Access Music Virus kc

Is as I got the synth. Got it last week. Havent updated the OS to one available for free download at access website. Nor have I added sound banks E-H. Which have to be loaded via either free online download at access website, or via the file with them on the soundiver cd that came with synth. Is OS version 5.5. Reason hasnt done the upgrades is only has webtv. No puter yet. So is reviewing product as it arrived, rather then with the extra free goodies added that need puter to do it.

Presets. If you cant find several that turn you on & which also sound great in the mix. You might as well give up on playing synth. Lol.

Editing & modifying patches is easy. Plenty of knobs & buttons to fiddle with. With lots of nice indicator leds too.

Manual is very goodon useing synths, creating voices ect. Can seem a little confusing at first cause is minus pics with labels for where on keyboard ect ect. But its not hard to figure out & find stuff. Only thing that was a bit dificult was finding info in manual about where to get banks d-h without doing it online. (Via sounddiver cd included).

The synth lends itself to figure it out for yourself, rather well.

Others have said enough on this. Thinks features of it are great.

This is a VA synth. While it can create very nice organish, electric pianoish, bells, flute type, & other assorted "real instruments", is orientation is to whatever evil or other pure synth sounds you want. LOL. Great leads, pads, fx, & atmospheric stuff. Reacts well to playing.

I do a variety from dark electronica & atmospheric & ambient, to death metalish type things. It works very well for these. Would also be excellent for lighter synth music & new age.

Nice effects section. The reverb is among the best I've heard from an effects proccessor.

Not as aggressive or metallic sounding as Nords imo, more aggressive sound then Novation imo. Pairs very well with my Novation KS4 for 2 pro VA synths rig. Especially well suited to any spooky atmoshphere or heavy electronica music. Is full of charector & organicness. Gives it a 9 cause "pristine" doesnt really fit. Whereas my Novation can be pristine to nasty raunchy evil. Though the latter in a somewhat diff flavor of that compared to the Virus.

Is a bit expensive too be haveing a backup one. Very close to twice the price of my Novation. Virus kc ran me just under $2,000. Anyway is a well made synth. No reason to doubt its reliability or gigability. A synth of this caliber does deserve a top of line stand like Apex or Apex plus. Not some budget stand.

Hasnt dealt with compnay directly. Just browses there website.

Would replace it if lost or stolen. Rending the theif to bloody shreds then celebrating his demise with a music peice played on replacement Virus. Lol.

Is very inspiring to music making.

Does wish Access preloaded sound banks E thru H at factory. Seems kinda silly that they didnt. A demo song isnt needed. And theres no instructions I can find on how to get demo song to play anyway. LOL. Gave it a 9 instead of a 10 cause of factory not preloading rest of sound banks. That where apparently available before they shipped unit to retailer I bought it from. Isnt a biggee really, but figures for the pricetag on it can dock em a point for not preloading all the sound banks at factory. Lol.

Is an attractive with a slighly sinister look to it, keyboard. Very nice in looks, playability & sound. To include the presets overall. While I havent heard the other 4 banks of sounds yet, I'm confident there great overall too.

I also play a Novation KS4 synth. Been playing synths for more then 20 years. Concidered Nord lead3, but decided on Virus instead based on sound demos of each at websites. Was a good decision for me imo.

OS 6

For people who are already familiar with subtractive synthesis, you will find the Virus intuitively laid out and easy to comprehend. You can make pro quality sounds without even needing to delve into the menues. As you spend more time with the Virus, you will become more confident/comfortable using the menue features (i.e assigning mod destinations, filter configerations, effects ect ect). The Virus is my first VA synth (Im an old analogue fart) and I must admit that when I opened the manual, It did cross my mind that maybe this synth would be too overly complicated. I put into manual mode and started making professional quality sounds almost immediately :) Im very happy. Anyone saying this synth is hard to use needs to re-evalute their inflated ability in sound design. If this synth was hard, I would say so.

Well no one can blame the people at Access for skimping on the manual. It is perhaps one of the most comprehensive Iv'e read, but an aweful lot does go over my head :). I think the manual is a valuable longterm resource, it basically tells you EVERYTHING about the Virus. But as far as bedtime reading goes, you may find it a little nightmerish! A massive 160+ pages of detailed info.

Both the Virus KB, KC and SuperNova II, KS5 have excellant keyaction. This sort of semi-weighted action feels very natural to me and makes playing on this synth a real pleasure. I am very tempted to use this as my main controller for the other synths. Great velocity/aftertouch response. 32 note poly on a synth like this is ok. I tend to use all 3 oscilators + some unison to get anywhere near the same kinda satisfying fatness as my old analogues (I have been spoiled it seems). This effectively brings the polyphony down to a more realistic 16 note, or even perhaps 8 note...for those power leads. Any less poly than 32, then I would probably have to sacrifice fatness (This is something im not prepared to do!). I particularly like the Virus reverb, Chorus and Phaser. Also the distortion/saturation is VERY nice. Not as keen on the delay. The 2 filters sound awesome and you can modulate them via lfo's, velocity etc etc, anything really! This synth makes the most incredible swirling pads, gritty leads and plinky sounds fx. My only gripe is that the resonance sounds weak (In comparison to my analogues). In my opinion, sounds which heavily rely on resonance will sound weak...forget making squelchy bubbles or powerful zapping noises...get yourself an analogue monosynth. Overall the midi is very extensive, litrally everything can be controlled.

Overall, this synth is very well specified.

The early VA's lacked their own identity (It seemed all they were designed to do was to emulate all that had gone before). Probably one of the reasons why the Virus is so highly sought after, is because not only can it emulate most old anlogues very well, it actually has a very strong sonic character of its own. It is the most distinct sounding modern synth you can buy. The Virus has a very nice sweet tone which at times (depending on your filter settings) just overflows with character. You can hear the Virus extensively on most post 1998 electronic music.

The Virus is capable of making incredible: Swirling pads (Thx to its 3 lfo's), sharp attacking leads, great 80's style leads, awesome electric piano's which have 'ting', futuristic/atmospheric soundscapes (perfect for ambient music or film soundtracks) and strong digital bass. I emphasize digital b'cos I prefer analogue bass. I will keep the Virus and use it whenever I need THAT Virus sound....if you all know what I mean. Be careful not to use the Virus for all your sounds though.

24 bit sound quality is exceptionally clear and detailed. The outputs give off zero noise. This synth does not contribute to any unwanted background noise. Interestingly, in all the reviews I have read only one guy has commented on the 'dull' characteristic in the Virus' sound. Yes this sonic characteristed DOES exist and I suppose it further makes the Virus unique. When I say 'dull' I dont mean 'boring' I mean that the overall tone of the Virus is inherently dark/moody. Thats why every loves making aggressive lead sounds on the Virus :)

Nice German piece of engineering. The knobs and buttons have a nice feel to them. The two 'softknobs' and the two buttons immediately to the right appear to take more of a beating than all the other controls. Lets just hope they last b'cos lets face it, we all want our Virus' to live at least 15-20 years.

Build quality is great (As far as modern mass produced equipment goes) but I doubt whether these kind of synths would survive a hard life out on the road. Old analogue poly's had far superior build quality (They had to b'cos the heavy analogue components needed a robust design) and really were built like tanks. Ive heard some people say the Virus Indigo is built like a tank! Sorry to burst everyones bubble...NO WAY!! Dont get me wrong, the Access, Waldorf and Clavia gear are all nicely built, but tanks they ain't. Drop an Indigo (at an angle) 5 feet onto a hard surface and tell me what happens :)

Keep your Access gear within a studio environment and It'll be fine. Gig with it and you may find yourself 'floating home sooner than you think'

The Access guys are very helpful and provide great OS updates, free pro-quality soundsets, analogue porgramming tutorials, live chat rooms and all the help/advice you are ever likely to need. Lets hope these guys stay around for many more years...they deserve it.

I doubt mine would ever get stolen b'cos im a hobby-ist use and dont gig. If the synth died on me because of some inherent fault (Like the Juno 106 6th note problem) then i may have to reconsider my options. However I would definitely miss the Virus tone. The Virus is a very nice/distinct sounding modern electronic instrument. I would recommend this synth to all keyboardists for use in ANY genre of music.

For those of you new to a Virus, dont expect to fully maximise the power of the Virus immediately. Give it time and you'll begin to realise just how sonically diverse/powerful this synth is.

I dont have the time to run through all the features, there are just so many. My favourites are: Key action, versatile oscilators, superb filters & excellant effects section.

The warmest digital synth I have ever used. In fact its warmer than some analogues. Incredible sounds. The oscilators are actually quite fat sounding. The filters are the best Ive heard on ANY synth and the effects section is pro quality.

Well built.

V. Good.

Well built and full of useful sound sculpting features. Very warm sounding.

Using OS 5.5 build 306 (English). Ive just unpacked this synth and it has WOW factor! Im just going through all the presets at the moment, alot of them will probably go cos im more into electropop than technopop, besides im a pro-programmer so I'll need the space :) Nice user interface, I cant forsee having any problems using this monster. The manual is very thorough but for some reason I just could not be arsed to read it.

32 note polyphony is great and as far as I can gather using 'Unison' doesnt eat up polyphony :). The record company pushes synths my way all the time and I must admit Ive not had time to explore all the features yet. Great on-board effects. Great key action, and most importantly a huge range of sound creation posibilities. This synth has got a very nice selection of analogue/spectral digital waveforms and 2 killer filters. Chances are youve already heard this synth in one way or another a 100 times already. Sorry I cant provide more info on features, chances are ill be getting a different synth to work with next month :(

Very distinctive Virus sound. Sweet sounding oscilators and 2 aggressive filters + 98 effects. The Virus has a distinct 'dull' tone, which alot of people like. From what Ive heard already, its perhaps the most instantly expressive digital synth ive ever come across. If it were upto me this synth would permantly stay in the studio. Very nice pads, bass, leads and fx.

Well its a new synth which comes with 6 month warranty :( We willl have to see about treliability. No props setting it up.

Excellant. They now even have online chat. You can chat in real time to the design team and ask questions, this is phenominal!

This synth has the word 'Classic' written all over it. I would recommend this synth to all those who love to program their own sounds, its so powerful.

Top marks 10/10.

no, as I say virus c is

actually before I buy each device is tested by my ears for sonic clarity and frequency harmonic time amplitude stability( definately )which unfortunately is hard to find since industry keeps customers for a stupid consumers which dont have ears or knowledge of what sonic quality actually is(digital technology strategy is damaging our ears).I own and testing a lot of gear(spending a lot money,no more, excuse me,enough for me.) , know pretty much about where industry is going wrong ,but its their own bussines of quantity (who cares about quality,they think).we are educated to compete in a life racing game.I tested virus c module and I have to say comparing to others it had enough energy to handle its duty ,pretty close to analog as digital can be.so since I perform a lot live I decided to buy virus KC ,but it was pure dissopointment with increased harmonic distortion and display I hate remind me on groveboxes MC 505 display and that machine is also screwing people for their money since sound quality is something that roland nowdays achieve only in dreams.I decided to return to virus c,and getting maybe virus b. Unfortunately I think about access engineering failed when I think about KC ,concerning virus b and c module engine,work is excellent.
sorry ,I dont pay for harmonic distortion.
by goran mrdja
- digital industries nightmare

OS 6 should be made available June 2003.....Further enhancing the Virus's interface with added arpegio patterns, more shortcuts + added features....this is very exciting. The majority of past user reviews seem to be pretty accurate.....it is open to very wide subjective opinion :)

Its taken me about 3 months to become comfortable with the user interface....well worth the time investment, b'cos I know appreciate just how f*&$ing good this synth really is. The KC comes with alot of interesting factory presets, some of which are very well engineered. Obviously, as time goes by and you start engineering your own, alot of these will be overwritten. Editing patches is easy and logical. The manual is over 120 pages and thorough!

I really like the keyboard action, modulation matrix, effects and those FILTERS.

I totally agree with past user reviews, in that the Virus sounds excellant. Overall the Virus is one of the warmest and fattest digital synth ever made. The Virus excels at doing beautiful silky pads, strong basses, classic (modern) leads, complicated fx & atmospheric soundscapes. Analogue emulation, for the most part, is very good. If you are a professional programmer, you wont have any problems making an insane range of great sounds. This synth is VERY expressive.

Ive had no problems with mine thus far....that does not mean to say I never will. All synths at some point have weird glitches :)

Support on the website is good. The OS updates are fantastic. Email support could be a little quicker.

At this price point, you have a number of options. The Waldorf Q, Nord 3 and the SuperNova II. Forget all the marketing hype and tryout all these synths and find the one which works best for you.

For me, I found the Waldorf Q to be too digital/cold sounding for my liking, however, I still think its a great, versatile sounding synth.

The Nord 3 has the best user interface of all modern synth and sounds great. Perhaps a little warmer than the Virus. However, it is not as sonically versatile as a Virus.

The Super Nova II also has a great user interface and sounds excellant. The Super Nova II came a VERY close 2nd to the Virus. Uses the same semi-weighted keyboard action as the Virus...but does not sound as distinct. An overly glassy, smooth sound were-as the Virus can sound like gritty shit stuck onto the pavement.

All of these aforementioned synthesizers are well built, sound superb and could be regarded as the 'big' synths of today. Whichever one you end up buying, im sure it will be a great asset to your setup.

Based on my preference for warm/authentic/fat/complicated sounds my ratings are:

The Virus KC 10/10
Super Nova II 9.5/10
Nord 3 9/10
Waldord Q 8.5/10

The Virus interface is fine. Future OS updates may include more shortcuts.....but that doesnt especially concern me. Considering how powerful this synth is, I find the Virus to be very easy to understand/use. Try it out and see whether you can work with it.

The manual is comprehensive and amusing at times hehe. The Germans have a funny use of English sometimes. Everything you need to know about the Virus and how it operates IS included in the manual. Access also include a large tutorial on how to create your own sounds.....and for the beginner/intermediate it makes for very interesting reading. Goodjob Access!

The factory presets are the best Ive heard from any synth and are perfect for those cool rainy day jamming sessions! There are alot of professional quality patches that you can download from the Access website. For those of you, like me, who enjoy programming your own sounds then the Virus will blow your mind. It really is a very professional, cool synth.

Well, the features for the Virus KC are well documented. Suffice to say, the key action is superb, the effects are superb and the build quality is amongst the finest/robust Ive come across.

Read the full list of features here: http://www.access-music.de/specifications.php4?product=viruskc

The Virus range of synthesizers all have that unmistakable tone. It is a truly great, massively versatile, fantastic sounding synth. The presets will keep you occupied for some time, by which time you will have figured out how to create your own, unique killer sounds.

The Virus is the only digital synth I choose to use and I think that says it all. My kit list includes all the classic ananlogue poly's and classic mono's.

Just remember, no synth is perfect....every synth should be played on its strengths. I really enjoy the Virus pads, leads and fx.

No problems yet. Should I have any issues ill re-post the problem here.

Fine.

With so many great syntheizers available on the market, the competition is fierce. Out of the Nord 3, SuperNova II and Waldorf Q I auditioned, I decided to go for the Virus purely b'cos it sounds so distinct. If you are looking for the 'sound' of todays pop/dance/trance/ambient music then this IS the synth you should be using. In 5yrs from now, the Virus may sound a little dated.....but in 10-15yrs time everyone will be wanting that retro Virus sound. Its all relative!

Using version 5.0, will upgrade today. Presets are standard fare for Virus line - I have the same on Virus A, had the same on Virus B. There are some deviations from regular stuff and the cool thing about new KC is the "soft knobs" - you have 2 knobs under LCD that have different function for each patch that you're using. I think that's a really cool feature.

Editing patches is a breathe. Here's an interesting fact: I originally bought Virus KC after 2 days I couldn't get anything decent out of it, so I sold it. Later, I decided to give Virus another shot and bought Virus B - expecting things to be different. Well, without opening a manual it still sounded flat and boring. Then I decided to crack open a manual and do a bit of reading. First of all, whatever these people tell you about synth manuals - they never read it. Period. I was a synth newbie and had no idea what terms like "envelope" "pot" "LFO" or "Oscilator" meant. This manual explained it to me. Without complex engineering diagrams like roland makes. Ever seen a Roland manual???? it would make an engineer weep. This manual rox!!!! it is definitely written with a novice in mind. You do need to know some basics like MIDI (how does it work, channels, parts, etc) - you don't need to know what a MIDI message like 0xAB933D3D means, just know what it does, how it does it and off you go. Furthermore, download tutorial from Virus website and go through it. Virus manual is definitely not a "bathroom reading material" If you're new to synth, unless you plan to drag your virus to the bathroom to try things out, I say sit down at the synth with the manual and in about 10 minutes that b!tch will screaaaaam!!!

Editing patches is a breathe. Twist, and go. the only thing I don't like is that menus are somewhat deep. So, some settings need to be investigated. However, using just surface controls (without diving into menus) you can still twist the heck out of the standard sounds and make this baby sing and quivver..... ;)

Polyphony is 32 voices but you knew that, right? You loose some voices if you start cranking up your oscilator use. But still respectable number. Besides, with filters and other tweaks you can do this baby gets PHAT sounds even on a 20 voice Virus A model, so you can imagine what KC does... Fecking awesome!

Ok, keyboard action is not my bag of chips. I come from Roland/Korg keys and in my opinion, Roland has the best key action around. I find Virus keys a bit spongy and springy at the same time. To quick to release. I also think that black keys a bit too narrow and sometimes, if you got elephant fingers like me, you either end up missing the key or finger slips. So, I control it from my Triton or XP 60.

Does it have effects???????? Are you BLOODY SERIOUS???? This synth can get on by just by looks alone and on top of it it's got something crazy like 90 different effects. I was looking at Clavia Nord Lead 3 which has no effects and blows in comparison on top of it has no effects. So, believe me - this black beauty has effects out of whaaazoo. hell, you can hit one note and just modulate it for hours, listening in awe. this is what it was meant to be, the ultimate effects and synth.

No expansion, duh, but you can leech bunch of patches from Access Virus site and various groups which are easily loaded in/out of your KC. I love the fact that I don't have to worry that my neighbor has more expansion cards than me and he has "vintage synth" and I only have "hip hop" expansion. C'mon - this baby has all the sounds that you need. Rick Wakeman said very smart thing - get a synth, delete all patches and just start playing - create your own, that's the only way to learn your synth's true capability. So believe me, I got plenty of sounds to mess with.

Aftertouch, all knobs send MIDI messages (waaaay cool stuff) and standard fare of MIDI galaxy galore. No on board sequencer but who needs it? I got Cubase SX and Triton Studio, what the heck do I need a sequencer for on Access Virus? It's like asking for four doors in Lamborghini Diablo. It's like asking a Porsche to build SUV. oh, wait.... :-O

Ok, this is the part where I quote an old Infiniti moto: "Own one and you'll understand"

No real instruments - but you wouldn't expect that in AV. If you need real, get a Kurtzweil or Roland workstation. Better yet, get yourself a nice concert piano. The sounds on this black beauty are great for all music that needs unreal sounds - Don't know about rock, don't listen to it but from what I read I think Linkin Park uses it plus bunch of other bands that use synths with guitars have it. It is mainly aimed at Electronic producer. Trance, Techno, Prog, Ambient, DnB, Hard House, House, etc. I took one sound, hit arpegio button and modulated it to hell (just twist the knobs baby) - listen to me, before you do it, hit REC on your sequencer and start recording audio. You now have crazy samples, loops, inserts to sprinkle all over your track. I can stamp out albums on this synth alone that would not be any less decent than what you hear in clubs.

Onboard effects are amazing... they are just "sweet and smooth like butta"...

Ok, not to sound too geeeky but this synth is like a fine woman. It begs to be understood. She won't give in to you if you just twist here, poke there. You got to spend some time getting to know her, feel her out, find out what makes her tick. She has moods - on some days she responds to your slightest touch and sometimes she won't even peep no matter how hard you try. The more time you give her the more she'll give you back. I am trully in love with this black beauty. Three access viruses and two model lines later I found my one true love. It has it all - brains, beauty, it is seeeeeexxxy. Even my wife who's totally unresponsive to my synths said "Wow, she's soooo pretty". Actually, my wife's pretty jealous coz' I've been spending more time twisting Virus' knobs than hers ;P.

Like I said - Access Virus is a girl. She's not just a girl, she's a sexy sexy bitch - which means that she not only wants some attention she wants you to be open minded and adventerous. Ok, I think I need a cold shower.... ROFL, just kidding. I'm just in love with this synth. I never cared for any peice of gear in my studio than i do about this one.

Velocity is good, keyboard action I wish was better. See my comments above. Overall, this section would get 15 on a scale of 1-10.

Never giged it, no plans to, built like a fortified concrete/steel
sh!thouse. Unless your gigs involve dropping synth from a 10-story building, I believe this synth would outlive me.

If I ever did gig it, I would buy another one, just in case this one got stolen or breathed on wrong way. I'd be too scared to part with her. Let's put it this way - if you're a live musician you can gig it in a 1/2 heartbeat, but it's like taking a Lamborhini on a road in a 2 foot snow with snow trucks spitting rock salt from all sides of the car. I would be to chicken-sh!t of getting a scratch on it to take it out. I am telling you, this thing is like an exotic car. you baby it.

Never dealt with virus and I had 3 different models so far. the website and forums provide all the info you need and if it ever needed service, I hear they are terrific.

If it was stolen, I'd take my gun and find the mofo who took it, I would empty my clip into his ass and after carefully wiping off blood from my baby take it back home where it belongs. If it ever got lost I'd forever stop doing whaterver drugs I was doing at the time when it was lost and go look for it. This synth is classic already - it is unmatched by anything else out there. I have Supernova II, Access Virus A, just sold Virus KB, Roland JD-800, Roland XP-60, Triton Studio and bunch of other stuff - this one is the prized item in my collection. It is my absolute favorite. I was looking at Roland V-Synth but it's a joke comparing to Virus. A toy, nothing more. I also spent some serious time with Clavia Nord Lead 3 and it didn't do anything for me. There is no contest. Access virus is the queen (remember, she's a girl) of all synths, unmatched. I would even go as far as to say that Access did succeed in making "virtual analog" more "analog" than anyone else. it has wormest sounds and beats Jupiter 8 in every category. You can make it sound like Jupe, if you put some time into it. This synth is an instant classic.

I love everything about it. The only thing I wish it had more keys and better keyboard action.

I am an amature with a lot of gear. I have been "mucking around" with synths for about 2 years now but played other musical instruments for about 10 years. (Don't laugh - accordion and guitar). Anyway, I don't know a single note and play it all "by ear" - managed to get through 4 years of musical school with "A's" without knowing Sulfedgio (music theory).

Virus is music - just hit a key and start twisting (and recording).

And by the way - you don't begin to appreciate the Virus until you realize what it is for. It's like getting a race car for daily commute in traffic. Don't buy a Virus if you plan to write classical music or rehearse Chopin - unless you plan to make a Ferry-Corsten-like remix of it. He's the only one who can get away with it.

I am as novice as it gets - I have no knowledge of musical theory, I don't have any vast experience with electronic gear. Just don't be scared, grab a manual and spend literally 15 minutes a day, practicing the technique they show you in the manual. In about 3 weeks you'll know it inside/out.

All major functions have a dedicated knob. But the power of this synth lies within the OS. Once you get used to the format of using menues in sound creation then its a doddle. Editing patches is easy and thorough. I like the manual....although I must admit I tend not to read them.

As you may already know this synth is bristling with high quality features. Its very subjective as to which features matter most but im very happy with their implimentation. The semi weighted keyboard is genuinely one of the best I have ever used on a synth, it is very responsive to my playing. 32 polyphony is ample for my applications. Built in effects of a high quality are also a bonus (Even if you choose not to use them there still useful to have). The real beauty about this synth is that not only is it very well engineered but as OS updates become available it will constantly bristle with new professional features! Very cool synth, in fact this is now my favourite studio piece.

When it comes to synths, the overall sound is what makes a synth great or just ok. For me, this synth has the most distinctive tone (The filters on this synth are just superb). The sound quality is incredibly detailed and you can litrally create any sound on this machine - it is just wonderful. I have created the most atmospheric lush/glossy pads you will ever hear. I have also created the most far out fx and the most electronic of bass lines. This is the most futuristic sounding synth I have yet to come across - It takes me on a journey into the future! I use this synth for what it excels at and for anything else I use a workstation. This synth can be used for any genre of music. If you need distinct, cool synth sounds then this is what you need.

I use this synth in a studio environment. It is certainly robust enough to gig with, in fact its one of the more solid synths out there. In the 6 months Ive had it ive experienced no problems. I think people who do are just unlucky.

knobs have a solid feel and should last a long time. Keys feel solid. Buttons will probably wear a little quicker than the knobs. The whole synth feels well built and is reasuringly heavy compared to others on the market.

I have not tried their customer support yet. I have heard from people that they are pretty good. I hope I never have to! but ill give them a mark of 9.

Overall this is a great sounding modern digital synth. It is fully featured, very well constructed (Both in terms of hardware and software) and is an absolute pleasure to play. It is very responsive to velocity and aftertouch and makes for a great controller keyboard when using softsynths. If I lost mine or it went wrong I would buy another because there is really nothing else like it in my opinion. Some people say that this synth will become a classic in years to come and there may be an eliment of truth in that. You can clearly hear the filters on this synth on 80% of pop music and 90% of electronic/dance/trance these days. Alot of musicians run drum loops and all sorts through it - utilising the filters and effects section it does sound sweet! Id have to say that these are a good collection of ingredients to have if you want to make a synth have a 'classic' status.

Fantastic synth. If you can affored it go and buy one.

*Manual is good and gets you going.
*The 132 page book on the Access website is really cool 'How to Program Analog Synths' It is specifically geared towards Virus users .....How cool is that. I dont see other manufacturers providing this kind of service.
*Once you become familiar with the OS menues its really quite easy.
*

*The number of features are just mind boggling. Just brilliant. I use it to control other synths and its wired up to practically everything you can think of. It sits very nicely above my Jupiter 8 and Prophet 5.

my JP8 and P% Care very special sounding synths.....they are very distinct. In my opinion the Virus is the most distinct sounding new synth made in the last 10 years. The Virus is capable of lovely ambient pads, cool FX, and solid digital bass. Personally I believe this is one of the most expressive digital synths Ive ever used. How does it compare to the P5 and JP8 you ask...well, the Virus is certainly different in every sonic respect. I think the Virus holds its own, just as the JP8 and P5 do.

I invested in a Virus because of its beautiful sonic capabilities. I also own the JP8 and P5....I think thats says it all really.

As is the case with all synths some users are going to experience problems with their Virus...that is to be expected. What is important to bear in mind is that the Virus gear is very well engineered. Everything on the Virus feels robust. I would say that the first thing to go wrong would be the buttons (In 20 yrs time that is!)

I would feel confident gigging with my Virus.

*Great website
*Regular OS updates - These updates massively enhance the Virus and add new features and paramaters, aswell as fixing known bugs.
*When you email them......they actually respond!

Overall I have only good words to speak about Access.

Most VA synths are really excellant now. But for me the Virus tops the lot. Its funny to think ill be using this in 20 yrs time....but I will!