VIRUS powercore at NAMM 2004
 

"A Multi DSP License can be obtained on top of the Base Package which allows the Virus to be instanced on all PowerCore DSPs simultaneously. With one PowerCore PCI, you?ll get 64 voices and 16 instances - with 4 PowerCores you?ll enjoy a 256 voice, 64 instances Virtual analog monster!"
nice ! :D

8O

a virus softsynth? or just extra dsp for the hardware?
would it be possible to use different delaysettings on each channel too? 8)

Its just a virus that runs on a different set of DSP's. Much like the indigo TDM, but for PowerCore SHARC DSP's.
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Michaella

Now that really would be sweet ! :D

OMG - just checked out this TC Powercore thingy at TC Electronics website.

Looks really cool. But ......

Current Prices (at DV)

PCI version = ?549.99 8O
Firewire version = ?1,049.99 8O 8O 8O

So to have 4 versions of Virus running on 4 firewires doesn't even bear thinking about :roll:

Pro studios need only apply !

I dont understand, Is this like a Virus A, or a Virus B-C

Im thinking B-C because of the 3 oscillators.

Well, I don't know about this. I mean, I'm sure it works well and sounds great. BUT why couldn't they just release it in a VSTi, AU, and RTAS? Those Powercore cards are great if you don't have enough processing power; but most people have plenty of processing power for audio production these days.....20 tracks and 35 effects only lights up my CPU to 8 or 9%. I would totally buy a native Virus plugin; but I'm not spending a grand on a proprietary card that's necessary to run it...

let me guss you have a g5 :D
that kind of amount will light 450 % in my p4 LOL :lol:

anyway its an indigo 1 and i dont think anyone will spend 3500 dollars on 4 cards i dont even think you have enough slots in your computer for that :D or is like like dsp expantion?
anyway i would go for digidesign insted about the same money and you get a whole audio and prossesing work station
in the same amount of money you can get a digi001 with like 25 dsps 8O

The actual synth engine runs on the powercore DSPs. You don't need a hardware virus for it. You are able to use one delay setting per DSP.

Just like the TDM system, the PowerCore uses Motorola DSPs. The virus can not be ported to Sharc DSPs (Creamware DSP cards).


http://www.access-music.de/products....viruspowercore

http://www.access-music.de/comparisonchart.php4

http://www.tcelectronic.com/Virus

http://www.tcelectronic.com/PowerCoreFireWire

tk

will there be a creamware version soon?

no.

First off, I don't buy the argument that the code is too tricky to write for half a second. All of the other manufacturers making software versions are doing just fine. If Access wanted to, they could do it to.

As for the whole warez thing...that's something that all the software manufacturers are dealing with in their own way. Yep, only 1/3 of the customers pay. Welcome to the software industry. And just because this runs on Powercore doesn't mean there won't be cracked versions of it, anyway...they'll still be out there...you'll just need a Powercore to run the crack. The premise that proprietary hardware defeats piracy is ridiculous: I can tell you as a PROFESSIONAL musician that more than the majority of commercial studios I've been to use cracked TDM plugs ALL THE TIME...yeah, they have the hardware....but they still didn't pay the 3rd party vendors for their software. Makes no difference.

If Access had chosen to release a native plug, approximately 1/3 of prospective users would buy it, the other 2/3 would get the crack. BUT the audience to whom they would be selling grossly overwhelms the number of Powercore users who might choose to buy the plugin (still...versus the number of Powercore users who will wait for a crack).

There's NO WAY IN HELL I'm going to pay a thousand dollars for Powercore, even if it comes with great plug-ins. Modern computers are more than capable of handling these processing duties. Christ...for the cost of Powercore, you could nearly buy a computer advanced enough that outboard DSP processing becomes redundant. And you know what else are great plug-ins? WAVES! At $800 for the gold bundle, they tear apart their respective offerings from TC.

I'm sorry, but from the consumer side of things, there is not one good reason for Access to take this route. Also, from the consumer side, there is not one good reason to buy a Powercore (i.e.- investing the same money in an advanced computer makes much more sense).

It need not cost $1000 dollars for a PowerCore card. In fact it costs more like $500 for the PowerCore Element package.

You may assume that it would be easy for Access to port the code across to a different system, but you are forgetting that they are in fact a small company in terms of manpower, and whilst I'm sure it would indeed be *possible*, that doesn't mean that it would be *feasible*.

I was demonstrating the Virus PowerCore for Access at the NAMM show, and judging by the response I was getting, I can tell you for certain - this is going to be very popular. There are loads of existing PowerCore users who are going to buy this as soon as it comes out, loads of people who are going to buy a PowerCore just so they can get the Virus plug, and even existing Virus owners who see that owning a PowerCore Virus system could be very useful as well.

Access is already a successful hardware synthesizer manufacturer - by releasing the Virus PowerCore, they will be expanding their user base further. I don't see a problem myself.

Will access ever consider a move into the mainstream audio plugins for pc/mac ?

:D

With all due respect, I'd prefer they didn't.
________
Coach handbags

Yes. It would be waste of time and efforts to start making VSTi's. It's better that Access concentrates on only one thing (Virus and Virus' DSP card ports) instead of doing everything from industrial autoclaves to VSTi's and for a small company like Access all the piracy would just make the whole project unprofitable.

i'm always amazed by the knowlege people like you have. you have no access to the code, no access to information ben has but you know that what he says must be wrong.

in difference to probably all VST/RTAS etc. plug-ins, the Virus has been programmed in hand written, optimised assembler. and believe it or not, the only way why somebody would go though this unpleasant experience this is to gain speed. that's why there is more voices and effects on one DSP than any other company i'm aware of can do.

you're right, just because this runs on powercore it doesn't mean that i can't be cracked. it's just much saver than any other authorisation scheme we know.

that's what i personally don't get:

assuming you would have a hardware virus, if i would be you i would welcome a company protecting my investment. do you really believe that you could sell your second hand virus b for a couple of hundred bugs with a VST crack out there?

apologies in advance for being "selfish". yes, we like Access to be a healthy and 100% privately held company and we certainly will do everything in our power to continue being like this.

marc

including buying 4 maybe 5 viruses each :mrgreen:

exactly. now we're talking 8)

People that can afford a powercore is more likely to afford to buy the powercore virus. Thats my experince. Because if you put out the money for a powercore. I think it less privacy with powercore users. Because when a new powercore driver comes out you have to stay on old driver, then your cracked powercore plug maybe does'nt work. Cracked software maybe will work but dont belive that the crackers always crack the latest version. I spoke with alot of clients that trys out a cracked version before they buy and give me phonecall and wondering how the latest versions are working. But is hard for me to tell how the cracked version is working. V-stack is a good example. I had a client that wondered if the retail version had working midichannels. This was due to that there was no cracked version with working with midichannels this made the software complety useless. Just a annother day at MI7 ;)

I hope never vst-plugin will come because this lower the value of a access virus. I am just ego-centred. I dont my old hardware virus should be worth nothing because some kids and grown kids download it.I understand that people really want have this synth. But as all things. Good things costs.

I think powercore with powercore virus is great. You get nice plugins also.

One other thing, I am sorry that I dont have the time to spend in this forum.

I've just read an interview with the boss of Novation in the swedish magazine called "Studio". I know everyone is reading this one :D Anyway he talked a lot about the future of the synth industry, and the importance of "knowing the market". He actually admitted that Access certainly got the best VA synth on the market today, but if the market suddenly turns they are into big trouble. 10 years ago softsynths were useless, but today it's a big and strongly growing market. If waldorf, clavia and all the other release VST softsynths, Access will just have two optins. Follow, or disappear... Sad but true :roll:

no one of the big va companies will release a va because they will not get any money .
the audio warez indestury is huge today
there is a need for a solution first...

Whatever happens to the market, I don't think 'disappearing' will be an option. :wink:

Personally, I don't think the big VA names will make the same mistake Novation have by releasing a VST version of their hardware synths. I think it far more likely that intead they follow Access in developing plugs that are hardware dependent, ie for PowerCore and similar products. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Waldorf make plugs that only run on Terratec cards for instance. I also wouldn't be surprised if Novation end up making plugs that use their remote control hardware as a dongle..

First, I should say that I have never used the TDM version of the Virus. So I don't have experience there. (Also, of course, I haven't used the Powercore version). But I've used (and OWN) the C desktop, Kb, and Rack Classic (don't ask why I have so many, I just like them).

In earlier posts, I expressed my distaste for the fact that the Powercore is on a proprietary system. I guess the main reason behind this is that I've been very pleased with the Access products I own; and while I would really enjoy tinkering with the new Powercore version, the fact is that I just don't need the Powercore card at all, and so there's no motive for me to try the software plug-in. In all honesty, I hope that it sounds great; and I hope it sounds identical to the Virus B, which is what it should sound like if I understood Ben correctly.

I use a combination of hardware/software in the studio; and I own plenty of each. I usually tend to stay away from soft-synths; with the exception of Absynth, which I believe to have a very unique sound and interface (BUT oh my god, you'd think they could write a stable version for once). I've always been really impressed by the entire Virus series; and so if it were affordable for me to purchase the software version, I would do it; but since I really don't need the Powercore, I can't justify the investment for a product that I already own so many versions of :)

I guess I haven't really arrived at a point yet; and this one probably doesn't folllow from what I've been saying. But the Novation example was an important one for me: particularly the new Basstation soft-synth. In one of the current magazines, I think it's computer music, this new soft synth is tested; and the tester was comprehensive enough to play the same sequences through both the soft an hardware versions of the Basstation. I was utterly surprised when there was a clear, audible difference between the two. The hardware version was identifiably brighter, fatter, and more robust (even though the audio examples were intended to show the similarities between the two). I A-B'ed the examples several times, and even had my friend who knows nothing about music or synths have a listen. We both agreed that the hardware sounded better. I really hope that the software version of the Virus sounds the same as the hardware version; and I'm looking forward to some opportunity to verify this, because I've always liked Access as a company and thought their products were superior to their competitors.


Sorry to have rambled seemingly mindless drivel for so long...... :)

pan

The thing to remember Panopticon, is that *all* of the Virus series is really a collection of softsynths. The sound engine is just DSP code after all. The reason you heard such a difference between the hard and soft versions of the Basstation, is that the original is analogue circuitry. Obviously Novation haven't managed to recreate the sound of this as faithfully as they'd hoped :wink:

Trust me when I say: Virus PowerCore *is* the Virus.

from what i understoond ben the bass station is not analog...
its also a digital analog emulation

No, the original Basstation was analogue. The VSTi version is the digital emulation.

of course the software is digital hehe
but the hardware synth is digital aswell i think
oh looking at the novation site it is analog
vco and vcf

*smacks head*....

oh yeah, that would make a difference.

8O
i own a bass station and i also thought it was analog emulation! hmmm

if one day hardware would disappear and be replaced by hardware dependent plug ins, i don't think this would be a good solution and that nobody would be pleased with. Imagine you get a soundcard X, u'll have to stick to the products that run only on that one, and i don't think there will be different VAs from different companies that depend on the same card, competition rules!

Hardware will never go out of fashion, there is too much demand from the industry for it. Besides, keyboarders will want their keys!
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Herbalaire Review

Indeed and not to forget hardware UI!

There is a factor that people forget about computerbased instruments.. Will your software synth that you love work in 3 years?

With new os, new hosts and so on. Computers are moving fast.

But I can sit in 10 years in future with my virus and use it still because it runs on it is own.

A software synth must cope with OS and mostly a hostsofware.

People must just have new things all the time. I think it is nice to spend time with the stuff I bought. I still hate that my scanner doesnt work with xp.. Software is nessary evilness :)

well thats not a minor issue
thats not whats going to stop companies from releasing quality synths
a keyboard as a dongle will be the smart idea

Re: VIRUS powercore at NAMM 2004
 

Did anyone notice that you have to pay more for a "DSP license" to use it to it's full potential.
WTF is that?
Every VST that I use can be used as many times as your CPU can handle.
I see the fate of this coming real soon.
Especially with alot of users just using an old PC for their VST's.
It makes no Sense :roll:

if you wont pay extra money the vst will eat all your cpu prossesing power :wink:
i think its shit just a way to make people pay again for something they already payed for but hell
if they would have built a hw virus with that kind of polyphonic power they would have charge 2500-3000 euro for sure :oops:

Ok just imagine for one sec that software synths took over and hardware was no longer being built...everything was being made on computer...the question i have is:

Well u have seen ppl scavaging for vintage gear...now about about a decade would ppl be scavaging for old computers because they sound grittier :lol:

peace
Blank

No, you're thinking from the wrong direction - if there wasn't the base license then the Virus PowerCore would cost the same as the full license. The base license idea is a way of giving PowerCore users 'access' to the Virus without having to spend the kind of money it costs to get the TDM version for instance. FWIW I think it makes sense.