Namm 2013

[TweakHead]

Yeah, how could we have forgot this? There was still th e alternative paint for snow missing... Looks sexy!

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by TweakHead

Yeah, how could we have forgot this? There was still th e alternative paint for snow missing... Looks sexy!

What's even more surprising is Mr. Hartmann has worked concurrently with Waldorf AND Access on industrial design so do not know how someone missed this OBVIOUS "looky-like" as they would say on "Absolutely Fabulous" reruns!!! LOL! It would be akin to Waldorf, when releasing the "Shaddow Edition" of the Blofeld Black Keyboard (which I own), and instead calling it their "Darkstar Edition Blofeld"....WTF?~~~

[MBTC]

I really don't understand the whole "limited edition coloring" phenomenon. Seems like a low-rent marketing scam/gimmick to generate excitement
("look we changed something! And its in limited quantity") hoping to get a few suckers to line up and say "my current one is white so I want black now", or of course vice versa, just as a gesture from the marketing dept to try to manipulate the human psyche.

Who cares? Its not like anyone will be able to get parts for their "limited edition snow" in 20-30 years or so to keep it going like new, which is what makes classic cars or limited edition antiques exciting.

An utter waste of time.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by MBTC

I really don't understand the whole "limited edition coloring" phenomenon. Seems like a low-rent marketing scam/gimmick to generate excitement
("look we changed something! And its in limited quantity") hoping to get a few suckers to line up and say "my current one is white so I want black now", or of course vice versa, just as a gesture from the marketing dept to try to manipulate the human psyche.

Who cares? Its not like anyone will be able to get parts for their "limited edition snow" in 20-30 years or so to keep it going like new, which is what makes classic cars or limited edition antiques exciting.

An utter waste of time.

I have to agree wholeheartedly! it's blatant consumerism and marketing at it's most ugly underbelly image. On THAT note, I feel MOOG has fallen prey to this SAME sheepish marketing scheme, even with some of the new names of color schema of them with similar adjectives that mimic "Snow" or "Toxic"...absolutely nothing has changed as far as innovations, just the color. I do not mean to be slamming Moog because they DO analog very well, albeit expensively and at least I find even their "Slim Phatty" blatant marketing to the hip hop scene's incessant booming bass....but it INDEED is "SLIM" in that it's slim on features, compared to a Voyager, et al. To me it's like placing a wrapper on a pound of LARD that states "DIET LARD" or in my example, "SLIM (on features but it's)PHAT"...we synthheads have to bear a tiny bit of why even the "big three" (and others) will continue to repackage the same turd (did I say turd?) for years and years with no added innovation, whereas Access has always continued to strive to make instruments better and surprisingly better even through free updates. My rant shouts out to companies such as korg, whom has repackaged and renamed the very same triton engine for how many decades now? Then there's yamaha doing same with tyros, when yamaha actually had an innovative light-sequencer, Tenori=On, which they dropped like a rent-a-date! Dare I mention roland continuing to repackage the jupiter? What about re-exploring Additive Synthesis or something to remain "relevant" in an age where technology of software synths could easily push in the 6 feet of dirt on their graves unless they remain innovative as Access, Waldorf, and Radikal Technologies has and still do?
I have absolutely no GAS for Arturia's MiniBrute, BUT, I think they see the future and my prediction is the software synth companies will more and more come out with hardware as Arturia is and FYI--they have almost a YEAR or backorders because they will not compromise and keep manufacturing in France. it's what they put out NEXT that will keep me on the edge waiting.
Rant over but I think I make some relevant points ABOUT remaining relevant!! Happy Thanksgiving to those that celebrate it on here, wherever you are! We have to be thankful for companies such as Access that even their older incarnations of Virus still blow everyone else out of the water!!!

[TweakHead]

Oh, and let's not forget that Berni has a Virus, I bet he continues to use it to this day and he sometimes thinks: "hell, this machine sounds good, never getting rid of it, but on the meantime will be pissing on Access's parade so they get their act togheter and make a special Berni TI 3 with the brithish flag paint, not that darkstar crap of theirs, just for me" eheh. Keep the humour folks!

Don't know about any of you, I know this is just marketing blabla of some kind, but I actually think the black ones should be standard and the white ones special edditions for apple's fan boys, the kind of people who would cry if their synths don't match their imacs and i stuff... they could also sell some usb cabbles that would mimick the thunderbolt connections, so as to give a more stylish look.

Someone get me one of these black snows please, I'm in the epicenter of this crysis LOL, feel free to ask for paypall account on PM. Cheers

[MBTC]

For me, the music-production related forums are one of the last bastions of Internet discussions that stand a reasonable chance of being free of pissing matches and insults, so not only am I not trying to piss on anyone else's good time, I do go out of my way to present my opinions in a way that avoids turning music and synth discussions into a competition. I'm one of the most competitive people I've ever met, but I see music and synths as a collaborative branch of my existence and I don't want to turn discussing it into a sport.

All of that said, I've never held back my opinion of Access here. Obviously the fact that I still visit this board indicates an interest in the Virus, and I certainly do still have that. I just find it frustrating that while they are one of the only synths that has taken on a challenge like total integration via USB, they seem to have a half-hearted commitment to it. Then, going in to a major trade show with product announcements like relatively insignificant filter changes or other minor OS tweaks, with zero updates that address major issues, all while maintaining a premium price structure in landscape where softsynths have to a large extent exceeded the capabilities and sound possibilities of hardware seems arrogant to me.

I continue to have faith and to watch the product line, hoping to own a Virus again one day; however Winter NAMM has become something of an anniversary of disappointment with regard to Access, while other vendors continue to make progress and introduce interesting products. I'd love to see that trend change, and maybe I'll be surprised and see an unexpected change this year, but based on the last several years, odds don't seem in favor of it.

[TweakHead]

Originally Posted by MBTC

For me, the music-production related forums are one of the last bastions of Internet discussions that stand a reasonable chance of being free of pissing matches and insults, so not only am I not trying to piss on anyone else's good time, I do go out of my way to present my opinions in a way that avoids turning music and synth discussions into a competition. I'm one of the most competitive people I've ever met, but I see music and synths as a collaborative branch of my existence and I don't want to turn discussing it into a sport.

If that was meant to include me, I was only joking here.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by TweakHead

If that was meant to include me, I was only joking here.

I certainly second that because my sense of humor often is taken perhaps the wrong way because I enjoy sardonic and dark humor and in no way want any "pissing matches" as I have expressed, am hear to learn and to contribute when I can. I just personally believe in communication and with that being said, rather than bemoaning Access, et al; contacting Access or any synth manufaturer with one's concerns and O.S. issues still unaddressed is still the ideal way to handle that rather than potentially turning someone newer to Access in particular, but not synths, with a negative impression bemoaning and trashing a company on a forum like this is probably very counterintuitive to our quests of being Cultural Creatives in this crazy world! Peace to all and like it or not, I remain an optimistic person!

[TweakHead]

Second that. And there's a clear distinction between one's expectations about the development of some company being frustrated over time and the actual potential of it to make music. At the end of the day that's what matters the most. And as far as digital hardware synths are concerned, the virus is one of the most complete and deep synths on the market today. Also bear in mind that as far as the Batman movie OST is concerned, the actual synth used was a specially made version of Zebra combined with Diva's (another u-he synth) filters and some specially designed, for the occasion, modules. Let me remind you that even though that special package sounds great, no doubt about that, it comes with the cost of eating so much of one's cpu that it hardly stands a chance of becoming a go to synth for practical music making. It's actually one of the very few filters out there, on the software market, that holds it against the quality you can find on the virus - and it eats cpu for breakfast. Therefore, the virus having it's own couple of dsp to handle it's own sound is still a BIG advantage, even with todays cpus. The Diva alone can make intel i7 salad if you push it to its limits, and I mean just one instance of it - tested, so no speculation here.

And while we're at it. How come adding two extra assignable envelopes reads to some as nothing special? Do you even realize that's the kind of specification most synths display on a catalogue? And adding some extra filter options? Is that something a sound designer does not appreciate? I mean... If you don't like filters and envelopes, that's only two of the main modules on any given synth there is in the world. Just my 2 cents on that matter.

There's more sucessfull tunes made with a virus, these days, then any number of people speaking badly about it. Would you rather have something like a Nord Lead? Two Oscilators, doesn't even have a mod matrix - to this day - and it still sells. It's got some very good qualities, not denying it, but my virus C would eat it for breakfast when it comes to depth, let alone the TI line. That does count for me. Quality and having options.

The only thing I do agree with here is the price being to high. It really is. And by the way, what hardware synths do you guys like? And what companies do you think are pushing the limits here? Because U-he and Native Instruments are mostly software companies, there's not a single hardware synth by them. Point made I guess.

And no one's pushing this towards Ego battles, it's just playfull joking, opinion sharing, and healthy talking the way I see it. Cheers to all.

[namnibor]

Originally Posted by TweakHead

Second that. And there's a clear distinction between one's expectations about the development of some company being frustrated over time and the actual potential of it to make music. At the end of the day that's what matters the most. And as far as digital hardware synths are concerned, the virus is one of the most complete and deep synths on the market today. Also bear in mind that as far as the Batman movie OST is concerned, the actual synth used was a specially made version of Zebra combined with Diva's (another u-he synth) filters and some specially designed, for the occasion, modules. Let me remind you that even though that special package sounds great, no doubt about that, it comes with the cost of eating so much of one's cpu that it hardly stands a chance of becoming a go to synth for practical music making. It's actually one of the very few filters out there, on the software market, that holds it against the quality you can find on the virus - and it eats cpu for breakfast. Therefore, the virus having it's own couple of dsp to handle it's own sound is still a BIG advantage, even with todays cpus. The Diva alone can make intel i7 salad if you push it to its limits, and I mean just one instance of it - tested, so no speculation here.

And while we're at it. How come adding two extra assignable envelopes reads to some as nothing special? Do you even realize that's the kind of specification most synths display on a catalogue? And adding some extra filter options? Is that something a sound designer does not appreciate? I mean... If you don't like filters and envelopes, that's only two of the main modules on any given synth there is in the world. Just my 2 cents on that matter.

There's more sucessfull tunes made with a virus, these days, then any number of people speaking badly about it. Would you rather have something like a Nord Lead? Two Oscilators, doesn't even have a mod matrix - to this day - and it still sells. It's got some very good qualities, not denying it, but my virus C would eat it for breakfast when it comes to depth, let alone the TI line. That does count for me. Quality and having options.

The only thing I do agree with here is the price being to high. It really is. And by the way, what hardware synths do you guys like? And what companies do you think are pushing the limits here? Because U-he and Native Instruments are mostly software companies, there's not a single hardware synth by them. Point made I guess.

And no one's pushing this towards Ego battles, it's just playfull joking, opinion sharing, and healthy talking the way I see it. Cheers to all.

I agree completely! There's only ONE softsynth that has my attention but do not know if it too would eat even my pretty powerful DAW PC for breakfast by Izotope, the IRIS....pretty interesting device. As far as hardware synths other than my Virus KB and KC, for diversity in sound I have found ways to make the Korg Radias sound incredibly nasty in a good way, Waldorf Blofeld Black Keyboard I consider in same league of the Virus as it too is pretty incredible when you start programming your own sounds, then there's DSI MonoEvolver Keyboard--another innovative monster, then in hardware rack: Waldorf MicroQ OMEGA, Korg Wavestation SR, Novation Supernova, and Waldorf Microwave XT, and lastly for it's versatile ARP and all the TR808 drums in a small package my only Roland, the SH32. All these synths have something unique to add to a mix with only limitation the occasional creative brain farts. HA! The Ti series is not an interest to me at this time because am also learning DAW Reaper and that may change if I get the Presonus Firewire Mobile Audio Interface, which comes with full version of Studio One. So once the DAW is mastered, then *may* look into a desktop Ti2 because studio real estate is about maxed if you count a few midi controllers that come out of closet
Does Camel Audio's Alchemy eat CPU for breakfast too?