then DON'T get it. I never seem to learn my lesson with the Virus. I bought an original Virus, was disappointed with the interface and mod routings and sold it. ..bought a Virus C, and pretty much the same thing. Sold it. I thought that the ti polar would do the trick, but I had the same reaction ultimately. yeah, there is much to like about it. And certainly they've beefed up the mod routings. But after working with it a bit, it just doesn't grab me, and I decided to sell it and get more modular gear. I prefer the sound of some soft synths, for example Zebra, and I think that despite the fact that on paper there are a lot of possibilities with the ti, the sound just doesn't morph into the wild possibilities that Zebra does, the Q does, or some other soft synths do.

There is a nice quality to the sounds, especially, imo the pads. But it wasn't enough for me to have all of that $ tied up in it.

me baby. me talk like baby. me like everything. gorf.

For years (from the A to the C) I was never really a Virus fan because of the sound. With the advent of the TI, I now have become a fan. I honestly think it is more because *I* changed, not the synth. Yes, the presets of the Virus aren't JX10 lush and fat, but the feature set and flexbility of the unit has gotten my attention. Also, now that I have fat/lush in my arsenal, having something that plays well with those sounds has become something I'd like. I think the Virus would do that well.

The point made about "what did you hear it through" is huge, I think. I've only heard the new TI's through small, tinny (and tiny, for that matter) monitors with no sub. Some of the sounds make it clear that with a full-range sound system, they'd be huge.

One of the best comments above, I think, is the one droolmaster0 made - if it doesn't grab you in some way, don't get it. I thought for years about getting a B and then later a C but never did because it didn't grab me. I think that's a wise move. Getting something because "everyone uses it" isn't a good idea if that's the main reason. You'll likely tire of it and regret it, esp. something in the price range of a TI.

I was very wary of spending $2500 for a TI. Then, I stumbled across a used Indigo in a local music store and bought it for $800. I played the Indigo for a couple of months and kept gravitating toward it every time I sat down to play. When I later came across a Polar in a store, after playing it for an hour I knew it was time to pull out the ol' Amex card.

Here in the US, offline and online musical instrument stores typically offer a 14 - 30 day refund policy. Online stores may require a "re-stocking fee" on returns, but I think the Guitar Center stores will give a full refund. This always gives me a bit of comfort when making a purchase, but I've never returned a synth that I bought.

"Why is the Virus TI so acclaimed? "

I don't want to sound too cynical, but I think part of the reason the TI is so popular is that it's got so many great sounding presets right out of the box.

Someone who doesn't know how to program can still get instant gratification and sound good.

If you do know how to program, you can run up against some of its limitations.

As for sounding thin - I don't think it does.

Wow, scratching my head here. Guess I've got the special Virus that sounds toweringly huge.

Yours has *special* snails inside.

im intrigued by new posibilities on original TI, and now even more with additions in OS2.

but, must add, i too was blown away listening to web demos of Virus C, and had it on my hitlist long time ago. however, when i finally got to test it in person, i was dissapointed. to me, its osc do sound thin and kinda dull. there is a sameness to most patches, and it struck me that beside the few "trademark" virii sounds i didnt see much use for it. i was doing A/B testing together with Nord Lead 2 and 3. even tho i recognize it Virus its own special character and all, it just doesnt grab me, i much preffered Nords to this - when parameters are moved you would go thru much greater range of sounds. 2 is actually warmer than 3, but in the end, of the three boards, i thought if im gonna get a VA, its gonna be a NL3. (now will see how this new Nord Wave turns out - it just might be a perfect blend of digital synthesis at a right price - va, fm, rom, wavetable ..)

bottom line, i gotta try TI OS2 first hand.

Indeed you do. OS2 kicked the TI up several dozen notches.

ok, i'll chime in. ya know i had never been drawn to any of the Virus iterations before the Ti. i liked the C but the OS and layout was still a bit fiddly for my taste. i'm actually one of those people who thinks Virus's presets are terrible, or at least 80% of them. very samey

once i heard about the Ti 2.0+ plus features, i became interested in checking out one. so i just took the leap and bought it, figuring i could return it if i didn't like it. well its been two and a half months and i absolutely adore this synth.

i personally don't like trance or dance so the majority of the presets did nothing for me. but after a few hours and learning my wits about the new board i was quickly churning out patch after patch. after two months i've made over 75 custom patches and have loved the process and sonic results. i find this machine very capable and incredibly diverse. it can sound digital, lush, ambient, do leads, experimental, etc.

i sold my Nord Lead 2x about a month after having the Ti. the Ti CAN do Nord'ish sonic character but you're gonna have to learn how to sound design a bit because its NOT a Nord. with some careful eq'ing and knowing the Ti i've found there's very little i can't get it to do. the machine can be simple or deep depending upon your interest i'd say.

since having mine, two of my friends have purchased them based on hearing the Ti, seeing its integration, diversity, and possibilities. we all make slightly different styles as well. i do idm/experimental/hiphop, my friend in D.C. does DnB/idm, and my other local friend does ambient/minimal. i say all that not as a sales pitch but i think the presets don't show off the diverse range of the unit very well imo.

in the end, its about what you like and making do with what you have. i love the Nord sound and am already saving for the Nord Wave but found a lot more sonic abilities in the Ti. i've got great efx, incredible mod matrix capabilities, waveforms/formant/graintable, etc in one unit. plus, you then have the whole VC plugin if you're into that as well.i personally think it sounds great or i would have returned it in a heartbeat.

i have to credit Access for the latest Richard Devine soundset. not only is it simply incredible, its nice to here some presets that really extend beyond 7 or sets of samey presets. i adore mine, and man you gotta be kidding me...sounds like QS...pffff dig deeper than the surface bro.

The stock Virus oscillators are dark. If you want a sharper sound out of the TI then use the Hypersaw oscillator.

@actuel: great post.

you shed light on many questions i had about TI.

Remember, too, that the TI has a three-band EQ, the settings of which are stored with every patch.

its useful, but eq as such can never make for lack of certain character at the fundamental level - for example, if you have an inherently dark osc, no eq can restore harmonics or "organicness" n movement that aint there in the first place. same with fat bass. otherwise every crappy synth would sound like a minimoog with addition of a nice LF eq.

eq can help carve out some unwanted build up freq, or amplify some (already there) that got masked by other instruments, to help synth fit in the mix better, but that's about it. generally speaking.

can someone pm me or maybe you can say it here, but I looked back on some old posts and people have gotten the TI rack for $1400, I'm wondering who has the best price.