[Smart Guy]

This is quite a saga, but I need to tell this community of musicians and producers whom love the Virus TI as much as I do a story that leaves me completely deflated.

About 2.5 years ago I purchased a used 61 key Virus TI, (looks just like the synthesizer in the top right corner of this forum page.) At first I was using it modestly; loading in presets and playing the synth "live" to record with. As time progressed so did my abilities. I started to take advantage of the synths power, and capabilities. Realizing the potential of having Ableton or Logic Pro send automation envelopes to the many different parameters that you can automate through the "Virus Control" interface software / plug in was awesome. So I begin making more complex sequences with more automation and that's when all the trouble started. Its a familiar complaint in the (Access Synth) forums. The "ticking" sounds, the loud digital non-syncing screeches, and buzzes and ultimately the actual mother board and processors in the synth just locking up, (when this happen all the lights on the synth just freeze.)

So, I go around the cycle of troubleshooting with Jorg Hutner, in Germany at Accesses headquarters. We do the whole nine: try every combination of usable USB ports, different USB cables, we tried stripping the projects down to ONLY the synth and seeing how that worked. New project with new MIDI, also tried using the Virus' built-in A/D soundcard. We tried it all, and the same problems. I have an iMac, and a Macbook Pro. Both have i7 processors in them. So, Jorg finally had ne send him a "stripped down" version of the project to him, so as he could try it with his system and his TI2 desktop. When he got back to me he he reported that he didn't have the same issues that I was having. He did mention tha the patch I was using was rather "dense" voice wise. That each MIDI note is triggering up to 16 voices because of my patch. Ok, so I just INITIALIZED a patch. 2 saws and no bells and whistles OSC wise. Same problem: soon as the timeline hits the automation envelopes: NO GO.
So Jorg concludes that my synth has a hardware issue. THat the DSPs are fouling and it needs the motherboard swapped. So, Access takes care of me and swaps the motherboard out under warranty. Pretty cool company.

So, I get the synth back from the approved repair vendor in my city. I was stoked. Couldn't wait to crank her up and try some of these abandon projects.
I get the synth connected, (the synth with the newly swapped mother board!), and open up a project that was crashing the synth. I hit play and voila, all 8 cylinders firing. I'm watch ing the "Virus Control" plugin's visual interface showing the filters and envelopes slowly opening, and I was like YES! And then I stop the timeline with my spacebar, click into another part of the track and WHAMMO, SAME FRIGGEN DEAL. The synth makes this horrendous sound, screeches, and all the lights lock up.

Now what?

I was destroyed. I know its the USB because even when I route the audio NOT through the USB, but through the analog channels, (having opened up separate audio tracks in Ableton), the same screeching sound is conveyed THROUGH the Virus' host track in Ableton.

So - Am I really at a wall? Is it true, what many people say, that the Virus Control USB system is truly dodgy, and I'm going to have to use analog audio and MIDI CC communication between the DAW and the synth? I'm ready to hear anything. Any suggestions that anybody wants to toss my way I can't wait to hear.

Very frustrated producer here. Thanks to all who read this, Mike