Review: Access Music Virus TI Snow

Sep 1, 2008 12:00 PM, By Jon Margulies

VIRUS TI TECHNOLOGY COMES TO YOUR LAPTOP

BONUS MATERIAL
Access Music Virus TI Snow's Oscilattors

The Software

The Snow runs the latest Virus TI software, version 2.7.0, which was still in beta as of this writing. Its new features are the Atomizer real-time loop processor, an additional stereo USB output (bringing the total to three), support for multiple Viruses connected to the same computer, and the Virus Control Center application.

Virus Control Center is a standalone utility you use to back up and restore the contents of the Snow's memory (see Fig. 3). You also use it to burn patches into the ROM banks, which, until now, could not be overwritten. At first I was unable to get Virus Control Center to communicate with the unit, but a restart of both the computer and the Snow did the trick.

The Virus Control plug-in is a pleasure to use. It has a well-designed interface that makes programming clear cut and much simpler than some soft synth interfaces I've seen. You can really forget that you're working with a hardware synth and operate as if it were a soft synth, but with a huge savings of CPU power.

Atomizer

Atomizer is a welcome and unexpected new feature. It works in parallel with the synthesis engine, and its focus is processing audio rather than producing it. When Atomizer is enabled, the Snow passes incoming audio directly through to the outputs, using its Beat Scanner to determine the tempo of the incoming material. (You can also tap in the tempo.)

Incoming MIDI notes determine Atomizer's action. Notes E1 to B1 (MIDI Note Numbers 40 to 47) sample and loop the incoming audio at different rates, D1 reverses the sample, and C#1 and D#1 gate and filter the incoming audio as controlled by the MIDI Modulation Wheel. Notes C2 and above produce high-speed loops tuned to the note's pitch. In an interesting twist, the Snow's effects processor is engaged only when a loop is triggered. So you could be playing a flanged and bit-reduced 16th-note loop, then with a single keystroke return to the unaffected audio. When Atomizer is active, you can use the bank select buttons to trigger the loops and gates, so you can use Atomizer without an external keyboard.

If you're an experienced synthesist, you're probably already familiar with the sounds the Snow can make. From classic and huge to weird and futuristic, there's something here to satisfy most sonic tastes. Even with its convenient front-panel controls, the Snow is not going to be the most appealing synth for those who want row after row of knobs. But for users who make the majority of their music on their laptops, the Snow is an incredibly attractive package. I see it joining my UAD-Xpander in making my two-year-old MacBook a production powerhouse.

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Jon Margulies is a producer, guitarist, and DJ in New York who has been performing professionally since he was 11 years old. You can catch up with Jon and his many projects at heatercore.net.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

hardware synthesizer $1,550 (MSRP)

PROS: Extreme portability. Great sounds. Virus Control plug-in. ROM banks can be overwritten. Doubles as audio interface.

CONS: A few bugs in the software. A little pricey.

FEATURES	1	2	3	4	5
EASE OF USE	1	2	3	4	5
QUALITY OF SOUNDS	1	2	3	4	5
VALUE	1	2	3	4	5
Access Music access-music.de

ONLINE LINK

EM review of the Access Virus TI Desktop synthesizer by Geary Yelton
emusician.com/elecinstruments/emusic_access_music_virus_ti/