Connecting Virus TI2 Octatrack and Analog RYTM

Here it is.

This took me a very long time to get right. First let me start by saying this… the Virus is an attention whore. Make sure only the Virus is powered on and set it as follows.

MIDI
OT out to TI in
TI out to OT in
TI thru to AR in

Must be used in MULTI on the Virus TI

That being said. Here are the settings for the Virus.

FIRST. Roll back your OS and firmware something other then the current beta. Anything 5 or above.
MiDi page 1/3
Global chan 9
Soft thru OFF
Device ID Omni

MiDi page 2/3
Arp not send OFF
sync to external
MiDi volume enabled. MiDi volume is CC 7 on the TI
Output TI to input AB on OT and press MIXER to TURN DIR UP
RYTM On CD. And TURN DIR UP

Keyboard page 1/5
Local OFF
ONE CHANNEL

Audio clock AUTO
44.1

Now this is important.
The KNOB BEHAVIOR PAGE
set it to JUMP
Display time to 127
Target to INTERNAL + MIDI

Set RECEIVE DUMP to ENABLE

Set Trasmit MIDI dump type to controller data to enable but don’t hit STORE (yet)

On MiDi control page set page A to controller Data
Set page B to poly pressure

Exit the CONFIG menu, and power off.

Power back on and go back into MULTI mode and press shift edit. Turn all channels from 9 to 16 OFF. Turn 1 through 8 ON. Save the MULTI patch and Power the TI off.

Now… turn the OT on. Load a new set and project

MiDi controls as follows

CC direct connect ON

MiDi control menu should have no boxes checked and both values set to INT + EXT

MiDi sync menu check the following boxes
Trans send
Clock send
Receive chan checked and set to auto

Channels menu
Auto channel to 9
And all track channels to OFF

Go to the main track view and push the MIDI button.

Select MiDi track 1 and set chan to 1 click the knob so it’ll take or just press yes.

Do the same track 2… chan 3

3… chan 3. Etc.

Exit the menu do a save and power the OT off.

Power the TI back on and wait until you have your MULTI bank that you saved selected.

Power the OT on and go to the config menu of the Virus and hit store to transmit the controller data dump.

When this is complete. Enter back into your MULTI patch… save it. Turn off the OT. Then turn off the Virus. Now for the RYTM

Basically all you need checked is for the RYTM to receive clock and trans commands. But make sure you turn the auto chan and performance channels to OFF. Also make sure that anything that says anything about receiving anything from anywhere is off/ unchecked.

Turn the RYTM off.

Now here’s the key. The power on sequence begins with the first slave and then proceeds down the line. The master clock comes on last. So turn on the TI. Wait. Then turn on the RYTM… wait for all the kits to load. Turn on the OT.

Set your TI to MULTI part 9. Push MiDi track one on the OT. Select bank ZERO… click the knob. Select program 1… click the kno . You should hear notes when you play keys on the Virus. You should also see little dots appearing on the the OT screen indicating MiDi data is present. Turn a knob on the TI and you should also see dots on the OT indicating CC data is present. You should be good to go. No need to change from Part 9 on the Virus. Whatever track you’re in on the OT will control whatever parameters you ha e setup for your sounds 1-8.

You can set knob functions to control the TI by double tapping effects 1… then pressing FUNCTION and the knob you need to control. A dialog box will come up indicating that the OT is ready to learn the MiDi… so then turn whatever Knob on the Virus and it will automatically assign it.

You can now step record… assignCC controls… realtime record chords across multiple channels… the works.

What I have learned through this process…

MIDI sucks.
Slave priority power on is crucial. Power on whatever slave is first in the chain and go down the thru chain. Then turn the master on.

The problem is the config menu in the TI sets default page A data to SYSEX. The knob behavior and value scaling must match the OT. I think the TI was defaulted at 75. The OT is 0 to 127.

What you need to know is that you can only run 4 MiDi track per PART on the OT. So limit your patterns to using 4 MiDi tracks. Setup a neighbor machine as well because running the effects in the Virus seriously hogs.

EVERYTIME you make changes to the CONFIG menu on the TI… you must power the TI off and back on. You can make multiple changes at a time… but when you are done making changes… the unit must be powered off.

Also, it’s a good idea to go ahead and save your favorite sounds in your MULTI slots beforehand so you have a good idea where you are at when you want to change the bank and program through the Octatrack.

If you don’t hear audio. It’s because you did the power up sequence wrong. Or you didn’t follow this tutorial correctly. TI. Then RYTM. Then OT. Verify that the OT is recievin the TI data by observing the dots on the main playback page.

Good luck.

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I’m running my Ti2 in SEQ mode with my Octa. Works flawless for me (running up to 8 midi tracks at the same time)

Would you mind posting how you have it conntected and what OS you are using on you TI?

The method I discussed here allows control over any individual track you select without have to change to that track. It’s always on MULTI number 9 but depending on what you select on the Octatrack… 9 will control any of the multis.

Okey, i have my setup a bit different.

The Octa have the midi out to the Virus. Then midi through from the virus to my Analogue Solutions Europa Sequencer midi in, then midi out from the europa to my TR9090 drum synth. The Octa is setup to send transport, clock and program change.

The Virus is setup as SEQ (Press Multi and Single at the same time to enter SEQ mode) as i mentioned.
Pressing PART on the Virus will step to the different parts. Each part also have the corresponding midi channel assigned to it. For example, Part 2 is the same as midi channel 2 and so on…

So… on the Octa i then setup 8 midi channels (1-8) with a different sound for each part on the Virus.

This setup works really good for me, and i have no problems what so ever with either midi or the Virus. The Virus is running OS 5.1.6.0.5 (latest beta for osx).

Oh… one more thing. If you have an usb cable connected to the Virus. Rip the cable out and plug the hole! I have lots of wierd problems with mine when the usb cable is plugged into it.

I just plug and play?

Octatrack -> Rytm (A/B) and Virus TI (C/D)

How are you able to use the Octatracks MIDI Learn function to receive and map incoming CC from the Virus?

I just enter the cc’s manually.

What about “CC Direct Connect” on the OT?

Chart of virus cc’s

https://www.elektronauts.com/uploads/default/original/2X/1/117895063c813d7fb0f1af38104b662c278e9007.pdf

Thanks to Octatrack control of Access Virus Ti2 this post…

that’s a really detailed post. i’m sure it will be helpful to people. i’ve never had to do much to get OT and virus playing well and easy together, but I haven’t put RYTM in the mix. it warms my fat heart to know that this post will be here if I have problems when I finally hook it up. unless electricity disappears forever.

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