Is the Virus TI2 a stable platform?
 

Hi guys, I am here b/c I am moments, er, ok a few days, away from ordering my first Virus. I have to admit I am a little freaked out by the large number of bug fixes I see go out in the different software releases...which leads me to ask the question; is the Virus a stable platform? Do I need to be worried? These things are not chump-change, and I don't want to make a purchase I regret later! :D

Thanks all,
Dave

From my experience with my TI2 so far the answer would definitely have to be no. If you are really after stability buy a first gen TI and don't upgrade to OS3. Sadly the TI2 can't downgrade to OS2 so I can hardly even use the virus right now, it works fine for a few hours and then goes on a crashing spree. It'll be well worth the money once it's fixed though.

Of course there are plenty of people that don't have problems with it too.

Well even Access say dont use in a productive environment...& I have to agree. Despite the latest OS being described as a full release it is still a long way off. The AU & VST versions are pretty good but the RTAS version sucks, so if you use pro tools I would not recommend it if you need the TI side of it.
Works good as a standalone.

in standalone is fairly stable. if your usage is this one then you can go for the TI2.

the problem is when used with the VirusControl, then it can screw up easily and even more easily, without any Access support to save you, if you use an host that is not in their "support list"... i'm one of those screwed (Reaper user), even if i have to admit that 3.0.3 is a bit more usable, sometimes i have sessions of 5-8 hours without a crash. (and sometimes it crashes 30 times in a row so i just turn all off and go play with another synth)

Thanks for the replies guys. My most likely setup would be stand-alone for now. So it sounds like it's a feasible option if I am willing to wait for later OS versions before I integrate to my Logic 8 on Mac setup... :confused:

One thing to also keep in mind is this. This is a forum, there are all kinds of opinions and theories floating around, there are are plenty of us that are doing just fine with our units both standalone and with VC.

There have been plenty of posts on this forum that end up with some sort of asterisk next to them in the end (unsupported hosts, clogged USB chains, hubs, old OSs, old DAWs, cracked software, home-built PC's, etc).

Take it all with a grain of salt.

Well non of the above here...just buggy access software.

none of the above except maybe the *unsupported host*... but lately i crash less with Reaper than with Cubase4 so maybe my * is even more positive that what you think!

let me say something about the number of bug releases and public betas. we didn't do this all the time, in fact we never put out so many (small) updates. we found that collecting improvements into a few big releases might look better but at the same time, users have to wait longer for a bug fix which in many cases is counter productive. on top, with so many platforms (sequencers, OS versions, hardware) it's difficult to cover everything with an inhouse beta test. we, of course, do test but we invite our users to assist us. if someone tends more towards a "never touch a running system" attitude, there are non beta versions also.
i know that TI2 users had not have the chance to go back to version 2.7.5 and had to use the 3.0 public betas but now, since a release build is out, that shouldn't be a problem anymore.

best, marc
access music

I own both a first generation Ti Kb and a Polar ti2 both work without any major problems on my logic 8 setup.

Hardly anyone will in general report here that he is very happy with his virus because this is what you would expect when you buy a virus. Users are predominantly coming here when they have a problem. Therefore, many post are dealing with problems and it appears as if everyone has problems judged by the number of posts but I guess that the majority of access customers are actually very happy with their equipment. Access would most likely be long out of business if that wouldn't be the case. However, the problems reported here give you a flavour of what can happen and where problems can occur. Certain combinations of hard and software are not working very well or not at all. The total integration part is where, to my understanding, most of the problems are located. If the integration is a must have make sure your DAW software is officially supported or known to work.

The problem isn't whether it's a beta version or not, the problem is if it's stable or not. Which, sadly, it is not, and hasn't been for me since I bought the thing. Contacted access support 4-5 days before 3.0.3 was released and they told me the crash problems I was having were a known problem and a fix was being worked on. 3.0.3 comes out and it's still squealing at me all the time, so I sent another message, got one reply that wasn't really helpful at all, which I replied to, and haven't heard back from access for about 9 days now. You'd think for $2000 I could at least get response. At least with the nice hefty build quality it makes a good paperweight.

And sorry marc if that comes across as rude or anything but it's just getting really really frustrating at this point. I do appreciate you guys trying to hunt problems down and all though (especially in rapid fire small update form)

It doesn't say do not use TIOS v3,
it says "The VST3 version shouldn't be used in a productive environment".
I use protools and my virus ti without too much bother.

The TI has been very stable for me for a long time, nothing like the early days when it actually had noticeable, even severe bugs.

Not to say some people don't have bugs now, I appreciate how frustrating it can be when your beloved instrument doesn't work as desired.

But given all the new features and frequent hot fixes, I can put up with it.

i guess i would be frustrated as well, if i would be you. but i'm not. i can't say that i'm making music with the virus 8hrs a day but for instance 3 days in a row at remix hotel in miami back in april. fact is that it didn't crash on me and i was running loads of parallel tracks and i didn't treat it like a raw egg either. i totally believe you that it is crashing on you but as long as we cannot reproduce your crashes, chances are low that those will be cured. as for support not coming back to you, i doubt that it is intentional. we don't have a dug and cover policy for support inquiries. usually those guys are respond quick and on top, since 3.0.3 is out, we don't have many support inquiries. you might want to give it another try, maybe our email went to a spam filter (or yours ...).

best, marc

no it is not
i am suggesting you to get a casio ;)

The only problem i've ever had with my virus is the patch change bug that was just fixed. Before that I've not had a single problem with my virus and i've had it since 2006.

OS3 runs solid for me, and I'm even running it in FL Studio!

Are you emailing in or calling? The reason I ask is I needed to get a spare cable, and the US office was closed last week, so that might explain the delay.

I have gotten responses from the email support system at 2:00am, so when they say 24 hours a day, they kind of mean it :) Check your spam filter.

Dude - read more, smoke less. They are talking about the VST3 version.

Sent it through the helpdesk itself so i doubt it was a spam filter that caught it. I'm assuming there's likely some sort of debug software you run when you're reproducing crashes on your end, is there any way I could run that on my end and send the results back your way when it crashes? I'd be more than willing to work with your guys to help you pin down the problem.

I have the same problems with the VST3 version and the VST2.4 version.

I have to say that i had alooot of problems wen i bougth my virus ti2, it was realy buggy and even in stand alone mode it crashed sometimes i was realy dissapointed back then, but after this last drivers release it as working perfeclty in my macpro and i realy think this is realy a great buy :cool:

I was replying to the original poster of the thread who DID NOT specify which platform he/she uses. Put the crack pipe down & learn to read.

Sending some love to Key West.

Wow guys, I didn't mean to touch off a firestorm with my first ever post in the forum! Sorry about that!

I believe what I am hearing is that if you use the TI2 stand-alone or with a known supported configuration, you should have a pretty good chance of success using the latest 3.0.3 release. Since there is a support team who obviously works on bug fixes regularly, and I see there is vendor support here in the forums, I will go ahead with my TI2 keyboard purchase... 8)

Beer!
Dave

Stop being agressive you two, you did state that Access said do not use OS3 in a productive environment which they dont,
the changelog says "The VST3 version shouldn't be used in a productive environment".

IMO, it's a mistake to include an unfinished driver in a full release, maybe Access will take note that some people will misunderstand changelogs even with clear wording.

Do not use or should not be used...hhhmmmm, not a lot of difference there, unless you are in a court of law ; (
To the original poster of this thread, dont worry about it & yes, I would buy this synth, its sound is worth all the hassle, otherwise I would not be on this forum ; )

Berni, it says VST3, read.. VST version 3. Not TIOS v3.
TIOS v3 is stable, VST3 version is not, it has been clearly stated in the changelog and 3 times here.

As I said in my previous post Access shouldn't add a beta driver to a full release it confuses *some* people.

regarding VST3: the reason is not stability, it is a certain aspect of the way VST3 handles automation. there might be a change (depending on when steinberg will adjust something specific in cubase) and that change _might_ render automation lanes created today incompatible.
though there is always room for improvement i cannot see anything wrong with the change log here. it says that one shouldn't use it in a productive environment and that's exactly how it is.

best, marc

I was just replying to the original poster off the top of my head what the blurb was on the Access web site...did not know I had to be word perfect FFS. As for V3 being stable..............dream on.

3.0.3 is quite stable on my system. Live 7.0.15 XP sp3.

Don't feed the troll. He is clearly a rain cloud.

Thanks for the info Marc, very interesting to hear the reasoning behind the scenes as always.
Sounds like Access is thinking of Extensibility as per usual, it's fantastic that Access has such a strong set of self imposed rules regarding new features and updates.
I for one appreciate all the new features, since I bought my TI the range of timbres has expanded quite a lot, and the stability is now 99% for me.

To the OP, my opinion is that the TI is stable enough for live use, I know plenty who use it on stage.
People complain because they want the newest TIOS and it may have 1 small bug that doesn't actually stop them working, but they act as if it does.
So rather than use the previous TIOS version and get creative, they complain on the internets.

Me a troll?????? At least I have made some informed effort to reply to the original posters question based on my experience with this synth. All you have done is contradict & missed the point entirely. How is life under your bridge?

As have I, been running 3.0.3.00 here for days without a hitch.

Except for the people who own a TI2 and CAN'T use an older version of the OS like we've already been over. I use my virus for a half hour and it crashes once and then continues to crash every 30-60 seconds, I'd say that's a pretty big hindrance to being able to actually use it.

I was finally able to milk a response out of access support and all I got was "I'm sorry there is no news on this matter". The guy completely ignored the questions I had asked in the message before I was asking why I hadn't heard anything from them for 8 days. The guy didn't even make an effort to help me troubleshoot anything, didn't offer any suggestions that might potentially fix the problem.

You're a day late & a dollar short.

hey you guys
stop it
there's no need to prove anything
TI is a great synth
if someone does not like it , really we don't care at all
i can't find any reason to discuss it again and again all the time

you don't have to buy one if you don't like it

ok with that ? i am tired reading misery comments , mpla mpla mpla

It's pretty ignorant to tell someone to not buy the virus if they don't like it when the stability issues are what people are talking about right now. There's no way to know if it's going to be stable or not until you DO buy it. That'd be like me telling you that you don't have to read the posts if you don't want to read about people's issues with the virus since you can't know what the post says until you've already read it. The difference being you didn't spend a hefty chunk of money on someone's forum post.

The OP asked if the virus TI2 is a stable platform, and people answered that question. There's no reason to get butthurt over a few posts saying bad things about a synthesizer's stability. If you want a virus TI circlejerk thread then start one.

IMHO the Virus TI is one of the best synth I ever had and I don't want to miss it. The support is very good and I haven't seen such a service anywhere else.

Most problem was running the wrong host and PC configuration. But now all sorted out.

Sonis all that you said are very funny :D
if you have a virus and you don't like it and also if you think that it's not so stable as you wish ,sell it and get your money back.
so simple
could you please explain to us the reason that i am not having problems at all with my polar ?
am i a god ?
you are not satisfied with hard efforts that access makes , and this is ridiculous
just think about it
you want everything in your dish right now... come on

Selling it would be silly since I know it's going to be fixed eventually and I love the sounds that it makes.

Just because your polar works doesn't mean that my TI2 desktop does, I shouldn't even have to point that fact out to you but I guess I do.

You act like I'm asking for the moon because I want a very expensive piece of equipment to work the way it is supposed to. If you bought a car and the engine stopped working after you drove it for a half hour would you sit around and go "well at least it has a nice paint job"? No. You wouldn't.

And how is me wanting said piece of equipment to work wanting everything in my dish? It's not like I'm using a TI 1 and have the ability to just use 2.7.5 until OS3 works for me, and am complaining because I can't use OS3 yet. I'm complaining because I can't use my virus period yet.

I don't really see how you don't understand that or how you think it's unreasonable at all.

Sonis
you have nothing to worry about
access is a seriοus company
and they are working too hard
for you for me for everyone for all of us
don't forget that
and don't mention again and again the HUGE PRICE
because it's worth and you know that
be patient