Snap, Crackle, Pop: When will this sh*t ever stop?

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

I would not go as far as to say '$*%& you Access'....they make lovely sounding synths....however...

I have experienced the following in all the Virus's I've owned (KC, TI & TI2):

1) Play the internal (TIiiiiiiiii) demo song via the front panel on the synth and compare it to the MP3 on the access website. You will notice that not all the sounds get played....as if there are parts missing - let the demo song loop a few times and it almost becomes unrecogniseable. The polyphony voice allocation has always been bad on the Virus. Even with the 100 voices of the TI2 some patches cannot be played polyphonically (yep, they're not in mono mode....I did check 100 times). It just baffles the mind that this has not been addressed after 11 years.

2) With all versions of the virus - I get intermittent LOUD pops, snaps and SPARKS when cycling through random patches. Sometimes I can go for a few hours with no problems at all....then I will stop playing, select a new patch...and then hit a key....and get a wonderful LOUD shitty blast through the speakers for a split second. This sound can either resemble a massive pop/spark or split second detune or some wierd artifact in the delay effect parameter. I swear one day it will give me a heart attack.

This occurs in standalone mode...even when the synth is not hooked up to the computer. I'm convinced its the effects section of the virus which is causing this. Maybe a conflict between delay parameters between differing patches?

I have to admit...I really hoped this would have been rectified in the TI2 but it is not. All of the above have been observed in the TI2 with the same frequency as earlier versions. This particular problem is the most problematic for me - occasional midi timing/syncing issues (god knows why this happens?) do not bother me so much....its the LOUD, random weirdness that spews from my speakers from time to time that deminishes my confidence. I like to play my gear loud to get into the vibe - the Virus puts lovely sounds....but is ruined by this random weirdness. I have to resort to auditioning the virus on VERY low volume settings for fear of damaging my speakers/health. I can only comfortably play it back loud when the Virus channel is muted on my mixer and I am playing back recorded audio via cubase.

On a positive note - I can confirm that the TI2 keyboard is a beautiful looking synth with gorgeous build quality. The quality of sounds is world class. It is ultimately let down by the persistent uncontrollable/random loud shittyness.

Just as a side note - I have never experienced these pop/sparks/spits from other VA synths. I am CONVINCED it is related to the effects section on the Virus. I would be very grateful if Access could release a beta OS which turns off ALL internal effects so that we could cycle through random factory presets to determin whether the problems persists. This would once and for all help us to identify what is causing it.....

I still rate the TI2 9/10 - I want to rate it 10/10....which is what I feel it deserves. Keep up the good work Access.....we'll get there in the end im sure.

Cheers

DS

[lukas412]

Originally Posted by DIGITAL SCREAMS

I still rate the TI2 9/10 - I want to rate it 10/10....which is what I feel it deserves. Keep up the good work Access.....we'll get there in the end im sure.

Cheers

DS

Nice post DS. In contrast to some of my other posts on this board and the problems I have with clicks/pops with my TI desktop, there still isn't another VA on the market, now or in the past that I would even consider trading my TI in for. Nothing even close. It's the best sounding VA ever in my opinion and I absolutely love the synth. Nothing is perfect, but I must say the TI is getting closer and closer. As DS has already said Thank you Access and keep up the good work!

Luke

[Dusk]

Originally Posted by DIGITAL SCREAMS

Access could release a beta OS which turns off ALL internal effects so that we could cycle through random factory presets

Turn all effects off, then Section Lock them. Voila.

[Ronkaz]

Originally Posted by Dusk

Turn all effects off, then Section Lock them. Voila.

even easier: press CONFIG and go to SYSTEM 1/5 and just switch them off globally...

r

[Chicago]

Originally Posted by Ronkaz

even easier: press CONFIG and go to SYSTEM 1/5 and just switch them off globally...

r

I always do this - I use so many delay and reverb plugins that I would rather save the horsepower on the TI for cool oscillators and modulations rather than delays and reverbs. I usually never print any sound with reverb or delay anyway, so it is fine.

[feedingear]

I must admit the pops and crackles are really putting a a downer on my ability to enjoy and use the TI... I bought it primarily for live use, but I can't imagine what its going to sound like gigging with constant pops and crackles and unexpected stuff coming through a PA. To be quite honest, I don't think a single mode patch should encounter these sorts of issues, from a synth that in Australia retails for nearly $5000 aussie dollars.

Anyone do much live work with the TI (I own a Polar) and got any opinions on this?

[marc]

Originally Posted by feedingear

I must admit the pops and crackles are really putting a a downer on my ability to enjoy and use the TI... I bought it primarily for live use, but I can't imagine what its going to sound like gigging with constant pops and crackles and unexpected stuff coming through a PA. To be quite honest, I don't think a single mode patch should encounter these sorts of issues, from a synth that in Australia retails for nearly $5000 aussie dollars.

Anyone do much live work with the TI (I own a Polar) and got any opinions on this?

if you have a single patch that crackles, let us know which one and what needs to be done in order to make it crackle. this way we can work on it.

thanks, marc

[mitchiemasha]

I've never had asingle patch what crackles unless it was too loud.

[luddy]

Originally Posted by feedingear

Anyone do much live work with the TI (I own a Polar) and got any opinions on this?

I play live with a Polar quite a bit, and I don't run into problems with popping and crackling. When I first had the keyboard (i.e., on an early rev of the O.S.) I ran into much more of this, but not much any more.

I've grown more and more comfortable over time using it on stage. I do get the odd stuck note and some other instability from time to time, but these have become rare. I'm going to use it live tomorrow night, and I've got 3.0.12 loaded up. Zero problems with it during rehearsals.

-Luddy

[cl516]

2) With all versions of the virus - I get intermittent LOUD pops, snaps and SPARKS when cycling through random patches. Sometimes I can go for a few hours with no problems at all....then I will stop playing, select a new patch...and then hit a key....and get a wonderful LOUD shitty blast through the speakers for a split second. This sound can either resemble a massive pop/spark or split second detune or some wierd artifact in the delay effect parameter. I swear one day it will give me a heart attack.

This occurs in standalone mode...even when the synth is not hooked up to the computer. I'm convinced its the effects section of the virus which is causing this. Maybe a conflict between delay parameters between differing patches?

I have to admit...I really hoped this would have been rectified in the TI2 but it is not. All of the above have been observed in the TI2 with the same frequency as earlier versions. This particular problem is the most problematic for me - occasional midi timing/syncing issues (god knows why this happens?) do not bother me so much....its the LOUD, random weirdness that spews from my speakers from time to time that deminishes my confidence. I like to play my gear loud to get into the vibe - the Virus puts lovely sounds....but is ruined by this random weirdness. I have to resort to auditioning the virus on VERY low volume settings for fear of damaging my speakers/health. I can only comfortably play it back loud when the Virus channel is muted on my mixer and I am playing back recorded audio via cubase.

On a positive note - I can confirm that the TI2 keyboard is a beautiful looking synth with gorgeous build quality. The quality of sounds is world class. It is ultimately let down by the persistent uncontrollable/random loud shittyness.

Just as a side note - I have never experienced these pop/sparks/spits from other VA synths. I am CONVINCED it is related to the effects section on the Virus. I would be very grateful if Access could release a beta OS which turns off ALL internal effects so that we could cycle through random factory presets to determin whether the problems persists. This would once and for all help us to identify what is causing it.....

I still rate the TI2 9/10 - I want to rate it 10/10....which is what I feel it deserves. Keep up the good work Access.....we'll get there in the end im sure.

Cheers

DS

Oh my gosh, 100% agreed.

I've never had asingle patch what crackles unless it was too loud.

There's a difference between the crackling that occurs if say the oscillators before the filters are too loud VS the completely random soon-to-give-me-and-DS-a-heartattack type of unrepeatable sharp burst of noise.

And I know it wasn't a 'patch-too-loud' because along with the noise, ALL the lights dimmed as if the DSP wanted to crash.