Nope. Main outputs work no problem.
Here you go. Big Sur driver.
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How does the Snow feels? Is it too much of a pain to program?
Personally I prefer the Snow to the other Virus TIs. I like the small form factor and the fact that it is only 4 part multi-timbral as this makes the TI GUI less crowded.
It is possible to program sounds from the hardware but I much prefer doing it on the computer because I think the Virus GUI is one of the best out there. Also you can get a lot of mileage by creative assignments to the soft knobs so when you play your sounds a lot of variation is possible using the 3 knobs under the display.
I always use the same 3 CC values for the soft knobs so that no matter which sound I choose I know what values to set for a sequencer to modulate the soft knobs.
I do program Multis via the hardware and think that it is reasonably easy.
I wouldn’t be using the software, could you give some more details on how it is to program sounds from the front panel? Sound on Sound’s review make it feel quite easy…
(Thanks btw)
Well you can select either easy or expert edit mode, expert mode allows you to access more parameter pages.
You can also select navigation by parameter or by page which affects how the parameter left/right buttons operate (select the next parameter or the next page of parameters).
The display shows 3 parameters at a time and the value of each parameter can be adjusted by the knob beneath the display or by the plus/minus buttons.
The 8 upper level buttons to the right of the display directly select specific synth sections e.g. oscillator, filter envelopes etc.
The 8 lower level buttons include the parameter and plus/minus value buttons mentioned above, multi editing, system settings (config) saving (store) and sound audition.
The display is easily read and the knobs are very precise but I definitely recommend that you at least look at the TI software as it is a very good librarian/editor…
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I use a TI1 hardware only most of the time so I’ll tell you some of the stuff I love about it. It’s an excellent and flexible architecture and a well chosen array of knobs to manipulate it. Some things are a bit buried in menus but it’s stuff you don’t need that often. There are plenty of SHIFT functions for the knobs which are written below them (bit hard to see in low light on v1 but you soon learn what they are). The knobs are a good size and fast to work with. The dedicated FM knob is great when jamming and messing around etc… it can also function as Sync. You can use the single cycle waves as LFO shapes which is a great feature to break away from the standards. I wish all synths did that.
I mostly start with an init preset, there’s no init button unfortunately but it’s easy enough to save your own templates. You can use control to do it, but there are probably some blank banks on the machine at the back end that are full of init presets.
The only downside is you can’t make user defined ARPs on the hardware, each preset has the ability to store one, but there’s the standard modes and a whole load of room preset ARP patterns too.
The best feature for me is the effects which are simply amazing, and best of all, they are per channel so you can use a dedicated channel to use as an effects unit via the line inputs. I use it as a send sometimes from my desk.
The few times I do use the plug-in these days, I still use the hardware to make presets, I know it inside out now. It also has a simple multi mode as an alternative to the usual multi presets which is great for external sequencers if you can set your programs changes, vols & pans from there. If you do want to use multis instead the first 16 store full copies of the presets they contain which is handy, although it’s a real shame they don’t all do that! But these days I just tend to stick to the simple mode.
I have a few synths and the Virus is a favourite, it’s seriously fun to just switch on and mess with using a keystep sequence. I’m not convinced there is anything that can replace it still, the Waldorf kyra is probably the closest but I don’t see much gain personally, although I’d still like to own one.
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I have a TI2 keys and a Snow. Even knowing where everything is within the Snow, it can be tedious and frustrating at times. It has the same glorious Virus sound though.
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Good summary and I feel pretty much the same about everything you said.
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I bought a Virus C and loved it so much I jumped on a KB when I found a good deal on one. I still love my A4mk2 though. They compliment each other nicely.
The only reason I bought an MPC Live instead of an octatrack was to fully control all 16 timbres of each virus from a single hardware sequencer/sampler. Not that I ever use all 32 parts between the 2 Viruses combined, but for performances, having the MPC have patterns for 16 parts on the Virus C (AND/OR KB) is super handy for long live sessions (or “sets”).
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Interestingly I remember the music store lent me a snow while I waited for my Polar. I actually thought the analogue outs on the snow sounded hotter than my Polar when it finally arrived.
I jumped to a TI precisely for this reason… I’m not an ITB guy (except for recording and mixing, which I wished I did more consistently) so designing sounds with the plug-in is not something I enjoyed. Being such an in-depth synth, the amount of menu-diving and page-scrolling is a bit overwhelming imho - yeah, you can kinda get used to it… but it felt super vibe-killing for me.
I do love the Snow’s form-factor though… TI is not as big as it looks, although heavy AF.
But a lot more fun to program in my short experience with it.
I still have my Snow, which I thought I was going to sell super easily and was not the case… unfortunately I live in Argentina, otherwise I would’ve posted around here already 
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I really liked the Snow for it’s portability too - fit nicely behind an OT with a bit of space left over.
But you’re right, the Ti isn’t all that much bigger and the advantage of significantly more knobs/switches far outweighs that (and the weight!)
For people that owned the Ti for longer: Is there a possibility that the keys in time get a bit more loose?
I am asking because I am comparing the Ti1 kbd to Ti2 kbd and I feel the keys on the Ti2 are a tad stiffer… will they get a bit more loose in time or not… ? that is what I am wondering…
I have a TI keyboard since 2008, and not a single sign of loose keys.
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U misunderstood me. I just don t know if ti1 keys are just more relaxed, easier to play because have been kind of wore off, or just the ti2 keys are stiffer.
Hi me, it’s you from the future. A friend lent you a TI for a while
Such a great synth, Theres a lot of pros, just a big synth. Dual filters, all the modulation and envelopes you would want, heaps of oscillator options, all the voices. The onboard FX are better than acceptable, having a 3 band eq is super nice really.
Although there are menus I dont find particularly menu dive-y. I’d say elektrons have more menu stuff. Most things you want knobs for have knobs, plus the three configurable knobs at the bottom.
Shame it has become abandoned, you cant even get midi over usb as of os x catalina. There’s a 3rd party driver for usb midi but lol @ that. I probably wouldn’t pay full price for a new one, but its still a very flexible synth.
I would love to understand what it is that makes it sounds the way it does. It kinda has that hiss/noise/ripping sound as you sweep the filter, which I havent really heard anywhere else.
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100%
I paid full price for it, and I tell you why: There is nothing comparable out there. That sound, that flexibility, multitimbral, great fx… I have tried way to many synths, before I finally got one. Sure, USB Midi would be nice, but as you mentioned, there is a project out there doing that. I also can live with DIN Midi. There are no bugs in the machine I have found yet, it is fully functional. So why not buy it, it is neither broken nor will it stop working in the near future?!
All I would like to be changed is the display. You cannot read it from an angle, would love to put it into my rack, but it is completely unreadable in that position.
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Yeah for the record, I paid full price for one back in the day!
I just think nowadays, unless you need one asap, you could find one 2nd hand for a fair bit cheaper. Also just a lot more options in general than 12 years ago or whenever it is I had one. But definitely agree there’s nothing quite like it.
reply 420 edit: 
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