ACCESS Virus C
Oct 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By Jason Scott Alexander
The epidemic began in '97, when the very retro-looking Access Virus synth arrived on the scene. Throughout the years, the Virus series kept improving and gained a remarkable foothold in the techno, remix and DJ circuits with its hard-hitting aggressive sound, beefy filters, backpack portability and stereo inputs.
SYMPTOMS
As is typical of viruses, the potency of the original Virus grew with each subsequent “strain.” The latest incarnation — the flagship Virus C — appeared earlier this year. Equipped with new-generation Motorola processors, the C significantly outperforms its predecessors, with 32-voice polyphony, more effects, an expanded modulation matrix and a redesigned UI aimed squarely at performing musicians and DJs. The familiar blood-red and black front panels of earlier models are now replaced by a stealth black-and-gray combo navigated courtesy of 32 knobs, 35 buttons, 69 red LEDs and a devilish bright-red LCD.
I reviewed the $1,995 Virus C tabletop/rackmount unit, yet its OS and sound engine are the same as the 61-key Virus KC ($2,595), the 37-key special edition Indigo-2 (also $2,595) and the compact single-rackspace Virus Rack XL ($1,795).
Virus C delivers four oscillators (three main, one sub) per voice; a noise generator; a ring modulator; two multimode filters; two ADSTR (T stands for time) envelopes; a stereo VCA; three LFOs; and a saturation stage for cascade filtering and tube and distortion effects. Aside from classic analog waveforms, 62 additional spectral wave shapes can be mixed, synched and frequency- or ring-modulated to yield complex spectral effects and overtones that border on digital DX7, Fairlight and Synclavier territory. The dual multimode filters are switchable, in series or parallel, in one of four variations within each voice, providing a maximum of six filter poles with a 36dB slope.
LFOs come in 68 continuous variable wave shapes each, including a triangle with variable symmetry and infinitely variable aperiodic oscillations for random control. The LFOs are capable of polyphonic, as well as monophonic, oscillation. If several voices are active, LFOs can run independently or in sync, and various keyboard trigger options let you to start LFO wave shapes with variable phase lengths at the beginning of a note or cycle only once, like an envelope. Cool!
The new modulation matrix is a real-time sound-morpher's dream. Once you run out of fingers to twiddle knobs, you can route as many as six modulation sources to nine different destinations. Virtually any controller source can alter any sound parameter that is conducive to remote manipulation.
Individual sound patches are stored as Single programs, and as many as 16 Single programs can be combined (as Parts) to form Multi programs. The unit ships with four banks of Singles (512 total) that are expandable to eight banks by downloading a special expansion MIDI file from the Access Website for a grand total of 1,024 Single sounds. The first two banks (A and B) are located in program RAM; they are the user banks. The other six banks are hard-wired into the unit's flash ROM. A total of 128 Multi programs can be stored in their own bank.
Virus operates in either Single, Multi or Multi-Single mode. The latter is ideal for setting up your sequencing environment. There, you can conveniently scroll through all 16 parts, selecting which Single program you want for each MIDI channel.
With its flexible edit parameters, library of patterns and funky swing options, the arpeggiator section sets it apart from the competition. As many as 16 highly versatile arpeggiators are available in Multi and Multi-Single modes, providing endless polyrhythmic possibilities — all of which can be synched to MIDI Clock.
The expanded effects section adds a 3-band EQ for use with each program or part, increasing the total number of simultaneous effects to a whopping 98. In addition to distortion, chorus and phaser, the legacy global reverb/delay unit lets you create high-quality reverb and rhythmic delay taps across all 16 parts in Multi mode.
Add to this recipe 24-bit internal processing throughout, six individual outputs with incredible-sounding 24-bit DACs, two high-quality 18-bit A/D inputs for processing external sources, flexible internal routing options and a 32-band vocoder, and you start to understand the sonic assault that the Virus C is capable of.
OSCILLATIONS
I have always liked the Virus oscillators. An oscillator is not typically a part of the synth that one becomes attached to, but Access found a cool way to incorporate and morph variable waveforms per oscillator into a fluid and conceptual pair of controls. Rather than provide dedicated, classic waveform-selection buttons (a la Nord Lead) and another dedicated knob for the 62 wave shapes, Access combines these efforts into a single Wave Shape pot with a unique twist, literally.
With the pot in the center position, you hear a pure sawtooth wave; turn the pot clockwise, and the tone becomes increasingly hollow-sounding until you achieve a pure pulse wave at the end of its travel. Turning the pot counterclockwise mixes the sawtooth overtones out of the signal, leaving only the root note, or sine wave. Rotating the Wave Select pot brings up any one of the unique wave shapes, producing timbres ranging from smooth organlike tones to grating digital pulse waves. Additional controls are available for adjusting the levels of the suboscillator, noise-generator and ring-modulator amounts.
The oscillator Sync mode produces wonderful screaming results with the kind of angry aggression rarely heard from modeling synths. Similarly, the five FM modes are capable of generating all sorts of pleasantries. When the Sync and FM modes are combined and the oscillators' pitches fiddled with, many tasty harmonics occur. Putting the third oscillator into action really fattens up a sound and creates tertiary harmonics, yet it requires considerable DSP power, drastically reducing Virus' polyphony by as many as eight notes.
The sonic characteristics of all raw oscillator material are top-drawer, with one small exception: The oscillators tended to become shrill in the very high range, introducing bits of aliasing rather than producing silky-smooth highs like those you'd get from a true analog oscillator. This, however, is often typical of today's virtual analog synths.
Unison mode can thicken up a Virus sound anywhere from doubling it to layering 16 voices. Most commonly, though, you'd choose Twin mode, which performs ample juicing duty. Detune amounts — as well as panorama spread — further enhance the sonic girth without munching polyphony.
WATCH YOUR FREQUENCY
The filter section often defines the character of a synth. In the case of the Virus, there are two multimode resonant filters (non-self-oscillating), each capable of lowpass, highpass, bandpass and band-reject/notch filtering. They can run in series with two poles each (12 dB per octave) for a total of four poles (24 dB per octave); as two independent poles (12 dB per octave) in parallel; or in 6-pole Serial mode, in which filters 1 and 2 add up for a skull-crunching 36dB-per-octave slope.
A saturation stage is placed between filters 1 and 2, which can add overtones to the filtered signal via analog and digital saturation/distortion curves, as well as other DSP effects, such as shaper, rectifier, bit-rate reduction and filter. The resonance, envelope amount and key-follow functions can be allocated to either filter or both simultaneously. Filter 2's cutoff is subordinate to that of filter 1, allowing you to generate filter offsets that remain in place when you adjust the cutoff for filter 1.
The bottom line? Virus filters absolutely rock! The lowpass filters are the fattest I've yet to hear in current synths (though I'm not trading in my Minimoog module anytime soon), and the bandpass filters are the most musical I've played in a long time.
The Virus filters are aggressive as hell — just plain nasty to the bone. I couldn't persuade the highpass filters into sounding quite as smooth and sexy as those on my Nord Lead 3, but I can't imagine the Nord pumping out the techno assault that the Virus is capable of, especially kickin' basses and plucky comps.
MOD SQUAD
The Virus C's expanded modulation matrix provides even wilder control combinations than those furnished by the hard-wired paths. A maximum of six sources can be assigned to modulate one or more destinations. Flexible mod-matrix assignments such as these offer the ability to assign external MIDI-controller equipment, foot controllers, aftertouch or internal Virus sound parameters (such as amp envelope) to virtually all sound parameters that feature an infinitely variable control range. Shorten the amp envelope in real time, and it simultaneously affects the delay feedback, filter cutoff and arpeggiator pattern. With 27 sources and more than 120 destinations, the possibilities are mind-boggling.
ARPEGGIATOR
The unit has six arpeggiation modes to choose from, including the standard Up, Down, Up/Down and Random, in addition to As Played and the ever-techno Chord Plays, which plays notes as repeated chords rather than arpeggios.
The arpeggiator has 40 patterns featuring note-velocity information to enhance the rhythmic feel of each pattern. It also has a one- to four-octave control range, supports positive and negative note lengths and incorporates flexible swing and clock parameters based on standard or exotic time signatures. I love accessing and modulating swing and note lengths in real time. You can't program your own patterns; however, the arpeggiator can sync to internal clock tempo or external MIDI Clock, and note data can be sent to an external sequencer for recording.
PUT TO WORK
The Virus sound is, in a word, amazing! It's not quite as rich as the genuine analog article, and it won't fool Matrix 12 or Prophet 5 aficionados, but that's not the point. The presets make you believe Virus is anything but itself, imitating both classic machines and sounds du-jour, which is a shame because Virus absolutely has its own identity. Never one to judge solely upon presets, I immediately began programming my own creations.
The process is inspirational. You couldn't create a bum Virus patch if your life depended on it. I'm a fan of meaty techno, house and trance sounds, and that's where the Virus excels. It's fully capable of sweet, delicate strings; lush pads; electroacoustic emulations; and FM-like electric pianos. But if you seek solid, floor-moving basses; liquid arpeggiated soundscapes; tension-filled comps; and pungent stabs, Virus delivers.
I was most impressed with how Virus C sounds sit so well in the “pocket” of a mix. I layered new tracks to an old finished mix, created new tracks for an ongoing project, and in both cases, every sound slid in without argument. The bass sounds, particularly, can bump up a mix several notches without destroying tonal balance. If you have a cluttered mix that's mid-heavy but lacking a signature line, just dial up a Virus lead or a detuned Euro strike, and you've got it.
There is a nice feel to the way the filters and the amp envelopes react to smooth real-time adjustments and quick LFO-induced internal modulations. Oh, those filters! If you think sculpting internal sounds is fun, just route some external audio through the synth engine and filters. I patched a stereo a cappella track I was working on for a remix and fed it through the key-follow lowpass filter, the amp envelope, an LFO modulation and finally through the effects section — vocal-carving bliss!
The effects will surely take the strain off your outboard rack. The global reverb/delay algorithms are great workhorses, and the funky groove delays create spicy polyrhythms that are automatically synched to MIDI Clock. Adjust your sequencer tempo, and Virus follows without losing step.
The new 3-band semiparametric EQ allows final sound-shaping in each of the 16 parts during mixdown. It features Low, Mid and Hi bands with independent frequency and gain controls, plus a Q setting for the mids. If you like oversaturation, the Analog Boost effect accurately mimics the typical bass response of analog synths. Subtle doses work wonders on just about any source — including external inputs.
The highly flexible and programmable 32-band vocoder is one of Virus' most complex sections. To get you started, ROM bank D includes numerous Vocoder presets, highlighting typical sci-fi and robotic effects with passable results. But you will have more fun by editing these presets. Dig in and get dirty!
There's an elaborate internal audio-routing system courtesy of two aux buses that appear as virtual inputs/outputs for each part in Multi mode, allowing for cool resynthesis and effects looping. Similarly, external signal sources can be assigned to the filter section pre-/post-envelope stage or directly to the effects section.
MIDI timing, throughput and synching to MIDI Clock are flawless on the Virus C. I never encountered MIDI underruns, nor did the unit ever choke over dense note data across multiple channels. The 5.0 operating system appears to be rock-solid and logically arranged.
DIAGNOSIS
Virus C is an amazingly well-revised machine with an updated user interface offering unprecedented ease of navigation, greatly reducing wild menu hunts. The sounds are killer, but the presets represent only the tip of the iceberg and may mislead prospective buyers during a store demo into thinking that Virus is only capable of techno. However, hip-hop, R&B and fusion artists should not discount this unit. You have to create your own sounds to really appreciate it. Virus begs to be tweaked, fondled and personalized. This unit has found a permanent home in my studio, and no antibiotic will eradicate this infection.
Product Summary
ACCESS
Virus C
$1,995
Pros: Awesome sound. Top-drawer dual multimode filters. Elaborate modulation matrix and LFO control. Great real-time controls. Versatile arpeggiator. Excellent effects. Stereo audio inputs. Highly inspiring.
Cons: Short delay times (approx. 0.5 seconds). Unprogrammable arpeggiator.
Overall Rating: 5
Contact (dist. by GSF Agency): tel. (310) 452-6216
e-mail gf@access-music.de • Web www.access-music.de
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