Finally got around to pulling some patches for you all. It’s only a few but I thought it would be fun for people to keep adding to it and sharing.
1 Like
I have found the plug in version of this if anyone wants it, pm me.
Sorry for the plug but I had to film and share this lovely patch on the Virus TI2. May have recorded slightly too hot (still learning this YouTube business) but there’s nothing that can touch the gooey, dreamy sound of the Virus in my opinion.
13 Likes
So I came across a good deal on a TI2 Dark Star and decided to grab it and see what all the fuss is about.
ahem…
holy shit. the myth is real. this synth is otherworldly. This thing is massive and rude and subtle and mellifluous and cacophonous, all in equal and useful measure.
Also, the key bed is one of the best i’ve ever tried on a synth. It really accentuates the joy of the playing it.
I’m not going to try and refute arguments that it’s outdated or has shit UI. We, as synth lovers, are large and contain multitudes. We can like different things without shitting on other things. I mean, fuck, I’ve messed with a lot of gear, but this thing…jesus. now i know.
21 Likes
That’s the most beautiful review of the Virus I’ve ever read. 
Welcome to the club.
2 Likes
Now if only I could figure out how to use it to key trigger other synths via an Octatrack. I can’t seem to find any channel settings other than Global.
Use Sequencer mode by pressing the Single/Multi Buttons on the right of the display together, this gives a straightforward 1-16 channel mode. You can send program/bank changes from the OT as well as volume & pan CCs so the OT will always recall without touching anything on the Virus itself. It’s one of its best features imo, not having to with deal & manage multis is a blessing.
EDIT: oh & I should mention the part buttons then allow you to select which if the 16 parts you the UI is currently editing. Top right of the display.
4 Likes
I did not know this, thank you! The Virus just gets more and more powerful in my eyes.
3 Likes
The OT and Virus are gifts that keep giving. After having them for years there’s still things to explore and new discoveries to be made. 
3 Likes
Also you can reassign the channels in Multi mode to layer two parts on the same channel.
3 Likes
If you do use multi-mode, the 1st 16 multi slots store complete copies of synth presets whilst the rest of them store references to presets (meaning any change to the original preset will reflect in the multi)
2 Likes
Sorry if i’m dim, but how do you assign channels to each of the parts? I want to reference (at least 8 of) those channels in the Octatrack, so that I can sequence them from the Octatrack.
Also, for some reason, when I press the ‘B’ key on the Virus, it activates the sequencer on the OT. What’s up with that?
Is there a way to turn this off?
EDIT:
Looks like you go to MIDI/CONTROL and change AUDIO NOTE IN to OFF (rather than the default: standard).
Thanks for the clue that led me here, @Kpucski!
1 Like
I’m getting closer to sequencing a Multi-Part patch on the Virus with the OT. I just have one more hurdle: When I trigger the Virus from the OT sequencer, everything works. I have 8 parts spread over 8 MIDI channels. However, when I trigger notes from the Virus itself (I have a Dark Star), it is for some reason triggering more than one part at the same time. I think it’s triggering EVERY part when I press a key on the virus(?). Any ideas why this could be happening?
I understand the functionality of this in terms of building layers and triggering them all at once. But is it possible to trigger parts individually on the Virus keyboard? That’s not impossible, right?
EDIT: Good news! With everyone’s help here I finally got things working the way I’d like them to work. I am now sequencing 8 different parts of the Virus from 8 different MIDI channels on the Octatrack. [Side note: it’s like having 8 synthesizers in one!!] I guess the solution to playing one part at a time is to turning control off on all the parts that you don’t want to play while you’re in multi-mode. It’s not that inconvenient, but it seems like there should be a better way for people who are using multi-mode to sequence parts separately rather then layer parts. If any of you know of one, please let me know.
I still haven’t gone back and tried to use the keyboard on the Dark Star to control other synths. I’m wondering if this is possible even with all my MIDI slots on the OT used up? The channel issue is still there i’m afraid. But tonight I have 8 tracks of Virus goodness. I’ll consider that a victory.
3 Likes
In Sequencer mode the channels are mapped part 1 -> Midi Channel 1, Part 2 -> Midi Channel 2 etc… there is no configuration options at all for this mode which is the point of it. multi mode allows complex setups for layering & splitting, but the downside is you have to manage multi-presets.
What you are experiencing is the Keys playing the internal sounds & sending midi. You have to switch ‘LOCAL’ to OFF and then it will not play the synth but just send midi to the track you are on as long as the global midi channel is sent to the midi channel on the OT that auto channel is sent to. That way the Virus then splits into a Midi Controller & a sound module. I think the Virus keys resets to local ON every time it powers & so you will have to do it each time you switch it on.
4 Likes
Hi, I’m having accuracy problems with MIDI, my Virus TI2 Darkstar (latest firmware) is controlled by my Digitakt (latest firmware) via tracks 9 to 16.
When I send sixteenth notes at 120 BPM in multimode the timing is not stable. I don’t have the problem with my other synths which play perfectly in time.
Do you know a way to fix this problem?
I also have this problem when sequencing the TI2 over MIDI. It’s been talked about on other forums as well.
It seems to be related to CPU load (as in, it affects more complex patches or multis more than simple ones).
Unfortunately I’ve not been able to figure out a solution to it so I’ve resorted to just using my TI2 as a sample source only 
Yeah, I found the timing to be very unstable on my TI (when I had one). If I remember correctly, Access went as far as recommending inserting an extra bar before running sequences (which doesn’t really work for loop oriented music with program changes). I’m sure there are workarounds but am also pretty sure there isn’t a straightforward “fix.”
The Virus sounds so good though, workarounds are likely worth pursuing
If you are running into CPU issues, turning off reverb on the parts may help.
1 Like