Access Virus kc

Price Paid: £1050 (£) used

Ease of Use: 10
Really excellant synth and easy to handle after about a week of familiarisation. Yes there are some menues, but most of the parameters you'll ever need (or want to use) are accesiblle from the knobs. Not a 10 out of 10 but a definite 9.7 out of 10 for me...

Features: 10
Build quality is superb. This board is totally rock solid and I mean totally. Reasurringly heavy, quality knobs and buttons. Wicket LCD display and the nicest key action of any synth - semi weighted. Great midi implementation, six analog outs, headphone socket, inputs...it has it all.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
In a nutshell, superb. Real personality and presence from a VA. Yes the ION is more realistic (for analog emulation), but there is no denying the Virus has a very identifiable tone. Sure to become a classic - already amongst dance/electronic producers. Possibly the nicest VA synth ever made.

The Virus KC is capable of sounds covering any genre. Totally synthetic - no real instrument emulations.

Reliability: 10
Never had any problems with mine. From what I hear and see, seems to be very reliable and robust. Id recommend this synth to anyone whos uneasy about investing similar money in old gear. The unit should age well and mechanically speaking...outperform most other synths.

Customer Support: 10
Probably the best in the business. Prompt, friendly, personal and knowledgable. True professionals.

Overall Rating: 10
Definitely worth what I paid and more. Doubles as a great external sound mangler for other synths, drums and voices. Never get bored with this synth. The one and only VA I own and it'll probably stay that way. Just check out the other reviews and mp3 demo's on the net. Have you ever heard a synth sound like this? No, theres only one Virus.

Check out MP3's (Copy and paste link into your browser) @

www.access-music.de (loads of unique sounding sound bytes)

http://music.download.com/digitalscreams/3600-8363_32-100523664.html?tag=listing_song_artist

http://www.aliens-project.de/t_200405_access_virus.html

http://www.herten-music.com/audio/download.htm?ID=18 (100% Virus C song)

Check out the 'Unnoficial Access Virus user forum' here >>> http://www.sunesha.nu/virusforum/index.php

Submitted by JB at 05/08/2005 15:06

Price Paid: 2000 EUR

Ease of Use: 5
I use the newest OS 6.5
I don't recommend this Synth for newbies. And I don't recommend this synth for people with tired fingers, because your gona press buttons till you fall down on the floor and scream in pain. There are too many hidden menus. On the KC it's plenty of room for moore knobs and buttons. A supernova is alot! more easy to use!! So if menus bothers you, buy a Novation. On the otherhand, the PC editor is a big pluss, but you need a big screen with big a resolution, 1600x1200 to not get tired fingers!!

The presets are very good. Many Prodigy like sounds and Ambient like sounds. Shows what the synth is good for.

The manual is moore like, what can be done, instead of how to do. The manual is a big mistake. There should be several examples in the manual on how to create a patch. But it isn't.

Twisting the knobs is like running with a book on your head.
*steady...steady... NOOOO!* I mean it's too many parameters on one knob!

Why is the panel on the left side??? Why can't it be in the middle??
Buy the desktop model with a masterkeyboard so that you can get the panel in front of you.

Features: 8
32 Voices is not a limit for me. At this point.
16 Part multi is moore than enaugh. ;)
Great filter(s)!!
The delay is OK, I'm satisfied, chorus and reverb are ok as well.
But the effects is not Available for moore than 7 parts in a multi setup. You can't expand this thing, moore knobs and buttons would do the trick!

4 oscillators, 3 LFO's, Massive ModMatrix bakes good cookies for your studio sound library!! :D

This thing really looks great!

Expressiveness/Sounds: 9
This instrument is poor on realistic emulation, and that's good. Go ELECTRONIC PEOPLE!!

I use this Synth for Trance of any kind, make it PSyco Trance or what you call it!! :D

The effects is nothing to complain about! Very good indeed!
With this keeboard,you could play for hours, the best kayboard i've ever used! It will make you play!

It's too easy to make organs!

Reliability: 4
Sometimes it hangs, and specially that computer software. I'm not impressed!

USB is more optimal than MIDI

It's easy to loose the patch by get your finger on the wrong place. It's too tight between the buttons and the knobs. Playing and knobing can make it go slower.

You never loose data! (Like the most other synths)

Customer Support: 3
Oh yes, this is not the best thing with Access. I sendt them a mail, because my VIRUS was delivered With a GERMAN MANUAL! I tried to download the Manual from the web, and the PDF file demanded a password to print it out! I asked them to send me an English manual, but no can do. Arrogant Bastards!!! My local store imported one from Sweden.

A plus is the os updates, the Q&A, all the forums.

Overall Rating: 6
I hope I never loose it! Because it's too expensive to loose. But I would buy a Nord Lead 3 with a K-Station instead really. It's better to have many synths, than one big. It's much easier to get different sounds that way.

I wish it had NO MENUS, a more explaining Manual, the knob/button panel at the center of the keyboard, effects on all 16 parts, USB connector.

Buy the Desktop model honestly if you really want a Virus.
If you ask me, buy a used Nova, Nordlead 2x, Access Virus A

Submitted by Robin at 01/11/2005 05:41

Price Paid: N/A

Ease of Use: 10
Easy to use. Menues are there for those who want to dig deep. Simple analog sounds can be made with the same ease as old analogs. If however, u are wanting to make realistic harpsicords etc....then u will need to go into the menues and invert envelopes and whatever. But lets face it....digital/analog 'sounds' is where its at. If I want piano or harpsicord i'd use samples.

Features: 10
Bloody feature packed OMG. The on-board effects are amzing and a real + point for me. Lack of simultaneous reverb/delay....might be an issue for some. GET A LIFE!

Superb key action on the KC. I control my Prophet One form the Virus. The Virus definitely has the nicest non weighted synth action of any instrument. I can say that with absolute certaintly. Just makes u wanna spend hours on it. Great modulation possibilies and 64 digital waveforms.....just excellant!

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
'Classic' virus sound is attributed to awesome digital filters and 'phaser' onbaord effect. THe Virus can cover ALL synth ground in my opinion. It is a real workhorse. Etheral pads which are creamy and warm, fat/distorted basses and leads and the most amazing ambient collages since the Korg Wavestation. Some people say the oscilaotrs sound weak......well this is not really true. When you stick your synth sounds in a mix then....the you suddenly realise the full girth of the Virus. Users of the Virus will know what im talking about. This synth sounds pretty dark and amospheric. Its actually quite hard to make brite (e.g. Nord) type sounds. Its domain is darkness and there it should stay. Thats its usp. The only other synth that springs to mind that has this dark characteristic is old Sequential gear. The Virus however is not quite in the same league as all out analog rawness...no digital synth is.

Really the bottom line is this. The Virus can make almost any synth sound u care to mention. And it does it very, very well. With the addition of the new Moog filter emulation, esp the 1-pole......god the rawness of sound.....Ive never heard from a digitla synth before. Seriously good.

Reliability: 9
The only issue I have is this, RELIABILITY. Everything in this world is unreliable to a certain extent.....its weird but true. Why cant people make products 100% reliable? Does it come down to craftmanship? Money? I just dont know....but there are several things to look out for on the Virus, esp the KC version.

1) KEYS - you may find one or two keys start making an annoying clicking noise and feel weird. Its a bit off putting....and raises a ? mark over the longjevity of that particualr key. Are spare parts going to be made available??

2) As with all new synths.....the knobs may feels great at first....but some may rapidly deteriorate into wobbly, crusty feeling knobs. I had this on 2 of the Virus' Ive owned.

3) General OS weirdness. For example....leave ur Virus on for 4 hours and watch that arpegiator reach 50 million BPM's. U may experience the odd occasion of note grabbing aswell. I reccommend a reset/reinitialise every 4-5 hours of intensive studio use.

Apart from that...ive experienced no other problems.

Customer Support: 10
Overall, Access is the best in the industry. I dont say that lightly.

Overall Rating: 10
If you have the money spare and you need one synth that can cover alot of ground to a very pleasing/satisfying/sophisticated level then the Virus should be your first choice.

Submitted by Anonymous at 05/12/2004 06:47

Price Paid: 1429 (£)

Ease of Use: 10
Hello. Im using the latest operating system (6.5) the one with the 'analogue' filters. The presets are impressive (for the first week or so, I was like WOW!). Gives you a good idea to what kinda of sounds are possible and what the tone of the Virus actually is. Every parameter that you use day-to-day has dedicated knowbs and buttons. Overall its very easy to use. The manual is comprehensive/detailed...but i find manuals boring haha!

Features: 10
Probably the most feature packed hardware synth ever made. Endless sonic possibilities. Famous 'phaser' effect used on most post 1997 electronic material. Additional onboard effects are equally as good. Fully midified (but I hate midi and dont use it). Expansion is via software upgrades (most bugs have been long since eliminated - the design team are making f*&^ing awesome filter emulations now). The Virus filter sounds awesome (lets remember here folks...this is a digital synth...and digital filters can sometimes sound real shite ala JP8000 style) but I think the moog filter sounds unbelievably good for an emulation.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Its the most satisfying VA synth I own. I use it for leads, pads and fx. Its a superb sounding dance/ambient synth. However, I would really love to see Access design a true analog polysynth (for us musicians who have money). The Andromeda A6 compliments the JP-8 and Prophet 5 very nicely. They are all equals in my mind. THe VIrus KC (In terms of sound) is not quite up there....but wins on sheer versatility. For all of you who think the Virus sounds great, I salut you!

Reliability: N/A
The only true negative comment I have about this synth is its goddamn reliability....or lack of. By todays standards, the build quality is excellant (physical construction).....but there seems to be a bit of an issue with some of the components (i.e. LED's, circuit board, memory). Obviously cheap, mass produced digital components probably dont undergo the level of testing that analog components do...but it would be nice if a £1400 synth could be free from these little niggles. There is nothing majorly wrong with this synth.....but it is possible that you will experience some kind of issue (whether it be software related or hardware). I cant put it into context with other new synths.....

Do not let that put you off though. Ive had 5 replacements of the Virus KC....and I still love it. There is no other synth that sounds like it. It has a similar strength of character to that of the JP8 and P5. The Virus tone is equally recognisable. Ive decided to not score this category....b'cos I Really dont know what to put. I'd say around 8.

Customer Support: 10
Any problems are addressed easily and they are very helpful/professional. There is a cool Virus forumn for users. If you have any comments or questions...they are a really friendly bunch in there >> http://www.sunesha.nu/virusforum/index.php

Overall Rating: 10
Well, I believe the hype is justly deserved. It is a feature packed, sexy looking, well built, superb sounding VA synth. In my opinion it is the most analogue sounding digital synth out there. If you cant afford a true analogue/dont want to take the risk investing in something 20 yrs old....then the Virus is hands down...the 2nd best option. To me, the likes of Andromeda A6, JP-8 and P5 sounds 'better' but for sensible money, the Virus has more bang for buck.

Submitted by Anonymous at 03/28/2004 06:08

Price Paid: US $1750

Ease of Use: 8
would give this a 10 if it weren't for the manual.
just tuning in sounds with the knobs is easy as always, but if you have to go deeper and use the manual, you're on your own.
half the stuff in the manual doesn't match what's actually in the board.
i had to find my way around it by feel - keep going thru the menus till you start to memorize it.
the programming tutorial manual is a nice read, tho.

Features: 10
best synth keybed i've ever played.
the sounds that grab you seem to rely heavily on the arps and effects - but damn!- they're good.
board supports release velocity which ia a favorite feature of mine and was a deciding factor in my purchase.
polyphony is fine for a VA.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
i've been using synths for about 20 years, and this synth sounds about the best i've ever heard.
as stated, this thing is great to play, velocity response is right on, aftertouch takes the right amount of pressure and it's very easy to dial in release velocity in the mod matrix to get some truly expressive playing.

Reliability: 7
had to return the first one because one key wouldn't trigger notes within a middle-area velocity range.
i was extremely disappointed, but got a replacement and am keeping my fingers crossed - so far so good, but it's only been a few weeks on my 2nd one.

Customer Support: 9
never dealt with them directly, but they've sent me notices when updates come out.
lots of sounds on their site, programming tutorial, os updates, etc.

Overall Rating: 10
if anyone tries to take this synth, i'll rip their face off and leave it for the wolves.
it's worth every cent i paid. i really, really like everything about this synth.
i've got quite a bit of other gear, but this is by far my favorite.
no, i'm not still on a 'honeymoon' with it.
i've owned enough other gear to know what i want.
i looked for specific features and specific sound and the access virus c keyboard is where i found it.

Submitted by Anonymous at 03/16/2004 18:00

Price Paid: £1350

Ease of Use: 4
Virus indigo redback, 3 units

Software version 5.0
5.0
5.0
First two upgraded to 6.0 and the last one to 6.5

Presets really do show off what this beast can do. But it's not about the presets now is it?

I have to rate this poorly and will explain later.

Features: 10
Very flexible modulation matrix...i really miss it. :(

Expressiveness/Sounds: N/A
Oh the sounds...Beautiful, extreme, pounding, clarity...i could go on. The virus has to be the most expressive synth I've had the pleasure of owning.

Reliability: 1
Ah. Now here is where this little monster fell short of perfect for me.
I have been through three, yes three redback units in under 3 months!! I returned the first unit to turnkey because the synth action keyboard was making a terrible noise on a few keys. If you've ever had to open up a keyboard then you'll know what that sprung assembly looks like. It's essentially metal sprung metal plates in kontact with the keys. Now this keyboard sounded like a few keys had damaged or kinked sprung metal plates underneath. It may seem like a minor complaint but for £1350 I expect this keyboard to be BUILT WELL!

The second indigo redback i aquired II was happy to find didn't have this problem. When the new OS became available to download i eagerly d/l and installed. This seemed not to be a good idea. After that the poor keyboard failed to respond. I followed the instructions to the letter...what happend!?

Ok redback number three and turnkey are getting a little pissed of seeing my face, and i'm pissed at having to return but anyway i get my virus home set it up...It works...phew! The bloody keys are making that same metal kinking sound :( sigh. I cant be bothered to return it now I'm just gonna have to live with it. I upgrade to the lateset OS 6.5 and it's all good Moog filters here we go!! All is perfect for a few days but then one evening i switch it on and the keyboard doesnt respond? I can trigger sounds from another keyboard ok, i look for the local on/off switch and ...it's not there, in fact it's missing from the menu entirely!!?? Sounddiver (OEM) can't switch it to local on. The keyboard doesn't work. Next day it still doesnt work so I take it back to turnkey they switch it on...guess bloody what works...great!! NOT! The guy there tells me he has a virus KC that every now and then goes a bit screwy but he puts up with it. I however cannot put up with these kinds of quirks in OS or engineering.

Customer Support: 6
The online service has yet to really shine but I believe they will get it going

Overall Rating: 6
I love this synth and miss it greatly but it just wasn't to be I think. I still read about it annd wish i didn't witness these problems and that I still had the unit. I had big plans for it in my setup. I think though that I must be very unlucky (if you can believe the term) I wouldn't put anybody off buying one but I would want to let people know what I've experienced. I still think Access are producing the best VA's on the market and mabye next time I'll have a chance to give thier product the marks I feel it deserves.

Submitted by Anonymous at 01/20/2004 08:57

Price Paid: US

Ease of Use: 10
Every major parameter has dedicated knob/button. Light menue work for 'extra' special sounds. I actually think the overall layout and response of this synth is very good.

OS updates - Latest version is 6.5 I think. The Virus KC now has a very good moog filter emulation......which makes for awesome bass/leads/pads. Menue system has been streamlined as much as possible....I cant see how they can improve it....its very good.

Features: 10
*High-quality, semi-weighted, velocity and aftertouch capable, 61-keys

*Master-keyboard functions

*Internal Power Supply

*Pitch bend, modwheel and two jacks for switch/expression pedals

*Real Wood side panels

*Dimensions: 975 x 351 x 112 mm

*Weight: 13kg, 16.5 kg w. packaging

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*32 knobs
*35 buttons
*69 LEDs

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COMPLETE ENGINE OF VIRUS C:

*32-voice polyphony and 16-part multitimbral capability
1024 programs [256 User / 768 ROM / 128 Multi]

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32-voice polyphony with 16-part multitimbral capability
1024 programs (256 User / 768 ROM / 128 Multi)

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*Undo/Redo/Random features to defeat ”oops” and "writer's block"

*4 oscillators per voice. 3 main plus one sub [when all oscillators are in use, polyphony may decrease, but not by more than 6 voices.]

*Pure Tuning adaptive tuning (based on Hermode Tuning)

*Sawtooth, variable pulse, sine, triangle + 62 additional spectral waves

*FM [Frequency modulation] with or without external Input signals

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*2 filters selectable as lowpass, highpass, bandpass or bandreject

*4 filter configurations (serial/ parallel) for up to 6 poles [36 dB]
Alternative Mini Moog Style resonating Filter with 1,2,3 or 4 poles.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

*3 LFOs with 68 LFO shapes

*Loop or Envelope LFO modes with midi clock sync

*2 ADSTR envelopes [T=Time]

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*16 independent arpeggiators with numerous arpeggiator patterns and real time parameter access/modulation including swing & note length.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

98 simultaneous DSP effects:

*Reverb [w. pre-delay sync to MIDI-clock]
*3-Band EQ per program/part [low/hi shelf + parametric mid]
*Retro Phaser [6-stage stereo phaser with 24 filter-poles
*Multiple independent distortion/saturation/Lo-fi FX per voice, including multiple distortion/shaper characteristics and variable gain.
*Chorus/Flanger with rate sync to midi tempo
*Simple or "Groove" Delay [preset polyrhythmic patterns]
*32-band advanced vocoder
*Ring Modulator
*Analog Boost for true vintage tonal characteristics

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*2 Soft Knobs, individually assignable per program

*Internal master clock that drives all arpeggiators, LFOs and delay times; automatic sync to external midi clock

*Advanced Modulation Matrix with 6 source and 9 destination slots.

*Complete control via MIDI (CC/Polypressure/Sysex) with "Adaptive Control Smoothing" for ultra soft parameter changes and no zippering.

*MIDI Tempo sync capabilities for virtually every time-based parameter

*Full 24-bit processing; 24 bit D/A, 18 bit A/D

*6 individual high quality outputs

*2 audio inputs to process your signals through synth filters, envelopes, FX, vocoder, FM, ring modulator, and more

*Flexible "auxiliary" model of internal audio routing for processing/reprocessing internal/external signals through the synth engine and and effects of other voices

*True Surround sound capabilities

*Free SoundDiver Virus editor/librarian for Windows™ and MacOS™

*Easy operating system updates via MIDI

I can't top that!

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Definitely one of my favourite sounding VA's.....very smooth and warm. It does not have the digital hardness that most VA's suffer from.

This synth REALLY excels at ambient sounds, synth strings, pads and dark electronica. Great onboard effects are part of the virus 'sound'

Reliability: 8
Hmmm....well Ive had a few problems. But I now have one which is totally fine. Common problems can include: Bad keys, lose knob, ram failure.

All new synths suffer from potential problems.......its just the luck of the draw :)

*The Virus is totally software driven. Sometimes when you make a OS upgrade...the Virus will act a bit weird for a bit i.e. notes cutting out. These issues tend to sort themselves out...hmmm.. weird!

Customer Support: 9
Very helpful....and are VERY conscious of good customer relations.

Email responses are quick. However, should you need to send your Virus back...you may have to wait longer than the 2-3 week turnaround (In my case 6 weeks).

Overall Rating: 10
The Virus is a great synth; nicely built, professional instrument. There have been a few occasions when I wanted to sell my VKC......but the reality is....despite some of the Virus' shortcommings.....there isn't, in my mind, any real alternative on the market. When I bought the Virus, I wanted the VERY best......

Its easy to recommend this synth....but I guess alot of people wont be able to afford it (I saved up for 18 months). If you are in the market for only ONE synth....then you should seriously look into the Virus......

My current setup includes -

Virus KC
Korg Monopoly
DX7
TR909

Virus plays a very important roll in my music.

Submitted by UBM at 12/18/2003 16:19

Price Paid: 1429 (£)

Ease of Use: 10
OS 6.5 (Build 351). This is the latest operating system and now includes an incredibly authentic minimoog emulated filter. Not only do u have the classic Virus filters....u now get the very best moog emulation aswell. I feel that this enhances the overall Virus sound excellantly.

Features: 10
The very best momey can buy. The latest OS 6.5 update is awesome. You now have 4 new filter types modelled on the minimoog.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
Well I love the Virus sound and as far as VA synths go its the warmest/fattest on the market. The Virus is incredibly versatile....truly amazing polysynth. Use the Virus in conjunction with a decent analog mono and your in business. I really feel that the Virus excels at ambient sounds, pads and leads.

Reliability: 10
100% mint, 100% working, 100% FUN!!!!

The Virus has the best key action of anysynth and has the best build quality by far.

Customer Support: 10
Excellant website. Fast response to emails and great OS updates. Access are the market leaders.

Overall Rating: 10
Totally reccommended. Very difficult to fault this synth.

Submitted by Anonymous at 11/07/2003 16:37

Price Paid: US $1,978.00

Ease of Use: 10
Is as I got the synth. Got it last week. Havent updated the OS to one available for free download at access website. Nor have I added sound banks E-H. Which have to be loaded via either free online download at access website, or via the file with them on the soundiver cd that came with synth. Is OS version 5.5. Reason hasnt done the upgrades is only has webtv. No puter yet. So is reviewing product as it arrived, rather then with the extra free goodies added that need puter to do it.

Presets. If you cant find several that turn you on & which also sound great in the mix. You might as well give up on playing synth. Lol.

Editing & modifying patches is easy. Plenty of knobs & buttons to fiddle with. With lots of nice indicator leds too.

Manual is very goodon useing synths, creating voices ect. Can seem a little confusing at first cause is minus pics with labels for where on keyboard ect ect. But its not hard to figure out & find stuff. Only thing that was a bit dificult was finding info in manual about where to get banks d-h without doing it online. (Via sounddiver cd included).

The synth lends itself to figure it out for yourself, rather well.

Features: 10
Others have said enough on this. Thinks features of it are great.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 9
This is a VA synth. While it can create very nice organish, electric pianoish, bells, flute type, & other assorted "real instruments", is orientation is to whatever evil or other pure synth sounds you want. LOL. Great leads, pads, fx, & atmospheric stuff. Reacts well to playing.

I do a variety from dark electronica & atmospheric & ambient, to death metalish type things. It works very well for these. Would also be excellent for lighter synth music & new age.

Nice effects section. The reverb is among the best I've heard from an effects proccessor.

Not as aggressive or metallic sounding as Nords imo, more aggressive sound then Novation imo. Pairs very well with my Novation KS4 for 2 pro VA synths rig. Especially well suited to any spooky atmoshphere or heavy electronica music. Is full of charector & organicness. Gives it a 9 cause "pristine" doesnt really fit. Whereas my Novation can be pristine to nasty raunchy evil. Though the latter in a somewhat diff flavor of that compared to the Virus.

Reliability: 10
Is a bit expensive too be haveing a backup one. Very close to twice the price of my Novation. Virus kc ran me just under $2,000. Anyway is a well made synth. No reason to doubt its reliability or gigability. A synth of this caliber does deserve a top of line stand like Apex or Apex plus. Not some budget stand.

Customer Support: N/A
Hasnt dealt with compnay directly. Just browses there website.

Overall Rating: 9
Would replace it if lost or stolen. Rending the theif to bloody shreds then celebrating his demise with a music peice played on replacement Virus. Lol.

Is very inspiring to music making.

Does wish Access preloaded sound banks E thru H at factory. Seems kinda silly that they didnt. A demo song isnt needed. And theres no instructions I can find on how to get demo song to play anyway. LOL. Gave it a 9 instead of a 10 cause of factory not preloading rest of sound banks. That where apparently available before they shipped unit to retailer I bought it from. Isnt a biggee really, but figures for the pricetag on it can dock em a point for not preloading all the sound banks at factory. Lol.

Is an attractive with a slighly sinister look to it, keyboard. Very nice in looks, playability & sound. To include the presets overall. While I havent heard the other 4 banks of sounds yet, I'm confident there great overall too.

I also play a Novation KS4 synth. Been playing synths for more then 20 years. Concidered Nord lead3, but decided on Virus instead based on sound demos of each at websites. Was a good decision for me imo.

Submitted by elfinboy at 07/08/2003 11:41

Price Paid: 1329 (£)

Ease of Use: 10
OS 6

For people who are already familiar with subtractive synthesis, you will find the Virus intuitively laid out and easy to comprehend. You can make pro quality sounds without even needing to delve into the menues. As you spend more time with the Virus, you will become more confident/comfortable using the menue features (i.e assigning mod destinations, filter configerations, effects ect ect). The Virus is my first VA synth (Im an old analogue fart) and I must admit that when I opened the manual, It did cross my mind that maybe this synth would be too overly complicated. I put into manual mode and started making professional quality sounds almost immediately :) Im very happy. Anyone saying this synth is hard to use needs to re-evalute their inflated ability in sound design. If this synth was hard, I would say so.

Well no one can blame the people at Access for skimping on the manual. It is perhaps one of the most comprehensive Iv'e read, but an aweful lot does go over my head :). I think the manual is a valuable longterm resource, it basically tells you EVERYTHING about the Virus. But as far as bedtime reading goes, you may find it a little nightmerish! A massive 160+ pages of detailed info.

Features: 10
Both the Virus KB, KC and SuperNova II, KS5 have excellant keyaction. This sort of semi-weighted action feels very natural to me and makes playing on this synth a real pleasure. I am very tempted to use this as my main controller for the other synths. Great velocity/aftertouch response. 32 note poly on a synth like this is ok. I tend to use all 3 oscilators + some unison to get anywhere near the same kinda satisfying fatness as my old analogues (I have been spoiled it seems). This effectively brings the polyphony down to a more realistic 16 note, or even perhaps 8 note...for those power leads. Any less poly than 32, then I would probably have to sacrifice fatness (This is something im not prepared to do!). I particularly like the Virus reverb, Chorus and Phaser. Also the distortion/saturation is VERY nice. Not as keen on the delay. The 2 filters sound awesome and you can modulate them via lfo's, velocity etc etc, anything really! This synth makes the most incredible swirling pads, gritty leads and plinky sounds fx. My only gripe is that the resonance sounds weak (In comparison to my analogues). In my opinion, sounds which heavily rely on resonance will sound weak...forget making squelchy bubbles or powerful zapping noises...get yourself an analogue monosynth. Overall the midi is very extensive, litrally everything can be controlled.

Overall, this synth is very well specified.

Expressiveness/Sounds: 10
The early VA's lacked their own identity (It seemed all they were designed to do was to emulate all that had gone before). Probably one of the reasons why the Virus is so highly sought after, is because not only can it emulate most old anlogues very well, it actually has a very strong sonic character of its own. It is the most distinct sounding modern synth you can buy. The Virus has a very nice sweet tone which at times (depending on your filter settings) just overflows with character. You can hear the Virus extensively on most post 1998 electronic music.

The Virus is capable of making incredible: Swirling pads (Thx to its 3 lfo's), sharp attacking leads, great 80's style leads, awesome electric piano's which have 'ting', futuristic/atmospheric soundscapes (perfect for ambient music or film soundtracks) and strong digital bass. I emphasize digital b'cos I prefer analogue bass. I will keep the Virus and use it whenever I need THAT Virus sound....if you all know what I mean. Be careful not to use the Virus for all your sounds though.

24 bit sound quality is exceptionally clear and detailed. The outputs give off zero noise. This synth does not contribute to any unwanted background noise. Interestingly, in all the reviews I have read only one guy has commented on the 'dull' characteristic in the Virus' sound. Yes this sonic characteristed DOES exist and I suppose it further makes the Virus unique. When I say 'dull' I dont mean 'boring' I mean that the overall tone of the Virus is inherently dark/moody. Thats why every loves making aggressive lead sounds on the Virus :)

Reliability: 10
Nice German piece of engineering. The knobs and buttons have a nice feel to them. The two 'softknobs' and the two buttons immediately to the right appear to take more of a beating than all the other controls. Lets just hope they last b'cos lets face it, we all want our Virus' to live at least 15-20 years.

Build quality is great (As far as modern mass produced equipment goes) but I doubt whether these kind of synths would survive a hard life out on the road. Old analogue poly's had far superior build quality (They had to b'cos the heavy analogue components needed a robust design) and really were built like tanks. Ive heard some people say the Virus Indigo is built like a tank! Sorry to burst everyones bubble...NO WAY!! Dont get me wrong, the Access, Waldorf and Clavia gear are all nicely built, but tanks they ain't. Drop an Indigo (at an angle) 5 feet onto a hard surface and tell me what happens :)

Keep your Access gear within a studio environment and It'll be fine. Gig with it and you may find yourself 'floating home sooner than you think'

Customer Support: 10
The Access guys are very helpful and provide great OS updates, free pro-quality soundsets, analogue porgramming tutorials, live chat rooms and all the help/advice you are ever likely to need. Lets hope these guys stay around for many more years...they deserve it.

Overall Rating: 10
I doubt mine would ever get stolen b'cos im a hobby-ist use and dont gig. If the synth died on me because of some inherent fault (Like the Juno 106 6th note problem) then i may have to reconsider my options. However I would definitely miss the Virus tone. The Virus is a very nice/distinct sounding modern electronic instrument. I would recommend this synth to all keyboardists for use in ANY genre of music.

Submitted by Anonymous at 06/07/2003 08:39