Access Virus TI Snow

I played my last two gig with OT and Snow. Marvelous combo. One hour live with just two machines, it was so cool.
I don’t have computer, so integration isn’t a problem. I had a Virus C before and the lack of buttons on Snow isn’t a problem. I hardly program it and with habit I don’t see difference with Virus C (that have more tweak abilities) So now i’m looking for a second one in view to have more multi possibilities (4 is a bit shorty if you use big patches/consuming lot of engine capability).
The only problem with Snow is that massive use of cc seems to crash the beast. You must then reboot it. A pitty in live situation…

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Hi, I experiences the same problem with the combo DG and Virus TI Snow, I have to reboot it many time as it got frozen or with the wrong sound pattern. Getting me crazy…
I currently using the sequencer mode.
Does anyone find a way to get those two devices stabled together ?

wondering if the problem is coming from:

  • My Virus TI Snow
  • The Virus Ti Snow config
  • The DG config
  • Is it a problem with all Virus Ti Snow and Ti Desktop would have no problem with that ??

I’d be intrested to know if it happens with a newer version of the Virus.

Glad to hear your good experiences with this combo. I’m about to buy one these days and plan to use it with the Octatrack. OT has eight midi tracks so can you sequence all four parts on the Snow with it (not CPU heavy patches) and automate parameters via midi?

I suppose that if I can do it with with the Digitalt, it should be the same idea with the Octatrack.
After mapping by example the Cutoff(40) to Midi CC Value, I can use the Live-rec option in order to modulate as I want and get it reflect in the Virus Ti Snow sequencing.

By the way, as I am very curious to know more about the problem we have with elenacortes, I opened a new entry regarding Digitakt and Virus TI: Digitakt And Virus Ti in DawLess setup... stable?

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If you use “light programed” patches on Virus and resonable cc the Snow works perfectly. It’s a pleasure to have little footprint when playing live and big sound on the stage.
Futhermore, the Snow is really easy to avoid problems in live thanks to the few buttons to be tweaked. A good prog of the three assignable knobs and the matrix permit a good and enough playability in live.
So I really like this combo.
You know, OT in its self is enough to break the ground, so if you join to it the Virus’ power, you can’t meet deception.
But if you want heavy cc prog and heavy patches, you will easily meet the limits. That’s why I thought about a second one…
But it would be a bit overkill… since my last work on this combo, I understand well the fact to use few but good sounds programed. I often find myself using just one Virus sound (max 2) and only 3 audio tracks on the OT. Less sounds, but more defined.

What ever, i’m curious to read answers to Psyraw’s new thread.

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Great! Actually I have just ordered a used Snow and I’m looking much forward to use it in my music. I did own a TI2 Desktop once but was foolish to sell it. I’m going to use it together with the Digitone so I don’t really need a lot of complex patches. I have gotten use to the Digitone having only 8 voices which actually works surprisingly well.
So my recommendation is to get a Digitone instead of a second Snow. It is an amazing synth!

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I have a dt and a snow. I have used the snow for 10 years with the TI vst software but when i hooked it up with a MIDI cable to the DT i got some excellent and different reasults. I found my self using it in ways i never imagines staring at a VST interface, and using plocks to automate crossmod and wavetable possition was insain. Its a little menue divey but you realise its not rocket sugery after a short while. I stopped caring about the TI vst after a bit and now that the snow is away from my DT im getting more vanilla type sounds from it. Its a great combo and definately sample fodder as well.

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I guess I should have listened to the more critical comments about the Virus snow here too. I bought a second hand snow and it is really buggy or rather faulty. After a few minutes it freezes, again and again. And now this guy won’t pay me back my money. I have told him I’ll report him so I hope he agrees to pay me back.
The virus TI2’s are getting old now so I don’t think it’s a good idea to buy them.

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Few suggestions from IT crowd :wink:

  1. Try to factory reset (don’t know procedure but maybe/surely in the manual)
  2. Try the Virus without sending cc, increased step by step the sending of cc till you reach the falling point
  3. Test the cc sending with basic patch (maybe the patches you test already brings the Snow to the edge of his abilities.

I played my last gigs with it and everything works perfectly cause I learn to use it it moderate prog and cc.

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I think you may have been unlucky and the Snow you purchased is probably faulty.

I have used my very old Snow sequenced by OT and various other hardware sequencers (Korg, Yamaha, Roland) without problems.

When I sequence my Snow via hardware I always use multi mode.

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Hi , I’m looking into getting one of these, couple of quick questions for anyone who has one, how easy is it to use standalone (I don’t use a computer) and also I am aware it has 4 parts, is it possible to set up a part using the synth engine and a separate part to process audio from the inputs and have both mixed at output, thanks

If you are working with presets a lot and just want to access a few parameters like Filter Frequency you can work with the Snow. My advise is to get a Virus TI Desktop, the first version is not a lot more expensive than the Snow but gives you full control over everything without the software.

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Yes you can, and if you want you can use one of the 4 parts as an input even, and apply filter, fx etc to the input if you wish…(delays and reverbs are good)…

Same as Phelios just beat me to it…

It’s definitely possible to get arround without vst but the VST lays it out in an eloquent way. Once you know the architecture you can find your way arround without the screen…but I would say you will be fumbling in the dark for a while…

Look it’s not much harder than a Blofeld and that has no real VST, you just have to learn. But I would say the snow is the virus you have when you cant afford the full version, and is designed to use the software for the interactive experience…you can definately do without it but it will be menu divey…

I have had fun not connected to the pc but I do know my way arround the architecture…not helping much I know…but I would get one if I could they are fueled with cool sounds aplenty…but if you can get the full desktop do that instead.

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Cheers for the reply’s guys, never really thought about a virus before but listened to some demos and some of the sounds I’m hearing are amazing

Not the funnest synth to program standalone even when familiar with where everything is. The only missing parameters in standalone are arp custom settings. Otherwise you can dive super deep without a computer and it sounds wonderful.

This flow chart may come in handy if you end up getting one.
http://www.vo1t.com/Euro/Illustrated/AccessVirusSnowFlowchart.pdf

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Oddly enough I actually prefer the Snow to it’s larger siblings. I just think that the best way to program a Virus is from within the software editor, mainly because it has so many parameters and the desktop version does not have a dedicated control for every parameter.

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Perfectly right !
I use Snow for a long time now, in studio and for live. The form factor made this synth very usefull out of studio. Perfect companion for OT in a travel bag.
Thanks for chart, never saw it.

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Does anyone know the actual power consumption of a TI snow (not it’s power rating)?
I would be interested to see if it could be USB powered from a 5V step up adapter.