Max 2 x stereo - serious bottleneck?

[klagga]

A question about a thing I?ve worried about for some time now.

Looking at the specifications at the Access website, I see the following: "From inside a host application, the plug-in enables the new VIRUS hardware to appear as a multi-channel VST/AU soft-synth with up to 4 sub-mixes (or 2 ? stereo)."

This is how I interpret the specs:
- As I usually mix every sound in stereo, if I want to mix the stereo sounds from the Virus with other VST-effects at the same time as I lay down some MIDI-recorded tracks, I can only mix two different MIDI-recorded sounds from the Virus at the same time.
- When laying down MIDI-recorded tracks, I?ll actually have to render the sounds from the Virus to audio every time I exceed the 2 x stereo limit.

This sounds like a serious bottleneck workflow-wise, don?t you agree? The DSP-powerhouse Virus TI won?t be able to send more than two stereo signals at the same time through USB to the computer anyway, no matter how simple the sounds are.

Prove me wrong, and I?ll be happy.

[ten]

Yes, its been gone over a 100 times here already.

Many of us are very dissapointed in the same way and why access didnt implement usb2 speed/firewire (ooo the cost blah etc)

But the blunt truth is, this is how Access is making it, they are not going to change it for the TI mk1, so either get used to it or dont buy it (which is more or less the words access are saying on the matter)

Again, yes I for one am really dissapointed, 2 sounds over the new WOW AMAZING TI software (that looks like its even having trouble with 2 sounds the amount of time its taken to bug fix it), pathetic....but what you gonna do ?

ten

[klagga]

Originally Posted by ten

Yes, its been gone over a 100 times here already.

Yeah, I?ve seen some older posts, but they refer to the old specs from 2004, saying that the Virus has a USB1 port. But, as far as I can see, in 2005 Access has changed the specs to USB2.

Silly me hoped that Access just hadn?t updated their site, like they haven?t with so much else (for example the release date that is still set to december 2004).

I just couldn?t believe that with USB2, there still would be a max 2 x stereo limit.

[Juho L]

It's USB2 compatible, not USB2.

[blay]

i suggest reading through some of the archives at ampfea from the access list - many of your questions have already been asked and responded to there:

http://www.ampfea.org/mailman/listinfo/access-list

enjoy.

cheers

blay

[klagga]

Originally Posted by Juho L

It's USB2 compatible, not USB2.

Oh, I see it now, you?re right. 8O I admit I was fooled.

Makes me a bit disappointed. Misleading marketing information was not what I expected from Access. Even a fool like me knows that USB1 is compatible to USB2. Why do they not say clearly that they use USB1 for Virus TI? I don?t think I?m the only one that has been mislead by this.

Anyway, always good to know what type of company you?re dealing with.

[klagga]

Well, I guess I can live with the 2 x stereo limitation as long as it?s no problems to freeze the Virus tracks in Cubase SX3.

Anyone know - is it a breeze to freeze the Virus?

[MADSTATION]

klagga: Freeze the virus tracks? What for? This won't give you additional outputs.

My suggestions for the workflow:
Use the 2 stereo out wisely. What do you plan to use the virus for? Make groups according to your needs. Some examples:

group1: lead synths(stereo)
in this group I remove most of the low freqs and use some vst fx
such as reverb. This is mostly all placeholder until I render the
whole track.

group2: bass synths(mono)
stereo bass = not necesarry.

group3: fx(mono)
to give a stereo feel for this channel, just use any stereo vst
such as a delay, reverb, whatever you feel necessary.

So all in all, 3 different groups...
Also, Access pointed out the possibility they will add another pair of stereo outputs in a OS update.

Basically, I use these 3 groups to laydown the foundation to my track. Once the track is all written, I choose the option "render each track to separate .wav" in Cubase and wait a few minutes. Then I proceed to the final mixdown in Cubase will all the .wav files. This requires a bit more planning but I don't believe that it's a big issue.

The only situation where I can think that 2x stereo IS a problem is for live application. I was planning to do live acts with my virus ti+laptop but since there is a limited ammount of outputs I might have to look for an alternative.

Hopefully that helps...this is how I plan to work!

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

I plan to work with the TI MKII if that helps.....lol

DS

[MarcTale]

Hm, I read on the list it would be possible touse the VSTi-Outs and the Analog-Out?s simultanously.
Did I understand that wrong?

Regards

MarcTale