Access Virus C

Price Paid: N/A

Ease of Use: N/A

Features: N/A

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
In my opinion a Virus works best at dance, trance & techno.
But i think the presets are not really that what they should be. I bought a set called
"REVOLUTION VIRUS" from www.sounds-of-revolution.com
i wish that this sounds are presets of the virus :-) - but better not, everybody might have it then....really great stuff - the mp3 demo on the page is quite bad - but the sounds are absolute phantastic !

greets !

Reliability: N/A

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: N/A

Submitted by Anonymous at 11/03/2002 08:52

Price Paid: US $2100

Ease of Use: 7
The Synth is easy to programm. However the manual sucks, no examples, well you just have to sort it out by yourself.
The controls are ok, however a triton or kurzweil is somehow easier to use.

Features: 7
Two things that really annoy me:
1) you can only save sounds in bank A and B. Access could remedy this by adding patch software allowing you to burn your favourate sounds in bank C-H (ROM)
2) delay in multi mode is only usable for all single programms.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
effects and sounds are great an stimulating. However 70% percent of the preset sounds are not what I need on my every day basis. I require this synth to emulate analog sounds like moog, prophet, jupiter, not for techno or industrial. This machine is capable of producing such sounds, but you have to work this out for yourself.

There should be more user specific presets.

Reliability: 9
Did not experience any problems.

Customer Support: 8
Service resonds quickly, however the access homepage offers too little information and no real exchange of sounds.

Overall Rating: 8
It´s a nice machine, but definetly only an expansion of my existing gear.

Submitted by Moub Dee P at 10/26/2002 01:29

Price Paid: 1650,- (EURO)

Ease of Use: 9
soooooo, many posibilities.....
the presets are so great that you can work with them to make great stuff.
manual is a pain in the ass. but i dont need manuals.

Features: 9
the 32 poly is nice but well, 128 poly would be nice...
effect are just great. and the C is better organised than the B.
midi is good and stable. the arp is fantastic.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
forget moog, arp, cs80, ms20....

virus has it all. it's fat, thin, soft, hard, dry, wet,metalic, string...and realy wired stuff.

Reliability: 9
well compared to software, hardware still is the 100% thing. until now everything works fine (got it 4 weeks now).

Customer Support: 9
within 2 days. but their homepage could have a nice board to exchange sounds and ideas with the virus community

Overall Rating: 10
it is absolutely the best synth on the market.

Submitted by dries at 10/20/2002 00:52

Price Paid: US $1495.99

Ease of Use: 10
I'm Using OS 5.Trust me you've never heard presets like this before.Deep throbbing basses like a shiatsu massage,Swirling pads, Leads as Sharp as A Ginsu.All the presets are Useable,But just by tweaking a little bit you can get an insane new sound.The included sound diver is cool but doesn't interact well with XP(Does anything really interact well with XP though).The Manual Is hardly needed,This thing is easy.This is the Ultimate VA synth that all have been waiting for,I can't even begin to explain how crazy having 1024 patches on a synth this huge is.It does everything lighting fast too.The new 32bit RISC chip is the heart of this baby.For all you strict RA users,Stop covering kraftwerk,buy this and break some hardcore new ground.

Features: 10
32 Notes is better than what everyone else is packing in their VA's except for the supernova 2 pro which isn't nearly as aesthetically pleasing as my virus.The Effects are very comprehensive,Individual delays/reverb would have been nice but would have bumped this up to the 3,000 price range.The only Synth with better effects is the supernova2.One Gripe i have is that the midi connectors are upside down(Crazy germans),this makes it a little harder to reroute cables without looking.Everything else is great.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
The Sounds are Pick of the litter.You can create everything you've ever heard and everything you've never heard.The modulation matrix allows for mindbending lfo possibilities.The sounds I've created with this would make a nord lead 3 cower in shame.

Reliability: 10
It seems pretty sturdy,I'd gig without a backup definetely.

Customer Support: 9
Upgrading Was relatively pain free.Trading sounds is easy.The only reason it gets a 9 here is cause access didn't put a warranty card in my box.I'm sure they'll rectify the situation though.

Overall Rating: 10
If it was lost i would just follow the bass to find it.If it was stolen then someone would have to die :). If you ever touch my virus I'll kill you and your whole family,thats what jesus would do.
This is the new center of my world,I orbit around this on a daily basis.Nothing makes me nearly as happy as playing with my virus and triton,Nothing.I have been playing synth for 5 years,piano for 10.

Submitted by Anonymous at 10/12/2002 15:29

Price Paid: 1269 (£)

Ease of Use: 9
I'm lucky enough to own 10 synths.....9 of them are vintage (True analog). In my opinion the The Access Virus 'KC' is a remarkable machine. This is the FIRST synth that i have EVER come across where the preset sounds are genuinely inspiring. For me and probably alot of users, the editing/creation of new/existing sounds is both logical and VERY powerful. I must give Access their due credit, they really have worked hard to encompass a vast array of powerful features at your fingertips and in my opinion they have succeeded. When it comes to manuals I tend to read them 10 years after buying the instrument!

Features: 10
Ok here is my opinion >>

1)Keyboard action is absolutely brilliant - very high quality and a great pleasure to play.

2)Polyphony is also very good - 32 voices is probably sufficient for 99% of applications. I cannot envisage anyone actually using them all up and if you did manage to......it wouldnt be very often.

3)The Built in effects in my opinion do sound VERY good and compliment the overall sound of the Virus C. I find them no more difficult/complex to impliment than any other standalone effects box.

Overall the Virus C (I have the KC) is a FULLY featured modern synth.....this has the effect of making it REALLY POWERFUL!

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
As I mentioned at the beginning I own Vintage analog synths. It is IMPORTANT to remember that this is a 'Virtual Analog' in other words it is a DIGITAL machine which attempts to recreate/emulate analog sound characteristics. This is my honest opinion;

The Access Virus has a VERY DISTINCTIVE & UNIQUE SOUND. I do not use this as an analog emulating machine (Although I must admit....It is F***ing convincing), I use it for FUTURISTIC sounds. Sound effects, bass lines and pads can sound TOTALLY AMAZING on this machine...this is what I find so appealing. The sound is sweet and rich (Forget the presets, forget all the demos youve heard - program this baby yourself). As far as DIGITAL synths go, this is the nicest/most versatile/most unique sounding synth to come out for the last 15 years.

I congratulate Access for creating a unique sounding modern synth......because of this distinctive sound I personally believe this synth will be highly sought after in 20 years time.

Reliability: 10
This synth has a VERY high quality feel and build. I suspect it will carry on for decades.

Customer Support: 10
Ive had no issues with mine - I am an inquisitive sort of bloke and I emailed Access numerous time before I finally purchased my synth...they responded quickly and effeciently.

Overall Rating: 10
CONCLUSION;

THIS IS THE BEST VA OUTHERE...............BUY IT!

Submitted by JAGO at 10/07/2002 10:35

Price Paid: 860 (UK pounds)

Ease of Use: 4
Okay, I'm just going to have to disagree with just about everyone here so far: I lived withg the Virus C for s few months before finally selling it on... am I mad? Let's see:

First off; the sound is awesome, I can find no fault with that...

Latest software with the 1024 patch update. First problem; you can't store sounds in any but the first 256 slots.

The multitimbral setup is hardly intuitive. i already own a SUpernova 2 rack and I can't understand why any manufacturer wouldn't instantly copy Novation's way of handling a synth multi timbrally. The Virus has so many extra key presses in order to save and if you've edited a sound in the multi programme you then have to go through the hag of finding somewhere to save it!

Terrible effects implementation, particularly in multi mode: again, look at how the SN does it...

The manual is terrible, it gives no examples of any proceedures and the translation from the native German is not the best.

Features: 10
32 note poly, 16 part multi-timbral: much better than all other v/a synths (Clavia: take notice)!

The effects are poor and badly implemented.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Beautiful sound. It can do just about anything and maybe that's part of the problem... to me the point of an analogue (style) synth is it's immediacy and ease of use, I defy anyone to tell me that the modulation matrix on the Virus is "easy" to use! In the time I had it I really wanted to get to know it inside and out, but in the end became frustrated as the Supernova 2 is so much more friendly to programme and use...

The Virus is almost 2 synths in one box; great some might say, more for your money, but I want my synths to fulfill specific roles within my setup. I beklieve the immediacy of sound creation and multi timbral working has been lost on the Virus.. sadly as the sound is wonderful.

Reliability: 8
Had a couple of bugs with regards to tune drifting on parts in a multi setup, had to turn on / off to fix. Otherwise quite sound.

Customer Support: 10
Contacted Virus re the above problem and Joerg (their guy in the hot seat) is extremely helpful and genuinely seems to want to get problems sorted.

Overall Rating: 4
I sold it on and I don't miss it. That says it all i think. Beautiful sound but too much effort to setup.

Submitted by Neil at 09/02/2002 03:56

Price Paid: 1600 (€)

Ease of Use: 9
This synth is a killer. Sounds incredible. My other VA-synths bite the dust. But I will still use them because of their qualities better than VirusC (Supernova (arpeggio's), NordModular (manufacturing an editing sounds), ModularV2 (Creamware) (same as NM but other synth-patches and modules).
The manual is compact but good. It lets you start in all directions.
I've got my VirusC a week now, I'm not in all sounds yet.

Features: 10
It works very good and smooth with my sequencer. I've got a few strange things, but I write that to my unexperience with my brand new Virus C.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Not realistic. No good for classical music! This is too bad ;-). But the sounds and effects of this beast are the best I've heard yet.

Reliability: 10
It's very reliable. (In my special case the adapter won't fit. It's perhaps the wrong adapter. But the shop will send me the good one.)

Customer Support: N/A
Never had an experience.

Overall Rating: 10
I would buy it again if it were stolen.
By the way this counts for most of my gear: Supernova2, NordModular, CreamwareScopeBoard (with Modularv2), Korg Karma. Not for my Electribe EA-1 (which is a good piece of gear after all).

Submitted by Anonymous at 08/15/2002 00:27

Price Paid: US $1494

Ease of Use: 8

Features: 10

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10


If you are in a search for a 100% Moog, ARP, Prophet, CS80,
+ lots of unique sounds - this is THE ONE.

Virus completely stands out of the rest VAs.
Such a deal after all those flat emulations of real analogs
like Waldorf, Nova or JP8080.

Be careful before you buy a VA, check out _the Virus_,
and hear, how much better it sounds comparing to any
other synth you see in the same music store. I'm amazed
competitors are not bunkrupts yet :)

Reliability: N/A

Not much can I say in the moment. Seems very!

Customer Support: N/A

Overall Rating: 10

This is like a Mersedes amongst cars or like a Moog amongst
RAs.

Submitted by Alex at 08/09/2002 23:50

Price Paid: 1650 (EURO)

Ease of Use: 10
Received my Virus with the latest OS. The presets need some extra work imo to make them more phat. Sound quality is outstanding though, very bright and clear sounds. The patch editor (SD) is great to avoid all the menu structures (note im used to the triton touchscreen so im a bit spoiled hehe) and works well. The manual is clear and understandable though i noticed quite some layout errors in it (pieces in german, double printes etc, but the content is good and thats what counts.

Features: 8
Features are great, nice effects, EQ per channel is a major improvement, aftertouch is not that important to me. Midi is very straight forward though.. im not happy at all with the CC implementation that, if im informed well, is not conform industry standards. Standard controllers MFX1 send and MFX2 send are Volumen and Pitch on the Virus (somewhere around CC93-95). This causes big conflicts with my Triton sequencer. I can olny solve it by giving up the MFX sends on the Triton, i'll have to set them to the pitch and volume values on the virus :/

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Sounds are great, like stated above, very clean and bright :)
Fell in love with it right away. Im mainly doing electro and minimal techno tracks, suits great.

Reliability: N/A
No comments on this part yet, i think im having the doubtfull honor of having the first virus c with hardware problems. It crashed all the time when changing sounds. Its on its way to Access now and im getting a new one soon.

Customer Support: 9
Great, fast answers and good help from Access reps.
Although all of us are still waiting for the C soundset.

Overall Rating: 10
Great synth, best i've tried so far. A must have!

Submitted by Daizok at 06/12/2002 01:31

Price Paid: US $1300

Ease of Use: 9
5.0 build 209
presets are great, but only tease you with what you can really do. the manual, was surprisingly really good, and with all these knobs making sounds cant get much better, plus you can use soundiver

Features: 10
polyphony is good, 32 voices for a dance orientated synth is honest. the effects are insane. the interface is very intuitive to me. and if its not that clear the manual will probably clear it up for you.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
some of the sounds arent my style, but some make you realize this pup has power. overall its insane to me. you start making your own, and wham.

Reliability: 7
actually they only give a 6 month warranty, but free os updates, they update it all the time. its construction is strong, i wonder how this thing would take a beating on the road? the side panels seem to be the only parts that would give out. i would never rack it, i need it right in front of me! i will admit 6 months on an expensive piece of equipment like this...is sorta chincey. they should def extend that.

Customer Support: 8
their website is fairly easy and it seems you can easily find someone to help you, or a page to guide you.

Overall Rating: 10
its a great machine, i keep it under my pillow. its the best bang for the buck out there.

Submitted by booby at 06/05/2002 21:32