Access Virus TI, User Manual

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Introduction
The aim of this section is to help you get the most out of the
VirusControl plugin – the hub of Access’ Total Integration con-
cept. For detailed information on the functionality of all the var-
ious parameters within VirusControl, please refer to the Virus TI
User Manual.
By means of a single USB connection, the TI not only handles
communication of all the MIDI data, but also up to 4 stereo
audio streams (2 x stereo for the Virus itself, plus 2 x stereo for
the soundcard functionality). External audio signals can be
processed via the balanced analog inputs or S/PDIF I/O, or
routed directly to your sequencer host. The studio-grade audio
convertors even allow the Virus TI to be used as your compu-
ter’s soundcard, meaning your sequencer can send its master
output signal to the outputs of the Virus, and the external MIDI
ports can be used as a MIDI interface for controlling external
hardware.
What is ‘Total Integration’?
‘Total Integration’ describes the way in which the Virus TI can
sync with your computer far more deeply than has previously
been possible with hardware synthesizers, thus enabling it to
function within a software host as comfortably as any native
VST instrument or Audio Unit.
What is VirusControl?
VirusControl is a VSTi or AudioUnit plug-in which runs in your
sequencer host, and is effectively a software representation of
your Virus TI. Audio and MIDI data from all 16 parts of the Virus
are streamed directly into your sequencer, making the TI feel
just like a native plug-in. The myriad sound-editing parameters
available in the Virus are presented in convenient pages, and
the extensive librarian functionality allows you to manage not
only the patches on your harddrive, but also in the TI itself.
Why use VirusControl?
Over the last several years, increasing numbers of musicians
have been turning to so-called ‘softsynths’ or ‘virtual instru-
ments’, largely due to a number of perceived benefits that they
offer over their hardware counterparts, for example: sample-
accurate playback and automation of parameters, total recall
of patch data and virtually limitless storage space for patch
libraries.
The main downsides to softsynths have always been the lack
of a dedicated, tangible control-surface and not least the
heavy load some of these instruments can place on the host
CPU.
This is where the combination of the Virus TI synthesizer and
the VirusControl plug-in comes into it’s own – since the heavy-
duty calculations required to produce the incredible sounds of