I had a TI2 for a very short stint, got it from Sweetwater, and decided that my drunk decision was ultimately financially unsustainable and was able to return it.
Even without official support, I will definately grab another when financially viable
Edit/expansion:
I think it’s just one of those instruments, if you want that sound, it’s the only way to go, obvi you can go in the box, but as far as hardware is concerned, it’s the one
Do you think it would be the same on T1 or the 25% really makes a difference?
It is unclear if the 25% comes from the newer DSPs or improved scheduler - which applies to both models. I had a TI2 keyboard that I much later traded for a TI1 desktop and usually run into MIDI bandwidth issues before the DSPs become a problem. I have zero regrets trading “down” to the TI1.
Also, while the keybed is very nice, I find it more convenient to control it from my OT or Keystep 37. So I prefer the desktop overall.
I love mine and it takes a hella lot of modular to even come close to what my Virus TI2 can do and several Elektron boxes. The only weak points are lack of software integration with new Mac OS and no sequencer but the arp is fantastic and lot of options.
Darkstar (already sounds so badass) is a top favourite of mine so it is always relevant.
As far as I know, same Motorola DSP, just overclocked in TI2.
I’m really enjoying learning my Polar. My first serious poly was a Polybrute that I picked up during the pandemic, and it was perfect preparation for sound design on this beast. Lots of good tips and discussion on here!
Almost certainly not the case. No one in their right mind ships a product overclocked. If the TI2 is overclocked, that would be reason enough to prefer the TI1, running within the DSP’s design limits, and thus less likely to fail.
Thanks for the reply. Regarding these MIDI bandwidth issues, in general, what threshold do they have? I know it’s not easily quantifiable, but I plan to use the Virus as the only synth in my setup, so the plan is to have at least 2 or 3 heavily modulated mono parts and one for pads. Is €850 for a TI Desktop in line with second-hand prices, or would it be better to wait for a better deal? I also found a TI Snow for €450, which is tempting to save money, but all those hands-on controls are making me lean towards the TI Desktop.
From the DSP56300 project which emulate the TI and TI2 dsp:
Source:
MIDI bitrate is 31,250 bits per second, which is the same upper limit for any device that uses ordinary MIDI over DIN or TRS. On the Virus you can probably get around this by using MIDI over USB.
Note that this also impacts timing and your ability to layer notes. Since MIDI is a single serial stream, two notes played at the same time will be slightly offset.
A MIDI Note On message is three bytes (7 bit, but I’m assuming they are padded out to 8 bits) so you can play 1302 notes per second, or one note every 0.07ms. This is without taking into consideration internal latency. (Note that if you do the math with 7-bit bytes you end up with a number favored by edgy online racists, so please don’t post that number here)
There are discussions in this thread or elsewhere on Elektronauts about Virus timing with examples, so look those up for some real world data.
Keep in mind that this is a fundamental problem with the early ‘80s MIDI protocol, not the Virus. Any MIDI synth that doesn’t have a turbo protocol or run over USB will have similar issues.
2-3 modulated parts and a pad should be fine as long as your composition doesn’t rely on precisely lined up 64th notes, and even then it may not be noticeable.
In that case, I couldn’t be more pleased to own a TI1, and would strongly advise anyone against buying a TI2 if longevity is important to them.
Some write that the DSP in TI2 is not overclocked. Others say the opposite, that the DSP in TI2 is overclocked. I had many TI2s and they all glitched! My opinion is that TI2 is definitely overclocked and has no advantages over TI1 (I have TI1 now). My TI1 does not glitch even on USB, even if I switch presets really quickly and in 5 years I have never encountered any problems with glitches with my TI1. And I sold all 5 TI2s that I had for the same reason, they were nothing but problems.
I have midi timing issues on my TI 2. It’s not bandwidth or dsp related, it can be reproduced with a single simple patch.
Could be user error somehow, but I also happen to have a Virus B, and dropping it in in the same spot is rock solid.
It’s definitely a cool synth and I use mine! But midi stays completely unconnected in my setup. 
Consider an older Virus as well, if you haven’t, is my suggestion 
In TI2 the company probably overclocked everything. I had problems with MIDI and with TI2. There are no problems with TI1 at all. You can consider my words as a joke, but there is a large share of truth in them. Since TI2 is the most glitchy device. And TI1 works for me like an atomic clock, the difference in stability is colossal.
Interesting! I’ve never heard that before. But I’d be interested in trying a TI 1 someday then. Although I’ve been thinking maybe a C is the sweet spot for me. The B is awesome but there’s a pretty big difference in features between the B and TI.
As far as I understand the TI v1 uses 1 DSP for odd channels and the other for even and so you can manually try to balance the load. The extra power from the v2 is down to improved pathways/way of being able to use DSPs as a single process. Same chips, same clock speed. This is what I’ve gathered over the decades, and I’m nit an expert so take it with that in mind.
I’ve never owned a v2, but load balancing odd/even on v1 is something I’ve always paid half a mind to since I initially read it probably on the official forum.
I don’t know at all why people often prefer the previous versions of viruses with the letters B and C. I don’t see any sense in them at all, since in TI (any version) everything is at its maximum and these are the latest synthesizers of the Access company with the greatest capabilities. If someone says that B and C sound better, then I can reassure such people that in TI1 there is a super DAC and after it 1 operational amplifier NE5532. And besides, there is also a digital output SPDIF. And I replaced this operational amplifier with the best of the best and now the difference between the analog output and the digital input is 0% (my entire setup, including monitors and the audio interface, I also modified, of course). Ok, if this is not taken into account, what is the strength of B and C, I still do not understand.
Let me return to the ability to record sound from TI1. 1. Line output. USB Audio, 3 SPDIF, and through the SPDIF to ADAT converter, you can record sounds via an optical cable. Therefore, for me, TI is the best in all respects. I compared it with current VST emulators using the same presets. Many presets in VST emulators sound far different from those on Virus TI. Sometimes I hear a coincidence in some presets, but rarely. Considering the prices of used hardware synthesizers, even today TI is not bad. I tactilely like TI1 more than plugins.
This is starting to become a bit of an obsession. I started out with the DSP56300 emulation, then bought a TI Polar, then got a second computer to run DSP56300 on Linux to treat it as a standalone synth. Sequencing with the Octratrack, sound out to Ableton on my Mac.
That solution cost about 200 € for a used PC plus a new keyboard and mouse. I had an old spare monitor and a soundcard, Avid MBox Mini, that doesn’t work with silicon Macs but is perfect with Linux Ubuntu on Intel i5. Connecting everything was a breeze in Ubuntu Studio, and I’m a TOTAL noob on Linux. Had not even used a Linux computer before a week ago.
In a not so distant future the emulation will officially run on Zynthian (public developer thread here: Access Virus TI aarch64 Linux plugin released, by the DSP56300 emulation community - #62 by highsiderr - Software - Zynthian Discourse), which means you can bring it to gigs in your coat pocket.
I’ve also bought the excellent Mystery Island editor for the TI hardware that brings back USB streaming of separate channels on Mac, and great patch collections from Ultimate X.
There’s something about this synth. It’s not just that it’s so versatile, far beyond the trance and 00’s german EBM it was so associated with back then, I just can’t get enough of how it sounds.
Already eyeing more used PC’s and MBoxes. 
You can also just run (multiple) OsTIrus VST on your Mac, right?