Access Music Virus Indigo

Running off OS4.9. Its actually refreshing for me, I've recently moved into hardware [which isn't easy on the poor man's salary!] and this is quite a nice step up, physically from the Microkorg. Mainly now, I have more than 4 knobs for live editing [which I've used live, and modulate many things live]

The presets are all a bit too much reverb or delay on them. Not a problem though, as I don't ever rely on presets; I edit them so far and differently, you couldn't even figured the custom patch came from preset X...

The patch editing really isn't that difficult. As said, a lot of the functions are in your face knobs, and yes there is a menu system, but i think its easy than the silly little menu matrix on the Microkorg [which people complain about as well, for some reason?]

I bought it second hand [maybe even third. Too bad, the previous owner[s] scuffed the hell outta my beauty]. So no manual for me, but I downloaded it from Access, and it isn't that bad. Could be better, but I learn better by doing, so I've looked at it maybe a handful of times.

16voices, 3osc + sub, 2 filters, FM mod, oh so much distortion for the most bone crunching basses and destructive leads.

I hear people complain about the keyboard action, and that its loose and whatnot. I actually like loose boards, I never formally learned on a real piano, so I actually hate weighted keys. This, and that it was more portable[and looked sexier!] was a part of the reason I got an Indigo over the kB.

16indepent MIDI channels. Velocity, and nifty assignable things to velocity[e.g panning]

Chorus/Flanger; Delays; Reverbs; LOADS of Distortion; Filter Saturation. Really cool. Part of me wants an Indigo 2 merely for the EQs as well, because sometime Ill have to waste a distortion or filter sat as a HPF/LPF to try and minutely compress the sound

Good for any genre, but mostly geared towards the electronica field. I personally use it for more EBM-esque sounds. The Virus has a nice dark sound to it, which I like. Even happy leads and chors have a slighly evil and menacing feel to them.

Effects are all pretty good, some of the distortions are interesting, but i dont really use em [eg Shaper]. Cool flangers, but often I do flanging in software[mainly on hits anyway]. Id like to eventually use it as an Effects Editor and the Vocoder.

I guess my only complaint is that the osc. can sound a bit to thin. Obviously you detune 'em and turn unision on, but, I think its called aliasing?, was a bit of a problem from what I read before buying. And high end notes sound not the best. The Virus is optimal in mid to low end notes, in my opinion.

Played with it live, and rawked the house. So crazy and fun to twiddle live.

The thing is so damn heavy, I think its a German Tiger Tank reborn into Music! I'd hate to drop it on my foot, mainly cause my foot would break.

Never had to ask, but I hear they are spectacular.

And until recently, Access was STILL updating the Virus B/kB/Indigo, a product around 8 years old!? Thats incredibly nice of them!

The first day I got my Indigo, I played with it from ~7PM when I got out of class til 1AM...its so damn heavenly in any way - good or bad. The most evil, vicious, cutting 303 like leads or the most angelic and innocent pads..the indigo is a beast.

If it were stolen/broken, Id probably cry. Well, not really, but Id be massively upset. Its the mainstay cannon in my studio, and a sexy center piece!

Great!!!!!!!!! twisting knobs, like the Nordlead

more than enough.

I have a Virus Kc and about 30 other synth's (hardware)...the Indigo is GREAT!! i am in LOVE!

no probs...

dunno, but germans are cool.

great great great..i love it, u will love it too.

Using OS 4.9. The synth is easy to use, however there are a LOT of menus to dig through. Some of the more commonly used functions (e.g) arp, unison should have dedicated control. The keyboard is long enough to be expressive and still be portable - that is indeed a plus. Editing patches takes some time, this is no beginners synth. If you are new to analog/subtractive synthesis, you would benefit from learning a software synth first. The manual is good and serves the purpose it was intended to - to show how to use the synthesizer and where controls and menus are. I don't blame access for not writing a manual on subtractive synthesis, that is not their responsibility. It is assumed anyone who buys an instrument this expensive knows what they are doing.

24 note polyphony, although unison and the 3rd oscillator can take some voices away. The keyboard action is ok, this is not the most expensive kb. I have a feeling the keyboard is more of a complimentary thing on this synth, most users probably use a master keyboard to control it instead. The build in effects are excellent for a synth, although the statement [82 simultaneous DSP effects] is misleading. The virus has a huge amount of memory (1024 patches) (128 Multi) enough to store pretty much any sound you can think of. The sheer amount of sounds that are avaliable for this synth is staggering. This is a very deep synth. Most VAs have one filter, this has two that can be arranged into different configurations. Despite others opinions the thing does slightly respond to velocity. Check you velocity value in your sequencer for more information. Access provides OS updates on a routine basis, there is no need for further expansion. No onboard sequencer, but really...why would you want a sequencer on a VA?

100% pure virus. This thing is killer. It could easily fit into any genre, but presets are geared at electronic music. A trance producer's dream. The oscilators are organic sounding. Use some unison and the sound goes from thick to too thick beyond 3 note unison. Most preset pad sounds are poor, but the machine is capable of beautiful evolving pads - check out some of the ones from the vengeance sound soundsets. The sonic range of this synth is crazy, it blows my mind over and over.

The thing is a tank, I think it could withstand a few drops. I don't gig my stuff, but I would gladly take it with me if I did.

I've never had to deal with access. I got a killer price on this thing because a key was broken when I got it. Luckily I found it easy to repair myself and everything works fine.

I would def. get another one if it was lost. Maybe a virus C if I could afford it but, id settle for a B as the architecture is similar. I have been playing for 6 years and also own: Yamaha Dx7IID E!, Yamaha CS-2x, Oberheim[Viscount :P] OB-12, Novation KS5.

Plug it in, turn it on, and you're ready to go. Right out of the box, this keyboard is easy to use. If you want to explore its more serious capabilities including programming new patches, you're going to have to read the manual which isn't quite as easily penetrated. The multi patches are a little more difficult to understand than the standard patches, but again, you can use them as they are without programming new ones.

Polyphony is great, but the keyboard action is, well what action? They're decent for synth-action. The keys are unweighted, and lack aftertouch (although the processor understands aftertouch if you're using a master keyboard). Access has finally worked out the velocity curve bugs, and you can download a new OS from the Access site.

One of the best features is a patch randomizer. If you're suffering from "writer's block" but want to create some new sounds, Access has provided a way to randomize the parameters of an existing patch. This feature includes two depth settings so you can select both the relative number of patch parameters that will be changed as well as the amount each parameter changes. Very cool!

Very good analog modeling. Lots of exciting sounds. Access's website contains many sound sets to download.

Solidly built, metal chassis, box, and heavy aluminum side panels. This thing is classic German engineering. The electronics, or the operating system may have a couple of glitches. The later T model is better than the prior S model. Still, twisting knobs on *rare* occasions causes the editor to do some kind of hyper-space jump to another part of the menu. I haven't been able to figure out a repeatable, reliable reason for this. It's not damaging, just a little annoying.

Access's support is top-notch. They were even doing OS updates (and you want the latest OS update) well after the machine was discontinued -- this didn't include just bug fixes, but many more arpeggiator patterns, and other nice features as well. How about that for support? There is a a great user community, including many of the patch writers of the sounds you'll find on your machine. Check out the Access web site for more detail on support: www.access-music.de

I love this synth. If it were lost or stolen, I would be sad. It's small size is cool, but I might have been happier with the wider 61-key Virus KB.

I wouldn't buy this now, since it's two generations old. I might get myself an Indigo II, or the new Polar. But if you can find this for a good price, buy it -- but stick with the T model.

OS4.90. The single presets are generally cool, there could be more multi-setups and in particular more sounds in the multi-setups, but needless to say these can be added to quite easilly. Editing patches is both straight forward and difficult. Straight forward are the knobs that can be easilly adjusted, difficult are the parameters hidden in menus, particularly OSC-3. I also found it a bit disapointing that OSC-1 does not have semitone and detune capabilities as does OSC-2. The manual for OS4 is clear, but some of the jargon needs better explanation. I have found other synth manuals to be more explanatory.

I will not talk specs, you can checks these out yourself on the Access website. Effects are difficult to access, buried in menus, but the sound is good, what would be better would be dedicated controls for the effects (like the new TI). The ketboard make things really easy more inviting to make sounds as compared to just the module. Probably the most overlooked feature is that there is a headphone port, so in effect, you can just turn the unit on and play with nothin but a pair of headphones. I don't believe the unit is expandable, but there is so much sound possibility. To get this unit to do some drums you need to use a few different parts and various arpeggiator patterns, I think Novation do this better with dedicated drum kits as sounds and also dedicated drum arpegiations.

Sound is the main reson to go for Virus and some would say, sound is what it's all about. Sound is excellent, I feel the main power of this synth is in the filters. Best used for techno, trance, house and any other genre of electronic music. As for real instruments, it's not really designed to emulate them. Velocity reaction of the ketboard is good, but there is no aftetouch.

No problems

no problems, but I am impressed by the updating that access keep doing, so I will give a 10

If it were lost and or stolen I may be tempted to go for a P0lar TI. I also use a Novation KS Rack, A Yamahas VL-70m and a host of soft synths. In summary I like the sounds, I hate having to dig through menus for things. When looking at other similar products I also looked at the Nord Lead3 and the Waldorf Q. I choose the Indigo for price, sound and reputation. I wish it had knobs for OSC-3 and drum arpeggiation that take one part. All in all, a great synth.

Great interface. They really messed up with the Virus 2. The 1 is MUCH faster.

Great synth

This is where this machine rocks. Sounds like nothing else out there. Beats the Indigo 2 into the ground. I think Access was trying to cut costs when they made the Indigo 2. I compared them and kept the 1.

Solid

This is where this machine rocks. Sounds like nothing else out there. Beats the Indigo 2 into the ground. I think Access was trying to cut costs when they made the Indigo 2. I compared them and kept the 1.

OS 4.55. i'm going to download the new OS version 4.8 from the access-virus website. the manual and synth is laid out perfectly, so its fairly easy to use. editing and writing is a breeze and the sounds are amazing :)

24 voices. the onboard efx are amazing and you really don't need an effects proccessor. the effects are some of the best that you've ever heard on a synth and thats one of the main features that makes the indigo sound so good. the indigo will get better with age because you can update the software every few months. no sequencer, but you can play the arpeggiators in the "hold" pattern and it will loop hands free. i read it has 16 arpegg patterns but mine has about 40. maybe added after the downloads. the main complaint i heard about the indigo is how cheap the key's feel. i dissagree. it feels like the same plastic keys that are on every other synth. MIDI works fine as well.

lets be honest. this synth was made for electro musik. mainly..techno, trance, abstract, and dark jungle bass lines. i can also see it being used for making scores for a feel. you could also use it in a traditional band if you're looking for a thick analog sound. overall, its a german synth that is designed for very aggressive electro musik. the onboard efx are outstanding and trully makes this a great synth. i have no prob's with this synth. everything i Xpected from it ;)

only prob i have with it, is that it crashes on me sometimes. maybe its something that i'm doing. like too many functions at once. i'm sure i can figure it out. i would never bring this synth to a klub. i love it too much for someone to steal it or knock it over. it stays in my studio. you can play it live but i use it for studio use.

never used them. hope i never have to. heard that they are friendly and helpfull though. any customer support is better than roland. those bastards at ROLAND are Xtremely cocky and have never answered my questions or called me back :(

overall, this synth iz badass. it blows away nord, novation, roland, and korg. the ONLY synth that iz better than the indigo iz the waldorf Q. the virus comes in a close 2nd. what do you Xpect. they're made by the same company. if you like german electro, trance, tec, abstract, and jungle..this synth iz for you. if you've made it this far researching the indigo. you know how great it iz. everything i've read about iz true. an amazing synth ;) plus i bought it used for $945.

Mine is v4.03. The presets in the Indigo are the best by far I've ever heard in a synth, and I've heard lots. There's a broad pallette from which to choose: arp basses, synth stabs, trancy leads, as well as some lovely sound effects, etc. Though I love programming my own sounds, the solid presets encourage and stimulate my creative juices. Editing is easy via the plethora of buttons and knobs. A few functions like the arpeggiator take a bit to find, though Access have solved this problem with the Indigo 2, along with others. There's no way to press a button and have the Indigo take you to a particular sound, you have to scroll. The "value" knob is worth mention... beats the hell out of using the buttons, which are better for fine-tuning. I do enjoy editing this synth. The visual feedback from the beautiful blue led's are a great help, fading in and out with the lfo and what-have-you. The backlit blue lcd screen is absolutely gorgeous. I haven't had to dive too farm into the manual but it looks pretty complete and professional.

The poly is 24 but this doesn't bother me in the least, as I have an E-mu Xtreme Lead for wide chords and organs. The keyboard action is just ok, not as solid as a Roland JP-8000 but kicks the shit out of any Yamaha keyboard. It's fine for me. Man, the built-in effects are beautiful, though they may not be for everyone. The various distortion effects comprise a large piece of the Indigo's effect pie: bit reducer, rectifier, waveshaper, different stages of clipping... reads like an industrial/noise maker's dream. All the effects are very high pro quality, including the chorus, phaser, delay, and reverb. Each also offers no less than four or even five parameters (some have six I think), which will appeal to edit freaks. There are some parameters here where I've never seen anywhere else, like a "delay" and "feedback" for the chorus. The reverb has more options than I know what to do with! The effects section has their own button on the top panel to access them (which, again, the Indigo 2 provides knobs). Clavia's Nord Lead line still doesn't have effects, even with the third incarnation. The distortion could have another parameter like "tone" or something (only "type" and "intensity" for this effect). Which reminds me, this synth doesn't really have eq, which is pretty unusual. You can simulate it with the flexible filters, but it's not the same. However, there's an "analog boost" function in the effects section, which is in essence a low eq boost. Thank Access also for the two definable knobs, which are assignable to just about anything, so I could map one of them to control delay feedback and the other arp speed, for example. The routing capabilites are pretty solid. I can't comment on the midi implementation much, since I record and do everything as audio, though, of course, there are the obligatory in, out, and thru ports. The arp has about seven or so parameters I think, but the number of preset patterns are limited (pretty sure it's under 100) and you can't create your own. I would say arpeggiation is the Indigo's weakest link, but that's not saying much, because it still is pretty good. I love the "hold" function, so you can latch a pattern to play until infinity. I guess this could substitute for a basic sequencer. I've gotten some great KMFDM-like lines. The third oscillator and lfo (both hidden in menus) are great, for added thickness... ring modulator is pretty good at fucking up signals and you gotta have a noise generator. X) Back to the oscillators... in addition to the same ol' analog waveforms, Access offers 62 spectral waves. This is sort of like a wavetable but not really. The lfo's also have pattern capabilities, not just the boring squares, triangles, etc. The two multi-mode filters are flexible and can be set up in two choices of serial, parallel, or split, where you can have either filter panned hard to their respective side. I haven't used it yet, but the vocoder looks like a monster. The whole right side of the synth is dedicated to it's parameters when activated. The external input fucking rocks! You can process anything.

Access provides o.s. upgrades on their site so that's cool, but this is the extent of it's expandability, if you want to call it that. This synth is already very flexible so whatever. If you haven't guessed already, I may spring for the Indigo 2 later.

Man, oh, man. This box sounds dope. This is no pathetic fucking rompler, but a synth capable of some gorgeous drones, static hits, and other industrial-chic mayhem. The filters are powerful and the effects rock. The sound quality is top notch all around, (ironically enough) bit reducer included. There's a whole section for velocity implementation but I haven't used it yet... no aftertouch, but who really cares? I don't play Chopin pieces. The Indigo is pretty flexible: SH-101 bass lines, warm, digital soundscapes (I fucking love saying that), evolving pads, leads, harsh, whatever. Of course, it's not as flexible as a Waldorf Q (additional wavetables) but hey.

I could depend on this tank. Solid build all around: all metal chassis, nice knobs, great pitch and mod wheels, etc. It's very heavy for a synth of it's small size, but that's because it's built so damn well. I would no doubt use one without a backup.

I've never had to deal with Access. Hopefully I won't have to.

I have a fairly sparse but powerful set-up, with the Indigo at the heart next to my laptop... another synth, E-mu ESI sampler, FireworX, some pedals, Electrix Warp Factory, rack delay, etc. Surprise, surprise, I create industrial/experimental/noise/whatever. This synth is great for it. My main competition for the Indigo was a Waldorf Microwave XT. I was looking for a self-contained keyboard and a synth, and a compact one. I had an XT in the past and really liked it... but I just fell in love with the sexy Indigo (looks and sounds alike). It sounded more aggressive and in-your-face than the XT, whose mostly shitty presets really put me off. This synth is probably geared more for dancy stuff like trance but, again, it's flexible so it's in the hands of the programmer. The Nord Lead 3 was very nice, but it was/is much more expensive and less flexible (i.e. no effects)... and Novation really does nothing for me so besides the XTk, I didn't see any competition with the Indigo. The Q is gorgeous but way too much loot. The Micro Qkb could've been an option but, well, I liked the Indigo so whatever. I'd love a Q+ rack or something in the future because I enjoy the Q sound... but this gem is getting to be my signature sound. Still, this synth is pretty pricy but I feel it's very worth it. A three-band eq would've been nice... I really don't have much to complain about besides the semi-limited arp. If anything happened to my baby, I'd probably spring for the Indigo 2, now that it's cheaper. Either way, it's an Indigo. This enthusiasm is coming from a diehard digital aficionado. Backwards from the norm? Yeah, I shirked anything analog, but this box opened my mind to what something with the word "analog" in it can do. :)

im using op sys 4.51..There where so many good sounds when i first switched it on that i didnt even bother to make anything.Editing is so simple and the menu layout is just right for a beginner like me.The manual isnt too bad.More info on certain topics would be better

24 poly.This is the only thing that bothered .The keyboard action is great.Even the keys feel good.Effects are brilliant and varied.The idea of upgrading the op sys and downloading new patches is genius.

The sounds this machine makes are unbelievable.Ive never heard a better demo.Remove the demo and get 1024 sounds.What a beast.Where else would you get a piece of equipment at this price so powerful,and with the return of the vocoder what can i say.

Ive never had any problems and the built in safe guards are handy
I cant foresee any problems gigging with it unless i spill my beer over it

Support is great and very quick,but know the machines limitations.

I sold my r 505 groove box to get this.Its worth every penney.This is coming with me to the grave.Anyone who sells theres must have the brains of a fish.This and cubase vst 32,roland jp8000.What else do you need

Very intuitive strraight out of the box... the internal signal path routings can be a bit more complex- ultimately adds to the flexible nature of the board. Fantastic synth no matter how you use it. Just be sure to READ THE MANUAL CAREFULLY.

OS4.5.1 adds a TON of new preset sounds. FX section is fantastic- a few more reverb/delay algarythms might be nice- 16 indipendant arpegiators- you could write a virtual synthony with all thiese controls. Flawless MIDI implementation. lots of very nice touches all through the synth- extremely well thought out. and a real joy to tweak! Could also use some odd meter timing choices for the arpegiator

Unearthly- i've heard the gamut of sonic textures eminating from this machine. from pure analog madness, and acoustic emulations to cold digital soundscapes The Indigo is capable of adding any texture you can imagine to you sound canvas. But then the sound and versatility of the Virus are why I bought it in the first place.

Built like a tank- solid knobs, buttons and chassis- beautiful and stylish to look at or play. Keyboard is a bit "loose" feeling but so far plays fine. Headphone jack has a noticable hiss. No aftertouch but that's a well known fact of the Indigo. Suprisingly compact yet comfortable to move about on. VERY PORTABLE.

Only suggestions for future features- response was quick and polite.

Very difficult to find cheaply BEWARE SELLERS WHO INSIST OTHERWISE. If you can find them for a good price, than snatch one up. Definitely a bit pricey for some. Lack of availability seems to have led to higher stateside prices as well, which is unfortunate as it only hurts the sale of an otherwise fantastic keyboard. I saved for several months to buy one and it is without a doubt my favorite keyboard in my setup!