Best Ambient Synth Shootout #52: Access Virus A - Song 1

[@bobcatt2294]

The best I've seen on KZbin on the Access Virus A - for sure - thumbs up.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment :-)

[@bobcatt2294]

@@christianssonicspaces494 Allow me to further explain, why the best. Although your music here is ambient, it has a melody. Must music today lacks melody. Secondly, the composition and your choice of instruments - elevates all that it touches.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

@@bobcatt2294 Many thanks :-)

[@bobcatt2294]

I have the Korg Radias which is very tactile and 24 voice. Like the Access Virus, it was conceived from a culture seemingly lost in today's world. Unfortunately, Korg has never continued this bloodline. The Access Virus is another instrument I wish to acquire. However your music and choice of voicing makes me even more, desire this instrument. We must awaken to the fact that this composition would sound also great on other synths. Lets not get distracted within this 3-D matrix of the desire and marvel of bleeding technology, beautiful control panels with LFOs, the number of oscillators, built-in wave generators and so on. It is the composition and instrumentation which rules, never the reverse. Your work is a testimony to this.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice words about my music :-) I really appreciate this.

[@midiphy]

Great job, again! I had a Virus C tucked away for a few years, but this is very convincing to not sell it! :) I listened to this song in a loop last evening while working and it helps to concentrate, really very well done! Many greets, Peter

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your wonderful comment :-)

[@ProduccionesRender]

Sonido profundo, te eleva, te hace volar felicitaciones!!!

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Muchas gracias :-)

[@BarryWarne]

really nice music and programming here. Always a big fan of getting the most out of gear rather than just selling to get the latest. Virus sounds quite good in your capable hands!

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment :-)

[@Darthmanio21]

this is one of the most beautiful sounding access virus i have ever heard, thank you for sharing this!

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment :-)

[@bobcatt2294]

I am on the hunt for both the Access Virus and the E-MU Morpheus Z-Plane. Will update when these come in.

[@saren6538]

1 year and no update ?

[@bobcatt2294]

Here is the long awaited update. There are no synths which can replace these 2. This is because, synth engine building has lost its way. The quality of a tone is measured by the distortion of waves and not the what can be done by the manipulation of overtunes and texture. That which denotes quality in an analog or real instrument. The Morpheus Z-Plane eigine was built by an individual who worked for EM-U as an outside contractor who never picked up his check. EM-U was unable to duplicate his work. The Access builder relied upon a Motorola chip that was discontinued which meant the entire code base would have to be re-written. Summary: I will continue to look out for an Access A or B. The Z-Plane is much too difficult to edit/save patches.

[@voyager134]

Very peaceful song,thanks Christian's Sonic Spaces.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-)

[@yvess3010]

Really amazing, inspiring.I'm still learning my virus but when I looked at the price of the effects units you ran this through I almost fell over - it would cost me more than the virus itself haha

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-) Well, the Pigtronix delay I bought used for a very good price. The reverb from GFI wasn't that cheap but more than worth the money.

[@yvess3010]

@1234 abcd oh yeah... ever used an Eventide H8000? Think a vst can come close to that?

[@yvess3010]

@1234 abcd This is more of a question than a statement. I have a friend selling an H8000 for a BARGAIN and it did get me curious. Look at this example of it, the delays are like liquid.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWOzfndsqc-WiLM

[@yvess3010]

I'm more a VST guy, but I do like to play with hardware sometimes as it is inspirational and something about this H8000 makes me think I'll be tweaking it for years....

[@yvess3010]

​@1234 abcd When you say it sounds great, do you think it sounds better than most VST's? I dont know if my brain is tricking me when I listen.. but it does sound pretty awesome in certain areas.. very ''smooth''? It would be a substantial investment for me, but I could sell it again if it doesn't impress me. Have you used external reverbs and pedals?

[@matsewunderlich]

Beautiful track 😊 the effects are perfect balanced 🍀 the virus a is so good 👍

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-)

[@bobcatt2294]

You would need to add an out board effects processor for both the A and B.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

The Virus A has basic onboard effects that are quite ok. But to get the best out of it, one need external FX.

[@bobcatt2294]

@@christianssonicspaces494 Thank you for your assistance. Which model does the built-in effects become great? And secondly, can you save these parameters or patches?

[@christianssonicspaces494]

@Bobcatt22 I guess modern synths might have good built-in effects. The old gear I am mainly using, some fx are good, some not so good, but the built-in reverb I usually try to avoid except I want it sound authentic old-school. The effects parameter in the Virus A can be saved as part of a patch, which is a good thing.

[@bobcatt2294]

Hi Christian - thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am also thinking of acquiring the Waldorf Blofeld Desktop Synthesizer as the alternative to the Access Virus. To me, listing on KZbin, it has that same quality.

[@onesong2001]

Very nice. Rich sounds. Any idea what the going rate is for one of these?

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment:-) Oh, I don't know the rate as I already own one, sorry.

[@Synth2000]

Virus B vs Virus C. Your advice?

[@christianssonicspaces494]

I own my Virus A since it was released, so I don't know the later versions. Sorry.

[@Synth2000]

@@christianssonicspaces494 thanks Christian

[@MatPL32]

How i can get factory soundbank ?

[@jurgendevries1036]

Hey, i got a question. Can't seem to figure it out with the manual. My Virus A is in SINGLE mode, but when I turn the knobs nothing happens with the parameters. Does somebody know how I can fix this? Thanksss

[@christianssonicspaces494]

I only use the SINGLE/MULTI-mode by pressing both buttons. Then assign the channel, the bank and patch and all knobs are working fine. I suggest to use the Virus in this way. I guess there was a reason why I haven't used the SINGLE-mode the last 15 years.

[@mkstands]

Hi Christian Great job mate, just went out and got the A happy days

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment. Have fun with yours :-)

[@STRAIGHTP]

Great job on this piece. I sold my Access Virus many years ago. Nice to hear it again

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-)

[@Pixeldiver.]

Virus 4 free VST = DSP 56300 !

[@automaton111]

Are these stock preset sounds?

[@christianssonicspaces494]

I don't know, because I tweaked so many times the patches and saved it over. But a stock preset was surely the starting point

[@synthinacoustic3265]

Thanks for the vid! Gonna get one next week, so O Hope to make It sound like this one!

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment :-) I'm using der Virus A since it was released and I was always pleased with it.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks for your nice comment :-) I'm using der Virus A since it was released and I was always pleased with it.

[@bobcatt2294]

I am looking at the Virus B, would you trade your A for a B and why - on yes or no. I noticed that sound sets, thus modeling architecture are similar on the B, C, and T1 series.

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Honestly, since I bought the Virus A about 20 years ago, I haven't dig into the later versions.

[@harmonicres]

Ive owned both BUT the B or Classic has more poly and more effects and not that different sounding. The A is a tad muddier darker but in hindsight the B is the best of all the Virus line. Ive owned the C and the TI ver 1 not impressed by either of those. Sonically the early models A and B have much more character and thickness. I still own a B btw.

[@bobcatt2294]

@@harmonicres Thank you Cestlavie for your sharing this which is very important. The issue I have with the A, B and C is there is no list of presets - you have to move the encoder to the next preset. When there are hundreds of patches/presets, this can be a challenge.

[@Synth2000]

​@@harmonicres would you put C below B in terms of sound? From what I could listen from them, I think they sound VERY similar if not the exact same. Also, where does the Classic fit in all this? It is said to be the same as the B, but... is it really?

[@bobcatt2294]

@@Synth2000 Good question unfortunately left unanswered.

[@angelodomino]

Awesome!!

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-)

[@motor3100]

Amazing

[@christianssonicspaces494]

Many thanks :-)