Virus TI User Manual

Copyright 2004-2006 Kemper Digital GmbH. All rights reserved. This manual, as well as the software and hardware described in it, is furnished under license and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of such license. The content of this manual is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice and should not construed as a commitment by Kemper Digital GmbH. Kemper Digital GmbH assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this book. Except as permitted by such license, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Kemper Digital GmbH. Virus is a trademark of Kemper Digital GmbH. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. All features and specifications subject to change without notice. For the latest revision of this manual, visit our website: www.access-music.de

Table Of Contents

Introduction
WELCOME THE VARIOUS CHAPTERS SAFETY PRECAUTIONS MAINTENANCE THE REAR PANEL ROTATING THE SOCKETS SETTING UP SWITCHING ON AND OFF SELECTING PROGRAMS ABOUT THE MENUS DIFFERENT WAYS OF WORKING ABOUT USB CONNECTION CREATING NEW SOUNDS ABOUT POLYPHONY 17 17

First Steps

CHEESE FOR STARTERS? THE AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE SECTION THE FILTERS SECTION THE FILTER ENVELOPE SECTION THE OSCILLATORS SECTION THE MIX SECTION THE MODULATORS SECTION THE MATRIX SECTION THE ARP SECTION THE EFFECTS SECTION THE MASTER SECTION HYPERSAW AND WAVETABLE 44 47

VirusControl

INTRODUCTION 50
COMPATIBILITY STARTING UP LOADING VIRUSCONTROL EASY PAGE BROWSER PAGE OSC PAGE FILTER PAGE LFO PAGE MATRIX PAGE ARP PAGE FX PAGE COMMON PAGE REMOTE PAGE GENERAL HINTS AND TIPS
LFO 1 LFO 2 LFO 3 LFO 1 DESTINATIONS LFO 2 DESTINATIONS LFO 3 DESTINATION EFFECTS (UPPER ROW) DELAY REVERB LOW EQ MID EQ HIGH EQ EFFECTS (LOWER ROW) DISTORTION ANALOG BOOST CHORUS PHASER VOCODER VOCODER TABLE INPUT FOLLOWER INPUT RING MODULATOR OSCILLATORS OSCILLATOR 1 CLASSIC OSCILLATOR 1 HYPERSAW OSCILLATOR 1 WAVETABLE OSCILLATOR 2 CLASSIC OSCILLATOR 2 HYPERSAW OSCILLATOR 2 WAVETABLE OSCILLATOR 3
Sound Parameters Reference
ARP ARPEGGIATOR MATRIX SLOT MODULATORS 81
COMMON SUB OSCILLATOR NOISE RING MODULATOR MASTER COMMON UNISON VELOCITY MAP INPUTS SURROUND CATEGORIES SOFT KNOB STORE STORE MIX FILTERS SATURATION FILTER-1 FILTER-2 COMMON FILTER ENVELOPE AMP ENVELOPE FILTER ENVELOPE AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE

148 149

Configuration Reference
RANDOM PG MIDI MIDI DUMP RX MIDI DUMP TX KEYBOARD MIDI CONTROL INPUTS AUDIO CLOCK SOFT KNOB (GLOBAL SETTINGS) KNOB BEHAVIOUR GLOBAL TUNING SYSTEM 160 161

Multi Mode Reference

PATCH 166
Appendix A - Legal Declarations
COMPLIANCE DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY WARRANTY REGULATIONS 175

Appendix B - Glossary

GLOSSARY 178

Appendix - Patch Names

ROM-A 192
INDEX OF FUNCTIONS ETC. 210

1: Introduction

Welcome
Dear Virus owner Congratulations on choosing the new Virus TI, the latest generation in a deliberate process of evolution that has kept the Virus name at the forefront of synthesizer technology for many years. TI stands for Total Integration, meaning that the hardware can be fully integrated into a PC or Mac-based studio via the VirusControl plug-in (VSTi or Apple Audio Unit). Before switching your Virus TI on, please read this chapter thoroughly!
> Sound Parameters Reference: The main body of this manual. Every parameter concerning sound generation and treatment is listed here, with brief explanations and crossreferences. > Configuration Reference: All global settings parameters used to adapt the Virus to suit your way of working. > Multi Mode Reference: A list of the Multi Mode parameters, with brief explanations. > VirusControl: Introduction to the VirusControl application. > Appendices: Legal matters, charts, diagrams, glossary. > Index: Where to look when you are not sure where to look!

The Various Chapters

This manual is structured as follows: > Introduction: What you are reading now. Fundamental information you should know before trying out your Virus. > First Steps: A practical guide for beginners, intermediates and experts alike. The best starting point before delving into the reference chapters.

Setting Up

The following steps include several important precautions. In addition to the simple setup described here, the Virus TI can be connected in a variety of ways to suit virtually any audio environment. Please do not plug the Virus into the mains power yet. First of all, temporarily switch off any devices you will eventually be connecting your Virus to, and turn all main volume controls (mixer, amplifier) down to minimum. If your Virus is a desktop version, connect the MIDI OUT from a keyboard or sequencer to the MIDI IN socket on the Virus.
Connect both the OUTPUT 1 sockets (standard mono jacks) to two line inputs on your stereo amplifier or audio mixer. Make sure to only use qualified amplifiers. Check back with your local Access dealer for further details. When using two separate mixer channels, pan them to the extreme left and right respectively. If you prefer to use headphones, use the HEADPHONES socket on the rear panel. Connect your Virus to the mains power. Press both TRANSPOSE buttons at the same time to wake up the Virus. Switch the rest of your equipment on in the following order: the MIDI send device (keyboard or sequencer etc.), then the mixer and finally the amplifier. Set up the MIDI send device (keyboard or sequencer) so that it sends on MIDI channel 1 (for now). Turn up the MASTER VOLUME on your Virus to maximum and, while playing some notes, adjust the volume controls on your mixer/amplifier to a reasonable listening level. If you are using a mixer, you might find some useful advice on setting optimum levels in the mixers own documentation.

Selecting Programs

Your Virus TI has 20 banks of memory (RAM-A to RAM-D, ROM-A to ROM-P), each containing 128 SINGLE programs numbered from 0 to 127. A total of 2560 sounds. To try out some sounds, make sure you are in SINGLE mode and that no menu is open you might have to press the SINGLE button (in the Master section to the right of the display) first. There are three basic methods of selection:

Sequentially

The most obvious way to select programs is by stepping through them using the BANK and PROGRAM buttons to the right of the display. When any menu is open, these buttons are used for PARAMETERS and VALUE instead see About the Menus below. To scroll automatically, hold one of them down for a while. A quick method of reaching any program within the current Bank: Hold down SHIFT and turn the VALUE 3 knob.

Switching On and Off

Virus TI models do not have a physical on/off switch. To put the unit into standby mode, press and hold both TRANSPOSE buttons until the countdown reaches zero. Press the same buttons to wake up the Virus again.

All these envelope times (Attack, Decay and Release), as well as what appears to be a gradient (Sustain Slope), are actually rates. This technicality can be safely ignored in practice.

The Filters Section

In comparison with Dr.What?, the few sounds you have been asked to create so far have been primitive and harsh. In subtractive synthesizers such as the Virus, the tonal quality of the oscillators can be radically altered by sending them through filters. There are two main filters in your Virus, but before learning how to access them individually, lets start by experimenting with the three parameters you will find on any subtractive synthesizer: CUTOFF, RESONANCE and ENV AMOUNT (as it is called in the Virus):

CUTOFF

Restore ROM-A127. Vary the CUTOFF while playing notes on your keyboard. At low values, even medium frequencies are filtered out the sound is very mellow. As you turn CUTOFF up, higher frequencies are allowed to pass through the filters, until the sound becomes brightest at maximum CUTOFF. This is typical of lowpass (LP) filters, one of the four basic types available in the Virus. You have actually been using two lowpass filters in series here in ROM-A127 they have been configured to appear as just one double-strength filter we will come to the responsible parameter (Routing) shortly.

RESONANCE

RESONANCE emphasizes any frequencies close to the cutoff position. Play a note and sweep CUTOFF as you did just now, then turn up RESONANCE and try again. At higher RESONANCE values, the cutoff frequency becomes quite dominant. You should be able to hear individual harmonics being picked out if you turn CUTOFF slowly enough. If you like, go back to program ROM-A 26 and try a lot more RESONANCE.

ENV AMOUNT

Controls how much the filter envelope affects cutoff like automating the CUTOFF knob with each and every note you play. Here's how to make a very simple analogue bass sound: Restore ROM-A127 and turn CUTOFF down to minimum. Play individual notes while adjusting ENV AMOUNT until you hear a satisfying plunk (somewhere around 70), then take the RESONANCE up a little. Locate the TRANSPOSE buttons to the left of the display, and change the setting to -1 or -2. Play your favourite funky bass riff The FILTER ENVELOPE section has the same structure as the AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE, so you should already know how to use these knobs effectively to modify your bass sound. Dont forget to try SUSTAIN SLOPE (SHIFT + SUSTAIN). You should try adjusting ENV AMOUNT and RESONANCE again filter parameters are highly interactive!

About Saturation

The term Filter Saturation was originally coined to describe the effect caused by pushing the input of a filter beyond its natural limits. Jan Hammers work on Birds of Fire (Mahavishnu Orchestra) is a classic example but, depending on your age and/or musical tastes, you might be more familiar with the searing techno bass lines and various other distorted synthesizer sounds used in more recent music.

27 FIRST STEPS

In the signal flow, the saturation stage comes immediately after Filter 1. Therefore if you have added a lot of overtones, you can still filter them out using filter 2 (assuming the routing is serial see above). Access have kept the term Saturation, but greatly expanded on the idea several different Saturation types can be selected (via SHIFT + OSC VOLUME). Here are a few experiments to get you started: Hold down the SHIFT button and turn the OSC VOLUME knob to see the various SATURATION TYPEs. Select one of the more drastic types e.g. Digital, release the SHIFT button and experiment with OSC VOLUME (i.e. without using SHIFT). You might like to filter the results now! Now lets try out some of the other saturation types. Turn the SHAPE knob down to minimum and try out the Wave Shaper and Rectifier types in turn. Again, you should experiment with OSC VOLUME because this parameter affects the tone. The Bit Reducer, Rate Reducer and Rate+Follow types can be used to emulate the tonal characteristics of early digital synthesizers and samplers. You may not like these at first, but they can certainly add grit to a sound.
Finally, you should try out the four additional saturation types (which are actually additional filters). High+Follow is especially useful for thinning out a sound without using filter 1 for this purpose.
The Filter Envelope Section
This obviously has the same structure as the amplifier envelope. Using your knowledge from previous experiments, use all the filter knobs and buttons (plus the Routing parameter in the filter EDIT menu) to make a new sound from scratch. If you feel the need to save your work at any point, bookmark this page and read the information about Store on page 136.

The Oscillators Section

This is where the raw sound is generated. There are three main oscillators but only one set of knobs in the top row, so we'll start with a very important button the one that selects which particular oscillator you want those knobs to control.

SELECT

Restore ROM-A127 and take a look at the row of LEDs above the SELECT button. OSC1 is currently active, so whatever you do with the top row of knobs will only affect oscillator 1. There is actually an exception to this rule (DETUNE 2/3), but we'll get to that in due course.

top three status LEDs for LFO1 are now lit up because you have now defined some modulation for each of these destinations. Press the LFO1 SELECT button yet again. The value of Assign Target (VALUE 1 knob) is one of many possible destinations that are also available in the MATRIX section.

The Matrix Section

This is where you can route just about any control source to almost any parameter you like modulation wheel to vibrato, velocity to panorama, filter envelope to phaser frequency, a random offset to delay time etc. The MATRIX is a playground for anyone who wants to go beyond what the Virus already has to offer in terms of realtime control. Six sources can be routed to three different destinations each, making a total of eighteen connections. Lets make a simple old-style monophonic lead sound: Restore ROM-A126. Turn CUTOFF down to 64, take ENV AMOUNT up to 75 and set DETUNE 2/3 to 64 for a bit more thickness than before. To make the program monophonic with a typical legato portamento, press EDIT in the OSCILLATORS section twice (!) and locate the first Common page (via the PARAMETERS buttons). Change Key Mode to Mono 4, navigate to the next page and set Portamento to 32. Play your keyboard and listen what youve managed so far. Now to the MATRIX. In ROM-A126, the uppermost LED should already be lit meaning Slot 1 has already been used for something in this program. Press the SELECT button in the MATRIX section to open Slot 1 and see what it is. The modulation source
has been set to Mod Wheel and the destination is LFO3 Assign Amt i.e. the wheel will control the amount of whatever LFO3 has been assigned to. Try out the left-hand controls on your keyboard. Pushing the mod wheel (or stick) away from you adds vibrato to the entire sound because LFO3 has been set to modulate the pitch of all oscillators press the LFO3 SELECT button (in the MODULATORS section) twice in succession to check this. Go back into the MATRIX by pressing its SELECT button. Press the righthand DESTINATIONS button, change the amount to +5 and the destination to LFO3 Rate using the VALUE knobs. Remember that you can nudge values using the VALUE buttons! Exit the menu and play your keyboard, making use of its mod wheel (stick, ribbon or whatever). Vibrato will now get slightly faster as it deepens. If your keyboard also features channel pressure (i.e. aftertouch), you could try this: Press SELECT twice in succession to open Slot 2, set the source to Chan Pressure, the first amount to +32 and its destination to Filter1 Cutoff. Exit the menu again and play your keyboard again try pressing harder on the keys this time.

The Arp Section

Arpeggiators are so much fun that I will leave you to experiment on your own the following is just to help you get started: Go to program ROM-A 7 BellBoy BC, take amplifier RELEASE down to 42 and press the ARP ON button. Hold down a note, tap several more notes at random with your other hand, then release the first one. All notes are played back in a regular rhythm, from the lowest upwards. Of course you can change this behaviour: Press EDIT in the ARP section, locate the first page, change the Mode to As Played, change Octaves to 2 and Pattern to 4. If all those preset patterns are not enough, you can program your own using the VirusControl software (see VirusControl on page 145).

What is Total Integration?
Total Integration describes the way in which the Virus TI can sync with your computer far more deeply than has previously been possible with hardware synthesizers, thus enabling it to function within a software host as comfortably as any native VST instrument or Audio Unit.
the Virus TI all happen outside of the host computer, your computers CPU is free to do other things, whilst you get to enjoy what all good synthesists love best, which is twiddling with our knobs.

VIRUSCONTROL

Compatibility
VirusControl requires either a Windows or Macintosh computer with a USB 1.1 interface, and a host application which supports the VST 2.0 protocol or Apple Audio Units. Whilst we are working hard to maintain compatibility with as many sequencer hosts as possible, we currently recommend the following hosts for full compatibility: Mac OS X: Apple Logic 7.2 or higher Steinberg Cubase SL/SX3.1 or higher Ableton Live 5.2 or higher Windows XP Steinberg Cubase SL/SX3.1 or higher Ableton Live 5.2 or higher Fruity Loops Studio 5 or higher
For the latest news on compatibility, check our website at http://www.access-music.de/?go=compato

Starting Up

Before you can use VirusControl, it must be installed to your computers harddrive along with the ASIO/Core Audio and MIDI drivers. Please run the Virus TI Software installer which can be found on the CD supplied with your TI alternatively, visit the following website and download the latest version. http://www.access-music.de/?go=support
Found New Hardware Wizard It is likely that you will also encounter the Found New Hardware Wizard a couple of times please click Cancel whenever these appear, as the Virus Installer will take care of everything by itself. If the installer appears to hang for a while during the installation process, please check to see if there are any alert messages hidden underneath the currently displayed window. Once the driver installation is complete, you will be presented with the Virus TI Firmware Installer. Please run this to ensure that the OS in your Virus TI is up-to-date. Please ensure a stable power supply whilst installing the firmware, and dont go touching any knobs, no matter how tempted you may be, until the installation is completed!! It always makes good sense to perform a system reset after updating the firmware to do this, simply power off the Virus by pressing both of the Transpose keys, and press ARP EDIT. In the unlikely event that the installation process fails, you will need to put the Virus into Update Mode before running the firmware installer again. To do this, remove the power cable and hold down the EXIT button whilst you reconnect it.

Part Status

No matter which page you are on, the left side of the VirusControl will always display the status of each of the Virus TIs 16 parts. The text of the part currently selected for editing is displayed in red.

Page Tabs

Across the top of the VirusControl interface you will see a row of tabs, labelled Easy, Browser, Osc etc. Click on these to switch between the available pages. To the right of this row, there is a switch labelled Patch and Utility. Patch displays all the pages containing parameters which affect only the currently selected part - select Utility to access the Remote page.

Adjusting Parameters

Click+Hold on any knob, slider or parameter value, and drag the mouse to adjust. To achieve a finer resolution, hold the Shift key while you adjust the parameter. When adjusting knobs, try moving the mouse away from the knob, and following a wider arc. To set a parameter to its default value, hold the Ctrl key (Mac users hold the Cmd key) whilst clicking on it.

55 VIRUSCONTROL

Most pages contain certain parameters can be adjusted by clicking the graphical representations of the parameter and dragging them with the mouse. For example: both resonance and cutoff can be controlled simultaneously by dragging the little square in the middle of the Cutoff knob for that filter; the oscillator waveforms can be adjusted by grabbing the picture of the waveform and moving the mouse in fact, nearly every page of the VirusControl offers the user an opportunity to manipulate the parameters of the Virus in a more intuitive and fun way than just turning another knob. Alternatively, you may wish to use the knobs and buttons on the hardware itself - youll be glad to know that any change you make on the hardware will be reflected in the Virus Control simultaneously.
If you wish to send CC data to your host instead of automation data, then you can use the Virus Default template in Remote Mode (see REMOTE page). Automating Volume and Panorama can be somewhat special. Some hosts, such as Apple Logic for instance, do assign Ctrl #7 and Ctrl #10 to the channel strip controls and therefore filter those data. In order to automate Volume and Panorama with those hosts, you need to choose the appropriate entries within the list of automatable parameters instead.

Input Select

> Off: The Input follower is not used. The other parameters in this page will not be visible. > Left, L+R , Right: Signal source for the envelope follower.

Sensitivity

> 0% to 100%: Accessible from the panel via the filter SUSTAIN knob. Controls the sensitivity of the envelope follower to its input signal (note that this parameter does not directly affect signal level). The standard value is 50%. Modulation destination Filter Env Sustain.

Input Ring Modulator

To enter this page, press EDIT (in the lower EFFECTS section) until the LED flashes, and navigate with the PARAMETERS buttons. The source specified by the Input Select parameter (see Input Select on page 134) can be ring-modulated with the oscillator signal:
> Off, 1 to 63, Ringmod, 65 to 126, Input: Off means no input ring modulation, other values determine the balance between the two signals: 1 is mostly the untreated oscillator signal, Ringmod is the ring-modulated signal only, and Input is the input signal only.

OSCILLATORS

The Virus has a total of five internal sound-generation sources: Three main oscillators, a sub-oscillator and a noise generator. The levels of these sources can be adjusted using the knobs in the MIX section (see MIX on page 137). To enter the Common, Sub Oscillator, Noise and Ring Modulator pages of the OSCILLATORS section, press EDIT once or twice until its own LED flashes. The Virus TI offers three fundamentally different oscillator modes: Classic (as in previous Virus models), HyperSaw (up to 9 layered, detunable Saw waves) and WaveTable (smoothly interpolated, additive waves).
About HyperSaw and Sub Oscillators
Similarly, HyperSaw oscillators also have their own integrated sub oscillators multiple square waves tuned an octave below the main oscillator. To differentiate these from the Classic sub oscillator, they are called HyperSub. The SUB OSC VOLUME control in the MIX section cross-fades between the main HyperSaw oscillator and its HyperSub.

About HyperSaw and Sync

Unlike Classic oscillators where oscillator 2 can be synchronized to oscillator 1, HyperSaws are always synchronized to their own inaudible master oscillator. In HyperSaw mode, the FM AMOUNT knob controls a frequency offset parameter instead, controlling how much higher the pitch of the oscillator is than its master. To differentiate this function from standard oscillator synchronization, it is called HyperSync. Note that oscillator 1 allows HyperSync to be defeated via the SYNC button.

H-Sync Offset Balance

Accessible from the panel via the OSC BALANCE knob in the MIX section. Accessible from the panel via the FM AMOUNT knob. If HyperSync (see above) is set to Off, this parameter will not be available. > 0 to 127: The frequency offset of any HyperSaw (both oscillator 1 or 2) with respect to its own internal master oscillator. Modulation destination FM/HyperSync.
113 SOUND PARAMETERS REFERENCE

Oscillator 1 WaveTable

Accessible from the panel via the SEMITONE knob.
Accessible from the panel via SHIFT + oscillator SHAPE knob. > Classic, HyperSaw, WaveTable: Selects the basic type of oscillator. > -48 to +48 semitones: The nominal pitch of oscillator 1. Modulation destination Osc1 Pitch.

Key Follow Index

Accessible from the panel via the SHAPE knob. > 0 to 127: Selects the nominal position within the WaveTable. Modulation destination Wavetable 1 Index or Osc1 Shape (these are equivalent). > -64 to +31, Norm, +33 to +63: How much the pitch of oscillator 1 follows the keyboard (i.e. MIDI note number). Press both VALUE buttons at the same time for normal tuning (Norm).
Accessible from the panel via the OSC BALANCE knob in the MIX section.
> Sine. Violator: Selects one of many wavetables.
As in oscillator 1 see Wave Select or Pulse Width on page 111. Modulation destination Osc2 Wave Select or Osc2 Pulse Width.

Oscillator 2 Classic

Semitone Mode
Accessible from the panel via SHIFT + oscillator SHAPE. > Classic, HyperSaw, WaveTable: Selects the basic type of oscillator. As in oscillator 1 see Semitone on page 111. Modulation destination Osc2 Pitch.
As in oscillator 1 see Key Follow on page 112.
As in oscillator 1 see Shape on page 111. Modulation destination Osc2 Shape.
Mirrors the Balance parameter in the oscillator 1 page see Balance on page 112.
> In L, In L+R, In R: One or both of the Audio inputs (see rear panel).
Accessible from the panel via FM AMOUNT. > 0 to 127: The intensity of frequency modulation. Modulation destination FM/HyperSync.

Detune

Accessible from the panel via the DETUNE 2/3 knob when oscillator 1 or 2 is selected. > 0 to 127: Fine-tunes oscillator 2 upwards. Modulation destination Osc2 Detune.

FM Mode

Specifies the source of FM modulation: > Pos Triangle: Unipolar triangle wave from oscillator 1. > Triangle: Bipolar triangle wave from oscillator 1. > Wave: The selected wave from oscillator 1 (see Wave Select or Pulse Width on page 111). > Noise: The Noise signal.

MIDI Dump RX

Receive Dump
The Virus automatically recognizes the type of data appearing at its MIDI input. Whenever individual programs are received, they will appear in the Edit Buffer (see glossary), and must be explicitly stored (see STORE on page 125). Therefore, the following options only apply when receiving entire banks: > Disable: Program data arriving at the MIDI input will be ignored.

MIDI Dump TX

Transmit MIDI Dump
Transmits various types of system exclusive data to an external device e.g. a computer or another Virus. > Single Buffer: The contents of the single Edit buffer i.e. the current Single program (or Part without the Multi settings). This function is also available in the STORE menu for easy access see the Patch No option under STORE on page 136. > Single Bank A: All 128 programs in Bank A. > Single Bank B: All 128 programs in Bank B. > Single Bank C: All 128 programs in Bank C. > Single Bank D: All 128 programs in Bank D. > Controller Dump: A Single program, but in the form of a succession of individual parameter changes. These can take the form of MIDI CCs, Polypressure or Sysex, depending on the value of two other parameters (see MIDI Control on page 157). The Controller Dump setting is mainly used for updating the data in parameter-based editors (e.g. a Logic environment) and can be relatively slow. > Arrangement: All 16 sounds in the current Multi buffer or Sequencer mode buffer plus the additional multi settings. > Multi Bank: All Multi programs.
> Remote Patches: All Remote Templates.

Keyboard

Note: The Keyboard pages are only available in keyboard versions of the Virus.
> Off: Keyboard data (notes, modulation wheel, pitch bend etc.) is sent only to MIDI OUT, not to the internal sound generation. > On: Standard setting. The keyboard is directly connected to the internal sound generation as well as to MIDI out.
This parameter can be set in Single mode, but it only applies to MULTI mode. See Multi Mode Reference on page 165.

Quality (Q) Term describing the slope of a filter band (usually in an equalizer). Often misused as a synonym for Resonance.
Quaver Classical term for the length of a note equal to half of a Crotchet.
Sample and Hold (S+H) A clocked processor which takes a regular sample of input levels and holds this until the next clock (so the output is stepped). Sample and Hold is a random source in the Virus LFOs because its input is always noise. Sample and Glide (S+G) Sample and Hold, but smoothed. Saturation Usually: The smooth distortion caused by overloading a filter input or magnetic tape. Semiquaver Note length: Half a Quaver, one quarter of a Crotchet. Semitone
Rate Speed. Rectifier, Rectification Type of signal processing where one half (either upper or lower) of a signal is inverted (see Full wave rectification on page 181) or zeroed (half wave rectification). The Virus offers full wave rectification. Resonance Boosting of frequencies close to the cutoff point in a filter (originally via Feedback). This term derives from the distinctive frequency formants caused by physical attributes of acoustic instruments e.g. a piano or acoustic guitar. Ring Modulator (Ringmod) Synthesizer module which multiplies two signals, often creating bell-like tones.
Pitch interval equal to one twelvth of an Octave. The keys on a keyboard are a semitone apart.
Serial (in series) Routing term. The signal is sent to one module (e.g. a filter), which in turn sends its output to another module (e.g. another filter). See also Parallel. Slave Module with reduced functionality (following parameters set by another module). In the Virus, oscillator 3 is partly a slave of oscillator 2. Slot In the Virus: individual modulation matrix routing module. Sound engine That part of a synthesizer responsible for generating sound. Source See Modulator. Square wave Special form of Pulse wave in which the Pulse Width is exactly 50%. Subtractive synthesis
Often called Analogue Synthesis. The method of creating sounds by removing (subtracting) frequencies from relatively complex waveforms. See also Additive synthesis. Sync Synchronization. In oscillator sync, one oscillator resets the phase of another (usually whenever it crosses zero in the positive direction). Sync Phase See Sync above. An Assign Target for LFO3 in the Virus, this is the phase angle to which oscillator 2 is reset. System Exclusive (Sysex) Device-specific MIDI data used for transferring patches, editing parameters via computer etc.

126 YamahFB1MS 127 Zapper MS
Patches by Manuel Schleis (MS), www.vengeance-sound.com
000 3-Dumm HS 008 BadCntaxHS 016 Cyber2 HS 024 Droned HS 032 FlagshipHS 040 Gliss2 HS 048 Jester HS 056 LostLeadHS 064 Nanites HS 072 Phazzah HS 080 ProWeed HS 088 Rigby2 HS 096 SleigherHS 104 StarFallHS 112 TinyBee HS 120 VCSwolf HS 001 60sSciFiHS 009 Baryon HS 017 D50-50 HS 025 DuckDivrHS 033 Flam&Co HS 041 Goudam HS 049 Knock-B HS 057 Mandoid HS 065 Needles HS 073 Phloid HS 081 Pstyro3 HS 089 Riptide HS 097 SlipShotHS 105 Sugar1 HS 113 Torque HS 121 Vlhurgs HS 002 68-CreakHS 010 Bombers HS 018 D=CM+1 HS 026 Dworg HS 034 FlatHat HS 042 Handsaw HS 050 Kofi-B HS 058 MaxiMin HS 003 Aah-Vln HS 011 Brash HS 019 DaBirds HS 027 DX-File HS 035 Floooot HS 043 HardOne HS 051 Kordeon HS 059 McCloud HS 004 Acidica HS 012 Cadmium HS 005 AnlogBD HS 013 Clox HS 006 AnyMusicHS 014 CutBrassHS 022 Dis-Go HS 030 EP+Faze HS 038 GlasBirdHS 046 ImpOsc03HS 054 Latinum HS 062 Movmnt2 HS 070 PanDora HS 078 PourDry HS 086 Qricket HS 094 Skrape HS 102 Stabber HS 110 Tack HS 007 AutobahnHS 015 CuttaD6 HS 023 Doyoyng HS 031 FilmTrpsHS 039 GlasGlisHS 047 IonFlux HS 055 Lobster HS 063 MowGrassHS 071 Phase 2 HS 079 ProFit HS 087 RezBass HS 095 SlaplandHS 103 StarBeesHS 111 TankYou HS 119 UnstableHS 127 YouWish HS
020 DayDreamHS 021 DinoArp HS 028 Elohim HS 036 FlyingT HS 044 HillAgesHS 052 LA Lore HS 060 McNasty HS 068 OffTopicHS 076 Pluto HS 084 PyroFlowHS 092 SirNevilHS 100 Species HS 108 SunChildHS 116 TrebleB HS 124 WetspaceHS 029 EmPyre HS 037 Funk-U HS 045 ImpOsc02HS 053 Latex 2 HS 061 MoonriseHS 069 Old Brs HS 077 Polytix HS 085 Q+Fatty HS 093 Sitar2 HS 101 Squink HS 109 Synthar HS 117 Trombic HS
066 NewStrumHS 067 Nocoder HS 074 Pickles HS 082 PurrBassHS 090 ScrapyrdHS 098 Snakeye HS 106 Sugar2 HS 114 TownshipHS 122 Warbell HS 075 PlecBassHS 083 PutzFrauHS 091 SeaThreeHS 099 SpaceP2 HS 107 Sugar5 HS 115 Trancit HS 123 Wendy+ HS

118 Trumps HS

125 WndChimeHS 126 X-Mover HS
Patches by Howard Scarr (HS)
000 S-1973 @ 008 AnlogFeel@ 016 Bore@lis 024 BsTaurean@ 032 DelayLama@ 040 DoubleSyn@ 048 EP Res @ 056 GertLead @ 064 Laura @ 001 x(o-o)x @ 009 AprilPad@ 017 BPF+2P! @ 025 BsWaveSel@ 033 Dgtalrido@ 041 Dragons @ 049 EP3DogNyt@ 057 Gruvalimb@ 065 LayerHold@ 073 M@ Olympus 081 MPianoHi @ 089 p-g Chime@ S@ws 010 AtariCr@sh 018 BrassKlav@ 026 BukRogers@ 034 DigiBel1 @ 003 Aeternal @ 011 BeautySyn@ 019 Bs2Pole! @ 004 An@gry 012 Before @ 020 BsBuster @ 005 Anaklav1 @ 013 BellLead @ 021 BsKonKilr@ 006 Anaklav2 @ 014 BlackHole@ 022 BsNoog @ 030 Dancer @ 038 Dimril @ 007 Anaklav3 @ 015 BladeRun @ 023 BsSpiral @ 031 Deinos @ 039 DlayVerb!@
027 CanHappen@ 028 CommonTon@ 029 CrstlCave@ 035 DigiBel2 @ 036 DigiBel3 @ 037 DigiBel4 @
042 DrownedP@d 043 DrummerG8@ 044 Dryadae @ 050 Fanfare @ 058 Halo Pad @ 066 Ld-OB 82 @ 074 M@inTheBox 082 MPianoLo@ 090 p-g Poly @ 051 FeedBkSyn@ 059 Hammono @ 067 Ld4Quincy@ 075 m@stock 083 NextOrbit@ 091 PatiencPd@ 099 PVC Drum @ 107 SpAcEvOx @ 115 StViolint@ 123 Vampyr @ 052 Flangepad@ 060 Harmoshn2@ 068 LeedSneed@ 076 Majman @ 084 Nocoder @ 092 PerfectP@d 100 Quintesnc@ 108 Spiritu @ 116 Terraform@ 124 Venusian @

045 DubChrdsM@ 046 DWBelComp@ 047 ELP-ulse @ 053 Foogpad2P@ 061 Heroes @ 069 LFantSqid@ 077 MalletStk@ 085 Noog 4P @ 093 Phobos @ 101 Quivery @ 109 Spitter @ 117 TouchGate@ 125 Warper @ 054 Gently 1 @ 062 Hi*Lo Seq@ 070 LFOverkil@ 078 Melodica @ 055 Gently 2 @ 063 Industron@ 071 LikeSkin @ 079 MixChime @
072 LunarArp @ 080 Monterey @ 088 OrganDigi@ 096 PowerPluk@ 104 Shredder @ 112 Stratpad @ 120 TXStack86@
086 NumanesqM@ 087 OrchBrass@ 094 PizzaKato@ 102 ReedPad @ 110 Splatter @ 118 TremThing@ 126 Wind4p @ 095 PoleNoise@ 103 RingDrone@ 111 StpSeqMe!@ 119 TrippyPad@ 127 Wired @
097 PPG Comp @ 098 ProlesLog@ 105 SineLang @ 113 StringSyn@ 121 Upwards @ 106 SnareG@te 114 StViolate@ 122 V-Organ @
Patches by Matt Picone (M@)
000 AcidArp M 008 Bhurly M 016 DieSoon M 024 Explora M 032 Gachet M 040 Hesher M 048 Iodine M 056 LastFix M 064 Manga M 001 AcidRain M 009 CashCrop M 017 DigDoug M 025 FarOut M 033 Gamera M 041 Hideout M 049 Jaco M 002 Anemone M 010 Chimp M 003 ArdeKey M 011 Clockers M 019 DubTest M 027 Felcher M 035 GasHuffa M 043 Hoth M 004 Atlantis M 005 BadBrain M 006 Beaker M 014 Dayz M 007 Beano 015 Diana M M 012 ComeDown M 013 Cunted M 020 DuckFeet M 028 FogHat M 036 Gateman M 044 HotKarl M 052 Junkie M 060 Loner M 021 Dumbo M
018 DoubleD M 026 Fatass! M 034 Ganja M
022 Eastside M 030 Forever M 038 GoFigure M 046 Icarus M 054 Kuster M 062 Majesty M 070 Monument M 078 NextKin M 086 Pulsine M 094 Rezonard M 102 Skylab M 110 Tasm1 M
023 Elevator M 031 Furley M 039 GrapeApe M 047 Industry M 055 Lando M
029 Fonkah M 037 Ghoulie M 045 Hydra M
042 Horror2 jh 050 Jahmekya M 058 LiquidSkyM 066 Mercury M 074 Move M
051 JizzMop M 059 Lisbon M 067 MethLab M 075 Napalm M 083 Phantom M 091 RedAlert M 099 SheMale M 107 Spaz M

053 KoolFM M 061 Lycra M

057 Lezzie M 065 Mentor M 073 Mothra M 081 Payback M 089 Rasberry M 097 Sandman M 105 SpaceVan M 113 TechKey1 M 121 Vindaloo M
063 Malfunk M 071 Moonie M 079 NO2Head M 087 Python M 095 Roaches M 103 Slayer M 111 Tasm2 M
068 Midnite M 076 Nebula M 084 PopTart M 092 Reminise M 100 Simplex M 108 Sqash M
069 Monkfish M 077 NewYork M 085 PorkPie M 093 Resin M
072 Mosquito M 080 PadThai M 088 Quazar M 096 Rodan M
082 Petrol M 090 RatSync M 098 Seagull M 106 Sparta M 114 TechKey2 M 122 Visitor M
101 SkiMask M 109 StarDust M 117 Undertoe M 125 Wormzer M
104 Socrates M 112 Tasm3 M

Virus TI Desktop

WhiteOut Limited Edition

Limited Desktop WhiteOut

Endangered Species
The Virus TI Desktop WhiteOut is limited to a hundred units worldwide and goes on sale on 1st of December 2009. The special edition features a laser engraved bottom plate showing the serial number. All technical specifications, the color scheme aside, are identical to the Virus TI2 Desktop.
Contact: Kemper Digital GmbH Recklinghausen, Germany +24 +29 Kemper Digital GmbH Office of the Americas, Denver, USA +248-3864 +519-1424 www.virus.info info@kemper-digital.com

Specifications

Oscillators Three main oscillators and one sub oscillator per voice. A main oscillator can comprise of various oscillator types including the classic virtual analog oscillators (saw,variable pulse, sine, triangle, 62 spectral waves with several FM modes) and hypersaw (a multi saw-tooth oscillator with up to 9 stacked oscillators, 9 sub oscillators and sync oscillator at the same time). Wavetable oscillators with 100 multi-index wavetables, feature variable resolution and optional pulse-width mo-dulation. Graintable oscillators apply granular synthesis techniques for independent control of pitch and formants to warp a waveform beyond recognition. Formant oscillators sound like running a signal through a massive, modulatable filterbank with hundreds of resonant bands being morphed by the wavetable index. Filters Two fully independent filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop) with an optional saturation module located in between both filter blocks. The saturation module can add one of several distortions and lo-fi effects or an additional low/-high-pass filter. Optional self-resonating Moog cascade filter simulation with circuit overload and 1-4 poles. Modulation Two-dimensional modulation matrix with six slots (1 source and 3 modulation targets each). Every feasible parameter can be modulated in realtime. Three LFOs with additional hardwired destinations along with one user-definable slot. Two lightning-fast, multi-stage envelopes (ADSTR) - LFOs can be used as ramp generators as well. Effects The FX section has independent delay and reverb per patch (even in multi mode), along with multiple distortion/lo-fi algorithms, phaser, chorus/flanger, character control, ring modulator/shifter, EQ plus a global vocoder. There is no difference be-tween single and multi modes - patches sound exactly the same. Arpeggiator Each patch contains its own arpeggiator pattern feat. 32 programmable steps (length and velocity can be adjusted per step) along with a global control for swing/shuffle timing and one for note lengths. Pretty much every parameter including the pattern itself, the amount of octaves and many more can be controlled using the modulation matrix. I/O 6 balanced outputs (@ +4dB), backed by 192 Khz/24bit D/A converters, with soft-limiting. Two inputs with 24-bit A/D. Dedicated headphone out. MIDI in, out, and thru. S/PDIF digital audio (44.1/48 kHz) inputs & outputs. USB is used for MIDI and audio transmission (adding 3 additional stereo audio outputs) and works at 12Mb/s. Enclosure Sleek charcoal-gray finish, Red and white LEDs, white display, wood rail on front. I/O panel can be rotated for convenient rack-mounting. Surround sound output Every part can be panned dynamically between two stereo outputs for quadraphonic effects. Hardware controls 32 knobs, 43 buttons, 73 LEDs and Pitch/-Modulation wheel if applicable. Polyphony Between 25 to 110 voices, depending on the complexity of the patch. Estimates are based on single mode performance results may vary in multi mode. Multi Mode Multi programs can have fully-independent embedded singles, without the links to single banks required by most synths. This provides freedom from breaking other programs. Memory 1024 RAM and 3328 ROM sounds, 16 em-bedded multi patches along with 112 conventional multi slots, 16 parts in multi mode. Remote Templates Turn the Virus into a MIDI remote, the sound engine will still work independently. 32 user programmable templates to reassign most panel knobs controlling control third party plug-ins and MIDI synthesizers. Smooth parameter changes Adaptive control-smoothing provides parameter changes with no zippering artifacts. With knob quantize, a clock ratio is selected and parameter changes are updated at specified intervals only. The result is sample-and-hold parameter movements, evocative of step sequencer sounds. Atomizer The unique DJ style audio slicer turns the Virus TI into an powerful realtime FX for DJ applications. Total Integration Total Integration is our proprietary technology, which seamlessly links any Virus TI model and a computer to create a unified system consisting of a powerful hardware synth and a virtual instrument plug-in, which not only controls the Virus TI but also receives audio from it, in order to allow post-processing right inside your computer. This way you get the best of both worlds: Your Virus TI will calculate all the voices and effects and therefore makes the CPU of your computer available for other tasks. Since it is driven by the Virus Control plug-in, the timing (unlike normal MIDI and USB-MIDI timing) will be sample-accurate, and all sound data will be saved within the song or project. Virus Control also offers sophisticated editing capabilities, along with an easy-to-use librarian page to keep track of all your Virus TI patches. The Virus TIs analogue input and outputs can double as an audio interface, the MIDI sockets can double as a MIDI interface. Virus Control is an VST/AU/RTAS compatible plug-in. Total Integration is certified for the following hosts: Apple Logic 8, Steinberg Cubase 4, Ableton Live 7, Digi-design Pro Tools 8, Cakewalk Sonar 7, ImageLine FL Studio 8. Additional information and specifications can be found on www.virus.info 2010 Kemper Digital GmbH. All Rights Reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.