Manual Virus C English Web (1)

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ENGLISH VERSION

ACCESS VIRUS C SERIES

USER MANUAL OS5





©2002 Access Music GmbH, Germany.

VIRUS is a trademark of Access Music GmbH. All other trademarks contained herein are theproperty of their respective owners. All featuresand specications subject to change withoutnotice.

Written by Christoph Kemper, Uwe G. Hönig,Wiland Samolak and Marc Schlaile.

Translation by Thomas Green and HowardScarr. Graphic Design and DTP byBabylonwaves Media.

http://[email protected]

http://www.access-music.de/





mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




2

1

Content

IMPORTANT SAFETY REMARKS

PROLOGUE

INTRODUCTION

The Virus ............................................................. 14The Amplifier Envelope ........................................ 17

The First Filter...................................................... 18Filter Modulation.................................................. 19The Saturation Stage ........................................... 21The Second Filter................................................. 21Filter Routing ....................................................... 24The First Oscillator............................................... 25The Second Oscillator .......................................... 27The Third Oscillator.............................................. 29The Mixer Section ................................................ 29The LFOs ............................................................. 30The MOD Section ................................................. 33Soft Knob 1/2....................................................... 33 Volume and Panorama Position............................ 34 Velocity................................................................ 34Unison Mode........................................................ 35The Effects........................................................... 36The Arpeggiator ................................................... 38SoundDiver Virus ................................................. 38More to Come ...................................................... 39

CONCEPT AND OPERATION

Operating Modes ................................................. 42Master Clock and Midi-Clock ............................... 44

Handling...............................................................44 All about the memory ...........................................47The Modulation Matrix and Soft Knobs..................48Random Patch Generator......................................50Categories............................................................52The Effects Section...............................................52 Audio Inputs ......................................................... 53Internal Audio Routing ..........................................54 Additional functions.............................................. 55

SYNTHESIS PARAMETERSOSCILLATORS ..................... ........................ ......... 58

Oscillator-1/2/3 (Panel).........................................58Oscillator (Edit-Menu)...........................................59FILTER ..................... ......................... ................... 63

Filters (Panel) .......................................................63Filter Envelope......................................................64Filter-Edit-Menu...................................................65ENVELOPES ........................ ......................... ........ 69

MIXER ....................... ........................ ................... 70

LFO AND MODMATRIX ...................... ................... 71

LFO (Panel)...........................................................71LFO (Edit Menu)....................................................73

ARPEGGIATOR EDIT................................ .............. 80

THE INTERNAL EFFECTS ....................... ............... 82

Distortion (Panel) ..................................................82Chorus (Panel)......................................................83Chorus (Edit Menu) ............................................... 83Phaser (Panel) ...................................................... 84Phaser (Edit Menu) ...............................................84

Delay / Reverb......................................................85Delay / Reverb (Panel) ..........................................86Delay / Reverb (Menu) .......................................... 87 Vocoder................................................................ 92 Analog Boost ........................................................ 92Equalizer .............................................................. 92



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MAIN EDIT MENU

Common.............................................................. 96Unison Mode........................................................ 99Punch Intensity .................................................. 100Envelope Sustain Time....................................... 100 Analog Inputs..................................................... 100Follower (Envelope-Follower) ............................. 102Ringmodulator ................................................... 102

Second Output/Surround.................................... 103 Velocity.............................................................. 104Sound Category ................................................. 106Soft Knob-1/2 .................................................... 106

MULTI MODE & SYSTEM SETUPMULTI MODE PARAMETERS ...................... ........ 110

SYSTEM ............................................................ 114

Keyboard ........................................................... 114Input.................................................................. 116MIDI................................................................... 117System .............................................................. 121

THE KEYBOARD VERSIONS OF THE VIRUS

The VIRUS kc and the indigo ............................. 126The Keyboard-Modes......................................... 128

THE VOCODER OF THE VIRUS

Vocoder ............................................................. 132The parameters of the VIRUS Vocoder ................ 134Notes about the vocoder: ................................... 137

THE VIRUS AND SEQUENCERS

Problems Related to Parameter Control ..............144 Arrangement Dump - The Sound in the Song......145

TIPS AND TRICKS

All abouts Inputs................................................. 148 About the Delay/Reverb ...................................... 149The Virus as an Effect Device .............................150

Envelope Follower ..............................................150Oscillators .......................................................... 151Filters.................................................................153Saturation for Added Grit and Dirt ....................... 153LFOs ..................................................................154 Volume Control................................................... 155 Assign and the Soft Knobs ..................................156 Arpeggiator ........................................................ 156How to modulate the Vocoder parameters ..........156MIDI ...................................................................157How to install Updates........................................158

APPENDIX

System Exclusive Data .......................................162Parameter Descriptions ......................................166Multi Dump Table...............................................178Classes ..............................................................180Mod Matrix Sources .......................................... 182Mod Matrix Destinations.....................................183Soft Knob Destinations ...................................... 184MIDI Implementation Chart .................................185

FCC Information (U.S.A) ......................................186FCC Information (CANADA) .................................187Other Standards (Rest of World)..........................187Declaration of Conformity ................................... 188Garantie Bestimmung.........................................189Warranty ............................................................190



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INDEX INDEX..................... ........................ ................... 192



Important Safety Remarks



6 2Important Safety Remarks

Please read all notes carefully before you powerthe device up. A few fundamental rules on han-dling electrical devices follow.

SET-UP

• Operate and store the device in enclosedrooms only.

• Never expose the device to a damp envi-ronment.• Never operate or store the device in ex-tremely dusty or dirty environments.

• Assure that air can circulate freely on allsides of the device, especially when youmount it to a rack.

• Don’t set the device in the immediate vicini-ty of heat sources such as radiators.• Don’t expose the device to direct sunlight.

• Don’t expose the device to strong vibrationsand mechanical shocks.

CONNECTIONS

• Be sure to use exclusively the includedmains power supply adapter.

• Plug the device only into mains sockets thatare properly grounded in compliance withstatutory regulations.

• Never modify the included power cord. If itsplug does not t the sockets you have availa-ble, take it to a qualied electrician.

• Always pull the power plug out of the mainssocket when you won’t be using the devicefor prolonged periods.

• Never touch the mains plug with wet hands.

• Always pull the actual plug, never the cord,when you’re unplugging the device.

OPERATION

• Don’t set beverages or any other receptaclecontaining liquids on the device.

• Make sure the device is placed on a solidbase. Set it on a stable tabletop or mount it toa rack.

• Make sure that no foreign objects fall into orsomehow end up inside the device’s hous-ing. In the event that this should occur, switchthe device off and pull the power plug. Thenget in touch with an authorized dealer.

• Used on its own and in conjunction withamps, loudspeakers or headphones, this de-vice is able to generate levels that can lead toirreversible hearing damage. For this reason,always operate it at a reasonable volume lev-el.

MEMORY BATTERY CHANGE

The VIRUS stores its sound programs in a bat-tery-buffered RAM. This battery (general typedesignation: CR2032) should be replaced everythree to four years. The housing has to be

opened to change the battery, so take the de-vice to a qualied service technician. Do yourpart in protecting our environment and take it toa shop that disposes of batteries properly.

Before you have the battery changed, save theentire memory content of the RAM by loading itto a sequencer via "Total Dump". Be advisedthat RAM content is lost when the battery isswapped (see "Midi Dump TX" on page 117). ).

CARE

• Do not open the device, it is not equippedwith any user-serviceable parts. Repair andmaintenance may only be carried out by qual-

ied specialists.



ACCESS VIRUS OS5 7

• Use only a dry, soft cloth or brush to cleanthe device.

• Do not use alcohol, solvents or similarchemicals. These can damage the surface ofthe housing.

FITNESS FOR PURPOSEThis device is designed exclusively to generatelow-frequency audio signals for sound engi-neering-related purposes. Any other use is notpermitted and automatically invalidates thewarranty extended by Access Music ElectronicsGmbH.



8 2Important Safety Remarks



Prologue

10

CHAPTER 3



10 CHAPTER 3Prologue

Dear VIRUS Owner,

Congratulations on your choice, the new VI-RUS. You have purchased a cutting-edge syn-thesizer that comes fully loaded with severalrevolutionary features. Here are just a few of thehighlights:

The VIRUS delivers the sound characteristicsand tone of traditional analog synthesizers in a

previously unparalleled level of quality and han-dling ease. We’re not kidding, the VIRUS actualdelivers the authentic response of an analogsynth via a digital signal processor chip, al-though the sound shaping and voicing optionsout-perform those of it historical predecessorsby a considerable margin.

The VIRUS comes with up to 1024 slots forstoring SINGLE sounds. These are organized ineight banks. The rst two banks (A and B) arelocated in the RAM, so you can overwrite themwith new sounds. The other six banks are”hard-wired”, i.e. they’re programmed into theFLASH ROM. To make use of the banks E-Hyou need to install the second1024.mid le rst( “The 1024 sounds update” on page 158 ).

The VIRUS offers a maximum of 32 voices. InMulti Mode, these are allocated dynamically tosixteen simultaneously available sounds.

You have no less than three audio oscillatorsplus one suboscillator, a noise generator, a ringmodulator, two Multi Mode lters, two enve-lopes, a stereo VCA, three LFOs and a satura-tion stage (SATURATOR) for cascade ltering,tube and distortion effects.

The VIRUS offers a veritable arsenal of effects.You have seven powerful sound-sculpting func-tions, including chorus, phaser and distortion,at your disposal, with each effect available sep-arately for every sound. Thus, in 16-way MULTI

mode, the VIRUS offers over 98 effects, noless!. Among them you also get a global reverb/

delay unit that lets you create high-quality re-verb effects and rhythmic delay taps. Delaytime can be synced up to MIDI clock.

With the benet of two external audio inputs,the VIRUS may also serve as an FX device andsignal processor that you can use creatively tocome up with all kinds of effects. External sig-nals can be processed with lter, gate and lo-effects, routed to the VIRUS effects section and

serve as a modulation source for frequency andring modulation.

Beyond that, you can use internal or externalsignals as sources for the VIRUS’ on-boardvocoder serve. The vocoder works with up to32 lter bands and offers diverse manipulationand modulation options.

The three main oscillators produce 66 wave-shapes, three of which are dynamically mixableso that spectral effects are possible within theconnes of a single oscillator. In conventionalsynthesizers, this type of effect requires severaloscillators. Synchronization, frequency modula-tion and ring modulation between the audio os-cillators delivers additional complex spectral

effects that you can use for all kinds of soundshaping purposes.

The lters can be switched in series or in paral-lel within the voices via several options. Whenyou switch the lters in series, the saturationstage is embedded between the lters. Conse-quently, an overdriven lter resonance can bere-ltered within the same voice! A maximum ofsix lter poles (36 dB slope!) enables radicaltonal manipulations.

The LFOs feature 68 continuous variable wave-shapes each, including a triangle with variablesymmetry and innitely variable aperiodic oscil-lations for random variation of the controlledparameters. The LFOs are capable of poly-

phonic as well as monophonic oscillation. Inother words, if several voices are active, the

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ACCESS VIRUS OS5 11

LFOs can run independently or in sync. A number of keyboard trigger options enable you

start LFO waveshapes with variable phaselengths at the beginning of a note and/or to cy-cle once only, like an envelope.

Next to the numerous ”hard-wired” or xedmodulation congurations, you can assignthree modulation sources to up to nine differentmodulation destinations via the Modulation Ma-

trix. For your modulation sources, you haveLFOs, velocity, the pitch bender, aftertouch, themodulation wheel, numerous MIDI controllersand other sources to chose from. For yourmodulation destinations, you can select anysound parameter of the VIRUS that is condu-cive to being remote controlled.

Up to 16 arpeggiators are available in MULTImode. These give you countless options forcreating arpeggios, which can also be syncedup to MIDI clock.

Sounds and effects are patched out via six au-dio outputs which of course can also be used toroute three stereo signals out.

In additional to its killer sounds and tone, theVIRUS was designed to deliver ultimate han-dling and control comfort. It is equipped withdedicated knobs and buttons for the crucialsynthesizer functions, further parameters areaccessible via data entry procedures. We distin-guished between these two levels of expertiseto enable you to create complex sounds whilekeeping the user interface as clear and unclut-tered as possible.

In all modesty, we are especially proud of a fea-ture we developed called Adaptive ParameterSmoothing. For the rst time in the history ofsynthesizers equipped with memories, you canmanipulate a knob or control feature without anaudible step or increment. In other words, the

sound does not change abruptly but SEAM-LESSLY. No more zipper noises! The VIRUS re-

sponds just as smoothly as analog synthesizersdid prior to the introduction of digital sound

storage

And users of contemporary software sequenc-ers will appreciate the fact that the VIRUSsends all sound shaping commands immedi-ately in the form of MIDI Controller or Poly Pres-sure data (and of course accepts all of thecorresponding Controller and SysEx messag-

es). This feature lets you dynamically control theVIRUS and all its functions via computer.

Although far from complete, the features listedabove give you some indication that you nowown an exceptionally versatile, high-quality mu-sical instrument that will give you plenty of joyfor years to come. We certainly hope you canfully exploit the enormous potential of this neinstrument.

Have fun and enjoy!Your VIRUS Development Team

By the way: a rack mounting kit is optionallyavailable for the Virus C. Feel free to get intouch with your local authorized dealer for more

info.Many thanks to:Ben Crosland, Maik Fliege, Thomas Green, AxelHartmann, Uwe G. Hönig, Jörg Hüttner, TimoKaluza, Oliver Käser, Andrea Mason, ThorstenMatuschowski, Jörg Meißner, Paul Nagel, KaiNiggemann, Rob Papen, Matt Picone, WielandSamolak, Daniela Sauerbier, Howard Scarr,Hans-Jörg Schefer, Shehryar Lasi, Jenny Si-mon, Matt Skags, Joeri Vankeirsbilck, JayVaughan, Jens Wegerhoff and Daniel Wewer.

12

CHAPTER 3



12 CHAPTER 3Prologue



Introduction

14

CHAPTER 4



Introduction

í THE VIRUS

This section provides deliberate, step-by-stepguidelines on operating and handling the VIRUSfor those of you who are new to the world ofsynthesizers and MIDI. The following covers ba-sics such as how to connect the VIRUS to an

AC power supply, your MIDI system and youraudio system. Then we will guide you through aseries of experiments designed to demonstratethe different functional groups, their control fea-tures and the tasks they execute.

After you have nished reading this section, youwill be able to handle virtually all of the soundgenerating and sound shaping functions of theVIRUS. All of these are described in context,

along with their control features. Even the majority of less signicant functions, accessible viamenus, are discussed here. You will nd a de-tailed, comprehensive description of all func-tions of your new synthesizer in the sectionfollowing this introduction.

Please keep in mind that within connes of thisintroduction, we are unable to impart all of theknowledge and skills in acoustics, sound syn-thesis and MIDI control you might desire orneed to acquire. If you are keen to learn moreabout these subjects, you should consider be-coming a regular reader of one or several of theleading trade publications in your country. Yourlocal musical instruments dealer or more expe-rienced musicians will be able to recommend

the best magazines to you. And of course thereis a wide range of books available on thesesubjects.

If you decide to read this section, we recom-mend you read it in its entirety from the start -rather than begin with a subsection that is ofparticular interest to you. A tting metaphor forthe basics discussed in this section might be ahouse where each bit of information in a sub-

section is a brick that builds on a precedingbrick and interlocks with those next to it. You

want your knowledge base to be a sound struc-ture so you won’t run into problems when yound one of the “bricks” is missing.

CABLE CONNECTIONSBefore you connect the VIRUS to an AC outletand the rest of your equipment, ensure that allof the devices are switched OFF. If your VIRUSdoes not have a build-in keyboard, then con-nect the MIDI OUT of the desired MIDI send de-vice (keyboard, computer, hardware sequencer,etc.) with the MIDI IN of the VIRUS.

Connect the audio outputs of the VIRUS withthe signal inputs of your audio system. In order

to receive a signal, as a minimum you mustconnect the output OUT 1 R/MONO. However,we recommend you also connect the outputOUT 1 L so you are able to enjoy the stereosounds of the VIRUS.

Once you have established the desired cableconnections, make sure the main volume con-trols of all the connected devices (VIRUS: MAS-TER VOLUME, located at the upper left hand ofthe control panel) are dialed to the lowest pos-sible setting. Switch the devices on in the fol-lowing sequence: the MIDI send device(computer, master keyboard, etc.) rst, then thesound generators (VIRUS and the other signalsources), followed by the mixing console and -nally the amplier.

Now while you are sending notes on MIDIChannel 1 of the VIRUS, turn the master vol-umes of the connected devices up in the sameorder that you switched the devices on. Be sureto keep on eye on the signal level indicators ofyour mixing console.

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Th Vi



The Virus

MASTER VOLUMEControls the overall volume of the VIRUS. Thiscontrol determines the volume of the signal pairpiped through Output 1 before it is convertedinto an analog signal. This means that undernormal circumstances, you should turn MasterVolume all they way up because you of coursewant the VIRUS to deliver the most dynamicsignal possible.

LISTENING TO THE FACTORY SOUNDSThe program memory of the VIRUS was loadedwith sound programs (SINGLE PROGRAMs)and sound combinations (MULTI PROGRAMs)before it left the factory. To hear the SINGLEPROGRAMs (and gain an initial impression ofthe possibilities your new instrument has to of-fer in terms of sounds), rst make sure yourMIDI source is sending on MIDI Channel 1.

Press the SINGLE button. A number, a letter,number and name appear in the display. Theseindicate the the MIDI Channel, the current Pro-gram Bank (A to D or A to H) as well as thenumber and name of the current sound pro-gram.

í Now if you play notes you should be able to hear this sound and a ≤ note (the round dot at the end of the note staff is solid black) should

appear in the display every time you press a key

and release a key. If you do not hear a sound but you see a half note (blank note head) check to see if you are sending on the wrong MIDIChannel.

Press the VALUE button to call up the 128 sin-gle programs of Bank A in sequence. (The VAL-UE pot is inactive in this operating mode.) Inorder to hear the sound programs in banks B, C

and so on, simply use the PARAMETER/BANKbuttons to step from one program bank to an-

other.

You’ll nd that some sound programs are la-beled with the abbreviations ”INP” or ”VOC”.These use the external audio input as a signalsource for the lter section (INP) or vocoder(VOC). This means that you won’t hear anythinguntil you route an audio signal into the externalaudio inputs.

í Tip: You can trigger a note on the Virus by pressing both the EDIT and SYNC buttons inthe OSCILLATORS section at the same time –this is the AUDITION function, which is espe-cially useful for auditioning sounds when there

is no keyboard connected to the Virus.

Call up each of the 128 programs in Bank A inturn. You can do this either with the VALUEkeys (which simply increment/decrement the

program number), or by holding down the MUL-TI key and scrolling through programs with theVALUE knob. To try out all the other sounds inbanks B to H, simply switch banks with the PA-RAMETER/BANK buttons.

SOFT KNOB 1SINGLEMULTI

UNDO

STORE

MULTISINGLE

16

CHAPTER 4

Introduction



Introduction

SOUND CATEGORIESTo help you nd the type of SINGLE sound youare looking for more quickly, the Virus operatingsystem lets you dene so-called „categories“and save this information together with each ofyour SINGLE sounds.

Available categories are:

Off, Lead, Bass, Pad, Decay, Pluck, Acid, Clas-

sic, Arpeggiator, Effects, Drums, Percussion, In-put , Vocoder, Favour i te1 , Favour i te2 ,Favourite3

Each SINGLE sound can „belong“ to two cate-gories at the same time. Of course the catego-ries of all the presets in Banks C to H are xed,but for sounds in the RAM Banks (A and B) theycan be dened and saved together with theprogram.

To search for sounds in a specic category (inSINGLE or MULTI-SINGLE mode):

Press and hold the SINGLE button. This causesthe currently selected category to appear in thedisplay, and it can be changed by stepping upor down with the Parameter buttons. Havingfound the category you want, do not release theSINGLE button and scroll through the soundsusing the Value buttons. Release the SINGLEbutton when you have found what you are loo-king for. SINGLE sounds which do not belongto the currently selected category are simplyskipped over.

LISTENING TO THE MULTI PRO-GRAMSThe VIRUS not only has the capability of playingSINGLE PROGAMs, but also combinationsconsisting of more than one sound simultane-ously (MIDI Multi Mode). To call up the MULTIPROGRAMs, press the MULTI button and se-

lect these combination programs via the VALUEbutton. The VIRUS features “only” 128 MULTI

PROGRAMs, so you don’t have to switch backand forth between banks they way you just didwhile activating single programs.

The majority of available MULTI PROGRAMscontain sound combinations that are controlledvia a single MIDI channel. In these MULTI PRO-GRAMs, the sounds involved are allocatedside-by-side (split) or on top of one another(layered) on the keyboard. In other MULTI PRO-GRAMs, the sounds are divided up over severalMIDI channels to make it easier to work with asequencer. If you activate a MULTI PROGRAMand hear a single sound only, then you can con-trol this MULTI PROGRAM via several channels.

YOUR FIRST SOUND PROGRAMIf you have never created or changed a soundon a synthesizer, we now have the pleasure ofintroducing you to this fascinating process.

Select the single program “C127 - START -”.Press any key on the connected keyboard. Youshould hear a sound that, for lack of better de-scription, is a bit harsh or biting, but above allcompletely static. It should start immediatelyafter you press a key and sustain indenitely foras long as you hold the key down. As soon asyou release the key, the sound should endabruptly. This sound is not designed to be es-pecially pleasant; it is intended to be as neutralas possible to give you a basis from which youcan begin creating or shaping your own sound.

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The Amplifier Envelope



The Amplifier Envelope

í THE AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE

Long-term exposure to this sound will denitelygrate on your nerves, so let’s get started withchanging it into a signal you might enjoy hear-ing, beginning with the volume characteristics.Locate the section labeled AMPLIFIER at thebottom right of the control feature panel of theVIRUS. Here you can see four pots labeled AT-TACK, DECAY, SUSTAIN and RELEASE, re-spectively.

These controls will help you to dial in volumecharacteristics called an amplier envelope andput an end to the nerve-racking drone that mayremind you of one of those cheesy organs thatyou hear in ‘60s B-movie sound tracks.

Rotate the ATTACK pot while you repeatedly

engage a key to hear the note. The further youturn the pot up, the longer it takes for the soundto achieve maximum volume after the start ofthe note. So you can say ATTACK controls theinitial volume swell of the sound.

Presumably the ATTACK pot was set to a ran-dom position before you made any adjust-

ments. Nevertheless the volume automaticallyincreased to the maximum level before youstarted rotating the pot. The reason for this isthat an ATTACK value of 0 is saved in the soundprogram - START - and this value remains validuntil you determine a new value by adjustingthe position of the pot, even if you turn it everso slightly.

Take a look at the display of the VIRUS to gainan impression of the difference between these

two values. It shows two numeric values whenyou dial a pot: at the left you can see the valuestored in the sound program and at the right,the numeric equivalent to the value determinedby the current position of the pot.

í Always keep in mind that for a programma- ble synthesizer the position of the control fea-ture or pot does not necessarily indicate the

actual value of the given function. The reasonfor this is that when you first activate a sound

program, it will reflect the programmed value.You have to adjust the control feature beforethe programmed value is superseded by the val-ue you determine manually.

Now ddle with the DECAY pot while you re-peatedly press a key to activate a note. Holdthe key down for good while. You will noticethat the volume, once it reaches maximum levelat the end of the ATTACK phase, drops until itreaches a minimum level. The DECAY pot de-termines the speed, or in synthesizer jargon, the

rate at which the volume decreases.However, the DECAY level does not alwaysdrop to the minimum level; you can determine arandom value between the maximum and mini-mum levels at which the volume remains con-stant. This level in turn is controlled via theSUSTAIN pot.

Whenever the SUSTAIN level is set to maxi-mum, the volume cannot drop during the DE-CAY phase; in other words, in this situation theDECAY pot is ineffective.

í The individual functions of a synthesizer aredesigned to interact; many functions are depen-

dent on other functions. In a number of casesthis means that some functions are subordinate

ATTACK DECAY SUSTAIN RELEASE

12121212

AMPLIFIER

18

CHAPTER 4

Introduction



Introduction

to others, i.e. the effectiveness of a control fea-ture is altered, modified or even negated com-

pletely by other related functions.

The nal pot, RELEASE, determines the speedor rate at which the volume decreases whenyou release the key: At low values the soundends relatively abruptly, at high values, thesound fades out more gradually and softly. Thelength of the RELEASE phase also depends onwhich level the amplier curve is at when yourelease the key: The lower the level, the shorterthe RELEASE phase. If you dialed in a brief DE-CAY or SUSTAIN-TIME phase and it endedwhile you held the key down then of coursethere will not be an audible RELEASE phase.

The amplier envelope can be described as a

variable curve which, depending on the typeand duration of attack, hold and release data,automatically inuences an imaginary volumepot (turns it up or down). At the beginning of thenote, ATTACK controls the rise or rate of in-crease to the maximum level. Once the maxi-mum level is achieved, DECAY determines thefall or rate of decrease to the SUSTAIN value,

which is innitely variable between the mini-mum and maximum levels. The amplier enve-lope may remain at this value until the end ofthe note, fall towards the minimum level as de-termined by the variable TIME value, or evenrise again towards the maximum level. After theend of the note, RELEASE controls the fall orrate of decrease to the minimum level. Conse-quently, the control pots labeled ATTACK, DE-CAY, TIME and RELEASE control a speed orrate, where as SUSTAIN actually controls a lev-el.

í THE FIRST FILTER

Now we will take a look at a component of asynthesizer that is generally regarded as themost important functional unit as it enablesdrastic sound shaping measures: the lter - orin the case of the VIRUS, the two lters.

But rst we will concentrate on just one of thetwo lters.

Locate the Cutoff pot (not to be confused withCutoff 2!) in the section labeled FILTERS, direct-

ly above the section labeled AMPLIFIER. Rotatethe pot to the left and right and note how thesound becomes muddier and clearer in re-sponse to the direction in which you turn thepot. (To ensure this effect and the following au-ral experiments are most pronounced, adjustthe amplier envelope so that the VIRUS gener-ates a constant level while you hold a keydown).

This is how a low pass lter works: it suppress-es, or in technical jargon, attenuates the higherfrequencies in a signal and allows the lower fre-quencies through. Think of the Cutoff pot as abouncer and the VIRUS as your pub. You cantell it which frequencies to let in and which fre-quencies to keep out. The frequencies above

the so-called cutoff or lter frequency are sup-pressed, those below it remain unaffected.

-100% 100%

1+2

FILTER BALANCECUTOFF RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT

CUTOFF 2 SELECTMODEFILT 1 FILT 2EDIT

BP

BS

HP

LP

FILT 2FILT 1

12 12

FILTERS

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19

Filter Modulation



Now locate the FILT 1 MODE switch, which isalso located in the FILTERS section. It enables

you to select a lter operating mode from thefour available options:

- LP the low pass lter we have just discussed.

- HP the high pass lter which works in the op-posite manner of the low pass lter: It sup-presses the lower frequencies in a signal andlets the higher frequencies pass.

- BP the band pass lter which suppressesboth ends of the tonal spectrum and allowsonly a narrowly dened bandwidth of theoriginal sound to pass.

- BS The band stop lter, band reject lter ornotch lter which works in the opposite man-ner of the bandpass lter. It allows all of thefrequencies of a signal except for a narrowfrequency band around the cutoff to pass.The term “notch” is fairly descriptive; youmight say this lter chops a notch out of thesound spectrum.

Now activate the different operating modes androtate the Cutoff pot to get a feel for the wayeach ltering option works.

Along with the Cutoff pot, the RESONANCE potis the most important control feature of a lter.The lter resonance increases the volume of thefrequencies located near the cutoff frequenciesand suppresses the more remote frequencies.This sound shaping feature has a striking effect- especially when used in conjunction with thelow pass lter: it produces a nasal or honkingtype of tone which increases as you turn the

resonance up. Experiment by varying the RES-ONANCE setting in the different operating

modes in conjunction with different Cutoff set-tings. You will nd the effect that the RESO-NANCE pot achieves is markedly different forthe band stop lter in comparison to the effect ithas on the other lter types: as the resonanceincreases, the bandwidth of the notch decreas-es; in other words more frequencies on bothsides of the lter frequency are allowed to pass.

í FILTER MODULATION

Of course we don’t want to require you to exe-cute every sound modication manually bytwiddling pots. All kinds of sound modicationsin the VIRUS can be executed automaticallymuch in the way of your previous experimentswith the volume controls: The amplier enve-lope can be described as a variable curvewhich, depending on the type and duration of

attack, hold and release data, automatically in-uences (turns it up or down) an imaginary vol-ume pot.

Similar procedures are applicable to the lterfrequencies. The FILTERS section features itsown envelope, the structure of which is identi-cal to the amplier envelope, located directlyabove the amplier envelope on the control fea-ture panel. Much like the amplier envelope, thelter envelope automatically “rotates” the Cutoffpot.

However there is one signicant difference be-tween the two envelopes. With the amplier en-velope, you are always dealing with an initialvolume level of 0 because of course you want

absolute silence prior to the beginning of anote. After the RELEASE phase, it is again

SELECTMODEFILT 1 FILT 2EDIT

BP

BS

HP

LP

FILT 2FILT 1

20

CHAPTER 4

Introduction



highly desirable that your box is silent. With thelter envelope, the situation is somewhat differ-

ent: It always starts at the Cutoff value that youdetermined manually. And it is denitely not al-ways desirable that the lter frequency isbrought to the maximum level.

Consequently, you need a tool that limits the ef-fective range of the lter. This is why weequipped the VIRUS with a control labeled ENV

AMOUNT (short for Envelope Amount). Whenthe pot is turned counter-clockwise to the farleft, the lter has no effect on the cutoff fre-quency; the further you turn the pot to the right,the greater the effect the lter envelope has onthe lter frequency. The maximum level of theenvelope may lie outside the audible rangewhen the lter has already been partiallyopened via the Cutoff pot or was manipulated

via other control options. In extreme caseswhere the lter is already completely open, thelter frequency cannot be increased regardlessof how high you set the ENV AMOUNT.

Go ahead and spend some experimenting withdifferent ENV AMOUNT, Cutoff and RESO-NANCE settings for the diverse lter operating

modes. Also try varying the settings for the am-plier envelope. You will nd that with just thesefew parameters you are able to come up with avast amount of sound settings. If you areamong the many musicians who are associativelisteners, you might say many of the settingsproduce sounds reminiscent of stringed-instru-ments; some sound picked, plucked orsnapped, others sound bowed.

For your next experiment set the amplier enve-lope so that you hear a constant level when you

press and hold a note. Now deactivate the lterenvelope by setting the ENV AMOUNT to 0. SetFilter-1Filter-1 to low pass mode and decreasethe lter frequency until you just barely hear amuddy signal when you play notes in the mid-range.

Now play a few higher and lower notes. You willnd that the lower notes have a greater over-tone content, whereas the higher notes soundmuddier and their volume decreases until thenotes are completely inaudible. You might al-ready suspect what this is all about: As thenotes are transposed ever lower, more portionsof the signal fall below the cutoff frequency,whereas with the notes that are transposed ev-er higher, more portions of the signal rise above

the cutoff frequency and subsequently are sup-pressed until the root note and the last audibleportion of the signal is silenced.

To avoid this effect - or if desirable, to amplify it- you have the option of inuencing the cutofffrequency via the pitch of the note, i.e. the notenumber. The degree of inuence is determinedby the KEY FOLLOW. You nd this parameterwithin the Filter Edit menu.

Please note that KEY FOLLOW is a so-calledbipolar parameter: Its control range is not limit-ed to the positive end of the spectrum (0 to amaximum of 127). Bipolar controls effect nega-tive values as well, in this case from the nega-tive maximum of -64 through 0 an on to thepositive maximum of +63. Consequently, if thispot is set to the center position (12 o’clock or 0)the pitch of the notes corresponding to the keyson your keyboard has no effect on the cutofffrequency. If on the other hand you turn the KEYFOLLOW pot clockwise towards the positivecontrol range, you will nd that the lter opensup increasingly as the pitch increases with high-

er notes. At lower notes, the lter closes downagain. If you turn the pot counter-clockwise to-

-100% 100%

CUTOFF RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT

12 12

ACCESS VIRUS OS5

21

The Saturation Stage



wards the negative control range, the KEYFOLLOW effect is reversed. With the VIRUS,

you will encounter this feature - intensity controlvia a bipolar parameter - again in conjunctionwith other modulation sources and targets.

Now experiment as much as you like with differ-ent KEY FOLLOW settings and tune the set-tings via the Cutoff pot. And remember to bringall of the other parameters you have encoun-tered thus far into play.

í THE SATURATION STAGE

In the signal chain of the VIRUS, Filter-1 is fol-lowed by a saturation stage. It enables you toadd overtones to the ltered signal via distor-tion. Locate and press the button labeled EDITin the FILTERS section.

01111111111111111112

1 SATURATIONCurve Off≤

61111111111111111154

The display will read ”SATURATION CURVEOFF”, which means exactly what it says. Withthe VALUE buttons or the VALUE pot, you can

now select from a number of saturation/distor-tion curves. Next to the distortion curves, theSATURATION stage offers further DSP effectssuch as the shaper, rectier and lter. These areexplained in detail in the section on the SATU-RATION stage.

At this point we would like to mention the OSCVOL pot in the MIXER section. The portion ofthe control range from the far left to the center

position (12 o’clock) determines the volume ofthe lter section’s input signal. The portion of

the control range located to the right of thecenter position (12 o’clock) does not achieveany increase in volume; it simply intensies thedegree of saturation or distortion. This effect isonly achieved when you have activated a satu-ration curve. The intensity of the r emainingavailable DSP effects is also controlled via theOSC VOL knob.

Feel free to experiment with the diverse satura-tion curves and be sure to vary the OSC VOLsettings. Note how the different Cutoff andRESONANCE settings inuence the saturationcurve.

í THE SECOND FILTER

You probably noticed that by a adding a bit ofsaturation to the signal you can come up with apretty heavy, aggressive sound - especially witha low lter frequency level and high resonance.You’re probably thinking these types of soundscould do with some more ltering. We had thesame idea, which is one of the reasons why weequipped the VIRUS with another lter pervoice.

OSC VOL

22

CHAPTER 4

Introduction



The technical design of this second lter isidentical to the rst, so we won’t discuss it in

as much detail as we did the rst lter. Howev-er, there are few differences in how you handlethe second lter:

• Only two control features of the VIRUS are al-located exclusively to Filter-2: Cutoff-2 and FILT2 MODE.

• The RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEYFOLLOW pots can be allocated to either of thetwo lters or both simultaneously. Use the twoSELECT-buttons located at the far right of theFILTERS section to select the desired operatingmode. For instance, if you press the FILT 2 SE-LECT button, then the values you set via theRESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEY FOL-LOW pots apply exclusively to Filter-2. The

corresponding parameters of Filter-1 remain un-affected. On the other hand, if you press bothSELECT buttons at the same time, the valuesthat you dial in apply by the same measure toFilters 1 and 2.

In the sound program we are using for our ex-periments, the LEDs of both buttons are illumi-nated, so that all adjustments to the givenparameters affect both lters. However, youhave yet to actually hear the effect of Filter-2 onthe signal because it is mixed out of the audiblesignal path of the VIRUS.

Before we get started with our next experiment,deactivate SATURATION, set the ENV AMOUNTof the lter envelope to zero and set Cutoff 2 tothe center position (12 o’clock) so that Filter-2always has the same cutoff frequency as Filter-

1 (we’ll explain Cutoff 2 a bit later). Set Cutoff toa medium or middle value and turn the RESO-

NANCE pot counter-clockwise to the far left toachieve a relatively muddy sound. Now locatethe FILTER BALANCE pot at the upper righthand of the control panel and rotate it from theleft to the r ight. You will note the sound be-comes muddier as you turn the pot towards thecenter position (12 o’clock) and that the soundis somewhat brighter at the far right of the con-trol range then at the far left.

The reason for this effect is that when you turnthe FILTER BALANCE pot to the far left, only Fil-ter-1 is audible. When you rotate the pot to theright, Filter-2 is blended in so that it follows Fil-ter-1 in the signal chain. When you turn the FIL-TER BALANCE pot clockwise, Filter-1 isblended out of the signal chain until at the far

right position only Filter-2 is active and audible.

Each lter in the VIRUS normally features 2poles. However in the FILTER ROUTING oper-ating mode SER 6, Filter-1 operates with 4poles, so the signal patched through Filter-1(FILTER BALANCE to the far left) is trimmedmore drastically than when it is routed throughFilter-2 (FILTER BALANCE to the far right).When you set the FILTER BALANCE pot to thecenter position (12 o’clock) - as we mentionedbefore - the two lters are routed in series,which means they respond as if they were a sin-gle lter with 6 poles and consequently a greatdeal of slope. This is why the input signal istrimmed substantially when you set the pot tothis position.

Experiment with the diverse FILTER BALANCEpositions to get a feel for the different degreesof slope. Rotate the Cutoff pot or activate thelter envelope (for both lters!) to hear the ltersin action.

The Cutoff 2 pot is a special feature: It controls

the cutoff frequency of the second lter, but issubordinate to the Cutoff pot located above it.

FILTER BALANCECUTOFF RESONANCE ENV AMOUNT

CUTOFF 2 SELECTMODEFILT 1 FILT 2EDIT

BP

BS

HP

LP

FILT 2FILT 1

ACCESS VIRUS OS5

23

The Second Filter



In other words, at the center position (12o’clock) the manually selected frequency of Fil-

ter-2 is identical to that of Filter-1. When you ro-tate the pot to the left the cutoff frequency levelof Filter-2 is increased relatively to Filter-1,when you turn to pot to the right the cutoff fre-quency level is decreased relatively. Now whenyou adjust the Cutoff pot, you adjust the cutofffrequency of both lters by the same measure!This feature lets you determine a difference invalues in the lter frequencies (called an offset)via the Cutoff2 pot which remains constantwhenever you adjust the Cutoff pot.

Yet another experiment in which you can comeup new ltering characteristics that are typicalof the VIRUS:

Set the FILTER BALANCE pot to the center po-

sition (12 o’clock) and Cutoff 2 to the maximumlevel. The FILTER ROUTING operating modemust remain SER 6. Set Cutoff and RESO-NANCE to a middle value and select a clearlyaudible SATURATION curve.

Now you can lter this complex signal pro-duced by a combination of the saturation stageand the Filter-1 yet again. Rotate the Cutoff 2pot slowly towards the center position (12o’clock). You can hear how Filter-2 graduallymodies the distorted signal. You can set aRESONANCE value for Filter-2 if you press theFILT 2 SELECT button and rotate the RESO-NANCE pot to the desired position. Set the Cut-off 2 pot to a position to the right of the centerposition. This conguration can be describedas a complex non-linear lter set up where thecutoff frequency is controlled via the Cutoff pot.You can dial in a wide range of sound-shapingoption via Cutoff 2. Also try modifying the reso-nances of both lters as well as the SATURA-TION curve to come up with different lteringcharacteristics.

Now experiment with the diverse lter modesand listen closely to the effect of the parame-

ters RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEYFOLLOW in conjunction with the SELECT but-ton. Please also keep in mind that the chancesof choking a sound off are substantially greaterwhen you are using both lters: For instance, ifthe rst lter is used as a low pass with a lowcutoff frequency and the second as a high passwith a high cutoff frequency, the VIRUS will notgenerate an audible signal when you set theFILTER BALANCE pot to the center position (12o’clock).

24

CHAPTER 4

Introduction



í FILTER ROUTING

The nal parameter we’ll discuss for the timebeing is FILTER ROUTING. This feature offersseveral lter routing options which allow you tooperate the lters in series, i.e. patch one afterthe other in the signal chain, or in parallel, whichmeans side by side in the signal chain:

- SER-4 The lters are switched in series; withtwo poles each (12dB/Okt.), both lters havethe same slope for a total of four lter poles(24dB/Okt.).

- SER-6 The lters are switched in series; Fil-ter-1 has four poles (24dB/Okt.), Filter-2 hastwo poles (12dB/Okt.) so the overall slope isequivalent to six poles (36dB/Okt.).

- PAR-4 The lters are switched in parallel andfeature two poles each (12dB/Okt.).

- SPLIT The lters are switched in parallel andfeature two poles each (12dB/Okt.). Addition-ally, they receive independent input signals(more on this later). Each of the two oscilla-tors routes its signal into one of the two lters

whose signals can be spread in the panoramavia a parameter called UNISON Pan Spread.

í Regardless of which FILTER ROUTING op-tion you chose, the SATURATION stage is al-ways post-Filter-1, i.e. after Filter in the signal chain.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 25The First Oscillator



í THE FIRST OSCILLATOR

To this point, we have turned our attention ex-clusively to sound-shaping functions and havealways started with the same basic material: aso-called sawtooth wave. This waveshape isespecially well-suited as a neutral starting pointas it contains all of the so-called natural scale ofovertones, which give the lter plenty of qualitymaterial to work with.

The lters, with the exception of a notch lter orband stop (BS), trim the far reaches of the tonalspectrum, so for instance a signal sounds mud-dier after it has been routed through a low passlter. You can well imagine that this type ofsound modication is substantial but insuf-cient for shaping more subtle differences intone. For instance the tone of a trumpet differssignicantly from that of a saxophone eventhough no one would seriously claim that eitherof the instruments has a muddier tone than the

other.

26 CHAPTER 4Introduction



What you need is a sound-shaping option forthe portion of a signal that a lter allows to

pass. And of course you also need a tool for de-termining the pitch of a signal. In synthesizers,both of these tasks are executed by oscillators.They oscillate at a variable pitch that can bemodulated and they also generate differentwaveshapes which give the lters a wider varie-ty of material to work with.

The VIRUS is has two main oscillators and a so-called suboscillator. Let‘s take a look at Oscilla-tor 1, the one you have already heard in actionduring your experiments so far:

Start with the same basic sound you used atthe very beginning. Now modify the amplierenvelope to make the sound less grating, buthold back on any other lter or saturation modi-

cations for the moment so you can hear thepure, unadulterated oscillator.

Oscillator 1, the one you have already heard inaction during your experiments so far:

Start with the same basic sound you used atthe very beginning. Now modify the amplierenvelope to make the sound less grating, buthold back on any other lter or saturation modi-cations for the moment so you can hear thepure, unadulterated oscillator.

Press the OSC 1 button in the OSCILLATORSsection to enter the edit pages for oscillator 1.Directly above this button are the SHAPE andWAVE SEL/PW controls which determine the

waveform and therefore the basic sound of os-cillator 1. The SHAPE parameter is currently setto the exact center (value 64), and if you look atthe panel directly above the SHAPE conrol, youwill see a symbol representing a sawtoothwave.

You can denitely see why this waveshapebears the name “sawtooth.” Press and hold akey and slowly turn the pot clockwise. Youshould be able to hear how the tone becomesincreasingly more hollow-sounding. You mightsay this effect thins the sound out, but in anycase, the entire tonal spectrum is affected by anequal measure, which is an audio result ltersare unable to achieve.

The waveshape that is audible when you turnthe SHAPE pot to the far right is a so-calledpulse wave. The graphical representation of thiswaveshape on the control panel gives you agood idea of its appearance. It is unique be-

cause the duration of the negative pulse isequal to the duration of the positive pulse: It hasa so-called pulse width of 50%. The tone of apulse wave is different to that of a sawtoothwave because it does not contain all overtonesin the natural overtone scale, only the odd-numbered tones, i.e. the rst (the root note thatdetermines the pitch), third, fth, and so forth.By turning the SHAPE pot from the sawtoothcontrol range towards the pulse control range,you are actually dialing every other overtone outof the mix, which explains why the sound be-comes thinner.

You can continue modifying the sound by re-ducing the symmetrical width of the pulsewave. In the VIRUS, you can execute this

sound-shaping measure via the WAVE SEL/PW

48 48

DETUNE 2 / 3SHAPE / PWWAVE SEL SEMITONE

FM AMOUNTEDIT SYNC SELECT

OSC 3OSC 2OSC 1

12 12

12

OSC 3ON

WAVE

OSCILLATORS

AUDITION

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 27The Second Oscillator



(PW = pulse width) pot, PROVIDED THE SHAPEPOT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE RIGHT

HALF OF ITS CONTROL RANGE (LATER THAN12 O’CLOCK). Rotate the WAVE SEL/PW potslowly from the left to the right and leave theSHAPE pot at the far right position. You canhear how the treble content of the sound in-creases while the sound becomes ever thinner.

At the far right position, the signal is no longeraudible because the pulse width is equivalent to0% and consequently the wave no longer oscil-lates.

Starting at the center position (12 o’clock) indi-cated by the sawtooth, turn the SHAPE potcounter-clockwise towards the left. You canhear how the overtones are increasingly mixedout of the signal until you can only hear the rootnote. This sound is produced by a so-called

sine wave, one of 64 other waveshapes thatyou have at your disposal for sound generationpurposes. These waveshapes can also be acti-vated via WAVE SEL/PW (WAVE SEL: Wave Se-lect), PROVIDED THE SHAPE POT IS SET TO A POSITION IN THE LEFT HALF OF ITS CON-TROL RANGE (EARLIER THAN 12 O’CLOCK).Regardless of the current SHAPE setting, youcan also select a wave in the EDIT menu underOSCILLATOR 1 WAVE.

Go ahead and check out the different wave-shapes. The second of the 64 waves is a trian-gle wave, the remainder of the waveshapes areeach a unique tonal blend. After you have famil-iarized yourself with this raw material, experi-ment with the parameters of the FILTERS and

AMPLIFIER sections you have dealt with thusfar (don’t forget about SATURATION and thecorresponding function of the OSC VOL pot), toget a feel for how the diverse waveshapes re-spond to ltering, saturation and amplier mod-ications.

í THE SECOND OSCILLATOR

As already mentioned above, the Virus has asecond oscillator (as well as several other basicsound sources which will be described later inthis manual). Press the OSC 2 button in the OS-CILLATORS section to enter the edit pages forthe oscillator 2. The controls in this section nowapply to oscillator 2 only – oscillator 1 parame-

ters cannot be changed now (although the os-cillator can still be heard).

Dial in the basic sound program that you had atthe very beginning; change the amplier enve-lope to suit your taste. In the sound program,the OSC BAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in theMIXER section is preset to the far left. In orderto hear Oscillator 2 in action, rotate the OSCBAL (Oscillator Balance) pot in the MIXER sec-tion to the right. Towards the center position (12o’clock) you will hear how the tone is modiedand as you rotate the pot further to the right,how the intensity of this modication is re-duced. This effect is known as the comb lter-ing effect. It occurs when two signals with thesame frequency but different phase lengths aremixed. Press the same key on your keyboardseveral times with the OSC BAL set to the cent-er position (12 o’clock). You should notice thateach note has a slightly different tone. The os-cillators are the source of this effect. The oscil-la tors of the VIRUS osc i l la te f ree ly,consequently every time you play a note, thephase constellation between the two oscillators

is different. For now, leave the OSC BAL POT atthe center position (12 o’clock).

You are already familiar with Oscillator 1’sSHAPE and WAVE SEL/PW pots. These func-tions are identical for Oscillator 2, so we won’tgo into detail on them again.




Locate the pot labeled DETUNE and slowly ro-tate it to the right from the far left position(which is preset in the sound program). You canhear the tone start to waver and as you turn thepot further to the right, how this vibrato effectincreases until Oscillator 2 sounds distinctly outof tune with Oscillator 1. This wavering or vibra-to-type effect has a popular traditional in syn-thesizers. It is used to achieve chorus effects,create sounds reminiscent of stringed instru-ments/ string sections or simply beef up thesound.

The SEMITONE pot enables you to transposeOscillator 2 by plus/minus four octaves in semi-

tone steps while Oscillator 1 maintains thepitch. This feature is especially interesting whenused in conjunction with two other oscillatorfunctions: synchronization and frequency mod-ulation.

Locate and activate the SYNC button in theOSCILLATORS section (the LED must illumi-nate). The synchronization function forces Os-cillator 2 to restart its wave cycle at the sametime as Oscillator 1 waveshape starts its cycle.The initial effect of this measure is that the wa-vering tone that resulted from detuning andmixing the oscillator signals disappears.

The SYNC effect really becomes interestingwhen you transpose Oscillator 2 upwards in

comparison to Oscillator 1 via the SEMITONE

pot. What happens is that the wave cycle of Os-cillator 2 is interrupted as soon as Oscillator 1

starts its cycle. The pitch of the second oscilla-tor no longer has the expected effect, instead itgenerates special tones, in some cases for lackof a better description “screaming” type effects.

The other effect that benets from manipulatingthe interval between the oscillators is frequencymodulation (FM). It generates new tonal spectrain which the signal of the rst oscillator controlsthe frequency of the second oscillator similar tothe manner in which lters can be controlled viaenvelopes. And here too you have a pot whichallows you to control the intensity of: FM

AMOUNT. Basically, this effect is similar to a vi-brato, although here you’re dealing with an ex-tremely fast vibrato featuring a frequency withinthe range of human hearing. This signal is not

actually audible as a vibrato effect. Instead,you’ll hear a sound modulation, in some cases,a very drastic one at that. Choose the pure sinewaveshape for Oscillator 2. In conjunction withthe sine wave, the frequency modulation gener-ates very clear, in some cases bell-like, spectra.

In the VIRUS you have the option of combiningthe two functions called oscillator synchroniza-tion (SYNC) and frequency modulation (FM

AMOUNT, to generate new harmonic spectra.Switch SYNC on and experiment with the FM

AMOUNT. Also try out different SEMITONE set-tings and the diverse waveshapes of Oscilla-tor.The VIRUS is equipped with a third masteroscillator that lets you create further oscillationsand spectra. You can access the parameters of

this oscillator, which are described in a laterchapter, via the OSCILLATOR EDIT menu.

48 48



OSC 3OSC 2OSC 1

12 12

12

OSC 3ON

WAVE

OSCILLATORS

AUDITION

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 29The Third Oscillator



í THE THIRD OSCILLATOR

The VIRUS also has a third main oscillator,which can be used to add more movement andbody to the sound. Oscillator 3 is activated us-ing the OSC 3 ON key, and its parameters be-come available after pressing the OSC 3selection button.

Although the oscillator 3 parameters are no dif-ferent from oscillators 1 and 2, there is onething you should keep in mind. Because mostsounds only require two oscillators, the thirdoscillator has been made optional, i.e. it has tobe switched on whenever necessary.

Oscillator 3 takes a certain amount of comput-ing power, and the trade-off is a reduction of themaximum polyphony: Playing a note using os-cillator 3 uses up about an extra third of a voicefrom the available polyphony. In other words:Playing a three-voice chord using a soundwhich includes oscillator 3 would use up four(and not three) of the available voices.

í THE MIXER SECTION

You have already come across two parameters

of the MIXER section: OSC BAL determines themix ratio between Oscillators 1 and 2; in the lefthalf of its control range, OSC VOL determinesthe master volume of the oscillator mix. In theright half of the control range from the centerposition to the far right, OSC VOL increases thesaturation intensity when a SATURATION curvehas been activated.

Now we’ll take a closer look at the nal controlelement, the SUB OSC pot: It controls the vol-

ume of the fourth oscillator, the so-called Sub-Oscillator, which always operates an octavebelow Oscillator 1.

The SubOscillator is mixed to the Oscillator 1and 2 master mix signal as determined by theOSC BAL pot. The master volume of the com-posite mix is controlled by the OSC VOL pot.The only other parameter available for the Sub-Oscillator is accessible via the OSCILLATOREDIT menu where you have the option of select-ing a triangle or pulse waveshape (SUB OSCIL-LATOR WAVE SQUARE/TRIANGLE).

The NOISE control determines the level of an-other basic audio source – the noise generator.The other parameter belonging to the noise

generator is its color, which can be set in themenu via NOISE Color in the OSCILLATOR-ED-IT menu. In the central position (+0), the noisegenerator produces so-called „white noise“which includes all frequencies at an equal level.Please note that, unlike the other oscillators,noise level is not affected by OSC VOL – it iseven audible when this is turned down to zero.

The fth control in the mixer section determinesthe level of the Ring Modulator. This is not con-sidered one of the basic sound source, but isthe result of muliplying the output of oscillators1 and 2. Ring modulation can create interestingenharmonic sounds which are highly dependantupon the frequency ratio between the two oscil-lators (adjustable via e.g. OSC 2 SEMITONE) as

well as the waveforms (e.g. use two sine wavesfor pure bell-like tones).

To blend in the ring modulator use EDIT: RING-MODULATOR VOLUME (in OSCILLATOR EDITMenu). If the RINGMODULATOR VOLUME iszero, the ring modulator is switched off. OSCVOL does not affect the ring modulator level (orindeed the noise volume). Therefore the originaloscillator signal can be leveled independently of




the ring modulator. Be sure to check out whatthe ring modulator does when you select a sine

wave for Oscillator 1 and 2.Now we can go on and solve the mysteries ofthe signal ow as determined by the FILTERROUTING operating mode SPLIT: Here Oscilla-tor 1 and the SubOscillator are routed to Filter-1, whereas Oscillator 2 and the Noise Generatorare routed to Filter-2. Although the soundsources are split into two signal paths, you canstill control the volume levels of the different el-ements as well as OSC VOL in the usual man-ner.

í THE LFOS

When you rst started this series of experi-ments with sounds, we promised that many ofthe functions the VIRUS can be “programmed”so that they are executed automatically. Youhave already learned how to control the volumeand cutoff frequencies of both lters as well asthe pitch and intensity of the frequency modula-tion of Oscillator 2 via “preprogrammed” enve-lopes. These options are great, but you havealready encountered a number of functionswhere it would be a helpful if you could alsoprogram them to be executed automatically.

And of course envelopes are great modulation

sources, but you have to play a note every timeyou want to initiate an envelope. During yourexperiments you probably came across a func-tion or two you would like to be able to controlperiodically - independently of notes. Somefeatures that come to mind are traditional tech-niques such as vibrato (periodic pitch control)and tremolo (periodic volume control). Anotheroption you might like to have at your disposal israndom parameter control.

In the VIRUS, both of these tasks are executedby a so-called LFO (low frequency oscillator)

that oscillates at frequencies below the audiblerange. An LFO is similar to the oscillators youhave encountered thus far, but it oscillates sig-nicantly slower so that its output signal is toolow for human hearing. So what good are they ifyou can’t hear them? LFOs are used in muchthe same manner as envelopes, with the majordifference that the are repeated indenitely.

For our next experiment, you should recall ei-ther the basic sound you have always startedwith so far, or a version you have already editedand saved. Look for the RATE control in theLFOS/MOD section. To the left of this knob isan LED, which should be ashing in time withthe LFO 1 (the currently selected LFO – see be-low). Turn the RATE control and see the speed

of the LED changing. The buttons to the right ofthe RATE knob are used for selecting LFOwaveforms.

The controls in the LFOS/MOD section only ap-ply to the currently selected LFO (like in the OS-CILLATORS section), and you can switch LFOsusing the SELECT button in the top lefthandcorner of this section. When LFO 3 is selected,the LED to the right of the RATE control ashesin time with LFO 3, otherwise it show the rate ofLFO 2

LFO 1Start with the usual basic sound conguration

or chose a modied sound to suit your taste.Locate the RATE pot in the LFO 1 section of thecontrol panel. The RATE pot is equipped withan LED that indicates the speed of the LFO aswell as its waveshape. Turn the RATE pot andcheck out how the ash of the LED indicatesthe change of pace as you rotate the pot.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 31The LFOs



í Once you have pressed the lower SELECT- button button, you can scroll forwards or back-

wards through the available modulation destina-tions with the PARAMETER buttons. When theEDIT key in this section is held down, modula-tion destinations can be selected by turning theSELECT control.

Currently you are unable to hear the effect ofthe LFO as its modulation intensity is set to 0 inthe sound program. In order to change this set-ting, you must access the second SELECT but-ton which works in conjunction with vevertically arrayed LEDs labeled OSC 1, OSC 2,PW 1+2, RESO 1+2, FILTER GAIN and ASSIGN:Press the SELECT button repeatedly and ob-serve how the LEDs ash in succession (theLEDs OSC 1 and OSC 2 ash separately as well

as in unison). The corresponding modulationtargets appear in the display, along with themodulation intensity values as determined bythe VALUE pot and VALUE buttons. (You can al-so scroll through the modulation targets via thePARAMETER button after you have pressed theSELECT button once.) Once you have dialed ina value other than 0 for a modulation target, thecorresponding LED illuminates continually. Thisfeature tells you at a glance that a modulation isunderway even when the display indicatessome other type of operation.

HERE ARE THE DEFINITIONS FOR THEMODULATION TARGETS:

- OSC-1 refers to the frequency of oscillator 1- OSC-2 refers to the frequency of oscillator 2

- PW 1+2 means that the pulse widths of bothoscillators are controlled in unison

- RESO 1+2 refers to the resonances of bothlters. Please keep in mind that althougheach set of these parameters is assigned acommon modulation intensity, you can still di-

al in different sound-shaping settings manual-ly. In other words, the audible result of a joint

modulation varies according to the valuesyou have determined for the other parame-ters.

- FILTER GAINThis is the level of signal en-tering the lter section and therefore inuenc-es the subsequent sa tura t ion s tage .Modulating FILT GAIN therefore causes a pe-riodic change in saturation as well as a tremo-

lo i.e. a periodic change in volume. If thesaturation stage is not used, you will onlyhear tremolo. The position within the signalchain (at the input of the lter section) hasbeen deliberately chosen so that both the vol-ume and the amount of distortion can bemodulated by the same source, as is oftenthe case in electromagnetic instruments. Al-so, rapid LFO movements cause sharp im-pulses (transients) within the oscillator signal,which can be used to excite lter resonance.Filter resonance always dies away freely, asthe lter input is affected by modulating FILTGAIN, not its output.

- ASSIGN Here you can freely select any mod-ulation destination.

Modulate these ve parameters separately andin combinations with different intensities. Try toanticipate the sound you will come up withwhen you modulate the rst oscillator, the sec-ond oscillator or both oscillators at once andsee if the results match your expectations. Ifyou can fairly reliably predict the outcome ofyour sound-shaping efforts, you should have ahandle on the information discussed thus farand can use your knowledge to create specicsounds you have in mind.

During the course of your experiments, it is en-tirely possible that you have generated modula-tions that have no effect whatsoever on the

sound, for instance if you modulate the fre-quency of Oscillator 2 although it is dialed out




of the oscillator mix. When you run into thistype of problem, check out the signal routing, ifany congurations conict with each other andmemorize the situation, problem and solution. Ifyou make a habit out of this, you won’t panicwhen you run into similar situations; insteadyou’ll keep your cool, analyze the unexpectedsound and x the mix.

You are currently using a triangle as the LFOwaveshape. You shouldn’t have any problemassociating the periodic up and down uctua-tion of the target parameter with this wave-shape. Now activate the other availablewaveshapes for LFO 1 and try to picture the re-spective waveshape and associate it with theresults of the modulation.

The third waveshape is a descending sawtooth

wave. You can convert it into to an ascendingsawtooth by simply dialing in the requisite neg-ative modulation intensities (AMOUNT).

In the WAVE setting, you have access to 64LFO waveshapes. Select these in the displaysection using the VALUE buttons:

- S&H (Sample and Hold) is a structured ran-dom modulation. Here random modulationvalues are generated. The value is held untilthe next beat impulse, then it abruptly jumpsto a new random value.

- S&G (Sample and Glide) is a continual ran-dom modulation. Here the random valuesglide seamlessly into one another, the rate ofwhich is determined by random modulation ofthe RATE value.

The following 62 waveshapes are identical tothe oscillator section’s digital waves. These canbe used to create interesting rhythmic effects.

Continued your experiments with different LFOwaveshapes. Note that after a while you nolonger consciously hear minimal modulation in-tensities - depending on the waveshape andmodulation target (e.g. S&G +1 on OSC 1 or 2).However they do pep up the sound of lend it acertain vitality. The key to many great soundsare these types of minimal modulations.

You may have gathered that the LFOs of the VI-RUS are polyphonic:If several notes are played simultaneously,these are controlled by dedicated LFOs, eachwith a slightly varied rate. This effect livens upthe sound of chords, especially when they aresustained. To enhance this effect, activate theLFO 1 KEY FOLLOW in the LFO-EDIT-Menu.

This function enables you to control the rate of

the LFOs via the pitch, or more accurately, viathe MIDI note number, so that higher notes gen-erate faster LFO rates. As result, when youpress and hold several notes you will hear allkinds of substantially different periodic uctua-tions.

Finally, the LFOs can also be used as additionalenvelopes. The control feature for this effect isthe ENV MODE button. When you press thisbutton, two things occur: For one, the LFO nolonger initiates its cycles periodically, but onlyonce at and in sync with the start of a note, andfor the other, the active range of the LFO isswitched from bipolar (in both directions fromthe zero position) to unipolar (from zero in onedirection only). Please note that this applies to

the modulation target but not the modulation in-tensity. Here you can still determine a value inthe entire bipolar range.

This effect is especially prominent when used inconjunction with the sawtooth wave, which en-ables a fade-out type of effect (when you dial ina positive AMOUNT value) or a volume-swelltype of effect (negative AMOUNT) for the availa-ble modulation targets. Using the LFO Curve

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 33The MOD Section



parameter located in the LFO EDIT menu, youcan have the ”ramp” rise or fall exponentially. Ifyou choose a triangle for your waveshape, thedevice will generate an ascending phase (at-tack) and a descending phase (decay). LFOCurve also lets you determine the temporal re-lationship between attack and decay; in otherwords, their respective rates.. Dial in the desiredspeed via the RATE pot.

You can also use S&H and S&G in ENV MODEto come up with some attractive results: S&Hgenerates a single random value at the start ofa note (in this case, the RATE pot has no effect);S&G works in the same manner although in thiscase the RATE value is crucial. It determines theamount of time it takes to glide from the previ-ous to the new random value.

í THE MOD SECTION

You may have noticed that, apart from the threeLFOs, an entry called MOD also appears as anoption when you press the Select button. Thisgives you access to the Virus modulation ma-trix. The six ASSIGN entries (selectable via theSELECT button) represent six freely denablemodulation connections. After you have select-ed one of them, you can set the modulationsource, destination and intensity in the menu.

To maintain compatibility with previous Virusmodels, ASSIGN 2 has two destinations and

ASSIGN 3 has three. Each of the other AS-SIGNs have only a single modulation destina-tion.

Please note: When MOD is selected instead ofan LFO, the RATE knob will always control LFO1 by default.

í SOFT KNOB 1/2

These are the two freely assignable controls.The destination of these controls can be de-ned within the Edit menu (SOFT KNOB 1/2MODE). There are two parameters, one globaland one local i.e. applying only to the currentSINGLE program (which will override the globaldenition if dened). SOFT KNOB 2 doubles as

a value control, and therefore only works as aSOFT KNOB when the Virus is in Play mode i.e.no Edit menu is selected. For each SOFTKNOB, you can choose a short description froma list in the menu, and this will be saved as partof the SINGLE program. In Play mode, this willappear in the display – to remind you of whateach SOFT KNOB does when you are playingyour Virus.

(see “The SOFT Knobs (Controls)” on page 49).

EDIT

AMOUNT

ASSIGN 1

ASSIGN 4

2 / 3

ASSIGN 2

ASSIGN 5

ASSIGN 3

ASSIGN 6

MOD

FILTER 2

PW 2

PAN

ASSIGN

SYNCPHASE

SHAPE 1+2

OSC 1

FM AMT

OSC 2

FILTER 1

PW 1

OSC 1

OSC 2

PW 1+2

RESO 1+2

FILT GAIN

ASSIGN

12

SELECT

WAVE

LFOS / MOD

MOD

LFO 1

LFO2

LFO3

RATE SHAPE




í VOLUME AND PANORAMA POSITION

You probably noticed that the many of thesound shaping options available in the VIRUSoccasionally inuence the volume level. For in-stance, an unltered sawtooth is naturally loud-er than a highly ltered sawtooth becausewhenever you blend a part of the frequencyspectrum out of the mix, you are automaticallyreducing the overall volume of the signal. This iswhy the VIRUS is equipped with a programma-ble volume pot for each SINGLE PROGRAM. Itenables you to balance out the volume levels ofyour sound programs.

Locate the parameter PATCH VOLUME in the

COMMON section of the EDIT menu.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONPatchVolume 100≤

61111111111111111154

Its value is set to 100 so that you have a reserveor headroom of 27 volume increments whenyou are dealing with highly ltered sounds.

You have already dealt with the Panorama posi-tion as a modulation target of LFO 2. Here youcan not only modulate it, but also determinesettings manually. For this purpose, use the pa-rameter PANORAMA which is also located inthe OUTPUT section of the EDIT menu. Likemany other parameters, Panorama is a startingpoint for modulations. For instance you canmodulate the Panorama position via LFO 2even if you have already set the Panorama tothe far left position. In this case of course youwill only hear the Panorama position shift to theright.

í VELOCITY

Velocity is one of the preferred modulationsources of keyboard players: A light key attackgenerates a low velocity value for the givennote, a heavy touch generates a high velocityvalue. In the VIRUS you have ten modulationtargets available for Velocity. Locate the VE-LOCITY section in the EDIT menu.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYOsc1Shape +0≤

61111111111111111154

There you will nd the modulation intensities

for:

which you can manipulate independently of oneanother in the familiar bipolar control range.

A light key attack generates a low velocity valuefor the given note, a heavy touch generates ahigh velocity value.

OSC 1 SHAPEOSC 2 SHAPEPULSE WIDTHFM AMOUNTFILT 1 ENV AMTFILT 2 ENV AMTRESONANCE 1RESONANCE 2VOLUMEPANORAMA

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 35Unison Mode



í UNISON MODE

When we talked about the oscillators, we men-tioned that by subtly detuning signals, you canbeef up sounds and achieve string-like sounds.The VIRUS is equipped with features that allowyou to take this type of tonal manipulation astep further. On of these is the so-called UNI-SON MODE. It enables you to initiate two or

more voices for each note played, which in turnlets you detune many oscillators. UNISONMODE also offers the option of spreading thevoices generated by one note in the stereo pan-orama and shifting the phases of their LFOs sothat all types of periodic effects can be used toproduce an even more exciting signal.

Locate the parameter group UNISON in the ED-IT menu.

01111111111111111112

1 UNISONMode Twin≤

61111111111111111154

UNISON mode determines how many voicesthe VIRUS will use to render a played note. In anutshell, it determines how ”fat” the sound willbe. You can use the UNISON Detune parameterto determine to which extent the active voicesare detuned. UNISON PanSpread distributesthem uniformly across the stereo panorama, aprocess by which you can also determine thewidth of a sound’s stereo base. When you acti-vate UNISON mode for a sound, it can still beplayed polyphonically. However, depending onthe number of voices you’ve dialed in, its po-lyphony will of course be considerably reducedin UNISON mode. The most efcient and thestandard setting is UNISON mode = Twin,

where two voices are played for every note. Inthe ”OFF” position, one voice per note isplayed.




í THE EFFECTS

At the bottom left of the panel is the effectssection, divided into an EFFECTS and a DELAY/ REVERB block. This gives you access to Distor-tion, Phaser and Chorus effects as well as De-lay and Reverb.

The TYPE/MIX and INTENSITY knobs in the EF-

FECTS block are used to control the distortion,phaser and chorus effects. They always applyto one of the three simultaneous effects only,selectable via the Select button. The followingparameters can be controlled using these twoknobs:

All other effects parameters are dened in themenu by pressing the upper EDIT button.

The lower EDIT button in the DELAY/REVERBsection lets you switch between the Delay andReverb effects. The SEND control determinesthe proportion of the selected effect within thesignal; DELAY/REV TIME controls Delay time or

Reverb decay; FEEDBACK/DAMPING deter-mines the degree of feedback in the Delay sig-nal, or high frequency damping for the Reverb.

If Delay or Reverb are synchronized to theclock, DELAY/REV TIME controls the time ex-pressed as a note value (1/16, 1/8, etc.).

In the next section we are going to take a closerlook at the Virus effects.

DISTORTIONThe Distortion effect is actually a collection ofseveral different algorithms, which are selecta-ble via the TYPE/MIX control:

- OFF No distortion

- LIGHT, SOFT, MIDDLE, HARDFour analogdistortion curves, with differing characteris-tics and intensities.

- DIGITAL Digital distortion with hard clipping.

Shaper. Sine characteristic with multiple wavecycles. Signals sent through the Shaper canbe changed quite drastically; the results areoften similar to the spectra of linear FM (fre-quency modulation).

- RECTIFIER Variable half-wave rectication;input level does not affect the amount of dis-tortion.

- BITREDUCER Variable reduction of the bitdepth; generates digital quantization noise.

Distortion-Effekt:

TYPE/MIX Distortion Curve

INTENSITY Distortion Intensity

Phaser-Effekt

TYPE/MIX Phaser Mix

INTENSITY Feedback

Chorus-Effekt:

TYPE/MIX Chorus Mix

INTENSITY Depth

EDIT SELECT1212

EFFECTS

DIST

TYPE/ MIX

PHA

CHO

INTENSITY

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 37The Effects



- RATEREDUCER Variable reduction of thesampling rate; generates digital aliasing ef-fects.

- LOWPASS 1-pole lowpass lter; gentle re-duction of higher frequencies.

- HIGHPASS 1-pole highpass lter; gentle re-duction of lower frequencies.

The INTENSITY control is used for setting thedegree of distortion (in distortion algorithms) orthe cutoff frequency (in the two lter algo-rithms). INTENSITY ranges from very slight toextreme.

PHASERThe Phaser effect produces resonant (or even

cutting) emphasis on certain frequencies withinthe signal. The frequencies of these resonancesare shifted around the frequency spectrum,causing a distinctive movement in the sound.Tastefully applied, this effect is particularly goodfor pad sounds and for authentic traditionalelectric piano sounds.

The pure Phaser signal is the result of a fre-quency-dependent phase shift together with aslight pitch modulation from the phaser‘s ownLFO. Typical phaser sounds only appear whenthe processed signal is mixed with the dry sig-nal, usually at the same level. The TYPE/MIXcontrol is used to set this balance.

The INTENSITY control changes the level offeedback in the phased signal. Higher feedbacklevels cause higher resonant peaks in the sig-nal. The FEEDBACK parameter is bipolar, be-cause positive and negative feedback havedifferent characteristics.

More phaser parameters can be found in theEDIT menu: RATE and DEPTH control the

speed and intensity of modulation from the

phaser‘s own LFO. The other three parametersaffect the general sound of the phaser: FRE-QUENCY determines the average frequency ofresonant peaks, STAGES is the number of reso-nant peaks and SPREAD is the distance be-tween resonant peaks within the frequencyspectrum.

CHORUS

Chorus has been a popular effect for a longtime, and is often used to make pad sounds(such as synthetic strings) less static. It is actu-ally a pair of short delay lines (usually no longerthan 50 ms) with continuously modulated delaytime via dedicated LFO. This modulation caus-es subtle frequency shifts in the processed sig-nal, which results in a more complex phasingbetween direct and processed signals. Feed-back in the delay line accentuates the Choruseffect, and because the left side of the signal ismodulated in the opposite direction to the rightside, the Chorus effect is capable of creating astereo signal from a mono input.

When the basic delay is extremely short, this ef-fect is called anging. The feedback parameteris especially signicant here, as higher valuescan create dramatic resonances and couldeven be considered an additional signal source.Like in the Phaser, the FEEDBACK parameter isbipolar, because positive and negative feed-back have different characteristics. At higherfeedback levels (negative or positive) it be-comes obvious that the two sides of the signal

are being modulated in opposite directions.The TYPE/MIX control in the EFFECTS sectiondetermines the balance between the direct andprocessed signals. The RATE and SHAPE pa-rameters control the dedicated LFO, and areavailable in the EDIT menu. Two further parame-ters in the menu are DELAY and FEEDBACK.These are used to set the delay time and feed-back level. The INTENSITY control determines




the DEPTH i.e. modulation intensity of the LFO.Please note that signal paths in the Virus Cho-rus/Flanger are stereo throughout: The stereoposition and any panorama modulation or ster-eo spread values are preserved in the proc-essed signal.

DELAY/REVERBThe DELAY/REVERB section is responsible for

two different effects. The SEND control deter-mines the relative amount of effect signal:

The DELAY effect delays the input signal, and isusually used for echoes. The nominal delay timeset by the DELAY/REV-TIME control can bemodulated so that stereo phasing effects canappear. The delay time can be synchronized tothe clock so that echoes will be „in time“ andwill automatically adjust to any tempo changes.There are also several xed-pattern delay algo-rithms, many of which delay the left and rightsides differently i.e. using different note values.Interesting rhythmic patterns can be created byincreading feedback level (via the FEEDBACK/ DAMPING control).

REVERB simulates the effect of the boundariesin real spaces such as living rooms or cathe-drals. There are several parameters here whichgo beyond pure simulation of real spaces. Thepredelay parameter normally found in reverbunits is handled by the DELAY section de-scribed above – DELAY is in front of REVERB inthe signal path. REVERB can be synchronized

to the clock so you can seamlessly integrate theeffect into the rhythmic context of your music.The DELAY/REV TIME control determines thedecay time, and FEEDBACK/DAMPING sets theamount of high frequency damping.

.

í THE ARPEGGIATOR

The ARP section located inconspicuously be-low the main volume control is the Virus ar-peggiator. This section only has an ON/OFF

button and an EDIT button (which opens the ar-peggiator menu).

Arpeggiators break chords into individual notes,which are (usually) played back in succession.However, the Virus arpeggiator offers numerousplayback options including rhythmic repetitionof the unchanged chord. It is a very intuitive aidfor creating original rhythms, melodic sequenc-es, bass lines and much more. Simply switchon the Arpeggiator and try it out! The arpeggia-tor parameters are explained in the Parameterschapter.

í SOUNDDIVER VIRUS

Every Virus which leaves the factory includes acustom version of the software Emagic Sound-Diver. This is a powerful tool for managing

sounds and controlling all Virus parameters

SENDEDIT

1212 12

DELAY / REVERB

DELAY/ REV TIME

FEEDBACK/ DAMPING

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 39More to ComeSoundDiver Virus



from the computer (Mac or PC). Even if you pre-fer to control your Virus with its own knobs andbuttons most of the time, SoundDiver still hasquite a few useful functions and features whichcomplement the Virus user interface very well.

Take for instance SoundDiver’s Memory Man-ager. This can display the entire memory con-tents of the Virus clearly arranged on a singlepage, and has many comfortable functions tohelp you manage all your Single and Multi pro-

grams. For instance SoundDiver lets you dragand drop sounds from one place to another, orrename them etc. etc. These are the kinds of

jobs which are handled much more comfortablyon a computer screen than in the (naturallysmaller) Virus menus.

SoundDiver’s library functions let you build upsound libraries of any size for the Virus, andstore these on your computer’s hard disk. Youcan sort some or all the sounds in a library ac-cording to several criteria, you can search forsounds, audition them and send several librarysounds at the same time to the Virus (via dragand drop) etc. etc. It is even possible to connectseveral Virii to SoundDiver and feed them withsounds from a single, central library. Selectivelyswapping sounds between two Virii could hard-ly be more comfortable.

Double-clicking on a sound in SoundDiver’sMemory Manager loads the sound into an edit-able graphic display of all parameters and val-ues. Although there is nothing in this editor youcannot do on the Virus itself, the attractive on-

screen graphics give you an instant and com-plete overview of all parameters and their val-ues, so this is a practical alternative to the Virususer interface – especially when your unit is notvery accessible (e.g. when built into a 19” rack).

SoundDiver communicates via MIDI with the Vi-rus and requires two-way connections i.e. boththe MIDI INs and OUTs must be connected be-tween the Virus and the computer running the

software. SoundDiver has an integrated Helpsystem, which includes extensive informationabout the program itself as well as about the Vi-rus parameters.

For further information about the full version ofSoundDiver, as well as any questions you mayhave about the program, please contact Emag-ic (www.emagic.de).

í MORE TO COME

We have come to the end of these detailed in-

structions for novices. We hope we were able tohelp you become a bit more familiar with yournew synthesizer and gain some condence inhow to handle it. As we mentioned earlier, this is

just an introduction and does not cover all thefunctions and features of the VIRUS, only thebasic components and how they affect thesound of the VIRUS. You should now be able tocome to terms with the in-depth look at the VI-RUS in the following section.






Concept and Operation

42 CHAPTER 5Concept and Operation



í OPERATING MODES

In the VIRUS you can select from two basic op-erating modes, SINGLE MODE and MULTIMODE.

In SINGLE MODE, the VIRUS is able to gener-ate a single sound program only. All 32 voices,all effects and most importantly, all control fea-

tures (with the exception of the MULTI button)function in conjunction with this one sound pro-gram. You might say a SINGLE program is acombination of all functions and effects that de-termine the sound of the VIRUS. In other words:

A SINGLE program is a ”sound” of the VIRUS,that can be stored and recalled.

The VIRUS provides access to up to 1024 SIN-GLE sounds. Next to the 256 RAM sounds(Bank A and Bank B), you have six banks avail-able with a total of 768 factory sounds. Thesebanks, C-H, are stored in the FLASH ROM andcan not be overwritten via STORE. The upperfour Banks E-H are not loaded by the Factory;instead they have to be loaded by the user. Bythat procedure, the demosong will be overwrit-

ten.The MIDI receive channel in SINGLE MODE isthe Global Channel. You can change the GlobalChannel in the SYSTEM menu.

In MULTI MODE, the VIRUS can combine up tosixteen (SINGLE) sound programs, amongwhich the maximum available number of 32voices are allocated dynamically. All simultane-ously available sounds can be manipulated inreal-time; for this purpose the control panel en-ables you to switch among the sixteen so-called PARTS.

In MULTI MODE, the actual sound parametersare augmented with other functions that deal

with how the involved SINGLE programs are

structured or organized. These include the vol-ume levels of the single programs, their MIDIchannels, output assignments, etc.

THE MULTI-SINGLE MODE Activate MULTI SINGLE mode by pressing theMULTI and SINGLE buttons simultaneously.The name of the selected MULTI program willdisappear and instead you’ll see the name of

the SINGLE program for the selected PART.Now you can page or scroll through the 16PARTs using the PART buttons and select aSINGLE program for every channel. Now youcan process the currently selected PART. You’llalways see the number of the selected PART onthe upper left in the display. The PART buttonsdon’t actually change sounds, they simply setthe user interface of the VIRUS to the desiredPART. Irrespective of the given setting, allPARTs can be controlled simultaneously viaMIDI. Consequently, MULTI SINGLE mode,which makes handling so much easier, is theideal choice when you’re working with a con-nected sequencer.

Please bear in mind that MULTI SINGLE mode

is really just another view of the normal MULTImode. MULTI SINGLE mode doesn’t offer aunique data type for storing sounds, it alwaysworks with the MULTI program currently select-ed in normal MULTI mode. All of the normalMULTI mode parameters (keyboard zones, etc.)remain intact and in force even though youcan’t view or vary them in MULTI SINGLEmode. You can set the device to normal MULTImode at any time by pressing the MULTI but-ton. To return to the MULTI SINGLE mode view,simply press the MULTI and SINGLE buttons si-multaneously.

When you’re working with a sequencer, startwith a MULTI program that features neutral set-tings for its ”administrative” parameters, for ex-ample, the MULTI program M0 Sequencer. Here

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 43Operating Modes

ff



the PART numbers are identical to the MIDIchannels of the PARTs. Now when you work inMULTI SINGLE mode, the VIRUS responds as ifit were in SINGLE mode, except that you have16 sounds available simultaneously on 16 MIDIchannels. Use the PART buttons to select thesesounds.

You only need to exit MULTI SINGLE modewhen you want to store the MULTI program, forexample, to save the current global delay/re-

verb setting. In MULTI mode, these settings arenot stored along with SINGLE sounds.

In addition, you can activate another completeMULTI program in MULTI mode only.

EDIT BUFFERSWhenever you play or edit a SINGLE program,its current data is stored in an edit buffer. This isan individual memory slot for SINGLE programsthat has nothing to do with the memory slots inthe sound banks. When you activate a new

SINGLE, its data is copied to the edit buffer.There you can edit it as you see t while theoriginal remains unchanged in the bank. Whenyou activate STORE (more on this in a bit), thecontent of the edit buffer is copied back to theoriginal slot in the bank (or, if you so desire, toanother memory slot).

In MULTI mode, you have one MULTI edit bufferand 16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs atyour disposal. When you activate another aMULTI program, its data is copied from theMULTI bank to the MULTI edit buffer. The MUL-TI program in turn contains address informationfor the SINGLEs involved, in other words, thebank and program numbers. These addressesare also copied from the SINGLE banks into the16 SINGLE edit buffers for the PARTs.

When you store a MULTI program, only the ad-dresses of the SINGLE programs’ original slotsare saved, but not, however, the sound data inthe 16 SINGLE edit buffers. These must bestored separately in the SINGLE programbanks.

This type of edit buffer is used in most synthe-sizers; its advantages are many:

• It lets you edit copies of sounds without sacri-cing the original sounds.

• Edit buffers can be stored in a sequencer andsent from it to the VIRUS independently of thesounds stored in the device (see “ArrangementDump - The Sound in the Song” on page 145).

• In MULTI-Mode (or MULTI-SINGLE-Mode) thesame SINGLE-program can be recalled and ed-ited on different parts. In this case all involvedEDIT-buffers contain variations of the sameoriginal sound.


UNDO

STORE

MULTISINGLE


GRAM i d I t d ll i l d SIN



í MASTER CLOCK AND MIDI-CLOCK

The VIRUS has a global clock generator whichcan be used to synchronize the LFOs, the ar-peggiators and the delay/reverb effects to acommon tempo. The internal clock generatoreither works at a denable rate or slaves auto-matically to any MIDI clock signal (e.g. from a

sequencer) arriving at the MIDI IN socket. Inter-nal clock speed is controlled by the CLOCKTEMPO parameter, which can be set to any val-ue beween 63 und 190 BPM (Beats Per Minute).Beats are displayed by a dedicated LED to theimmediate left of the UNDO button.

When the device is synchronized via MIDIclock, the clock generator automatically ac-cepts the speed dictated by the connected se-quencer; the internal tempo setting is in thiscase meaningless and thus disabled. The indi-vidual sections of the VIRUS are synced up tothe clock generator at rhythmic intervals suchas 1/16, 1/4 and so forth. These values may beassigned individually for every section. (AR-PEGGIATOR CLOCK, CLOCK LFO 1, CLOCKLFO 2, CLOCK LFO 3, DELAY CLOCK, see therespective sections).

In SINGLE MODE, CLOCK TEMPO pertains tothe current SINGLE PROGRAM and is storedalong with it. In MULTI MODE, the CLOCKTEMPO settings for the involved SINGLE PRO-

GRAMs are ignored. Instead, all involved SIN-GLE PROGRAMs are controlled via the sameclock generator. Its CLOCK TEMPO is saved inthe MULTI PROGRAM (as are the settings forthe global delay effect).

This feature lets you control the LFOs and ar-peggiators of several MULTI PARTS in a com-mon rhythmic context.

í A small “c” will appear in the display whenthe VIRUS is receiving MIDI Clock data. If you’re

sure you do NOT want the device to be syn-chronized automatically to MIDI clock, set MIDICLOCK RX to Off (in the SYSTEM menu).) To

avoid confusion, please keep in mind that MIDIClock is not the same thing as MIDI Time Code.The latter doesn’t deal with tempo at all but withtime-related information structured in hours,

minutes, seconds, etc. which is of no benefit to you in this context.

íHANDLING

PARAMETER SELECTION AND DATA ENTRY In the VIRUS, we distinguished between twotypes of parameters. On the one hand, it fea-tures parameters that are essential in generat-ing or synthesizing sounds, on the other hand ithas sound parameters and organizational pa-rameters that are more of a peripheral nature.This distinction is apparent in handling and op-eration of the VIRUS: All essential sound pa-rameters feature a dedicated knob or button so

TRANSPOSE

-1 +1 +2

PANIC

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 45Handling

that you can access these directly especially If you press the PARAMETER buttons briey



that you can access these directly - especiallywhile you are playing!. In just a few cases thecontrol features have dual functions.

Peripheral parameters, on the other hand, arecompiled in menus. Among these menus areabove all the EDIT main menu in the displaysection as well as the six local EDIT-menus inthe individual function blocks. The EDIT menuscontain parameters that you will require less fre-quently, but some of these are nonetheless in-

dispensable for programming sounds. The localEDIT menus are there for a purpose – to helpyou distinguish clearly between the various pa-rameters. Here you’ll nd parameters that affectdirectly the given functional section, but are notequipped with dedicated control features.

In the SYSTEM menu, you’ll nd – irrespectiveof the given operating mode – a number of glo-bal parameters. These are called MIDI, SYS-TEM and so forth and are not stored with aSINGLE or a MULTI program.

Located next to some of these parameters,you’ll see the abbreviations ”ENA” and ”DIS”.The option ENA means enable and DIS meansdisable.

Call up a menu by simply pressing the corre-sponding button. Once you have opened themenu and it appears in the display, you canscroll through its parameters one after anotherusing the PARAMETER buttons and edit themusing the VALUE buttons and knobs.

If you press the PARAMETER buttons briey,you can scroll through the parameters con-tained in any given menu step by step in the de-sired direction. If you press and hold one of theparameter buttons for a bit longer, the displaywill automatically scroll through the list of pa-rameters in the given menu. When you pressand hold one PARAMETER button and thenpress the other PARAMETER button, the dis-play will scroll through the menu in parametergroups in the direction of the button that you

are holding down. This handy feature lets youswiftly go from one parameter type to another,for instance, from all chorus-related to all delay-related parameters. If you also hold the secondparameter button down, the menus will auto-matically scroll in the selected direction. Onceyou’ve scrolled to the desired parameter group,simply select the desired parameter by pressingthe button briey. You can also step through theparameters by repeatedly pressing the samemenu button.

The menus, particularly the EFFECTS menu,contain parameter groups that are related byvirtue of their function, for instance, all parame-ters that are used to control the phaser. Whenyou switch the phaser off (PHASER Dry/Eff =

OFF), all Phaser parameters are of course irrele-vant and will no longer appear in the menu. Inother words, when the phaser is disabled, youcan’t view its parameters. The reason for this isto make menus clearer and less cluttered.

The VALUE +/- buttons let you change the valueof a parameter in steps. When you hold one ofthese buttons down, the value changes auto-matically and the longer you hold the button,the faster the pace of the value change. Youcan increase this pace even further by pressingand holding one VALUE button and simultane-ously pressing the other VALUE button. If youpress and release both VALUE buttons simulta-neously, the parameter is set to its default value

EDIT GLOBAL / MULTI EDIT

RANDOM


(mostly zero) This pertains to unipolar parame- - ISNAP The modal controls (for instance



(mostly zero). This pertains to unipolar parameters (value range of 0 to 127) as well as bipolarparameters (value range of -64 to +63).

You can also use the VALUE knob to changethe value of the selected parameter. The VALUEknob responds to the KNOB MODE settings asdescribed in the paragraph below.

The triangular icon located next to the parame-ter value indicates in which direction you have

to change a value if you would like to reset theparameter to the value that has been stored todate. The previously stored parameter value aswell as the current value are displayed for pa-rameters that feature a dedicated knob.

KNOB MODES

For all knobs with the exception of MASTERVOLUME, you can select from four operatingmodes in the SYSTEM menu. These are locatedunder the menu item KNOB MODE:

- OFF The knobs are inactive.

- JUMP In Jump Mode, the parameter jumpsdirectly and absolutely to the value deter-mined by the current position of the knob.

- SNAP When you adjust a knob In SnapMode, the original setting determines the val-ue until the point where the movement of theknob passes beyond this position. In otherwords, the parameter does not jump to thevalue as in JUMP Mode. However, keep inmind that your adjustments have no effect onthe parameter until the knob “snaps” on atthe position equivalent to the original value. InSNAP mode, an ® -symbol appears to theright of the number. It indicates in which di-rection the VALUE knob must be turned toexceed the current parameter value.

ISNAP The modal controls (for instancethose whose functions apply to one oscillatoror LFO at a time) will be in SNAP mode,whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode.The iSNAP mode is there to prevent suddenchanges in value after switching over to a dif-ferent oscillator or LFO etc.

- RELATIVEWhen you adjust a knob in RELA-TIVE Mode, the parameter is affected imme-diately but not absolutely. In other words, thevalue change from the original value to thevalue reects precisely the amount you ad-

justed via a given control. Generally this oper-ating mode allows you to adjust a parameterimmediately, without radical jumps. However,the down side is that in an unfavorable con-guration - the worst-case scenario being amaximum parameter value and a knob posi-tion at the minimum value - you do not have

the full control range of the knob at your dis-posal. To counteract this situation, you haveto turn the knob in the opposite direction toadjust the physical knob position so that it isequivalent to the actual parameter value. InRELATIVE Mode, the triangle to the right ofthe number indicates if the VALUE knob coin-cides with the parameter value ( ≤ ) or not ( Ω ).

- IRELATVIEThe modal controls (for instancethose whose functions apply to one oscillatoror LFO at a time) will be in RELATIVE mode,whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEM

KnobMode Jump≤61111111111111111154

DISPLAY OF VALUESWhen a menu is active, different display optionsare available for parameters with a dedicatedknob. These can be selected under the menuitem KNOB DISPLAY in the SYSTEM menu:

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 47 All about the memory

- OFF Knob movements are not displayed; the The STORE process is always the same regard-



OFF Knob movements are not displayed; thecurrent contents of the display remain intactwhen you turn a knob.

- ON The lower row of the display is beingoverwritten by the parameter's value.

- SHORT When you turn a knob, the currentcontents of the lower display line are brieyoverwritten by data representing the changein parameter value; once the action is com-pleted, the original contents reappear in the

lower display line.- LONG Same as SHORT, except that - you

guessed it - the display shows the knob datafor a longer period of time.

- ON The contents of the display are overwrit-ten when you turn a knob; the original menudoes not reappear in the display.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEMKnobDispl Short≤

61111111111111111154

í ALL ABOUT THE MEMORY

STORE

The mode structure of SINGLE, MULTI andMULTI SINGLE MODE is mirrored in the STOREfunctions: In SINGLE MODE, STORE saves thecurrent SINGLE PROGRAM; in MULTI MODE,STORE saves the current MULTI PROGRAM;and in MULTI SINGLE MODE, the SINGLEPROGRAM of the current PART is stored.

The STORE process is always the same regardless of the operating mode: Press STORE. Youthen gain access to the STORE menu. Thereyou can use the PARAMETER buttons to moveamong the individual letters in the lower nameentry line and the number of the destined mem-ory location as well as the bank number in theupper line. Use the VALUE button to make en-tries. The term in the upper display line indi-cates the name of the memory location whichyou will overwrite when you store the program.

Once all of the entries correspond to the datayou have in mind, press STORE again to con-clude the process and return to the previouslyactive operating mode of the VIRUS. If for what-ever reason you change your mind and want tocancel the operation, simply press SINGLE orMULTI to return to the previous operating modewithout storing the program.

í To belabor the point, when you store aMULTI program, only the content of the MULTIedit buffer is saved, not however the sound pro-

grams in the PARTs. These must be stored indi-vidually in MULTI SINGLE mode.

If you want to store the SINGLE programs in thePARTs to their original slots in the SINGLEbanks all at the same time, simply press STOREand 1 C126 - Init

01111111111111111112

1 C126 - Init[STORE] TO...

61111111111111111154

COMPAREWhen you press STORE and then EDIT or UN-DO, you will activate Compare mode. After youhave programmed or edited a SINGLE sound,


Compare mode lets you hear the unedited so it is not lost even after several program



p ysound that was originally stored in this memoryslot. Press EDIT or UNDO repeatedly to switchback and forth between the Compare soundand the edited sound so that you can - sur-prise, surprise – compare the two sounds. Usethe PARAMETER/BANK buttons and the VALUEbuttons to step through the bank and programnumbers of the Compare sound. This lets yousearch for a new memory slot for the editedsound and, at the same time, hear the sound

that you will overwrite. The edited sound is notmodied or overwritten during this process.Press STORE to do just that to the edited sound– store it. Press MULTI or SINGLE to quit theSTORE process and/or exit Compare mode.

01111111111111111112

1 C126 -Init -

compare61111111111111111154

UNDOPressing the Undo button cancels the last pa-rameter change you have made to the currentSINGLE program – it returns to the previousstate. As the following example shows, the UN-DO algorithm has a degree of intelligent: If forinstance the Cutoff control is turned up continu-ously from 0 to127, pressing the Undo buttonwill take it right back to 0 (and not 126, althoughthe last change was actually from 126 to 127).

Pressing the UNDO button again performs aREDO, i.e. it cancels the UNDO (in the aboveexample Cutoff would revert to 127). Repeated-ly pressing the UNDO button alternates be-tween the two states.

The UNDO function can also be called up afterthe Virus has received a program change mes-sage – whether via MIDI or on the Virus itself. InSingle mode, the last edited sound is restored –

p gchange messages (as long as none of the otherprograms are edited in any way). In Multi Singlemode, all edited sounds can be restored evenafter changing to another Multi program.

In Multi-Single-Mode the last edited patch ofthe current part is being restored. Even after aMulti-Program-Change all 16 edit buffers canbe recalled.

í THE MODULATION MATRIX AND SOFT KNOBS

CREATING MODULATION CONFIGU-RATIONS VIA ASSIGNIt is generally a good idea for a synthesizer toallow users to dene modulation paths them-selves i.e. to be able to connect any modulationsource with any destination. Sometimes youmight have a wild idea which would not be pos-sible using the more directly available “hard-wired” paths – so a exible modulation matrix isa real bonus for creative users. The Virus mod-

ulation matrix can be programmed using the

EDIT

AMOUNT

ASSIGN 1

ASSIGN 4

2 / 3

ASSIGN 2

ASSIGN 5

ASSIGN 3

ASSIGN 6

MOD

FILTER 2

PW 2

PAN

ASSIGN

SYNCPHASE

SHAPE 1+2

OSC 1

FM AMT

OSC 2

FILTER 1

PW 1

OSC 1

OSC 2

PW 1+2

RESO 1+2

FILT GAIN

ASSIGN

12

SELECT

WAVE

LFOS / MOD

MOD

LFO 1

LFO2

LFO3

RATE SHAPE

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 49The Modulation Matrix and Soft Knobs

so-called ASSIGN units, which are accessed In addition to the six ASSIGN options, the user



from within the LFOS/MOD section by pressingthe SELECT button and then the entry “MOD”.

Each of the the six ASSIGN units can be usedto route a modulation source to one or moremodulation destinations. Select one of theavailable modulation sources (under SOURCE)and one or several of the available destinations(DESTINATION). Each destinations has an mod-ulation intensity parameter (AMOUNT). To main-

tain compatibility with earlier Virus models, ASSIGN 2 has two destinations and ASSIGN 3has three (each with independent AMOUNTs).

ASSIGNS 4 to 6 have only a single modulationdestination each.

These ASSIGN options serve several purposes:for one, they let you assign an external MIDIcontroller, for example, the keyboard’s modula-tion wheel, to the desired parameter. You canalso chose to use the sound generator’s internalmodulators, such as LFOs and envelopes, asmodulation sources. The control range of thesource may be limited via the AMOUNT valuesor inverted so that the modulation occurs strict-ly within the desired value range for the targetparameter. For your target parameters, you can

chose from among virtually all sound parame-ters that feature an innitely variable controlrange – ergo, you have more than 100 modula-tion destinations at your disposal! Since thesources and destinations may be selected inde-pendently, you may even modulate a single pa-rameter by using up to six modulation sourcessimultaneously. For this purpose, the controlsignals of the modulation sources are added upor overlapped. Conversely, you can also modu-late up to nine parameters with just one control-ler, which gives you all kinds of sophisticatedsound morphing options. For this purpose, se-lect the same source for all six ASSIGN optionsso that it modulates all nine possible destina-tions. This lets you radically reshape soundsand even transform or morph them into entirelydifferent sounds.

interface features – as discussed earlier – amodulation destination for LFO 1 and 2 called

ASSIGN. Here the same principle applies: youcan select a modulation destination and varymodulation intensity as you see t. The only dif-ference here is that the modulation source, i.e.the respective LFO, is a xed default that youcan’t change.

01111111111111111112

1 ASSIGNSource OFF≤

61111111111111111154

í You’ll find a list of available sources and DESTINATIONS in the appendix. (see “Appen-dix” on page 161).

THE SOFT KNOBS (CONTROLS)The VIRUS has two freely assignable potenti-ometers which are particularly useful for givingdirect access to parameters which are other-wise only available from within the menus. The

destination parameters are dened in the Editmenu (SOFT KNOB 1/2 MODE). There are twoparameters for each knob, one global and onelocal i.e. applying only to the current SINGLEprogram (which will override the global deni-tion if dened). SOFT KNOBs always work inJUMP mode. SOFT KNOB 2 doubles as a valuecontrol, and therefore only works as a SOFT

KNOB when the Virus is in Play mode i.e. noEdit menu is selected.


For each SOFT KNOB, you can choose a shortd f l h d h ll



These SOFT KNOBS operate in three differentmodes:

- GLOBAL The knob controls the parameterthat you have set to Global in the SOFTKNOBS menu regardless of what the othersettings and the selected SINGLE programmay be.

- SINGLE The knob controls the parameterthat you have set to Single in the SOFTKNOBS menu. The setting for this parameteris stored in the SINGLE program and calledup whenever you select this program. If, how-ever, you have not selected a parameter forthis program (SOFT KNOB Single = OFF), thesetting for SOFT KNOB Global is automatical-ly enabled.

- MIDICONTRLHere the controller numberentered in the SOFT KNOBS MIDI menu issent regardless of what the other settings andthe selected SINGLE program may be. Com-parable to a small MIDI fader box, this modeis used to control connected MIDI devices.Note that this information is not processed in-ternally in the VIRUS.

The setting for the actual SOFT KNOB mode isglobal. Under normal circumstances, youshould set SOFT KNOB mode to ”Single” be-cause this is the most versatile mode. Whenyou select a SINGLE sound whose SOFT KNOBmode is set to ”Single”, this setting is of courseenabled. If not, Global SOFT KNOB mode is en-abled.

description from a list in the menu, and this willbe saved as part of the SINGLE program. InPlay mode, this will appear in the display – sim-ply to remind you of what each SOFT KNOBdoes while you are playing your Virus.

You can choose one of the following descrip-tions for each SOFT KNOB:

ATTACK, SUSTAIN, DECAY, RELEASE, FILTER,

CUTOFF1, CUTOFF2, CUTOFF, RESO, BAL- ANCE, FX AMT, DLY AMT, CHO AMT, PHA AMT,DIS AMT, DETUNE, SHAPE, OSC VOL, OSCBAL, NOISE, RINGMOD, SUBOSC, FM, TONE,TEMPO, SPEED, SCREAM, DEPTH, FEAR,FLOW, FAST, SLOW, MORPH, RATE

Please note that these are only for descriptivepurposes – you are not changing the function ofthe SOFT KNOB here!

01111111111111111112

1 DEFINABLE 1Mode Single≤

61111111111111111154

í RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR

The RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR can beused to generate a new sound automatically ora modify an existing sound at random. The PARDEPTH and AMOUNT parameters let you deter-mine how radically the sound is changed. De-pending on the values that you set here, theRANDOM PATCH GENERATOR will do anythingfrom modifying sound parameters subtly tomorphing one sound into an entirely differentsound.


MULTISINGLE

SOFT KNOB 2VALUE

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 51Random Patch Generator

The RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR is ac-d b i g th RANDOM b tt Th

This simply means that it isn’t bent radically soth t f l th gi d till b



cessed by pressing the RANDOM button. Theresults of randomization are sent directly to theedit buffer so they can be listened to immedi-ately. RANDOM can be used repeatedly tocause even more random changes to thesound. If you are happy with the results, youshould store the sound in one of the SINGLEprograms (Banks A or B).

If you want to start from the original sound

again, you should go back into Play mode andselect the sound again (e.g. by changing to an-other sound then back again).

UNDO can be very useful here, as it cancels theeffect of the last randomization. REDO alsoworks here (press the Undo button again) – itrestores the sound to the last randomized ver-sion i.e. the sound is returned to how it was im-mediately before using the Undo function.

PAR DEPTH

This parameter determines the number ofsound parameters that are inuenced by theRANDOM PATCH GENERATOR. If you enter alow value for PAR DEPTH, just a few parame-ters will be modied. Beyond that, the mannerin which the few parameters are edited assuresthat the sound is manipulated “organically”.

that, for example, the given sound can still beplayed “tonally”.

As you increase the values for PAR DEPTH, oth-er parameters that have a greater impact on thetimbre of the sound are changed. At higher val-ues, the RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR tendsto generate noise-like sounds or special effects.

01111111111111111112

1 RANDOM [STORE]ParaDepth 0≤

61111111111111111154

AMOUNTThis parameter determines the intensity of theRANDOM PATCH GENERATOR’s effect on thesound parameters. At lower values, soundchanges are fairly subtle, but you can intensifythe effect by repeatedly pressing the STOREbutton. Higher values introduce fundamentalchanges to the sound.

01111111111111111112

1 RANDOM [STORE]Amount 0≤

61111111111111111154

í Be aware that RANDOM PAR DEPTH and RANDOM AMOUNT are not actual sound pa-

rameters. They merely set the parameters for the RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR and only take effect when the RANDOM PATCH GENER-

ATOR is activated. Not until then will the sound be changed.

EDIT GLOBAL / MULTI EDIT

RANDOM

UNDO


í CATEGORIES currently selected category. It doesn’t matter ifthis sound has been assigned to the category



The VIRUS gives you the option of classing thestored SINGLE sounds in categories. With thebenet of these categories, you’ll be able to nda desired sound much faster.

You have the following categories at your dis-posal:

í Off, Lead, Bass, Pad, Decay, Pluck, Acid,Classic, Arpeggiator, Effects, Drums, Percus-

sion, Input, Vocoder, Favourite 1, Favourite 2,Favourite 3

Every SINGLE sound can be assigned to up totwo categories by means of the parametersCATEGORY 1 and CATEGORY 2. For example,you could assign the attributes "Bass" and "Ac-id" or "Lead" and "Favorite 1" to a given sound.These categories may be changed at any timeand can be stored along with the sound. Thefactory sounds are assigned default categories.

Once you’ve assigned categories, you cansearch for the sounds within a specic categoryin SINGLE mode and MULTI-SINGLE mode:

Press and hold the SINGLE button, then use thePARAMETER buttons to select the category inwhich you want to search for sounds. Hold theSINGLE button down and use the VALUE but-tons to select sounds that are assigned to the

this sound has been assigned to the categoryvia CATEGORY 1 or CATEGORY 2; in eithercase, it will show up in the list. While you’re se-lecting sounds, SINGLEs that don’t belong tothe currently selected category are simplyskipped over when you hold the SINGLE buttondown.

í THE EFFECTS SECTION

For every SINGLE program and every PART,you can access up to six different stereo effectsindividually. You’ll nd these effects – RING-MODULATOR, DISTORTION, ANALOG BOOST,EQUALIZER, PHASER and CHORUS – in theEFFECTS menu. In MULTI mode, you thus havea total of 98 simultaneously available effects.

The the Delay/Reverb section is available justonce, but you can address it individually via thePARTs’ Effect Send parameter. In the signal

path, all effects are connected in series in ac-cordance with their sequence in the Effectsmenu.

Each SINGLE program contains its own set-tings for the Delay/Reverb section. In MULTImode, the sound programs involved share thesame delay/reverb section. For this reason, theparameter values are determined by the set-tings of the currently active MULTI program.

“The internal Effects” on page 82

SINGLEMULTI

MULTISINGLE

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 53 Audio Inputs

í AUDIO INPUTS In this case, you can also use the UNISONPan Spread parameter to determine the basic



You can also opt to use external audio signalsin place of the on-board oscillators for thesound programs or MULTI PARTs. The VIRUS isequipped with two inputs for external signals.You can route these to its sound generatingcomponents (the lters, the saturation stage aswell as the volume and panorama stage) orpatch them directly to the effects section of theVIRUS. External audio signals may also be usedas carrier or modulator signals for the vocoder.

Any PART that you use to process an externalaudio signal in MULTI mode can, like every oth-er PART, be routed freely to one or two of thesix audio outputs.

As a rule, when you’re processing external au-

dio signals, you need to distinguish betweenthe following two operating modes:

- DYNAMICTo make external signals audiblein this operating mode, the volume envelopemust be triggered via a note. This option, forexample, lets you create typical gater effects.INPUT Dynamic mode is also polyphonic. If

you set the KEYFOLLOW value for the ltersto 100%, the resonant frequencies of the l-ters and oscillators can be played in a tem-pered manner via the INPUT signal. This letsyou play entire chords as well as arpeggiatorlines using the lters. The noise generator isalso active in INPUT mode.

- STATIC In Input Static mode, the external

audio signals are audible via the output with-out having to trigger a note. Bear in mind thatthe oscillators as well as all functions thathave to do with trigger and pitch are disabled(envelopes, LFO Env mode, keyfollow...) InINPUT Static mode. When you set the deviceto this mode, one voice of the VIRUS is acti-vated automatically. If you select a stereosource (L+R) for INPUT Select, two voices areactivated much like in UNISON mode: Twin.

Pan Spread parameter to determine the basicwidth of the panorama and UNISON LFOPhase to shift the LFO phase position be-tween the voices.

- TO EFFECTS An alternative to INPUT Staticmode, here the audio signal is routed directlyto the effects section of the SINGLE programor PART. This mode doesn’t use the voices ofthe VIRUS, which means that its polyphonicperformance remains fully intact and availa-ble. The lter section is unavailable in thismode.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUTMode Dynamic≤

61111111111111111154

OSC VOLUME / INPUTWhen one of the two INPUT modes is activated,the OSC VOL knob rather than the oscillatorscontrols the level of the INPUT signal in front ofthe Filter section and of course also the gain ofthe SATURATION stage. In INPUT Dynamicmode, the level increases quite rapidly whenyou play several voices polyphonically. The rea-son for this is that – in contrast to when you’redealing with several oscillator signals – thevoices are correlated because they are receiv-ing an identical input signal. In the event thatthe VIRUS generates distortion when you’redealing with this type of signal routing set-up,be sure to back off the input level a tad via theOSC VOL knob.

INPUT LEVEL INDICATOR Alternatively, the RATE LEDs of LFO 1 and 2/3can also serve as level indicators for the left andright external audio inputs. The VIRUS automat-


ically switches to this level indicator mode whenthe selected SINGLE program accesses the ex-

ic). You can then process the signal patched into this PART via the aux bus exactly the same



t e se ected S G p og a accesses t e eternal audio inputs. The LEDs will ash rapidlyto indicate that the inputs are being overloaded.You should dial in the proper level on the devicethat is sending the analog signals. The reasonfor that you want to feed the highest possibleclean signal level to the analog-to-digital con-verters of the VIRUS so that they will deliver thebest possible performance.

í INTERNAL AUDIO ROUTING

AUX BUSESThe VIRUS is equipped with several analog out-puts and inputs. We gured that you might wantto connect an input with an output via a patchcord so that you can process a part routed tothis output via another part that is addressed bythis input, for example, to have on part lter theother part.

You can do this if you like, but the good news isthat you don’t have to mess with patch cordsbecause the VIRUS gives you internal signalrouting options in the form of stereo aux buses(bus is another term for circuit) that let you con-gure this type of set-up for two or several ofthese PARTs. The two aux buses appear as vir-tual outputs in the OUTPUT Select menu and asvirtual inputs in the INPUT Select menu. InMULTI mode, the output signal of a PART (orseveral PARTs) may be routed via OUTPUT Se-lect to one of the two aux buses. In order tomake this signal audible, you must select thesame aux bus for another PART (or severalPARTs) via INPUT Select and set the given SIN-

GLE program to Input mode (Static or Dynam-

to t s v a t e au bus e act y t e sa eway you would process conventional analogsignals routed in via the external input.

There is, however, a simpler option than this rel-atively involved processed of connecting PARTsdirectly to one another: You can also use one ofthe aux buses as a ”second output” for thePART. We’ll look at this function a little later inthe section ”SECOND OUTPUT”.

THE AUDIO OUTPUTSIn MULTI mode, you can choose a mono orstereo audio output in the OUTPUT Selectmenu independently for every PART. The signalcan also be routed to the aux buses that werediscussed earlier.

In addition, you may also dene a second monoor stereo output in the SECOND OUTPUT menu(under the MAIN EDIT menu). This second out-put is global, in other words, it applies to allPARTs. Using the SECOND OUTPUT Balanceparameter, you can set the levels at which theoutput signals of the PARTs are routed to this

second output individually.In conjunction with the conventional output ofthe given sound, you end up with a quadra-phonic signal that is suitable for Surround appli-cations. Using Panorama (left, right) and theSECOND OUTPUT Balance (front, back), youcan create a genuine quadraphonic mix in theVIRUS and automate it via a sequencer.

When you opt to use one of the aux buses as asecond output, the aux bus can also serve asan FX loop. You can route the aux signal to aPART and have the PART process this signal(via lters, effects etc.) further.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 55 Additional functions

In contrast to the majority of other effects, thedelay/reverb section is not available individually

such as the modulation wheel, channel volumeand pitch bender are reset to the default set-



y yfor each PART. Instead, it processes the signalsof the PARTs collectively. You can, however,control the intensity of the effect individually foreach PART using the respective Effect Send pa-rameter. Consequently, the delay/reverb sectionhas just one signal output, which cannot be dis-tributed to the outputs of the individual PARTs.

This is why, for example, the delay effect of a

PART that is routed to the pair of outputs la-beled OUT 2 will still be audible on OUT 1. Thiscan be desirable yet may also lead to confu-sion. To encourage the former and prevent thelatter, set the Effect Send parameter of thePART to zero when you’re using individual out-puts.

In MULTI mode, the delay/reverb section fea-ture its own OUTPUT Select that is independentof the PARTs.

í ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

PANIC FUNCTIONThe VIRUS features a Panic function to remedystuck notes caused by MIDI transmission parityerrors and the like. When you press the two

TRANSPOSE buttons simultaneously, then allvoices of the VIRUS that are still sounding willbe released.

A double-click on both buttons initiates a con-troller reset. The various voices that are stillsounding will be cut off instantly and controllers

ptings.

AUDITION FUNCTIONOn the VIRUS panel, you can trigger notes with-out using a keyboard. When you press the OS-CILLATOR EDIT and SYNC but tonssimultaneously, the VIRUS will play the note C3.If you hold the buttons down for longer than asecond, the note will continue to sound afteryou release the buttons.

RESET FUNCTIONIf you get the impression that the VIRUS is be-

having unstable or indeed strange, we suggestyou perform a system reset. Holding the keysLFO 1 SHAPE while switching the VIRUS on,performs a system reset. No data will be lostduring this procedure, although some globalsystem settings as ”Global Channel” will be re-set.

TRANSPOSE

-1 +1 +2

PANIC

EDIT SYNC AUDITION






Synthesis Parameters

58 CHAPTER 6Synthesis Parameters

Oscillators 1 is a sine wave; No. 2 a triangle, the remainderof the waves feature different combinations offrequencies



í The following section lists all parameters inthe VIRUS, each with a brief denition or expla-

nation. For the purpose of clarity, we ordered the parameters with a dedicated control ele-

ment according to the module you will nd it in.

í OSCILLATOR-1/2/3 (PANEL)

SHAPEThis control feature lets you determine thewaveshape for the WAVE section (one of 64variable spectral waveshapes). The waveshapeis innitely variable from sawtooth through topulse waves. Wave or pulse width selection isexecuted via the SHAPE and WAVE SEL/PWcontrol features (see appropriate section): If

SHAPE has a value less than the value of thecenter position, then WAVE SEL/PW deter-mines the waveshape; if the SHAPE value ishigher than that of the center position, thenWAVE SEL/PW determines the pulse width.

WAVE SEL/PWhas two functions, depending on the SHAPE(see appropriate section) value:

• When SHAPE has a value lower than that ofthe center position, then WAVE SEL/PW letsyou select from the 64 spectral waveshapesavailable in the ROM of the VIRUS. Waveshape

frequencies.

• When the SHAPE value is higher than that ofthe center position, then WAVE SEL/PW deter-mines the pulse width: At the far left positionthe pulse width is 50%, at the far right it is 0%,which means the wave no longer oscillates.

SEMITONEDetermines the interval between the second re-spectively third oscillator and the rst oscillator:Control range +/-48 semitones, assigned insemitone steps.

DETUNEDetunes the second respectively third oscillatorrelatively to the rst. With this parameter, youcan dial in everything from slight deviations inpitch to major uctuations between the two os-cillators.

SYNCSynchronizes the second oscillator with therst: The SYNC function forces Oscillator 2 tointerrupt its wave cycle and restart it at thesame time as Oscillator 1 starts its cycle. Theeffect of this measure is that pitch deviationsand intervals are no longer audible as such;what you hear are tonal modications: Repeat-

ed interruption of the Oscillator 2 wave cyclegenerates new tonal spectra with a great deal ofovertone content. The tone of a given spectrumcan be inuenced via the SEMITONE knob,among other control features.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 59Oscillator (Edit-Menu)

FM AMOUNTControls the frequency modulation intensity of

í OSCILLATOR (EDIT-MENU)



the second oscillator by the rst. Depending onthe selected FM AMOUNT and the interval be-tween the oscillators, the frequency modulationgenerates everything from slightly to radicallyenriched spectra. In the VIRUS you have theoption of combining the two functions calledoscillator synchronization (SYNC) and frequen-cy modulation (FM AMOUNT) to generate newharmonic spectra. The characteristics of the

frequency modulation can be modied with theFM Mode parameter (in the OSCILLATOR EDITmenu). You may also select an external audiosignal and have Oscillator 2 modulate its fre-quency.

OSCILLATOR 3 ON BUTTON Activates the third oscillator. Because mostsounds only require two oscillators, the thirdoscillator has been made optional, i.e. it has tobe switched on whenever necessary.

Oscillator 3 takes a certain amount of comput-ing power, and the trade-off is a reduction of themaximum polyphony: Playing a note using os-cillator 3 uses up about an extra third of a voicefrom the available polyphony. In other words:Playing a three-voice chord using a soundwhich includes oscillator 3 would use up four(and not three) of the available voices.

OSCILLATOR-1 WAVESelects among of 64 spectral waveshapes. Thisparameter is identical to WAVE SEL/PW (seeappropriate section) when SHAPE (see appro-priate section) is set to the left half of its controlrange. However, in contrast to WAVE SEL/PW,

WAVE is always available regardless of the cur-rent SHAPE setting.

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 1Wave Sin≤

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OSCILLATOR-1 KEY FOLLOWDetermines the intensity of the pitch control viathe keyboard: At the value +32 (standard set-ting) the oscillator is controlled normally, i.e. theoctave you are playing is identical to the oscilla-tor octave; at +63 every ascending octave youplay transposes the oscillator upwards by twooctaves (whole note scale); +15 transposes theoscillator upwards by one octave for every twoascending octaves you play (quarter notescale); at 0 the keyboard control option is off.Negative values generate opposite control in-tensities.

011111111111111111121 OSCILLATOR 1Keyfollow +32≤

61111111111111111154


OSCILLATOR-2 WAVESelects among of 64 spectral waveshapes. This

i id i l WAVE SEL/PW (

- NOISE The noise generator is the FM source(see also NOISE Color). Excellent for drumsounds



parameter is identical to WAVE SEL/PW (seeappropriate section) when SHAPE (see appro-priate section) is set to the left half of its controlrange. However, in contrast to WAVE SEL/PW,WAVE is always available regardless of the cur-rent SHAPE setting.

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 2Wave Sin≤

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FM MODEOscillator 2’s frequency modulation can be exe-

cuted in a variety of ways using a different sig-nal or modulation sources. You can also selectan external audio signal for frequency modula-tion. Set the intensity of the modulation via theFM AMOUNT knob. Choose the sine wave forOscillator 2 in order to achieve the most trans-parent form of frequency modulation. Here’s alook at the FM sources that you have at yourdisposal:

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 2FmMode PosTri≤

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- POSTRI One-way FM with a positive trianglegenerated by Osc1.

- TRI Linear FM with a bipolar triangle gener-ated by Osc1.

- WAVE The selected Osc1 wave is the FMsource. This lets you in some cases createtypical DX7-FM sounds (here OSCILLATOR 1SHAPE should be set to WAVE).

sounds.

- INPUT Here the mono or stereo signal fromexternal analog inputs or from an internal auxbus may be routed to the frequency modula-tion. The input FM is in real stereo, even inconnection with UNISON mode.

OSCILLATOR-2 KEY FOLLOWDetermines the intensity of the pitch control viathe keyboard: At the value +32 (standard set-ting) the oscillator is controlled normally, i.e. theoctave you are playing is identical to the oscilla-tor octave; at +63 every ascending octave youplay transposes the oscillator upwards by twooctaves (whole note scale); +15 transposes theoscillator upwards by one octave for every twoascending octaves you play (quarter notescale); at 0 the keyboard control option is off.Negative values generate opposite control in-tensities.

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 2

Keyfollow +32≤61111111111111111154

FILT ENV -> PITCHThis parameter determines the intensity atwhich the lter envelope controls the pitch of

the second oscillator (PITCH OSC 2).

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 2FltEnv~Ptch +0≤

61111111111111111154


FILT ENV -> FMIt determines the intensity at which the lter en-velope controls the frequency modulation (FM

in for Oscillator 2 apply to Oscillator 3, with oneexception – DETUNE. This parameter runscounter to that of Oscillator 2.



velope controls the frequency modulation (FM AMOUNT). This as well as the previous parame-ter are ”relics” from the predecessor model ofthe VIRUS. Modulations such as these may alsobe implemented via the Modulation Matrix (seethe section ”ASSIGN” below).

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 2FltEnv~Fm +0≤

61111111111111111154

OSCILLATOR-3 MODEThe VIRUS offers a third master oscillator per

voice that you can activate whenever you needit. It lets you come up with even more complexsounds by adding more oscillations and spectrato the signal. When Oscillator 3 is switched on,(i.e. OSCILLATOR 3 mode is not set to the OFFposition), the polyphony of the VIRUS decreas-es by up to six voices, depending on how manyvoices use the third oscillator in MULTI mode.

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 3Mode Off≤

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The second position of OSCILLATOR 3 mode iscalled SLAVE. Here Oscillator 3 is active, but –

just like when it is set to the OFF position – nofurther parameters are available and visible. Inthis operating mode, Oscillator 3 is the ”twin” ofOscillator 2. It adds further oscillations, thusmaking the sound fatter and more animated.Oscillator 2 and 3 are handled collectively usingOscillator 2’s control features just as if the twowere a single oscillator. All settings that you dial

You can select the waveshapes individually forOscillator 3 via the following OSCILLATOR 3mode options: sawtooth, square (pulse widthmodulation), sine, triangle and all further spec-tral waveshapes. You have three further param-eters available once you set Oscillator 3 to anindividual waveshape. These are explained fur-ther below. All other parameters as well as thesettings for the oscillator modulations (LFOpulse width modulation and so forth) are dictat-ed by Oscillator 2. This doesn’t limit the func-tionality of the third oscillator by much (if at all),but it certainly facilitates intuitive handling. TheFM, Sync and Ring Modulator functions are notavailable for the third oscillator.

Like all other oscillators, the level of Oscillator 3is controlled via OSCVOL.

OSZILLATOR-3 VOLUMEThe individual volume level of oscillator 3. Addi-tionally the level is controlled by OSC VOL. (Notavailable if OSCILLATOR 3 MODE = “OFF” or“SLAVE”.)

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 3Volume 64≤

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OSCILLATOR-3 SEMITONETransposes Oscillator 3 in semitone steps. Con-trol range: +/-4 octaves (Not available if OS-

junction with Oscillator 3 and PHASE INIT, youcan create prominent overtones that are initiat-ed at the beginning of a note.



trol range: +/-4 octaves. (Not available if OS-CILLATOR 3 MODE = “OFF” or “SLAVE”.)

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 3Semitones +0≤

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OSCILLATOR-3 DETUNEDetunes the third oscillator relatively to the rst.With this parameter, you can dial in everythingfrom slight deviations in pitch to major uctua-tions relatively to the other oscillators.

011111111111111111121 OSCILLATOR 3Detune +0≤

61111111111111111154

OSZILLATOR-3 PHASE INIT

This feature lets you select the oscillator phaseposition at the start of a note. At a value of 0, alloscillators oscillate freely much like in a tradi-tional analog synthesizer. At values of 1 andhigher, Oscillator 1 starts the note with a phaseangle of 0, whereas the phase position of thesecond oscillator is shifted increasingly at as-cending values. The Phase position of oscillator

3 is shifted to the opposite direction. With thisparameter, the attack phase of every note isidentical, which is a handy feature for program-ming drums and percussive sounds. In con-

g g

01111111111111111112

1 OSCILLATOR 3PhaseInit Off≤

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SUB OSCILLATOR WAVESwitches the waveshape of the SubOscillatorbetween SQUARE and TRIANGLE.

01111111111111111112

1 SUB OSCILLATORShape Square≤

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NOISE COLOR

When the noise generator is used by Oscillator2 for frequency modulation (see FM mode), the

NOISE COLOR setting also inuences thesound of the frequency modulation.

- MIDDLE Neutral (White noise, all the fre-quencies are evenly distributed.)

- NEGATIVE Lowpass (Pink noise, dull andmore bass)

- POSITIVE Hipass (Bright and thin noise)


Filter Technically, in the serial FILTER ROUTING oper-ating modes SER 4 and SER 6, the left half andthe right half of the control range address differ-



í FILTERS (PANEL)

CUTOFF

Determines the cutoff frequency of Filter-1 and2 (with exceptions; see CUTOFF 2).

RESONANCEControls the resonance (also called lter feed-back or Q factor). Depending on the FILT SE-LECT setting, RESONANCE affects the rstlter, the second lter or both lters.

ENV AMOUNTDetermines the modulation intensity of the cut-off frequency lter envelope. Depending on theFILT SELECT setting, ENV AMOUNT affects the

rst lter, the second lter or both lters. In con-trast to virtually all other modulation intensityparameters in the VIRUS, ENV AMOUNT is aunipolar parameter. The polarity of the modula-tion can be changed individually for each ltervia the ENV POLARITY function in the FILTEREDIT menu.

FILTER BALANCEHas different functions depending on the FIL-TER ROUTING setting (see appropriate sectionas well): In the parallel FILTER ROUTING oper-ating modes PAR 4 and SPLIT, it controls thebalance of volume levels between the two lters- or in actuality SATURATION and Filter-2.

ent parameters: When the knob is set to the farleft position, you will hear Filter-1/Saturation ex-clusively, whereas Filter-2 is blended into themix as you rotate the knob towards the centerposition. When the knob is set to the far rightposition, you will hear Filter-2 exclusively,whereas Filter-1/Saturation is blended into themix as you rotate the knob towards the centerposition.

Consequently, you must set FILTER BALANCEto the center position if you want both lters inseries (in equal amounts) in the signal path.

CUTOFF 2 (OFFSET)

Controls the cutoff frequency of Filter-2. Nor-mally, CUTOFF 2 does not operate absolutely,but relatively to CUTOFF: The cutoff frequencyof the second lter is subordinate to the CUT-OFF value you determined for the rst lter.However you can use the CUTOFF 2 knob todial in a relative +/- deviation in frequencies, i.e.a higher or lower frequency (OFFSET). Whenyou set CUTOFF 2 to the center position, bothlters have the same CUTOFF frequency. InFILTER EDIT Menu, you can access CUTOFFLINK ON/OFF to sever the link between CUT-OFF and CUTOFF 2. In this case the two knobsCUTOFF and CUTOFF 2 are independent cutoffcontrols for Filters 1 and 2, respectively.


FILT 1 MODE & FILT 2 MODESelects the operating mode of the indicated l-ter:

SELECT only determines if the knob in questionsends its value to the rst lter, second lter orboth lters.



- LP The low pass lter suppresses frequen-cies higher than the CUTOFF frequency (seeappropriate section) and allows the lower fre-quencies through.

- HP The high pass lter works in the oppositemanner of the low pass lter: It suppressesthe lower frequencies in a signal and lets thehigher frequencies pass.

- BP The band pass lter suppresses bothends of the tonal spectrum and allows only anarrowly dened bandwidth of the originalsound to pass.

- BS The band stop lter, band reject lter ornotch lter works in the opposite manner of

the bandpass lter. It allows all of the fre-quencies of a signal except for a narrow fre-quency band around the cutoff to pass. Theterm “notch” is fairly descriptive; you mightsay this lter chops a notch out of the soundspectrum.

FILT 1 SELECT & FILT 2 SELECTThis control feature is used to allocate the threeknobs RESONANCE, ENV AMOUNT and KEYFOLLOW to the rst lter, second lter or bothlters. The currently active assignments are in-dicated by the integrated LEDs. To control bothlters simultaneously via the knobs, you mustrst press both buttons simultaneously. SE-

LECT pertains to the corresponding knob locat-ed on the VIRUS only, but not to the soundparameters it controls. These parameters existseparately in both lters regardless of the SE-LECT setting. This is why for instance youshould control the resonances of the respectivelters via different MIDI Controllers. In actuality

í FILTER ENVELOPE

ATTACK Determines the amount of time it takes for thelter envelope to rise to its maximum level. Thehigher the ATTACK value, the longer it takes forthe envelope to rise to maximum volume afterthe start of a note.

DECAY Determines the amount of time it takes for thelter envelope to fade out. The higher the DE-CAY value, the longer it takes for the envelopeto fall from its peak level to the SUSTAIN value.

SUSTAINDetermines a variable level for the lter enve-lope at which it remains after the end of the DE-CAY phase (see appropriate section). Theduration of the SUSTAIN phase depends on theTIME value (see appropriate section).

RELEASEDetermines the speed or rate at which the vol-ume of the lter envelope decreases after theend of a note. The higher the DECAY value, the

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 65Filter-Edit-MenuFilter Envelope

longer it takes for the envelope to fall from itscurrent level to the minimum level, when the keyis released.

”Digital” curve as much as 24 decibels. A spe-cial feature of the VIRUS’ SATURATION stage isthat, despite the fact that its gain is boosted,



TIMESets the bipolar time parameter for the lter en-velope. It determines the envelope’s responseonce it reaches the SUSTAIN phase (see appro-priate section): If the knob is set to the centerposition (12 o’clock) indicated by the mathe-matical innity symbol, then the SUSTAIN levelremains constant through to the end of thenote; if you turn it counter-clockwise to the left(towards FALL), then the level drops off at an in-creasing rate towards the minimum level; If youturn the knob clockwise to the right (towardsRISE), the level rises at an increasing rate tomaximum.

í The parameter Sustain Time is localed in the main edit menu

í FILTER-EDIT-MENU

SATURATION CURVEThe SATURATION stage in the lter section of-

fers a selection of different saturation or distor-tion characteristics. You can use these to addovertones to a sound. Beyond that, you are freeto radically bend sounds using further DSP ef-fects. The intensity of the distortion or DSP ef-fects can be varied considerably via the secondhalf of the OSC VOL control range. For the dis-tortion curves, this intensity range is equivalentto a gain boost of 12 decibels, in the case of the

the signal level is kept constant via OSC VOL sothat only the tonal color or timbre of the soundis varied.

The SATURATION stage is always downstreamof (post) Filter-1 irrespective of the given lterrouting. Consequently, in serial lter modes, theSATURATION stage is always located betweenthe two lters. You can thus lter the oscillatorsignal conventionally with the rst lter, distortthe signal, and process the distorted signal viathe second lter as you see t.

The Effects section of the VIRUS features a fur-ther distortion module called DISTORTION. Itsdesign is largely identical to that of the SATU-RATION, except for one major difference:

whereas SATURATION affects each voice sepa-rately, DISTORTION processes all voices col-lectively in the effects section. This makes ahuge difference in tone.

Let’s take look at the SATURATION modes:

- OFF The signal is not processed.

- LIGHT, SOFT, MIDDLE, HARDDifferent an-alog distortion curves with different charac-teristics and intensities.

- DIGITAL Digital distortion with hard clipping.

- SHAPER Sine characteristic curve with sev-eral wave cycles. With the Shaper, you candrastically warp signals. In some cases, the

results are similar to the spectra of linear fre-quency modulations.

- RECTIFIER Continuous rectication of thesignal; this type of distortion is independentof the given level.

- BITREDUCER Continuous reduction of thedigital signal’s bit depth; generates digitalquantization noise.


- RATEREDUCER Continuous reduction ofthe digital sampling rate; generates digitalaliasing.

- SER-6 The lters are switched in series; Fil-ter-1 has four poles (24dB), Filter-2 has twopoles (12dB) so the overall slope is equivalent



- RATE+FLW The RateReducer with keyfol-low; the sampling rate follows the playedpitch.

- LOWPASS 1-pole low-pass lter for moder-ate processing of high frequencies.

- LOW+FLW The low-pass lter with keyfol-low; the cutoff frequency follows the played

pitch.- HIGHPASS 1-pole high-pass lter for mod-

erate processing of low frequencies.

- HIGH+FLW The high-pass lter with keyfol-low; the cutoff frequency follows the playedpitch.

To reiterate the point, the amount of distortion,intensity of the DSP effects, and the cutoff fre-quencies of the 1- pole lter are controlled viathe OSC VOL knob.

01111111111111111112

1 SATURATION

Curve Off≤61111111111111111154

FILTER ROUTINGThis feature offers four lter routing optionswhich allow you to operate the lters in series

or in parallel:- SER-4 The lters are switched in series; with

two poles each (12dB), both lters have thesame slope for a total of four lter poles(24dB).

to six poles (36dB).- PAR-4 The lters are switched in parallel and

feature two poles each (12dB).

- SPLIT The lters are switched in parallel andfeature two poles each (12dB). Additionally,they receive independent input signal s (moreon this later). The stereo position of the sig-nals can also be manipulated via the parame-ter TWIN MODE PAN SPREAD (seeappropriate section) in the EDIT menu.

01111111111111111112

1 FILTERSRouting SER-4≤

61111111111111111154

Regardless of which FILTER ROUTING optionyou chose, the SATURATION stage is alwayspost-Filter-1.

KEY FOLLOW FILTER 1/2Determines the extent to which the lter fre-quency follows the pitch (Note Number) and thePitch Bend. Depending on the FILT SELECTsetting, KEY FOLLOW affects the rst lter, thesecond lter or both lters. The function uses C1 (MIDI Note Number 36) as a neutral starting

point or base note: Regardless of the KEY FOL-LOW value, the lter frequency is not inuenced


at this pitch. In the FILTER EDIT menu you havethe option of freely dening the base note underKEYTRACK BASE.

FILTER-2 CUTOFF LINK Switches the knob and the parameter CUTOFF2 (see appropriate section) back and forth be-



01111111111111111112

1 FILTER 1Keyfollow 30≤

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KEYFOLLOW BASEThis feature determines the base note for the l-ter KEYFOLLOW: When you press the key se-lected here, the lter frequency you determinedmanually has priority - i.e. it is not inuenced inany manner - regardless of the KEY FOLLOWsetting (see appropriate section) for the lters.

As the interval between the KEYFOLLOW BASEvalue and the keys increases as you move uptowards the higher end of the keyboard, the in-uence of KEY FOLLOW increases accordingly.KEYFOLLOW BASE affects both lters simulta-neously.

01111111111111111112

1 FILTERSKeyflwBase C1≤

61111111111111111154

FILTER-1/2 ENV POLARITY Switches back and forth between positive(POS) and negative (NEG) ENV AMOUNTs forFilter-1 (see appropriate section).

01111111111111111112

1 Filter-1EnvPolarity Pos≤

61111111111111111154

tween two operating modes:

- ON In this mode, CUTOFF 2 operates rela-tively to the CUTOFF knob value rather thanabsolutely (OFFSET): The cutoff frequency ofthe second lter is - like the rst lter - deter-mined by the CUTOFF value. However youcan dial in an offset (relative ascending or de-

scending deviation) of the frequency via theCUTOFF 2 knob. At the center position (12o’clock) of CUTOFF 2, the frequencies of thetwo lters are identical.

- OFF Now,the CUTOFF and CUTOFF 2 knobsare no longer linked and CUTOFF 2 operatesabsolutely in a control range of 0 to 127. Inthis case the CUTOFF and CUTOFF 2 knobs

are two independent control features that de-termine the respective cutoff frequencies forFilter-1 and 2.

CUTOFF LINK pertains exclusively to the CUT-OFF 2 knob and the corresponding parameter.CUTOFF 2 has no inuence on the other para-meters of the second lter.

01111111111111111112

1 FILTER-2CutoffLink On≤

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FILTER ENVELOPE SUSTAIN TIMESets the bipolar time parameter for the lter en-velope. It determines the envelope’s responseonce it reaches the SUSTAIN phase (see appro-priate section): If the knob is set to the centerposition (12 o’clock) indicated by the mathe-matical innity symbol, then the SUSTAIN levelremains constant through to the end of the


note; if you turn it counter-clockwise to the left(towards FALL), then the level drops off at an in-creasing rate towards the minimum level; If you

h k b l k i h i h ( d



turn the knob clockwise to the right (towardsRISE), the level rises at an increasing rate tomaximum.

01111111111111111112

1 FILT ENVSusTime 30≤

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AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE SUSTAIN TIMESee above.

01111111111111111112

1 AMP ENVSusTime 127≤61111111111111111154


Envelopes appropriate section): If the knob is set to thecenter position (12 o’clock) indicated by themathematical innity symbol, then the SUSTAIN

l l i t t th h t th d f th



ATTACK Determines the amount of time it takes for theamplier envelope to rise to its maximum level.The higher the ATTACK value, the longer ittakes for the envelope to rise to maximum vol-ume after the start of a note.

DECAY Determines the amount of time it takes for theamplier envelope to fade out. The higher theDECAY value, the longer it takes for the enve-lope to fall from its peak level to the SUSTAIN value.

SUSTAINSets a variable level value for the amplier en-velope at which it remains after the end of theDECAY phase (see appropriate section). Theduration of the SUSTAIN phase depends on theTIME value (see appropriate section).

RELEASEDetermines the speed or rate at which the vol-ume of the amplier envelope decreases afterthe end of a note. The higher the RELEASE val-ue, the longer it takes for the envelope to fall

from its current level to the minimum level,when the key is released.

TIMESets the bipolar time parameter for the amplierenvelope. It determines the envelope’s re-sponse once it reaches the SUSTAIN level (see

level remains constant through to the end of thenote; if you turn it counter-clockwise to the left(towards FALL), then the level drops off at an in-creasing rate towards the minimum level; If youturn the knob clockwise to the right (towardsRISE), the level rises at an increasing rate tomaximum.

í The Sustain Time parameter can be access-ed from the main Edit menu as well as from thefilter EDIT menu..


Mixer NOISE VOLUMEThe volume of the noise generator. As with thering modulator, the volume is idependent off theOSC VOL parameter



OSC BALANCEDetermines the balance between the Oscillators1 and 2 volume level.

SUB OSCDetermines the volume level of the SubOscilla-tor.

OSC VOLUMEThis knob has two functions:

• n the left half of its control range up to thecenter position (MIDI value 64), OSC VOL deter-mines the master volume of the three oscillatorsprior to the lter section input. The Noise Gen-erator and the Ringmodulator are not affectedby the master volume knob OSC VOL. Their lev-el is controlled separately in the OSCILLATOREDIT menu (see appropriate section).

• In the right half of the control range from thecenter position to the far right, OSC VOL in-creases the saturation intensity (Gain) for the in-put of the SATURATION stage (see appropriatesection); however this adjustment is compen-sated post-SATURATION stage so that whenyou adjust the gain you are not actually increas-ing the volume, only manipulating the tonalspectrum in terms of saturation. The intensity ofthe remaining DSP effects available in the SAT-URATION Stage is controlled via the OSC VOLknob.

OSC VOL parameter.

RINGMODULATOR VOLUMEThe ring modulator multiplies the output of bothoscillator 1 and 2 to create interesting soundswith rich enharmonic overtones. These over-

tones are highly dependent on the frequencycoherence of both oscillators and it’s wave-forms. The frequency coherence can bechanged, for instance use the OSC2 SEMI-TONE parameter. If the RINGMODULATORVOLUME is zero, the ring modulator is switchedoff. OSC VOL does NOT affect the ring modula-tor level. Therefore the original oscillator signalcan be levelled independently of the ring modu-lator.

You’ll nd another ring modulator in the effectssection of the VIRUS. It, however, processesentirely different input signals.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 71LFO (Panel)Filter Envelope

LFO and ModMa-

i

AMOUNT (LFO-1) After selecting LFO 1 (via the SELECT button)you can use the lower SELECT button to scrolldown through the modulation destinations for



trix

í LFO (PANEL)

LFO SELECTThe SELECT button is used for selecting one ofthe three LFOs or the modulation matrix. Thecontrols in the LFOs/MOD section only apply tothe current selection (one of the LFOs or MOD).

RATEDetermines the speed or rate of the LFO. In pol-yphonic sounds, the manually selected RATEvalue deviates slightly from voice to voice to liv-en up the sound of the LFOs, which also oscil-

late polyphonically. When the LFO is synced upto the master clock, the desired note value isselected via the RATE knob.

SHAPEDetermines the waveshape of the LFO. You canselect from a sine, triangle, sawtooth or pulsewave. WAVE opens a local menu. Here you canselect 64 further LFO waveshapes in the displayusing the VALUE knob or the VALUE buttons.You can chose from a stepped random modula-tion (S&H; short for Sample & Hold), a smoothrandom modulation (S&G; short for Sample & Glide) and 62 cyclic modulations that are basedon the oscillator modes. The latter allow you to

create interesting rhythmic LFO modulations.

down through the modulation destinations forLFO 1. If you press and hold the EDIT button atthe same time, you can scroll in the other direc-tion. The following destinations are available:

- OSC 1 Pitch of Oscillator 1

- OSC 2 Pitch of Oscillator 2

- PW 1+2 Both pulse widths jointly- RESO 1+2 Both lter resonances

- FILTER GAIN An additional modulation des-tination of LFO 1. Here the input level of thelter section is modulated (and thus the sub-sequent saturation level). The effect of a FILTGAIN modulation is a periodic change in thesaturation level which is linked to a corre-sponding tremolo (periodic change in vol-ume). If the signal is not saturated in anymanner, then the only audible result is a trem-olo effect. We purposely placed the modula-tion point in front of the lter section in thesignal chain. This means that the distortionamount – i.e. the intensity of the effect – is al-so modulated when you activate SATURA-

TION. Furthermore, you can use fast LFOoscillations to generate brief impulses (tran-sients) in the oscillator signal that excite theresonant frequencies of the lters. The lterswill fade out freely since their output signal isnot affected by the FILT GAIN volume modu-lation.

- ASSIGN A freely selectable sound parame-

ter for LFO modulation. The destination canbe controlled on the previous menu page.


If the modulation intensity for the selected des-tination is not „0“, its LED stays lit after you quitthe menu.

AMOUNT (LFO-3) After selecting LFO 3 (via the SELECT button)you can use the lower SELECT button to scrolldown through the modulation destinations for



01111111111111111112

1 LFO 1Amount 12≤

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AMOUNT (LFO-2) After selecting LFO 2 (via the SELECT button)you can use the lower SELECT button to scrolldown through the modulation destinations forLFO 2. If you press and hold the EDIT button atthe same time, you can scroll in the other direc-tion. The following destinations are available:

- FILTER -1 The frequency of the rst lter- FILTER -2 The frequency of the second lter

- SHAPE 1+2 The SHAPE parameters of bothoscillators jointly

- FM AMOUNT An additional modulation des-tination of LFO-2. The intensity of the fre-quency modula t ion of Osci l la tor 2 i s

modulated.- PAN Panorama position

- ASSIGN A freely selectable sound parame-ter for LFO modulation. The destination canbe controlled on the previous menu page.

If the modulation intensity for the selected des-

tination is not „0“, its LED stays lit.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO 2Amount 12≤

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down through the modulation destinations forLFO 3. If you press and hold the EDIT button atthe same time, you can scroll in the other direc-tion. The following destinations are available:

- OSC 1 The pitch of Oscillator 1

- OSC 2 The pitch of Oscillator 2

- PW 1 The pulse width of Oscillator1- PW 2 The pulse width of Oscillator2

- SYNCPHASE Determines the phase positionof Oscillator 2 when it is synced up to Oscilla-tor 1 via the SYNC function.

While you are editing any one of these parame-ters, its LED will blink. If the parameter has avalue other than „0“, the LED will remain lit afteryou quit the menu. Between PW 1 and PW 2 isanother one for PW 1+2, which lets you set themodulation intensity for both lters at the sametime. In this position, both the PW 1 and the PW2 LEDs blink together. Similarly, the modulationintensity for OSC 1 amd OSC 2 can be set at

the same time, and the LEDs react accordingly.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO3Dest OSC-2≤

61111111111111111154

While you are dealing with one of the parame-ters discussed here, the corresponding LED willash. If this parameter is assigned a value otherthan 0, the LED will illuminate continuouslywhen you exit the menu.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 73LFO (Edit Menu)Filter Envelope

Between the two positions Filter-1 and FILTER-2 you will nd the position Filter-1+2, which letsyou jointly control the modulation intensities of

both oscillators. In this position, the Filter-1 andFilter-2 LEDs ash

LFO-1CLOCK When you set it to OFF, the LFO oscillates in thenormal manner, independently of the globalMaster Clock (CLOCK TEMPO). When you en-



p ,Filter-2 LEDs ash.

í LFO (EDIT MENU)

LFO-1 ENV MODE Activates an operating mode in which the LFOoscillates like an envelope: The LFO cyclesonce only following the start of the note; the re-sponse of the LFO shifts from bipolar to unipo-lar. If the LFO waveshape S&H (Sample & Hold)is active, then the LFO is assigned a new ran-dom value with each new note. This new valueis valid for the entire duration of the note.

LFO-1 MODE

- POLY In polyphonic mode, each of the voic-es involved is assigned a dedicated LFO. TheLFOs oscillate in different phase positions foreach voice. This livens up the LFO modula-tion.

- MONO In polyphonic mode, all voices areassigned the same LFO. This accentuates theLFO modulation, making it more pronounced.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO1Clock Poly≤

61111111111111111154

( ) yter a note value here, the LFO rate is synced upto the global master clock. The length of thewaveshape’s cycle will then correspond to thenote value that you have entered. You can alsoset the rate via CLOCK TEMPO (refer to the ap-propriate section) or synchronize it to externalMIDI clock. When the LFO is synced up to the

master clock, you can also select the desirednote value via the LFO RATE knob.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO1Clock 1/24≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-1 CONTOURBy LFO Contour you can now bend or ”morph”(almost) all the LFO waveforms. A brief surveyof the LFO Contour options for the differentLFO modes follows:

011111111111111111121 LFO 1Contour +0≤

61111111111111111154

- SINE Contour morphs from sine to a trianglewave (Contour to the left) or to a square wave(Contour to the right).

- TRIANGLEContour morphs from a triangleto a declining (Contour to the left) or ascend-ing sawtooth (Contour to the right).

- SAWTOOTH Contour morphs from a lineardeclining sawtooth or decay to any exponen-tially declining decay(Contour to the left) or to

a square (Contour to the right).


- SQUARE Contour modulates the pulsewidth of the square wave.

- WAVES Contour ”zooms” into the wave,thereby shortening the wave’s loop length(C h i h )

LFO-2 ENV MODE Activates an operating mode in which the LFOoscillates like an envelope: The LFO cyclesonce only following the start of the note; the re-

f th LFO hift f bi l t i



y g p g(Contour to the right).

LFO-1TRIGGER PHASESelects the position in the wave cycle - i.e. thephase position - at which the LFO starts oscil-

lating in response to the start of a note. Thecontrol range of 1 to 127 is equivalent to phasepositions of 0 to 360 degrees; the value 0switches the KEY TRIGGER function complete-ly off so that the LFO oscillates freely and ap-pears on random phase positions at the start ofa note.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO1TrigPhase Off≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-1 KEY FOLLOW

Controls the intensity of the KEY FOLLOWfunction - i.e. the rate at which the LFO followsthe pitch of a played note. At a value of 0, KEYFOLLOW is deactivated. At a value of 127, therate doubles with each octave.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO1

Keyfollow Off≤61111111111111111154

y gsponse of the LFO shifts from bipolar to unipo-lar. If the LFO waveshape S&H (Sample & Hold)is active, then the LFO is assigned a new ran-dom value with each new note. This new valueis valid for the entire duration of the note.

LFO-2 MODE- POLY In polyphonic mode, each of the voic-

es involved is assigned a dedicated LFO. TheLFOs oscillate in different phase positions foreach voice. This livens up the LFO modula-tion.

- MONO In polyphonic mode, all voices are

assigned the same LFO. This accentuates theLFO modulation, making it more pronounced.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO2Clock Poly≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-2 CLOCK When you set it to OFF, the LFO oscillates in thenormal manner, independently of the globalMaster Clock (CLOCK TEMPO). When you en-ter a note value here, the LFO rate is synced upto the global master clock. The length of thewaveshape’s cycle will then correspond to thenote value that you have entered. You can alsoset the rate via CLOCK TEMPO (refer to the ap-propriate section) or synchronize it to external


MIDI clock. When the LFO is synced up to themaster clock, you can also select the desirednote value via the LFO RATE knob.

01111111111111111112

LFO-2TRIGGER PHASESelects the position in the wave cycle - i.e. thephase position - at which the LFO starts oscil-lating in response to the start of a note. Thecontrol range of 1 to 127 is equivalent to phase



01111111111111111112

1 LFO2Clock 1/24≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-2 CONTOURBy LFO Contour you can now bend or ”morph”(almost) all the LFO waveforms. A brief surveyof the LFO Contour options for the differentLFO modes follows:

01111111111111111112

1 LFO 2Contour +0≤

61111111111111111154

- SINE Contour morphs from sine to a trianglewave (Contour to the left) or to a square wave(Contour to the right).

- TRIANGLEContour morphs from a triangleto a declining (Contour to the left) or ascend-ing sawtooth (Contour to the right).

- SAWTOOTH Contour morphs from a lineardeclining sawtooth or decay to any exponen-tially declining decay(Contour to the left) or toa square (Contour to the right).

- SQUARE Contour modulates the pulsewidth of the square wave.

- WAVES Contour ”zooms” into the wave,thereby shortening the wave’s loop length(Contour to the right).

control range of 1 to 127 is equivalent to phasepositions of 0 to 360 degrees; the value 0switches the KEY TRIGGER function complete-ly off so that the LFO oscillates freely and ap-pears on random phase positions at the start ofa note.

011111111111111111121 LFO2TrigPhase Off≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-2 KEY FOLLOW

Controls the intensity of the KEY FOLLOWfunction - i.e. the rate at which the LFO followsthe pitch of a played note. At a value of 0, KEYFOLLOW is deactivated. At a value of 127, therate doubles with each octave.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO2Keyfollow Off≤

61111111111111111154


LFO-3 FADE INThis parameter lets you automatically initiate adelayed fade-in the LFO3 modulation that youset up via OSC AMOUNT (see the sectionabove) FADE IN controls the overall delay and

- SINGLE In polyphonic mode, all voices areassigned the same LFO.

LFO 3 KEY FOLLOW



above). FADE IN controls the overall delay andfade-in time.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO3FadeIn 0≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-3 CLOCK When you set it to OFF, the LFO oscillates in thenormal manner, independently of the globalMaster Clock (CLOCK TEMPO). When you en-ter a note value here, the LFO rate is synced upto the global master clock. The length of thewaveshape’s cycle will then correspond to thenote value that you have entered. You can alsoset the rate via CLOCK TEMPO (refer to the ap-propriate section) or synchronize it to externalMIDI clock. When the LFO is synced up to themaster clock, you can also select the desirednote value via the LFO RATE knob.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO3Clock 1/24≤

61111111111111111154

LFO-3 MODESwitches back and forth between two LFO op-erating modes:

- POLY In polyphonic mode, each of the voic-es involved is assigned a dedicated LFO.

LFO-3 KEY FOLLOWControls the intensity of the KEY FOLLOWfunction - i.e. the rate at which the LFO followsthe pitch of a played note. At a value of 0, KEYFOLLOW is deactivated. At a value of 127, therate doubles with each octave.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO3Keyfollow Off≤

61111111111111111154

Selecting „MOD“ in the LFOs/MOD section (us-ing the SELECT button) gives you acces to theVirus modulation matrix. This consists of six so-called ASSIGNS, represented by the row ofLEDs at the bottom right of this section. Youcan then use the AMOUNT button to scrolldown through the ASSIGNS. If you hold downthe EDIT button at the same time, the destina-tions are scrolled in the opposite direction.

The six ASSIGN options let you control up tonine modulation destinations via up to six mod-ulation sources. Simply go to ASSIGN, selectone of the modulation sources (SOURCE) andone or several modulation destinations (DESTI-NATION). Each of these congurations featuresa parameter that determines modulation inten-sity (AMOUNT). ASSIGN 1 can control onemodulation destination, ASSIGN 2 can controltwo and ASSIGN 3 can control three modula-tion destinations, each with independent

AMOUNTs. The ASSIGN 4-6 control one desti-nation at the time.

If the modulation intensity for the selected des-tination is not „0“, its LED stays lit after you quitthe menu.


For your SOURCEs, you have two differenttypes of modulation sources to chose from. Therst type comprises external MIDI controllers

such as the modulation wheel or breath control-ler. We call these ”performance controllers” tod h h f d h

The control range of the source may be limitedvia the AMOUNT values or inverted so that the

modulation occurs strictly within the desiredvalue range for the target parameter. For yourh f



distinguish them from sound parameters suchas CUTOFF and REVERB that may also be ac-cessed directly via MIDI controllers. (Althoughstrictly speaking, they’re on-board devices, themodulation wheels of the VIRUS kc and VIRUSindigo are also considered to be external MIDIcontrollers since they are not actually compo-nent parts of the sound generation system).

The second type comprises the sound genera-tion system’s internal modulators, for example,LFOs and envelopes. These also have xedmodulation assignments (LFO AMOUNT, ENV

AMOUNT), but are freely available along withthe Modulation Matrix.

Let’s take a look at the internal modulationsources:

- AMPENV & FILTENV The corresponding en-velope is the modulation source.

- LFO1, LFO2, LFO3 The corresponding LFOis the modulation source.

- VELOON The note on velocity is the modula-tion source.

- VELOOFF The note off velocity is the modu-lation source. According to the fact, that thenote off velocity is only known when the keyis released again, here, the VIRUS uses thenote on velocity, when the key is held. There-fore both, note on- and off velocities, are ac-tive here.

- KEYFLW The note number respectively thepitch is used as the modulation source (Key-follow)

- RANDOM A random number which remainsfor the whole duration of the note on, is usedasthe modulation source here.

target parameters, you can chose from amongvirtually all sound parameters that feature an in-nitely variable control range – ergo, you havemore than 100 modulation destinations at yourdisposal.

If you haven’t selected a source for one of the ASSIGN options (SOURCE = OFF), the subordi-nate parameters will not be displayed.

In addition to the three ASSIGN options, the us-er interface features – as discussed earlier – afreely denable modulation destination for LFO1 and 2 called ASSIGN.

í You’ll find a list of available SOURCEs and DESTINATIONs in “Appendix” on page 161.

ASSIGN 1 SOURCE Selects the modulationsource for the rst modulation assignment.

01111111111111111112

1 ASSIGN 1Source ChanPres≤

61111111111111111154

ASSIGN 1 DESTINATIONSelects the modu-lation destination for the rst modulation as-signment.

01111111111111111112

1 ASSIGN 1Dest Panorama≤

61111111111111111154


ASSIGN 1 AMOUNT Controls the intensity ofthe rst modulation allocation.

011111111111111111121 ASSIGN 1

ASSIGN 3 DESTINATION 2Selects the sec-ond modulation destination for the third modu-lation assignment.

ASSIGN 3 AMOUNT 2 C t l th i t it



1 ASSIGN 1Amount +10≤

61111111111111111154

ASSIGN 2 SOURCE Selects the modulationsource for the second modulation assignment.

ASSIGN 2 DESTINATION 1Selects the rstmodulation destination for the second modula-tion assignment.

ASSIGN 2 AMOUNT 1 Controls the intensity

of the second modulation assignment for therst modulation destination.

ASSIGN 2 DESTINATION 2Selects the sec-ond modulation destination for the secondmodulation assignment.

ASSIGN 2 AMOUNT 2 Controls the intensityof the second modulation assignment for thesecond modulation destination.

ASSIGN 3 SOURCE Selects the modulationsource for the third modulation assignment.

ASSIGN 3 DESTINATION 1Selects the rstmodulation destination for the third modulationassignment.

ASSIGN 3 AMOUNT 1 Controls the intensityof the third modulation assignment for the rst

modulation destination.

ASSIGN 3 AMOUNT 2 Controls the intensityof the third modulation assignment for the sec-ond modulation destination.

ASSIGN 3 DESTINATION 3 Selects the thirdmodulation destination for the third modulationassignment.

ASSIGN 3 AMOUNT 3 Controls the intensityof the third modulation assignment for the thirdmodulation destination.









ASSIGN 6 DESTINATIONSelects the modu-lation destination for the rst modulation as



lation destination for the rst modulation as-signment.



Arpeggiator Edit

The controls in the Arpeggiator section only

ARPEGGIATOR OCTAVESControls the ascending transposition of arpeg-gios by octaves. Control range: 1 to 4 octaves.

01111111111111111112



consists of two buttons: ARP ON switches it onor off, and EDIT opens up the arpeggiatormenu:

ARPEGGIATOR MODE Arpeggiator mode is the rst parameter in themenu. You can choose between:

- OFF Self-explanatory. The Arpeggiator is in-active.

- UP Sustained notes are arpeggiated in anascending manner.

- DOWN Sustained notes are arpeggiated indescending manner.

- UP & DOWN Sustained notes are arpeggiat-ed alternately in an ascending and descend-ing manner.

- AS PLAYED Sustained notes are arpeggiat-ed in the sequence that they are played. It is

possible tolatch the Arpeggiator with the sustain pedal.

- RANDOM Arpeggiates notes in random se-quence.

- CHORD PLAYS notes as chords rather thanarpeggios.

011111111111111111121 ARPEGGIATORMode AsPlayed≤

61111111111111111154

1 ARPEGGIATOROctaves 2≤

61111111111111111154

ARPEGGIATOR PATTERNThis parameter selects one of the rhythmic pat-terns for the Arpeggiator.

01111111111111111112

1 ARPEGGIATORPattern 2≤

61111111111111111154

ARPEGGIATOR NOTE LENGTHThis parameter changes the lengths of therhythm patterns’ notes. The center positionleaves the notes at their original length. Positive

values lengthen the notes; negative valuesshorten them relatively to their original lengths.

01111111111111111112

1 ARPEGGIATORNoteLength +10≤

61111111111111111154

ARPEGGIATOR SWINGThis parameter controls the "swing factor" ofthe rhythm patterns. Higher SWING values de-lay the even-meter or straight sixteenths; thatis, every second sixteenth note. This lends therhythm a swing feel.


When SWING is set to the lowest value (50%),the interval between the individual sixteenthbeats is identical and the length of an eighthnote is divided into two identical beats; in otherwords, the rhythm is "binary".

PO (see the section on CLOCK TEMPO). More-over, the clock generator can be synced up tothe external MIDI Clock.

A value of 1/4 halves the speed of the Arpeggia-tor; 1/16 doubles it. The other CLOCK positions



At 66%, the rhythm is "ternary", the length of aeighth note is divided by a factor of 2:1.

At the highest value, 75%, the eighth note is di-vided by a factor of 3:1. The odd sixteenth no-tes are lengthened to a dotted sixteenth note,the even sixteenth notes are shortened to thelength of a 32nd note.

01111111111111111112

1 ARPEGGIATORSwing 50.0%≤

61111111111111111154

í within the list, you’ll find landmarks, such as16A-16F, known from Emagic’s Logic Audio se-

ries.

í Every arpeggiator pattern contains note velocity information which enhance the rhythmical meaning of the pattern. The arpeggiator velocity completely substitutes the note velocity. Incase, you are in need to assign the velocity to acertain parameter, simply use the ModulationMatrix.

ARPEGGIATOR CLOCK This parameter determines the basic tempo ofthe Arpeggiator in reference to the clock gener-ator. The standard setting is 1/8 and normallydoesn’t need to be changed. The actual tempois determined by the global clock generator, thespeed of which may be varied via CLOCK TEM-

tor; 1/16 doubles it. The other CLOCK positionsyield fairly exotic time signatures in reference tothe clock generator’s tempo.

01111111111111111112

1 Arpeggiator

Clock 1/16≤61111111111111111154

ARPEGGIATOR HOLDWhen this parameter is activate, the arpeggia-tor continues to play after you release the keys.

Not until you release all keys and press a newkey are the notes that were held up to this pointreleased.

01111111111111111112

1 ARPEGGIATORHold Off≤

61111111111111111154


The internal

Effects

- LIGHT, SOFT, MIDDLE, HARDDifferent an-alog distortion curves with different charac-teristics and intensities.

- DIGITAL Digital distortion with hard clipping.- SHAPER Sine characteristic curve with sev-



The Effects menu contains the parameters ofthe effects section and audio inputs (INPUT).The following effects are available individuallyper PART – i.e. you have 16 versions available,all in stereo:

The vocoder and the delay/reverb section areeach available just once, but they can be ad-dressed individually by the PARTs. In the sig-nal path, all effects are connected in series inaccordance with sequence in the Effects

menu.

í DISTORTION (PANEL)

TYPEHere’s a rundown on the various DISTORTIONmodes:

- OFF The signal is not processed.

eral wave cycles. With the Shaper, you candrastically warp signals. In some cases, theresults are similar to the spectra of linear fre-quency modulations.

- RECTIFIER Continuous rectication of thesignal; this type of distortion is independentof the given level.

- BITREDUCER Continuous reduction of thedigital signal’s bit depth; generates digitalquantization noise.

- RATEREDUCER Continuous reduction ofthe digital sampling rate; generates digitalaliasing.

- LOWPASS 1-pole low-pass lter for moder-ate processing of high frequencies.

- HIGHPASS 1-pole high-pass lter for mod-erate processing of low frequencies.

01111111111111111112

1 DISTORTIONType Light≤

61111111111111111154

INTENSITY For the distortion curves, this intensity range isequivalent to a gain boost of 12 decibels, in thecase of the ”Digital” curve as much as 24 deci-bels. A special feature of the VIRUS’ SATURA-TION stage is that, despite the fact that its gainis boosted, the signal level is kept constant sothat only the tonal color or timbre of the soundis varied.

RINGMODULATORDISTORTION

ANALOG BOOSTPHASERCHORUS

EQUALIZER

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 83Chorus (Panel)Filter Envelope

The Effects section of the VIRUS features a fur-ther distortion module called SATURATION. Itsdesign is identical to that of the DISTORTIONmodule discussed here, except for one majordifference: whereas SATURATION affects eachvoice separately, DISTORTION processes all

The LFO modulates the left and right sides ofthe Chorus signal antiphase, which generates atrue stereo effect.

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUS



voices collectively in the effects section. Thismakes a huge difference in tone.

í CHORUS (PANEL)

DIR/EFFControls the balance of volume levels betweenthe direct signal and the Chorus signal: At a val-ue of 0, only the direct signal is audible, at a val-ue of 127, only the Chorus output signal isaudible. The values between these two ex-tremes determine the mix of the two signals.

The pure chorus signal is created by a delay(CHORUS delay) and a pitch modulation of the

chorus’ on-board LFOs (CHORUS Rate andDepth). Not until the direct or dry signal (CHO-RUS Dir/Eff) is mixed to the wet signal is thetypical chorus effect generated.

DEPTHControls the intensity of the delay modulationby the LFO.

1 CHORUSDepth 16≤

61111111111111111154

í CHORUS (EDIT MENU)

RATE

Determines the speed of the Chorus LFO.

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUSRate 69≤

61111111111111111154

DELAY Controls the delay time of the Chorus.

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUS

Delay 127≤61111111111111111154


FEEDBACK Controls the amount of feedback in the Chorus.On the chorus, FEEDBACK lets you boost spe-

cic frequencies in the delayed signal to createa anger effect. The FEEDBACK parameter isbipolar; positive or negative feedback values let

The pure phaser signal is generated by frequen-cy-dependent phase shifting (PHASER Fre-quency) and pitch modulation of the phaser’sown LFOs (PHASER Rate and Depth). Not untilthe direct or dry signal (PHASER Dir/Eff) ismixed to the wet effects signal is the typicalh ff d



b po a ; pos t ve o egat ve eedbac va ues etyou dial in different anger characteristics.

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUSFeedback +0≤

61111111111111111154

SHAPEDetermines the waveshape of the chorus LFO.You can select from among 68 waveshapes(just like for the main LFOs).

01111111111111111112

1 CHORUSShape Triangle≤

61111111111111111154

í PHASER (PANEL)

DIR/EFFControls the balance of volume levels betweenthe direct signal and the Phaser signal: At a val-ue of 0, only the direct signal is audible, at a val-ue of 127, only the Phaser output signal isaudible. The values between these two ex-tremes determine the mix of the two signals.

phaser effect generated.

FEEDBACK Controls the amount of feedback in the Phaser.

On the phaser, FEEDBACK lets you boost spe-cic frequencies in the phase-shifted signal.The FEEDBACK parameter is bipolar; positiveor negative feedback values let you dial in dif-ferent phaser characteristics.

í PHASER (EDIT MENU)

RATE

Determines the speed of the Phaser LFO.

01111111111111111112

1 PHASERRate 36≤

61111111111111111154

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 85Delay / ReverbFilter Envelope

DEPTHControls the intensity of the Phaser frequencymodulation by the LFO.

01111111111111111112

1 PHASER

SPREADUse SPREAD to increase or decrease the dis-tance between the notches and peaks in the

frequency spectrum. In other words, here youcan adjust bandwidth of the phaser effect.



1 PHASERDepth 112≤

61111111111111111154

FREQUENCY The characteristic corner frequency of thephaser’s all-pass lter. The frequencies of theleft and right sides are shifted every so slightlyto create a real stereo effect.

01111111111111111112

1 PHASERFrequency 48≤

61111111111111111154

01111111111111111112

1 PHASERFeedback +0≤

61111111111111111154

STAGESUse STAGES (1-6) to select the number ofphaser stages or lter poles. This determinesdirectly the number of lter notches and peaksin the phaser signal.

01111111111111111112

1 PHASERStages 4≤

61111111111111111154

01111111111111111112

1 PHASERSpread 127≤

61111111111111111154

í DELAY / REVERB

As its name would indicate, the DELAY/RE-VERB section generates two different effects:

The DELAY effect does just that to the input sig-nal – delay it to create echoes. Much like a cho-rus, you can modulate the delay time to createoscillations and phase shifting in the stereopanorama. Delay time can also be locked into

sync with the global clock generator. As a re-sult, the rhythm of the repetitions can bematched up to the given song tempo. Beyondthat, the device offers diverse delay pattern al-gorithms where the left and right signals are de-layed so that echoes are repeated in differentbeats. By varying FEEDBACK values, you cancome up with interesting rhythmic patterns.

The REVERB effect, on the other hand, simu-lates the reections that occur in “natural”rooms. This particular effect features severalparameters that let you come up with effectsthat go beyond simple room simulation. For ex-ample, you can use the DELAY unit describedabove to dial in the desired pre-delay for roomsimulations. The DELAY effect is located prior


to the room simulation in the signal path. Delaytime and feedback are innitely variable andmay be synced up to the global clock genera-tor. This means that you can create REVERB ef-fects that are a perfect match for the rhythmiccontext.

í DELAY / REVERB (PANEL)

EFFECT SENDh l l h h h d h d



In PARAMETER mode, you can select variousDELAY and REVERB algorithms. Some of theREVERB algorithms work with parameters thatthe DELAY algorithms do not use and vice ver-sa, so we’ll look at these special parameters in

a separate section.

In SINGLE MODE, all Delay or Reverb settingsapply to the SINGLE PROGRAM in the conven-tional manner and are stored along with theprogram.

However in MULTI MODE, all 16 PARTs accessthe same Delay or Reverb effect. In this case,the only dedicated parameter you have availa-ble for each part is EFFECT SEND; all other pa-rameters apply to the same Delay/Reverb unitand affect all PARTs.

Consequently, if you set the VIRUS to MULTIMODE or MULTI SINGLE MODE, all settingsyou dial in for the Delay or Reverb (includingEFFECT SEND) affect the MULTI PROGRAMand are stored along with it. If the VIRUS is inMULTI MODE or MULTI SINGLE MODE and youactivate a new SINGLE, the Delay/Reverb pa-rameters of the SINGLE are ignored and the De-lay/Reverb parameters of the current MULTIPROGRAM are activate.

As a rule, in MULTI MODE all SINGLE settingspertaining to the Delay/Reverb are ignored,with the exception of EFFECT SEND.

The level at which the given sound is patched tothe DELAY or REVERB effect is adjusted here.

EFFECT SEND is identical to a post-fader effectbus on a mixing console. When you move thecontrol toward the end of its control range, thedry signal is faded out and only the wet DELAY/ REVERB signal is audible.

DELAY TIME (DELAY) MODEThis is the absolute delay time of the delay ef-fect in milliseconds (ms). Use it to determine the

interval between each repetition up to a maxi-mum delay time of 693 ms. Delay time is in-nitely variable. Changing the delay time bendsthe pitch of the delay signal. The DELAY TIMEparameter will not appear in the display whendelay time is determined by the DELAY CLOCK(see below). If the PATTERN delay is activated,neither the DELAY TIME nor the DELAY CLOCKparameters are visible; in this case, the delaytimes are always synced up to the global clockgenerator.

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYTime (ms) 349.5≤

61111111111111111154

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 87Delay / Reverb (Menu)Filter Envelope

DELAY FEEDBACK (DELAY MODE)Controls the amount of feedback of the Delay.

011111111111111111121 DELAYF db k 22

In a real room, walls don’t reect high frequen-cies as well as they do lower frequencies, an ef-fect that can be likened to natural low-passltering of the sound. The longer the soundtravels, the more often it bounces off walls andthe more intense this ltering effect. For thisreason the amount of high-end damping de-



Feedback 22≤61111111111111111154

REVERB DECAY TIME (REVERBMODE)This parameter determines the decay time forthe given room.

In a real room, the sound bounces off severalwalls and covers a considerable distance be-fore it reaches your ear. The longer the soundtravels and the more often it is reected, thesofter it will become. You could say that this ef-fect is comparable to a pool or billiards ball thattravels a greater distance, bouncing of severalcushioned edges along the way. This frictiondepletes energy and causes the pool ball toslow down. The sound’s loss of energy is con-trolled via DECAY TIME. When you dial in theminimum value, the decay time is extremely

short so you’ll hear just the early reections. Atthe peak value, no energy is lost so the decaytime is innite, which is of course physically im-possible in the real world.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBDecayTime 16≤

61111111111111111154

REVERB DAMPING (REVERB MODE)This parameter controls high-frequency attenu-ation of the room’s fading reections.

reason, the amount of high end damping depends on the amount of time that the signalcarries - the signal thrown back by the room be-comes muddier as time goes by. This effect isstronger with walls that have soft surfaces(wood, wallpaper) than it is with walls that have

hard surfaces (glass, tiles). Consequently, high-end damping has a signicant inuence thevibe and warmth of the room sound.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBDamping 12≤

61111111111111111154

í DELAY / REVERB (MENU)

MODEHere’s where you select the algorithm for theDELAY/REVERB section.

Let’s take a tour of the different algorithms:

- OFF Not surprisingly, this setting deactivatesthe DELAY/REVERB section.

- DELAY Mono echo. Same delay time on theleft and right sides.

- REVERB Room simulation.


- REV+FEEDB1 This the VIRUS' trademarkroom simulation. Here you can use the FEED-BACK control to generate pre-delay feed-back. The feedback effect generates rhythmicrepetitions of the REVERB signal, which arerepeated at the intervals determined by theassigned pre-delay time.

The unique sonic character of the PATTERN de-lay algorithms is due to - among other things -odd time signatures (based on sixteenth-notevalues). Each delay algorithm puts at least oneof these options at your disposal. Feedback isalways generated via the left delay tap.



g p y

- REV+FEEDB2 Room simulation with feed-back and REV+FEEDB1. Here the REVERBsignal is audible immediately after you hearthe dry signal rather than after a denedamount of pre-delay time has elapsed. Therhythmic repetitions are independently varia-ble depending on the pre-delay time andfeedback intensity (FEEDBACK).

- DELAY X:Y Ping-pong delay. Although thedelay times on the left and right sides are dif-ferent, they have a xed relationship to oneanother. For example, 2:1 means that the de-lay time of the left side of the delay signal istwice as long as that of the right side. The ab-solute delay time refers to the longer delaytime of the two sides. It is determined via DE-LAY TIME or DELAY CLOCK. Feedback is al-so generated using the signal with the longerdelay time of the two.

- PATTERN X+Y The PATTERN delay algo-rithms are also ping-pong delays, but herethe delay times are locked into sync with themaster clock. For this reason, you won’t ndDELAY Time or DELAY Clock parametershere. Consequently, the absolute delay timesare determined by the tempo of the globalclock generator (CLOCK SPEED) or by thesong tempo dictated by a connected se-quencer that is sending a clock signal. Thetwo numbers represent sixteenth note incre-ments and indicate the delay for the left andright side on the basis of sixteenth notes.Used in conjunction with the FEEDBACK pa-rameter, these “groove” algorithms create in-teresting rhythmic patterns and accents whenyou patch in appropriately rhythmic signals,for example arpeggios.

y g y p

01111111111111111112

1 DELAY/REVERBMODE REVERB≤

61111111111111111154

í The following parameters will only appear inthe display when you’re working with DELAY al-

gorithms.

DELAY CLOCK When you set it to OFF, the absolute delay timeis determined in milliseconds. If you select anote value, then the delay time is set to the val-ue of this note. The absolute length of this notevalue depends on the value entered to CLOCKTEMPO in the global clock generator (refer tothis section). In this case, the absolute delaytime in milliseconds is ignored.

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYClock Off≤

61111111111111111154

If the delay time determined by the clock gener-ator exceeds the maximum value of 693 ms,then the delay time is automatically set to a val-ue equivalent to half of the entered value.


DELAY COLOR A lter is placed in the delay effect 's output,that also effects the feedback path. It can be

faded between a Lowpass (negative range) anda Hipass (positive range). The lter causes thedelay repeats to become duller and duller, justlike on a tape echo or for a nice unnatural ef

ing eingestellt werden oder auf Null gestelltwerden, da die LFO-Modulation das Timing desDelays beeinusst

01111111111111111112

1 DELAY



like on a tape echo, or for a nice unnatural ef-fect, to become thinner with increased harmon-ics (Hipass).

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYColor +10≤

61111111111111111154

DELAY RATEDetermines the speed of the Delay LFO.

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYRate 5≤

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DELAY DEPTHControls the intensity of the delay modulationby the LFO.

Like the Chorus LFO, the Delay LFO modulatesthe left and right sides of the signal antiphase,which generates a true stereo effect. Wenn dasDelay für rhythmische Effekte verwendet wird,dann sollte die Modulationstiefe möglichst ger-

Depht 15≤61111111111111111154

DELAY SHAPEDetermines the waveshape of the Delay LFO.You can select from among 68 waveshapes(just like for the main LFOs).

01111111111111111112

1 DELAY

Shape 1≤61111111111111111154

DELAY OUTPUT SELECTHere you can select the external or internal De-lay output. The same destinations are availableas for the PART signals. This feature lets youroute the Delay signal to the internal aux pathsfor further processing.

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYOutSel Out 1+2≤

61111111111111111154

í The following parameters will only appear inthe display when you’re working with DELAY al-

gorithms.

90CHAPTER 6Synthesis Parameters

REVERB TYPEThis parameter lets you select from among fourdifferent room sizes to create the type of simu-

lation that you want. Room size is decisive be-cause it determines the density of r oomreections, which in turn inuences the charac-ter of the room simulation In bigger rooms

a variable lter that can act as a low-pass lter(negative control range) as well as a high-passlter (positive control range). For a natural-sounding room simulation, you should alwaysset REVERB COLOR to a slightly negative valueto dampen the higher frequencies of the roomsignal. This will make the effect sound more au-



ter of the room simulation. In bigger rooms,sound travels across greater distances than in asmall room, which means that the intervals be-tween the reections bouncing off the virtualwalls are also greater. Simulating bigger roomsrequires more delay memory, which leaves youwith less memory available for pre-delay effects(PREDELAY, see below).

On the other hand, you can determine the de-cay time of the room simulation independentlyfor the room size of your choice. You can selectfrom among:

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBType Ambience≤

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REVERB COLORThis parameters inuences the room’s staticfrequency response.

Natural reverb will always have some high-fre-quency attenuation since the sound bouncesoff at least one wall. REVERB COLOR is identi-cal to DELAY COLOR; here you’re dealing with

thentic and the room sound warmer. You can,however, opt to create interesting articial-sounding effects by cutting the lower frequen-cies radically. To this end, experiment by vary-ing the high-pass l ter within REVERB

COLOR’s positive control range.

REVERB COLOR is a static lter, which meansit generates a different effect than that of RE-VERB DAMPING, where the amount of high-end damping is a factor of time.

In the signal path. the lter is located at the out-put of the pre-delay. This means that the lteralso inuences pre-delay feedback (REVERBFEEDBACK, see below) when you use this pa-rameter.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBColor -10≤

61111111111111111154

REVERB PREDELAY This parameter controls the pre-delay time ofthe given room simulation.

In a real room, sound travels quite a distanceand is reected at least once before it reachesyour ear. This means that a certain amount oftime elapses before you hear the earliest reec-tions of the room signal. The bigger the room,the longer it takes for the reected signal toreach your ear. This effect is emulated in a roomsimulation be means of a parameter called pre-delay. Irrespective of the values set for the other

Reverb Type Pre-delay Ambience with up to 500 msSmallRoom with up to 400 msLargeRoom with up to 300 msResonance with up to 150 ms


REVERB parameters, the amount of pre-delayhas a decisive impact on our perception of thesize of a room.

When you set a high pre-delay value - say somehundred milliseconds - you’re actually creatingan “unnaturally” large room. The room simula-i ill d h d h lik dif

CLOCK TEMPO in the global clock generator(refer to this section). In this case, the absolutepredelay time in milliseconds is ignored.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBCl k Off≤



tion will sound washed out or much like a dif-fuse echo. Pre-delay has a formative effect onroom simulation, particularly since - like withthe pure DELAY algorithms - you can use it tomatch the reverb effect to the rhythmic context.

And like the DELAY parameters, pre-delay is in-nitely variable, it is suitable for generatingfeedback, and it can be synced up to the globalclock generator.

REVERB PREDELAY controls the absolute pre-delay time in milliseconds (ms). The peak valuedepends on the room size (REVERB TYPE, seeabove) that you have selected because theroom simulation and pre-delay share the samememory. Pre-delay time is innitely variable.Changing the delay time bends the pitch of thereverb signal. REVERB PREDELAY will not ap-pear in the display when the pre-delay amountis determined via REVERB CLOCK (see below).

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBPreDelay 500.0≤

61111111111111111154

REVERB CLOCK

When you set it to OFF, the absolute predelaytime is determined in milliseconds. If you selecta note value, then the predelay time is set to thevalue of this note. The absolute length of thisnote value depends on the value entered to

Clock Off≤61111111111111111154

REVERB FEEDBACK Available exclusively for the Rev+Feedb1 andRev+Feedb2 algorithms, this parameter con-trols the amount of pre-delay feedback. Herethe room signal is repeated at intervals that aredetermined by the pre-delay time. Note that thesignal level fades gradually. REVERB COLORalso has an inuence on feedback. The intensityof the ltering effect generated by the low-passor high-pass lter increases with every repeti-tion. Feedback is subtle when the decay time ofthe room (REVERB DECAY TIME) is long. Theeffect will become more prominent when youset a short decay time and a long pre-delaytime.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBFeedback 50≤

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REVERB OUTPUT SELECT

Here you can select the external or internal out-put for the REVERB section.

01111111111111111112

1 REVERBOutSel Out1+2≤

61111111111111111154


í VOCODER

For more information on the Vocoder see “TheVocoder of the VIRUS” on page 131

TUNEControls the frequency range of ANALOGBOOST.

01111111111111111112

1 ANALOG BOOST



í ANALOG BOOST

This effect produces the typical bass responseof analog synthesizers. By changing the valueof the TUNE parameter, you can boost the mid-dle range or even reduce high frequencies. Ap-plied sparingly, ANALOG BOOST is suitable foralmost any type of sound, works well togetherwith the DISTORTION section and can be set toextreme levels if required. Analog Boost is avail-able for each of the 16 possible sounds in Multimode.

INTENSITY

Controls the amount of ANALOG BOOST.

01111111111111111112

1 ANALOG BOOSTIntensity 17≤

61111111111111111154

Tune 32≤61111111111111111154

í EQUALIZER

The equalizer is used for boosting or cuttingbass and/or treble in the signal, as well as forne adjustment of a denable frequency range(“Mid”). The low and high controls are realizedas single pole shelf lters, whereas the “mid-range” is handled by a two-pole parametricbandpass lter. The equalizer is available seper-ately for each of the 16 sounds in Multi mode.

LOW-EQ GAINLow shelf cut or boost.

LOW-EQ FREQUENCY Low shelf cutoff frequency.

MID-EQ GAINMidrange cut or boost.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 93EqualizerFilter Envelope

MID-EQ FREQUENCY Center frequency of the midrange bandpass l-ter. Please note that this can actually be set an-

ywhere between 20 Hz and 24 kHz, i.e. it is notnecessarily restricted to what is usually consid-ered “midrange”.



MID-EQ Q-FACTORMidrange bandwidth around the center fre-quency. Lowering the Q-factor increases band-width, so cut or boost will apply to a widerrange of frequencies. Increasing the Q-factornarrows the bandwidth i.e. cut or boost is ap-plied to a narrower range of frequencies. Set-ting a very high Q-factor (e.g.15) makes thisbandwidth very narrow, allowing for highly se-lective and precise equalization.

HIGH-EQ GAINHigh shelf cut or boost

HIGH-EQ FREQUENCY High shelf cutoff frequency.






Main Edit Menu

96 CHAPTER 7Main Edit Menu

í COMMON

CLOCK TEMPOThe VIRUS has a global clock generator whichcan be used to synchronize the LFOs the ar-

global delay effect). This feature lets you controlthe LFOs and arpeggiators of several MULTIPARTS in a common rhythmic context.

A small “c”will appear in the display when theVIRUS is receiving MIDI Clock data.

If you’re sure you do NOT want the device to be



can be used to synchronize the LFOs, the arpeggiators and the delay/reverb effects to acommon tempo. The internal clock generatoreither works at a denable rate or slaves auto-matically to any MIDI clock signal (e.g. from asequencer) arriving at the MIDI IN socket. Inter-nal clock speed is controlled by the CLOCKTEMPO parameter, which can be set to any val-ue beween 63 und 190 BPM (Beats Per Minute).Beats are displayed by a dedicated LED abovethe TRANSPOSE buttons.

When the device is synchronized via MIDI

clock, the clock generator automatically ac-cepts the speed dictated by the connected se-quencer; the internal tempo is invalid. Theindividual sections of the VIRUS are synced upto the clock generator at rhythmic intervalssuch as 1/16, 1/4 and so forth. These valuesmay be assigned individually for every section.(ARPEGGIATOR CLOCK, CLOCK LFO 1,CLOCK LFO 2, CLOCK LFO 3, DELAY CLOCK,see the respective sections).

01111111111111111112

1 CLOCKTempo (bpm) 120≤

61111111111111111154

In SINGLE MODE, CLOCK TEMPO pertains tothe current SINGLE PROGRAM and is storedalong with it. In MULTI MODE, the CLOCKTEMPO settings for the involved SINGLE PRO-GRAMs are ignored. Instead, all involved SIN-GLE PROGRAMs are controlled via the sameclock generator. Its CLOCK TEMPO is saved inthe MULTI PROGRAM (as are the settings of the

synchronized automatically to MIDI clock, setMIDI CLOCK RX to Off (in the SYSTEM menu).

í To avoid confusion, please keep in mind that MIDI Clock is not the same thing as MIDI TimeCode. The latter doesn’t deal with tempo at all

but with time-related information structured in hours, minutes, seconds, etc. which is of no benefit to you in this context.

PATCH VOLUMEStorable master volume for the SINGLE pro-gram. Its nominal value is set to 100 so that youhave a reserve of 27 volume increments whenyou are dealing with exceptionally low-levelsound settings. In addition to using PATCHVOLUME, you can also control the level viaMIDI using the controllers #7 (Channel Volume)

and #11 (Expression). However, these are notstored with the SINGLE program.. In MULTIMODE, you can also access PART VOLUME(see appropriate section), which provides fur-ther volume reserves (headroom).

01111111111111111112

1 COMMON

PatchVolume 100≤61111111111111111154

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 97Common

PANORAMA Determines the Panorama position of the SIN-GLE program. Dieser Parameter kann auch

über Midi mit dem Controller #10 (Panorama)gesteuert werden.

01111111111111111112

continue to run through their phases whenyou play other notes (Single Trigger mode);Portamento is only active when you playlegato.

- HOLD The sound can be played polyphoni-cally. However, the played notes are held by avirtual hold pedal even after you release thekeys Not until you release all keys and press



1 COMMONPanorama +0≤

61111111111111111154

KEY MODEDetermines how a sound responds to the notesbeing played. You can chose from:

- POLY The sound is played polyphonically.

- MONO 1 (Multi-Trigger): The sound is playedmonophonically. When you play in a smooth,even style (legato) the envelopes are restartedevery time you play a note (Multi Triggermode); Portamento is always active.

- MONO 2 (Multi-Trigger; Legato-Glide): Thesound is played monophonically; when youplay in a smooth, even style (legato) the enve-lopes are restarted every time you play a note(Multi Trigger mode); Portamento is only ac-tive when you play legato.

- MONO 3 (Single-Trigger): The sound isplayed monophonically; when you play in asmooth, even style (legato) the envelopes arerestarted at the rst note only and continue torun through their phases when you play othernotes (Single Trigger mode); Portamento is al-ways active.

- MONO 4 (Single-Trigger; Legato-Glide): Thesound is played monophonically; when youplay in a smooth, even style (legato) the enve-lopes are restarted at the rst note only and

keys. Not until you release all keys and pressa new key are the notes that were held up tothis point released.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONKeyMode Poly≤

61111111111111111154

PORTAMENTO

Determines the amount of time it takes for thepitch to glide from the current note to the nextnote played. PORTAMENTO is a signicant fea-ture of KEY MODE (see paragraph above); thetwo are closely related.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONPortamento 0≤

61111111111111111154

TRANSPOSETransposes the entire SINGLE program by oc-taves. If your VIRUS is equipped with a built-inkeyboard, the selected SINGLE program is nottransposed. Instead, the keyboard is trans-posed globally.


(see “The VIRUS kc and the indigo” onpage 126).

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONTranspose +12≤

61111111111111111154

- LIN Starting from the 0 value, (center posi-tion) the pitch bend is linear. In other words,when you bend the pitch up to exactly halfthe distance of the pitch bend’s full range, theinterval you hear is equivalent to exactly halfof the value you set for BEND UP (see para-graph above).

- EXP Starting from the 0 value (center posi-



BEND UP

Determines the interval of the bend when thePitch Bender is moved upwards to the full ex-tent of its range. Control range: -64 semitonesto +63 semitones.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONBendUp +2≤

61111111111111111154

BEND DOWNDetermines the interval of the bend when thePitch Bender is moved downwards to the fullextent of its range. Control range: -64 semi-tones to +63 semitones.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONBendDown -2≤

61111111111111111154

BEND SCALEDetermines the shape of the curve which in turndetermines the effect of the Pitch Bend data.You can chose from:

g ( ption) the pitch bend is exponential - at rst thebend is gradual and as you move furtheraway from the center position, the pitch isbent ever more radically. In this mode you canachieve slight uctuations in pitch, for in-stance a manual vibrato, provided you canmaintain a soft touch, yet still have the optionof generating greater intervals because of theexponential increase in range.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONBendScale Exp≤

61111111111111111154

SMOOTH MODEThis is an adaptive parameter smoothing mode(Adaptive Control Smoothing). You’ll nd a de-tailed explanation of this parameter in “The VI-RUS and Sequencers” on page 139.

You have the following options to chose from:

- OFF Adaptive Control Smoothing is disabledand parameter changes are carried out incre-mentally without smoothing.

- ON Adaptive Control Smoothing is enabledand parameter changes are smooth.

- AUTO Adaptive Control Smoothing analyz-es the characteristics of the incoming in pa-rameter changes and carries out these outeither continuously (smoothed) or incremen-tally.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 99Unison Mode

- NOTE Adaptive Control Smoothing is carriedout continuously (smoothed), but jumps insteps when a new note is played.

01111111111111111112

1 COMMONSmoothMode On≤

61111111111111111154

DETUNESlightly detunes the voices involved in UNISONmode.

01111111111111111112

1 UNISONDetune 48≤



61111111111111111154

í UNISON MODE

determines how many voices the VIRUS willuse to render a played note. In a nutshell, it de-termines how fat or big the sound will be. Whenyou activate UNISON mode for a sound, it canstill be played polyphonically. However, de-pending on the number of voices you’ve dialedin, its polyphony will of course be considerablyreduced in UNISON mode. The most efcientand the standard setting is UNISON mode =Twin, where two voices are played for everynote. In the OFF position, one voice per note isplayed.

01111111111111111112

1 UNISONMode Twin≤

61111111111111111154

61111111111111111154

PAN SPREADCreates a stereo panorama spread of the voicesinvolved in UNISON mode. Use it connectionwith UNISON DETUNE to create intense stereoeffects.

Moreover, PAN SPREAD lets you spread thestereo panorama of the two oscillators or lter,

provided that you select SPLIT as the FILTERROUTING option (more on this in the section,”FILTER ROUTING”). Then this option is ena-bled regardless of whether or not UNISONmode is active. This feature allows you to createa stereo sound with just a single voice.

01111111111111111112

1 UNISONPanSpread 127≤

61111111111111111154

UNISON LFO PHASEShifts the phases of the two TWIN MODE voic-es’ LFOs relatively. This effect livens up modu-lations. The value range of -64 to +63 isequivalent to -180 to +180 degrees. LFO


PHASE pertains to all LFOs and does not impairthe phase response of the LFOs within either ofthe two voices.

01111111111111111112

1 UNISONLFO Phase 48≤

61111111111111111154

mathematical innity symbol, then the SUSTAINlevel remains constant through to the end of thenote; if you turn it counter-clockwise to the left(towards FALL), then the level drops off at an in-creasing rate towards the minimum level; If youturn the knob clockwise to the right (towardsRISE), the level rises at an increasing rate tomaximum.



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í PUNCH INTENSITY

Here you can inuence the attack of the ampli-er envelope to enhance the sound with a morepercussive, snappy kind of feel. You may haveguessed that PUNCH INTENSITY determinesthe intensity of this effect. PUNCH is only effec-tive when you have dialed in fairly short ATTACKrates for the amplier envelope.

01111111111111111112

1 PUNCH

Intensity 64≤61111111111111111154

íENVELOPE SUSTAIN TIME

Sets the bipolar time parameter for the amplierenvelope. It determines the envelope’s re-sponse once it reaches the SUSTAIN level (seeappropriate section): If the knob is set to thecenter position (12 o’clock) indicated by the

í ANALOG INPUTS

INPUT MODEIn the VIRUS you have the option of using the

external analog inputs instead of the internaloscillators as signal sources that can be proc-essed by the lters, envelopes and the internaleffects. In addition to the external analog in-puts, you also have two internal stereo auxpaths or subgroups available as signal sourcesin MULTI MODE. The output signals of otherPARTs can be routed via their respective OUT-PUT SELECTs (see appropriate section) tothese aux paths.

You can chose from:

- OFF The PART is not assigned an externalinput but works with its own sound sources(the oscillators and the Noise Generator) inthe manner of a conventional analog synthe-sizer.

- DYNAMICInstead of the internal soundsources, an external signal source is routed tothe lter section. The envelopes remain func-tional so you have to play notes in order tohear the external signal source. For instancein this mode you can manipulate the volumeto “chop up” the input signal much the way a

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 101Envelope Sustain TimeAnalog Inputs

gate does. If you turn FILTER KEY FOLLOWup, the input signal is ltered by a different l-ter frequency depending on the key youpress. The sound program can still be playedpolyphonically and you can allocate severaldifferent lter frequencies and independentenvelopes simultaneously (!) to the input sig-nal via the keyboard.

STATIC I d f h i l d

The signal source that you select here is usedfor both the vocoder and the ring modulator inthe effects section.

Input Meaning- IN L The left channel of the ex-

ternal dual audio input.- IN L+R Both channels of the ex-



- STATIC Instead of the internal sound sourc-es, an external signal source is routed to thelter section. In contrast to DYNAMIC mode,in STATIC mode one or two voices (depend-ing on the INPUT SELECT setting, see appro-priate section) of the VIRUS are activatedautomatically without you actually playingnotes on this PART. The lters and the ampli-er are switched permanently open, the enve-lopes are deactivated and incoming notes areignored. Consequently you can use the ltersand the amplier as an effects section for the

input signal.- TO EFFECTS The audio signal is routed di-

rectly to the effects section of the SINGLEprogram or the PART. In this mode, the voicesof the VIRUS are not used, which means thatpolyphony remains fully intact. The lter sec-tion is unavailable in this mode.

011111111111111111121 INPUT GLOBALMode Dynamic≤

61111111111111111154

INPUT SELECTSelects the external signal source for the INPUTMODEs.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUTSelect In L+R≤

61111111111111111154

If the selected signal source is a stereo source -

i.e. IN L+R, AUX 1 L+R or AUX 2 L+R - then thesound program is automatically switched inter-nally to UNISON-MODE = Twin, regardless ofthe UNISON MODE parameter setting so thatthe input signal is processed in stereo. In thiscase, the UNISON parameters PAN SPREADand LFO PHASE (see appropriate section) areactive.

IN L+R Both channels of the external dual audio input(stereo).

- IN R The right channel of theexternal dual audio input.

- AUX 1 L The left channel of internal Aux 1.

- AUX 1 L+R Both channels of internal Aux 1 (stereo).

- AUX 1 R The right channel of inter-nal Aux 1.

- AUX 2 L The left channel of internal Aux 2.

- AUX 2 L+R Both channels of internal Aux 2 (stereo).

- AUX 2 R The right channel of inter-nal Aux 2.


When you select an internal aux path as a sig-nal source, you of course must route the signalsof another PART to this aux path via OUTPUTSELECT before you can establish a signal con-nection between the two PARTS. Several PARTscan simultaneously access the external input orthe internal aux paths via INPUT SELECT.

Three lter envelope knobs are used to controlthe envelope follower when it is active:

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER ATTACK (Knob: FILTER ATTACK) It controls the attackrate of the envelope follower. With this parame-ter, you can determine how fast the envelope



í FOLLOWER (ENVELOPE-FOLLOWER)

The envelope follower generates a modulationsignal from an audio signal. This modulationsignal can be used to control sound parame-

ters. When the envelope follower is activated, ittakes the place of the lter envelope. Thismeans that you can modulate the lters usingthe ENV AMOUNT knob in the lter section. Theenvelope follower is also available as a modula-tion source in the ASSIGN section in the form ofthe option called ”FiltEnv”.

MODE Activates the envelope follower. Set to the OFFposition, the envelope follower is inactive andthe lter envelope works in the usual manner.

The remaining settings for FOLLOWER modelet you activate the envelope follower and, at

the same time, choose a signal source. Selectsignal sources the same way you would for IN-PUT SELECT (see above). Note that this selec-tion option is completely independent of thegiven input.

When you select a stereo signal and at thesame time activate UNISON mode (Twin), theenvelope follower operates in real stereo.

y pfollower will respond to the rise in signal level.Higher values slow the envelope follower downand delay its response.

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER RELEASE(Knob: FILTER DECAY) It controls the decaytime of the envelope follower. With this parame-ter, you can determine how swiftly the envelopefollower will respond to a decrease in signal lev-el. Higher values let the Follower linger.

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER GAIN(Knob: FILTER SUSTAIN) It controls the inputlevel of the envelope follower directly. The nom-inal value is the center position (64).

011111111111111111121 INPUT FOLLOWERMode Off≤

61111111111111111154

í RINGMODULATOR

This allows you to ring-modulate the residualsignal of the SINGLE or PART with an externalaudio signal. The effect multiplies the ampli-

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 103Second Output/SurroundAnalog Inputs

tudes of both signals, which provides the fre-quencies’ sums and differences. The moreharmonics in the incoming signal, the more dis-tinct the modulation. Especially drumloopsmodulated with a sine wave create interestingsounds. The incoming signal is determined withINPUT SELECT. Depending on the incomingsignal, the ring modulator operates in mono orstereo.

SELECTThis parameter controls the balance of levelsbetween the normal and the second audio out-

put. This means that, depending on the givenapplication, SECOND BALANCE can serve asan effect send knob when an external device ispatched in via the second output (or anotherPART of the VIRUS is patched in via the auxbuses) It also serves as a back/front knob



DIR/EFF

- LEFT The ring modulator is inactive, only thedirect signal is audible.

- CENTER Purely the ring modulator signal isaudible.

- RIGHT The external audio signal is audible.

You’ll nd a further ring modulator in the Os-

cillator section of the VIRUS. It operates indi-vidually for each voice using the signals ofOscillators 1 and 2.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT RINGMODDir/Eff Off≤

61111111111111111154

í SECOND OUTPUT/SURROUND

The SECOND OUTPUT function lets you selectanother mono or stereo out irrespective of whatthe other output assignments may be. The bal-ance of levels between the normal output andthis second output is innitely variable.

buses). It also serves as a back/front knobwhen you want to create a quadraphonic signal.

01111111111111111112

1 SECOND OUTPUTSELECT OFF≤

61111111111111111154

BALANCE

With this parameter, you can mix the output sig-nals of the PARTs individually to the secondoutput that you chose by means of the SELECToption. When it is set to the OFF position, youwill only hear only the conventional output;when it is set to 127, the signal is routed exclu-sively to the second output. The values in be-tween these two extremes determine theweighted balance between the conventionaland the second output.

In conjunction with the conventional output ofthe given sound, you end up with a quadra-phonic signal that is suitable for Surround appli-cations. Using Panorama (left, right) and theSECOND OUTPUT Balance (front, back), youcan create a genuine quadraphonic mix in the

VIRUS.

The second output can also serve as an FXloop. To this end, all you have to do is connect itto an external effects device. The Balance pa-rameter then serves as an effect send knob thatdetermines the balance between the direct ordry signal and the wet or effect signal. When



ACCESS VIRUS OS5 105VelocityAnalog Inputs

VELOCITY FILT 1 ENV AMTDetermines the intensity of the VELOCITY con-trol for the modulation of Filter-1’s cutoff fre-quency by the lter envelope.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYFilt1EnvAmt +4≤

VELOCITY RESONANCE 2Determines theintensity of the VELOCITY control for the reso-nance of Filter-2.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYResonance2 +0≤

61111111111111111154



61111111111111111154

VELOCITY FILT 2 ENV AMTDetermines the intensity of the VELOCITY con-trol for the modulation of Filter-2’s cutoff fre-quency by the lter envelope.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYOsc2Shape -20≤

61111111111111111154

VELOCITY RESONANCE 1Determines the intensity of the VELOCITY con-trol for the resonance of Filter-1.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYResonance1 +30≤

61111111111111111154

VELOCITY VOLUMEDetermines the intensity of the VELOCITY con-trol for the volume.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYVolume +20≤

61111111111111111154

VELOCITY PANORAMA Determines the intensity of the VELOCITY con-trol for the Panorama position.

01111111111111111112

1 VELOCITYPanorama +30≤

61111111111111111154


í SOUND CATEGORY

Every SINGLE sound can be assigned to up totwo categories by means of the parametersCATEGORY 1 and CATEGORY 2 . For example,you could assign the attributes "Bass" and "Ac-id" or "Lead" and "Favorite 1" to a given sound.These categories may be changed at any time

SOFT KNOB MODES

- GLOBAL The knob controls the parameterthat you have set to Global in the Soft Knob

menu regardless of what the other settingsand the selected SINGLE program may be.

- SINGLE The knob controls the parameterthat you have set to Single in the Soft Knobmenu. The setting for this parameter is storedin the SINGLE program and called p hen



These categories may be changed at any timeand can be stored along with the sound. Thefactory sounds are assigned default categories.

01111111111111111112

1 CATEGORY 1Bass≤

61111111111111111154

í SOFT KNOB-1/2

The VIRUS has two freely assignable potenti-ometers which are particularly useful for giving

direct access to parameters which are other-wise only available from within the menus. Thedestination parameters are dened in the Editmenu (SOFT KNOB 1/2 MODE). There are twoparameters for each knob, one global and onelocal i.e. applying only to the current SINGLEprogram (which will override the global deni-tion if dened). SOFT KNOBs always work inJUMP mode.

Please note that SOFT KNOB 2 doubles as avalue control, and therefore only works as aSOFT KNOB when the Virus is in Play mode i.e.no Edit menu is selected.

These Soft Knobs operate in three differentmodes:

in the SINGLE program and called up when-ever you select this program. If, however, youhave not selected a parameter for this pro-

gram (SOFT KNOB Single = OFF), the settingfor SOFT KNOB Global is automatically ena-bled.

- MIDICONTRLHere the controller numberentered in the SOFt KNOB MIDI menu is sentregardless of what the other settings and theselected SINGLE program may be. Compara-ble to a small MIDI fader box, this mode is

used to control connected MIDI devices.Note that this information is not processed in-ternally in the VIRUS.

The setting for the actual SOFT KNOB mode isglobal. Under normal circumstances, youshould set SOFT KNOB mode to ”Single” be-cause this is the most versatile mode. When

you select a SINGLE sound whose SOFT KNOBmode is set to ”Single”, this setting is of courseenabled. If not, Global SOFT KNOB mode is en-abled.

01111111111111111112

1 DEFINABLESMode Single≤

61111111111111111154

SOFT KNOB 1 SINGLEThis is where you enter the parameter assign-ment for the SOFT KNOB-1 knob. The entry isan element of the current SINGLE PROGRAM

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 107Soft Knob-1/2Analog Inputs

and is stored along with it. The entry is only ac-tive when SOFT KNOB-1 MODE is set to SIN-GLE. When SOFT KNOB-1 SINGLE is set toOFF, the Display page setting SOFT KNOB-1

GLOBAL is activated.

01111111111111111112

1 DEF 1 SINGLEDelayTime(ms)≤

SOFT KNOB-1 NAMEFor each SOFT KNOB, you can choose a shortdescription from a list in the menu, and this willbe saved as part of the SINGLE program. InPlay mode, this will appear in the display – sim-ply to remind you of what each SOFT KNOBdoes while you are playing your Virus.

Among other things, you can choose one of the



DelayTime (ms)≤61111111111111111154

SOFT KNOB-1 GLOBALThis is where you enter the parameter assign-ment for the SOFT KNOB-1 knob. The entry re-mains valid regardless of the currently selectedSINGLE PROGRAM. The entry is only activewhen SOFT KNOB-1 MODE is set to GLOBALor SINGLE; although in the latter case SOFTKNOB-1 SINGLE in the current SINGLE PRO-GRAM must be set to OFF before the entry isactivated.

01111111111111111112

1 DEF 1 GLOBALClockTempo≤

61111111111111111154

SOFT KNOB-1 MIDIThis is where you enter the MIDI Controller as-signment for the SOFT KNOB-1 knob. The Con-troller is routed via MIDI Out for the purpose ofcontrolling a connected MIDI device. The entryis only active when SOFT KNOB-1 MODE is setto MIDI.

following descriptions for each SOFT KNOB:

ATTACK, SUSTAIN, DECAY, RELEASE, FILTER,CUTOFF1, CUTOFF2, CUTOFF, RESO, BAL-

ANCE, FX AMT, DLY AMT, CHO AMT, PHA AMT,DIS AMT, DETUNE, SHAPE, OSC VOL, OSCBAL, NOISE, RINGMOD, SUBOSC, FM, TONE,TEMPO, SPEED, SCREAM, DEPTH, FEAR,FLOW, FAST, SLOW, MORPH, RATE

Please note that these are only for descriptive

purposes – you are not changing the function ofthe SOFT KNOB here!

SOFT KNOB-2

SOFT KNOB- 2 MODE

SOFT KNOB- 2 SINGLESOFT KNOB- 2 GLOBALSOFT KNOB- 2 MIDI

and

SOFT KNOB-2 NAME

Similar to SOFT KNOB 1 – see above

í The following parameters featured in theSYSTEM menu are described in greater detail

below in the section Global Parameters / Midi Parameters / System Parameters. These oper-


ate globally and are accessible in the SYSTEM menu at any time irrespective of the given operating mode.





Multi Mode & System Setup

110 CHAPTER 8Multi Mode & System Setup

Multi ModeParameters

í Please bear in mind the PART- and/or MULTI-related parameters described in the fol-

lowing are available in MULTI mode only.

PART DETUNEFine-tunes the PART.

011111111111111111121 B36 101BASS RP

PartDetune +10≤61111111111111111154



SELECT BANK Activates the bank for a SINGLE PROGRAM forthe current PART.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPSelectBank B≤

61111111111111111154

SELECT NUMBER Activates a SINGLE PROGRAM for the currentPART.

011111111111111111121 B36 101BASS RP

SelctNumber 36≤61111111111111111154

PART TRANSPOSE

Transposes the PART in semitone steps.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPPartTransp +0≤

61111111111111111154

PART VOLUME

Controls the volume level of the PART. In addi-tion to PATCH VOLUME (in the EDIT menu, seeappropriate section), MIDI Volume (Controller#7) and Expression (Controller #11), PART VOL-UME is the fourth option for determining thevolume level of a PART within a MULTI program.Please keep in mind that PART VOLUME is a bi-polar parameter: In the negative half of the con-

trol range (-64 to 0) the signal level is controlledin the normal fashion - i.e. the sound fades outas negative numbers increase; from the centervalue upwards (0 to +63), extremely low-levelsignals are amplied. When you set valuesgreater than 0 for sounds that are already fairlyloud, you may hear undesirable digital distor-tion.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPPartVolume +0≤

61111111111111111154

OUTPUT SELECTWhen you select an internal aux path as a sig-nal output, you of course must route the signalof another PART to this aux path via INPUT SE-LECT before you can establish a signal connec-

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 111

tion between the two PARTS. Several PARTscan simultaneously access the external input orthe internal aux paths via OUTPUT SELECT.

If the selected output is monophonic, then thePanorama settings and modulations in thesound program are inactive.

011111111111111111121 B36 101BASS RP

OutSel Out1 L+R≤61111111111111111154

- OUT 1 L The left jack of dual Out-put 1 (mono)

- OUT 1 L+R Both jacks of dual Output1 (stereo)

- OUT 1 R The right jack of dual Out-



In SINGLE MODE, OUTPUT SELECT does notappear in the menu; in this case Output 1 (ster-eo) is preset.

PART ENABLESwitches the MIDI receive mode of a givenPART ON and OFF, i.e. enables reception ofMIDI data.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPPart Enable On≤

61111111111111111154

MIDI CHANNELelects the MIDI channel of the PART. If two ormore PARTs are selected for the same MIDIchannel, these PARTs will be played simultane-

ously. This creates what are generally calledlayer sounds.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPMidiChannel 1≤

61111111111111111154

PRIORITY This parameter lets you control how the VI-RUS”steals notes when its polyphonic perform-ance is maxed out. In the rst position, ”LOW”,the voices of all PARTs have the same prioritywhen one voice is switched off to accommo-

put 1 (mono)- OUT 2 L The left jack of dual Out-

put 2 (mono)- OUT 2 L+R Both jacks of dual Output

2 (stereo)- OUT 2 R The right jack of dual Out-

put 2 (mono)- OUT 3 L The left jack of dual Out-

put 3 (mono)

- OUT 3 L+R Both jacks of dual Output3 (stereo)

- OUT 3 R The right jack of dual Out-put 3 (mono)

- AUX 1 L The left channel of internal Aux 1 (mono)

- AUX 1 L+R Both channels of internal

Aux 1 (stereo)- AUX 1 R The right channel of inter-

nal Aux 1 (mono)- AUX 2 L The left channel of internal

Aux 2 (mono)- AUX 2 L+R Both channels of internal

Aux 2 (stereo)

- AUX 2 R The right channel of inter-nal Aux 2 (mono)

112 CHAPTER 8


date a new voice. When you set the Priority of aPART to ”High”, the VIRUS will not ”steal” anynotes from the voices of this PART. Use this pa-rameter sparingly. In other words, if you set all

Parts to High, you’re defeating the purpose ofthis parameter. In this case, it wouldn’t have anyeffect since the priority of all voices is the same.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RP

HIGH KEY Determines the highest MIDI note that the PARTresponds to.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPHighKey G8≤

61111111111111111154



36 0 SSPriority Low≤

61111111111111111154

KEYRANGIn MULTI mode, you can limit the note range ofindividual PARTs. Use the LowKey and HighKeyparameters to dene the upper and lower limitsof the note range to which the PART will re-spond. This lets you assign the sounds of sev-eral PARTs that are addressed by the sameMIDI channel to different keyboard zones tocreate what are called split sounds.

If, however, you adjust the two parameters sothat the value of LowKey lies above that ofHighKey, the note range between these two

high and low limits is disabled and the PART willrespond only to notes the lie above and belowthis zone.

LOW KEY Determines the lowest MIDI note that the PARTresponds to.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPLowKey C-2≤

61111111111111111154

MIDI VOLUMEENABLE Switches a given PART’s MIDI receivemode for MIDI Controller 7 (volume) ON andOFF.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPMidiVolume Off≤

61111111111111111154

HOLD PEDALENABLE Switches a given PART’s MIDI receivemode for the hold pedal (MIDI Controller #64)ON and OFF.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPHoldPedal Ena≤

61111111111111111154


PRG CHG ENABLESwitches a given PART’s MIDI receive mode forMIDI Program Change messages ON and OFF.

01111111111111111112

1 B36 101BASS RPProgChange Ena≤

61111111111111111154



í The following parameter groups of the

MULTI-EDIT-Menu have already been described in the SINGLE-EDIT-Menu (they are in-dentical): CLOCK TEMPO, SOFT KNOB-1/2,MIDI, SYSTEM

114 CHAPTER 8


SYSTEM

The following parameters are global parametersand are accessible at any time in the SYSTEMmenu regardless of the current operating mode.If you own a keyboard version of the VIRUS, theparameters for the keyboard and other manualcontrol devices will appear at this point. These

This simply means that it isn’t bent radically sothat, for example, the given sound can still beplayed “tonally”.

As you increase the values for PAR DEPTH, oth-er parameters that have a greater impact on thetimbre of the sound are changed. At higher val-ues, the RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR tendsto generate noise-like sounds or special effects.

01111111111111111112



are explained in detail in the chapter “The key-board versions of the Virus” on page 125

RANDOM AMOUNTDetermines the degree to which the RandomPatch Generator changes sound parameters.Small values here often lead to subtle changes,but repeatedly pressing the RANDOM buttoncan make the effect more and more pro-nounced. Larger values can make drasticchanges to the sound. Pressing UNDO cancelsthe the last randomization, and REDO (pressthe Undo button again) restores the the last ran-domization.

01111111111111111112

1 RANDOM [STORE]Amount 0≤

61111111111111111154

PAR DEPTHThis parameter determines the number of

sound parameters that are inuenced by theRANDOM PATCH GENERATOR. If you enter alow value for PAR DEPTH, just a few parame-ters will be modied. Beyond that, the mannerin which the few parameters are edited assuresthat the sound is manipulated “organically”.

01111111111111111112

1 RANDOM [STORE]ParaDepth 0≤

61111111111111111154

í KEYBOARD

KEYBOARD LOCALIf this parameter is set to “Off”, all keyboard-re-lated data (i.e. Note On, Aftertouch, the wheelsand both pedals) are only sent to the MIDI OUTsocket, and not directly to the Virus sound gen-eration.

í Tip: LocalOff is especially useful when you are working with MIDI sequencers.

011111111111111111121 KEYBOARDLocal ON≤

61111111111111111154


Keyboard

KEYBOARD MODEThe Keyboard Mode function enables you toselect OneChannel or Multichannels and this ishow it works:

If Onechannel is selected, the keyboard trans-mits on the MIDI channel of the selected part (oron the “Global Channel” in Single Mode) to thesound generator and to the MIDI-Out. This isthe normal setting for all sequencer and stand-l li ti If M ltiCh l i l t d

KEYBOARD TRANSPOSEThe VIRUS keyboard can be transposed insemitones. Note that this transposition appliesto the output of the keyboard, it is not generat-ed within the Virus itself. Transposition thereforealso applies to notes sent to the MIDI OUTsocket.

01111111111111111112

1 KEYBOARD



alone applications. If MultiChannels is selected,the keyboard signals are generally sent to all

the Multiparts. All the active parts (PartEna-ble=On) are controlled by the keyboard, regard-less of which MIDI channel has been set.Whether data is sent out via MIDI depends onthe KeybToMidi parameter (Off, On) which canbe found in the Part-Parameters in Multimode:If KeybToMidi is activated (On) for one or moreparts, the keyboard transmits to MIDI-Out oneach of the part’s MIDI channels. It is herebytaken into consideration which keyboard areathe part has (LowKey, HighKey), and each indi-vidual part-transposition (PartTranspose).

The current bank and program numbers and theparts’ volume settings are also transmitted viaMIDI-Out. The parameter formerly activated onthe receiving side can now be used on the

transmitter side; the 16 Multi-Parts now at yourdisposal allow for very extensive control of ex-ternal sound generators. The PartEnable pa-rameter is also activated on the transmitterside, it determines if the keyboard plays the in-ternal part (On) or not (Off). In other wordsPartEnable is the counterpart to the KeybToMidiparameter, and can be regarded as an individu-al Local-Off for each part.

01111111111111111112

1 KEYBOARD MODEOneChannel≤

61111111111111111154

Transpose +12≤

61111111111111111154

TRANSPOSE BUTTONSThese buttons are used to transpose the outputof the Virus keyboard in octaves. Note that thistransposition applies to the output of the key-board, it is not generated within the Virus itself.Transposition therefore also applies to notessent to the MIDI OUT socket.

01111111111111111112

1 KEYBOARD TRANSButtons Keyb≤

61111111111111111154

MODWHEELSelects the MIDI controller number sent by theModulation Wheel. The default value is CC#1(Mod).

011111111111111111121 KEYB MODWHEELModWheel 1≤

61111111111111111154

116 CHAPTER 8


PEDAL-1Selects the MIDI controller number of the rstpedal. The default value is CC#64 (sustain ped-al).

01111111111111111112

1 KEYB PEDAL-1HoldPedal S65≤

61111111111111111154

í INPUT

INPUT DIRECT THRUThe stereo signal patched to the external inputscan be routed to the dual-jack Output 1 withoutbeing processed in any manner. For instanceyou can blend the output signal of anothersound generator with the output signal of the



PEDAL-2Selects the MIDI controller number of the se-cond pedal. The default value is CC#7 (main vo-lume).

01111111111111111112

1 KEYB PEDAL-2

Volume 7≤61111111111111111154

PRESSURE SENSITIVITY Adjusts the sensitivity of Aftertouch for the Viruskc and indigo. The default value is 64 (normal).

01111111111111111112

1 KEYB PRESSURESensitivity 64≤

61111111111111111154

sound generator with the output signal of theVIRUS and send the mixed signal to Output 1

without having to use an external mixing con-sole. INPUT DIRECT THRU controls the level ofthis direct signal path.

This is a global parameter, i.e. it is not storedalong with the SINGLE PROGRAM.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT GLOBALDirectThru 0≤

61111111111111111154

INPUT BOOSTWith INPUT BOOST, you can increase the sig-

nal level of the two external inputs by up to 36dB. The signal is boosted in the digital sectionof the VIRUS, so the noise level of the analog-digital converter increases automatically. Con-sequently you should dial in the cleanest, loud-est possible signal at the external soundgenerator. The VIRUS features a signal level in-dicator that allows you to monitor the signal lev-el visually: see LED MODE in the SYSTEMmenu. You should only t urn up the INPUTBOOST when you are unable to dial in a suf-cient signal level prior to the external inputs. Ata value of 0, the signal level is not boosted atall.


MIDI

This is a global parameter, i.e. it affects all in-volved PARTs and INPUT DIRECT THRU (seeparagraph below). It is not stored along with theSINGLE PROGRAM.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT GLOBALBoost 0≤

61111111111111111154

INPUT PHONOSince record players have a characteristic fre-quency response, we equipped the Virus Rackwith a suitable Phono equalizer. It may be acti-vated via the INPUT Phono parameter.

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT GLOBALPhono Off≤

61111111111111111154



INPUT GAINUsing this switch you can increase the inputsignal by 20 decibels before it is sent to the dig-ital analog converter. This means that with theproper cords you can connect a microphone,an electric guitar or a record player directly tothe Virus Rack. However, to attain the best pos-sible sound quality, it is advisable to patch the

signal into an appropriate signal processor suchas a microphone preamplier, a mixer, or a gui-tar preamp before you route it into the input ofthe Virus.

í Please turn down the Master Volume knob before you turn input gain up. Be aware that boosting the signal by 20 decibels increases the level tenfold!

01111111111111111112

1 INPUT GLOBALInputGain ON≤

61111111111111111154

61111111111111111154

í MIDI

MIDI DUMP TX

This feature transfers the sound data of oneVIRUS to another VIRUS, a computer or ahardware sequencer via MIDI. The dump isexecuted via so-called system exclusive data(SysEx). You can chose from the followingdump options:

- TOTAL All data in the RAM of the VIRUS, inother words, the SINGLE Banks A and B, theMULTI programs, the EDIT buffers as well asthe settings for the global parameters.

- GLOBAL Here you can transfer all global da-ta (i.e. all parameters that are not stored witha Single or a Multi e.g. Global Channel).

- CONTROLLER DUMPThis option lets yousend a Single to the MIDI Out in the form of acontroller dump. Here all parameters are sentin succession as individual parameter chang-es. The parameters are sent either as control-lers, polypressure or SysEx messages,depending on the setting in SYSTEM: MIDI

118 CHAPTER 8


CONTROL LoPage / HiPage. This functionsends the SINGLE program that you are cur-rently processing (the contents of the Editbuffer).

The Controller Dump is not an alternative to anormal Single Dump since it takes so muchlonger to transmit data. However, it does al-low you to send a complete Single sound to aparameter-based editor (Logic Environment,Cubase Mixer) that is compatible with the VI-RUS for the purpose of updating the editor.

Once you have selected the desired datatype, the dump is initiated via STORE.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDI DUMP TXSingleBank A≤

61111111111111111154

MIDI DUMP RX



RUS for the purpose of updating the editor.

- SINGLE BUFFER This option dumps the da-ta of the SINGLE program that you are cur-rently processing (the Edit buffer).

- SINGLE BANK A All 128 sound programs ofBank A are sent.

- SINGLE BANK B All 128 sound programs ofBank B are sent.

- MULTI BUFFERThis option dumps the dataof the MULTI program that you are currentlyprocessing (the MULTI’s Edit buffer). Pleasebear in mind that, with this option, merely theMULTI parameters and not the associatedSINGLE sounds are transmitted.

- ARRANGEMENTThe current MULTI and theSINGLE programs involved can be transmit-ted in one go with this option. To shorten theamount of time that this dump takes, only thesounds of those PARTs whose Part Enableoption is set to On are sent.

- MULTI BANK All MULTI programs are trans-mitted with this option. Please bear in mindthat, with this option, merely the MULTI pa-rameters and not the associated SINGLEsounds are transmitted. If you want to save alldata of the VIRUS to a sequencer, you canselect the ”Total” dump option.

MIDI DUMP RXIf you want to send MIDI data to the VIRUS, youdon’t have to log in rst. The VIRUS automati-cally accepts incoming data via its MIDI In port.However, you can determine where the data ofa complete incoming bank is stored. In con-trast, single sound are always rst dumped inthe Edit buffer; you have to manually store themsomewhere else, otherwise they are deleted bythe next program change.

- DISABLE Incoming data via MIDI IN is ig-nored.

- ENABLE Bank data is re-loaded to the bankfrom which they were originally dumped, re-gardless of which bank is currently selected.

- FORCE TO BANK A Bank data is loaded toBank A exclusively.

- FORCE TO BANK BBank data is loaded toBank B exclusively

- FORCE TO EDIT BUFFERLoads the singleprograms of the bank to the Edit buffer oneby one, whereby the each preceding singlesound is deleted by the one following it. Thisfunction treats a bank dump as a succession

of single sounds and comes in handy whenyou want to search an unfamiliar bank or loadsingle sounds without having to load the en-tire bank.


MIDI

- VERIFY Compares an incoming MIDI dumpto the memory content of the VIRUS. Itchecks if a dump was recorded properly onthe sequencer and if it can be played back

correctly. Load data from the sequencer intothe VIRUS while “Verify” is enabled. The VI-RUS’ display will indicate if the device is ac-tually receiving data and it will call yourattention to any transmission errors that mayoccur. Data stored in the VIRUS remains un-affected by this operation.

- INT+MIDI All types of control operations aresent directly to the VIRUS sound generationcomponents and simultaneously to MIDI Out.

- MIDI All types of control operations are sentexclusively to MIDI-Out, the internal signalpath is severed. This position is equivalent tothe classic Local Off function for the user in-terface.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDI



01111111111111111112

1 MIDI DUMP RXForceToBankA≤

61111111111111111154

GLOBAL CHANNEL

Selects the MIDI channels for SINGLE MODEand the program switching option for entireMULTI PROGRAMs in MULTI MODE. In MULTISINGLE MODE, the MULTI MODE switchingoption is locked (permanently deactivated). Thenumber in the upper left of the display showsthe MIDI Global Channel in Single Mode andthe current Partnumber if the VIRUS is in MULTIMODE or MULTI SINGLE MODE.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIGlobalChan 1≤

61111111111111111154

MIDI PANEL DESTINATION

- INTERNAL All types of control operationsare sent directly to the VIRUS sound genera-tion components and not to the MIDI Out.

1 MIDI

Panel Int+Midi≤61111111111111111154

MIDI SOFT THRUSoft Thru forwards all MIDI data the VIRUS re-ceives from the MIDI input to the MIDI outputsocket. The MIDI data the VIRUS generates it-self are being mixed in.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDISoftThru OFF≤

61111111111111111154

í Soft thru is only availble with the VIRUS kc/ indigo

120 CHAPTER 8


ARPEGGSENDThis parameter determines whether or not (ONor OFF, respectively) the arpeggiator sends thenotes it generates to the MIDI Out. This functionis a feasible option only when you want to ad-dress further sound generators via MIDI.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIArpeggSend Off≤

MIDI VOLUME ENABLEGlobally switches the reception of Volume data(Controller #7) on (ENA) or off (DIS).

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIMidiVolume Ena≤

61111111111111111154



61111111111111111154

If you want to record notes generated by the Ar-peggiator to a sequencer, please ensure thatthese are not sent directly back to the VIRUS. Ifyou fail to do this, the Arpeggiator may no long-er be able to play correctly under these condi-tions. To avoid this situation, route data viaanother MIDI channel or switch off the MIDI

Thru function on your sequencer.

CLOCK RXThis parameter activates or deactivates the re-ceiving of MIDI-Clock globally. The VIRUS auto-matically detects the presence of MIDI-Clock(Auto). Therefore this parameter is not intendedto switch MIDI-Clock on, but to switch it off ifyou should feel that this is necessary (Off).

01111111111111111112

1 MIDI

ClockRx Auto≤61111111111111111154

PROGRAM CHANGE ENABLEGlobally swithes the reception of ProgramChange Data for SINGLE programs on and off.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIProgChange Ena≤

61111111111111111154

MULTI PROGRAM CHANGE ENABLEThis function controls if the VIRUS receives pro-gram changes of multi-setups. If enabled, theVIRUS switches an entire multi-setup by a pro-gram change. The global MIDI channel has to

be used to receive the program change. Pleasenote that the multi program change will notwork in the single-multi mode, because, in thismode, the display is unable to show thechange.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIMultiPrgChg Dis≤

61111111111111111154


System

MIDI DEVICE IDHere you can enter the identication number forsystem exclusive data transfer. To enable com-munication between two VIRUS units - i.e. toexchange system exclusive data - you must as-sign the same MIDI DEVICE ID to both units.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDIDeviceId Omni≤

polypressure data is disabled on the receiveside; if you set it to ”Contr”, both polypressureand SysEx data are received.

011111111111111111121 MIDI CONTROL

HiPage PolyPrs≤61111111111111111154



61111111111111111154

MIDI CONTROL LOW PAGEHere you can determine if you want the rst 128parameters (Page A) to be sent to MIDI-Out assystem exclusive data (SysEx) or as MIDI Con-trollers (Contr). When you set it to ”SysEx”, con-troller data is disabled on the receive side; if youset it to ”Contr”, both controller and SysEx dataare received.

01111111111111111112

1 MIDI CONTROLLowPage Contr≤

61111111111111111154

MIDI CONTROL HIGH PAGEHere you can determine if you want the second128 (Page B) parameters to be sent as systemexclusive data (SysEx) or as MIDI PolyPressuredata (PolyPrs). When you set it to ”SysEx”,

í SYSTEM

MASTER TUNE

Determines the overall pitch of the VIRUS. 0 = A 440 Hz. You can detune the device a half-noteup or down at the most.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEMMastertune +0≤

61111111111111111154

ARPEGGIATOR GLOBALEnables or disables the arpeggiator globally.The global parameter overwrites the arpeggia-tor ON/OFF setting of the individual patches.

122 CHAPTER 8


To emulate the behavior of earlier operating sy-stem version, you need to switch ON the opti-on.

011111111111111111121 SYSTEM

Arpeggiator ON≤61111111111111111154

- WARN Patches and Multis can be stored.Furthermore the “SOUND EDITED! Remem-ber storing” alert in the multimode is disa-bled. The mode is especially made for live

musicians who need to switch in between ed-ited multi settings without warnings.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEMMemProtect Off≤

61111111111111111154



DELAYGLOBAL

Enables or disables the delay globally. This glo-bal parameter overwrites the Delay/Reverb set-ting of the individual patches.

To emulate the behavior of earlier operatingsystem version, you need to switch ON the op-tion.

011111111111111111121 SYSTEMDelay ON≤

61111111111111111154

MEMORY PROTECTLocks (ON) or unlocks (OFF) the memory inwhich the sounds of the VIRUS are stored.When you switch MEMORY PROTECT on, youcan avoid inadvertent overwriting of programswhen you accidentally press the STORE button.

- OFF Patches and Multis can be stored

- ON The VIRUS is completely memory pro-tected. Patches and multis can’t be stored.

61111111111111111154

EXPERT MODEEXPERT MODE: The Virus features numerousparameters. Many of these you can occasional-ly do without because they are not absolutelyessential to basic sound programming, andthey do tend to make the device a little more

challenging to handle. EXPERT mode can solvethis problem. It lets hide and show rarely usedparameters in the display menus.

- EASY Only the most important parametersare visible.

- EXPERT All parameters are visible

- SHOW ALL If this is option is selected, allparameters, including those with dedicatedcontrols on the panel, will be accessible fromwithin the menu (they would normally not ap-pear there). Example: Cutoff1 is not present inthe Edit menu of the lter because it can beset by turning the dedicated control. Leavingout such parameters from the menus makethem much leaner.

Activating the Show All option can be usefulwhen more than one parameter share thesame control, for instance the effect parame-ters: If you press SELECT to change controlin the effects section to CHORUS, then adjustthe SEND parameter and nally switch overto PHASER, the position of the knob is unlike-


System

ly to reect the current SEND value of thephaser. To avoid unwanted value jumps inthese parameters, you can activate the Show

All option and make your adjustments from

within the menu instead.

LCD CONTRASTLets you adjust the contrast of the LC display todifferent light conditions and viewing angles.

Im SNAP-Mode tritt rechts neben der Zahl ein®-symbol hinzu, das anzeigt, in welche Rich-tung der VALUE-Regler gedreht werdenmuss, um den aktuellen Parameterwert zu

überstreichen.- ISNAP The modal controls (for instance

those whose functions apply to one oscillatoror LFO at a time) will be in SNAP mode,whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode.The iSNAP mode is useful for preventing sud-den changes in value after switching over to adifferent oscillator or LFO etc



01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEMLCDContrast 64≤

61111111111111111154

- IRELATIV Alle modalen Regler (das sind die,die beispielsweise zwischen den verschiede-nen LFOs oder Oszillatoren umgeschaltetwerden) arbeiten in der RELATIVE-Betriebsart(siehe unten), die restlichen in der JUMP-Be-triebsart. (Siehe dazu die Erläuterung zur iS-NAP-Betriebsart.)

KNOB MODE

Provides a selection of several knob operatingmodes which you can activate depending onpersonal preference or suitability to the tasksyou currently dealing with:

- OFF All controls except MASTER VOLUMEare deactivated.

- JUMP Any movement of controls updates

the data immediately; the parameter sudden-ly “jumps” to the value corresponding to thenew position.

- SNAP Moving a control has no audible effectuntil after the original value has been passedthrough – this is useful to prevent suddenchanges in the sound while turning a knob.

different oscillator or LFO etc.

- IRELATIV The modal controls (for instancethose whose functions apply to one oscillatoror LFO at a time) will be in RELATIVE mode,whereas all the others will be in JUMP mode.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEM

KnobMode Jump≤61111111111111111154

KNOB DISPLAY In an active menu, SYSTEM KNOB DISPLAYoffers different display option for parametersthat have knobs assigned to them:

- OFF Knob movements are not displayed; thecurrent contents of the display remain intactwhen you turn a knob.

- SHORT When you turn a knob, the currentcontents of the lower display line are brieyoverwritten by data representing the changein parameter value; once the action is com-pleted, the original contents reappear in thelower display line.

- LONG Same as SHORT, except that - youguessed it - the display shows the knob datafor a longer period of time.

124 CHAPTER 8


- ON The contents of the display are overwrit-ten when you turn a knob; the original menudoes not reappear in the display.

011111111111111111121 SYSTEMKnobDispl Short≤

61111111111111111154

LED MODE

- AUX2 Much like when the setting «ExtIn» isenabled, you can have the two LFO RateLED’s indicate the signal levels of ve furthersignal buses. This lets you check visually if a

signal is being routed via a given bus andspot overloaded circuits. When you activatethis option, the LFO1 LED indicates the leftchannel and the LFO2 LED indicates the rightchannel of the selected signal bus. The LEDswill ash rapidly to indicated an overloadedbus.

- STEAL The ”Steal” setting indicates if a



LED MODE

Here you can chose between two operatingmodes for the RATE LEDs of LFO 1 and 2:

- LFO The LEDs indicate the oscillations of theLFOs.

- INPUT The LEDs serve as level indicators forthe two external audio inputs (RATE 1 = InputL; RATE 2 = Input R). The brightness of theLEDs indicates the current input level; signalsaturation is indicated by rapidly ashingLEDs.

To achieve maximum sound quality for the sy-stem, you should set the input signal to a le-vel that is as close as possible to thesaturation threshold. However you shouldavoid setting the level beyond the saturationthreshold, otherwise you will hear undesirabledistortion in the signal. You can also use thelevel indicators to see if an input signal is ac-tually patched in.

- AUTO When you activate AUTO, the LFORate LEDs will automatically indicate the in-put level when you switch to a SINGLE orPART that accesses an external audio out-puts.

- OUTPUT1

- OUTPUT2

- OUTPUT3

- AUX1

STEAL The Steal setting indicates if a

voice is cut off in the interest of providing thevoices required to render a new note whenev-er the polyphony that VIRUS has been ex-hausted. If the device is forced to cut a noteoff, it will select the voice whose signal levelhas dropped furthest. Considering that avoice fades out over a range of 0 to -144 dec-ibels, but – depending on the sonic context –the signal fades into the background at -32 to-48 decibels, this process of cutting off fadingnotes is largely inaudible. The brightness ofthe LFO Rate LED will uctuate to indicatethe volume envelope’s current level for thenote that the VIRUS is cutting off.

01111111111111111112

1 SYSTEMLeadMode Auto≤

61111111111111111154



The keyboard versions of the Virus

126 CHAPTER 9


í THE VIRUS KC AND THEINDIGO

Although the VIRUS kc or the indigo is merely aVIRUS with a keyboard, there are a few charac-teristics to be considered, which is what the fol-lowing section deals with.

LOCAL OFF AND “THREE IN ONE”

(directly as well as through the sequencer), nordo you want the internal sound generator toplay along when you are trying to play thesounds on a different synthesizer.

So obviously the VIRUS kc / indigo also has aLocal-Off-Mode (Parameter: KEYBOARD Local(Off, On)). When activated, all the keyboard da-ta, i.e. aftertouch, the data from the wheels andfrom the two pedals, is sent only to the MIDI-Out, and not to the sound generator.

Just like on the VIRUS without a keyboard the



LOCAL OFF AND THREE IN ONE

To be able to get the most out of your VIRUS kc / indigo, and to use it sensibly, it is worthwhileto theoretically dissect the machine into itscomponents: Keyboard, panel and sound gen-erator. The keyboard and the panel transmit da-ta, namely the keys being played and thewheels and pots being turned. The VIRUS’ in-visible heart, the sound generator, receives this

data.The transmitter and receiver communicate viathe MIDI standard, so whether the sound gener-ator receives note messages via the keyboardor via MIDI-In makes no real difference. Thesame applies for data sent from the pots on thepanel to the sound generator: Normal MIDI datais sent, just as if it were being sent to the soundgenerator via the MIDI-In.

Why do we feel inclined to direct your attentionto this circumstance so explicitly? Simple: Youmight have come into contact with the so calledLocal-Off-Mode on other synthesizers: whenactivated the keyboard sends data to the MIDI-Out, but not directly to the sound generator.

This makes sense when you use a synthesizeralong with a sequencer, and want to use thesynthesizer as a Masterkeyboard in your setup.In this case the sequencer decides which ma-chine receives the keyboard data, and it couldbe very undesirable for the keyboard to senddata directly to the internal sound generator. Af-ter all you do not want to send the data twice,

Just like on the VIRUS without a keyboard, theVIRUS kc / indigo has a special Local-Off-Modefor the Panel (Parameter: MIDI Panel: Internal,Int+MIDI, MIDI). You can choose whether thedata from the control panel should be sent onlyto the sound generator, to the sound generatorand MIDI-Out, or just to MIDI-Out. Separatingthe Local-Off mode for the panel from that ofthe keyboard may seem a little confusing and

unnecessarily complicated at rst, but it doesmake sense - as shown in the following exam-ple:

Let us suppose you want to use the VIRUS kc / indigo as a Masterkeyboard with your sequenc-er and have switched to Local-Off. If this modewere valid for the keyboard and the panel, thedata from both transmitters would not be sentto the VIRUS’ sound generator, only to theMIDI-Out. This would be desirable as far as thekeyboard data is concerned, but not necessari-ly for the control panel data: If you suddenlywanted to turn the VIRUS’ Cutoff pot to damp-en the VIRUS sound, the pot’s data would notarrive at the sound generator, only at the se-quencer. From there it might be passed on to an

entirely different synthesizer, where it couldcause sound changes that were not at all in-tended - after all there is no standard allocationfor control data to parameters.

To make it short: It can be very practical andeasier on the nerves, to be able to activate theLocal-Off-Mode for the keyboard, while the

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 127The VIRUS kc and the indigo

pots still control only the VIRUS - and nothingelse. Only if you want to record the control datain a sequencer, or denitely want to inuenceanother machine with the VIRUS’ controls, doesit make sense to send the control data simulta-neously - or exclusively - to the MIDI-Out.

After having acquainted you with both of the VI-RUS kc / indigo’s Local-Off Modes, it is time totake a look at a few more of the keyboard ver-sion’s features.

the other control features. These multiple as-signment capabilities enable you to create verycomplex sound changes, one might call themSound-”Morphing.”

í The VIRUS kc / indigo allows you to freely choose the controller that the Modulation Wheel

sends - just in case you need it (Parameter KEYB MODWHEEL (Off, 1...127)). The standard,(and the factory preset) for the ModulationWheel is - as mentioned above - MIDI-Control-ler 1 You could control any of the VIRUS’ pa



KEYBOARD & COMPANY The keyboard is not the only difference betweena VIRUS kc / indigo and a VIRUS without a Key-board. After all the keyboard comes with twowheels and two pedal interfaces. The keyboardis also equipped with an Aftertough funtion, thatis activated by pressing the keys beeing held.

The Pitch-Bend-Wheel is used mainly to bendthe pitch, but can also be used to control otherparameters via the modulation matrix. PitchBend is a bipolar control source, which meansthat the destination parameter can be shifted,starting from a middle value, either up or down.(A spring automatically returns the wheel to themiddle value when you let it go.

This is not the case with the Modulation Wheel:This wheel sends “0” when turned all the waydown, and its maximum value when turned tothe top. The destination parameter can only beshifted in one direction. The classic applicationfor the Modulation Wheel is to blend in vibratofor a sound. As a standard it is usually assigned

to MIDI-Controller Nr. 1 (“Modulation”). Ofcourse the Modulation Wheel can control otherthings instead of vibrato, e.g. the opening of alter. As a matter of fact the modulation wheelcan be used to control several parameters atthe same time, because it can be assigned todifferent modulation destinations via the modu-lation matrix - by the way, the same applies to

ler 1. You could control any of the VIRUS parameters by assigning the wheel to thecorresponding controller.

Although this would work, we strongly adviseagainst doing so. If you assign a different con-troller than “1” to the Modulation Wheel, the VI-RUS’ software no longer recognizes the

Modulation Wheel as such, and connections inthe modulation matrix, (ASSIGN-Menue) thatuse the modulation wheel as the source ofmodulation no longer have any effect. The rightway to do it, which we strongly recommend, isto leave the Modulation Wheel on Controller 1,and to select the corresponding modulationdestination for the wheel in the matrix. Then theadjustments are also valid for each sound, andeverything works the way it is supposed to.

Let us turn to the two pedal interfaces: They en-able you to connect switch pedals (on/off) orcontrol pedals (constant control signal). You canchoose a MIDI-Controller for the pedals (Pa-rameter: KEYB PEDAL 1 or 2 (Off, 1...127)).Standard are Controller 64 (hold or sustain ped-

al, the note played is held) and 7 (Channel- orMIDI-volume, the volume of the sound played.)Just as with the Modulation Wheel, the pedalscan be used to control different parameters viathe modulation matrix (ASSIGN).

128 CHAPTER 9


Switch and control pedals are available in yourlocal music store. The only suitable control ped-als are the typical synthesizer control pedalswith a single three pole plug (similar to a head-phone plug). What does not work are volume orWahwah pedals that guitarists use. In addition,some manufacturers’ control pedals have a dif-ferent polarity, so that the pedals do not func-tion correctly with the VIRUS kc / indigo (nocontrol effect or erratic control). We suggestyou try out a control pedal before you buy it.Some manufacturers’ switch pedals also have adifferent polarity. The VIRUS kc / indigo howev-

Transpose (-64...+63). The KEYBOARD Trans-pose can be switched in octaves by theTRANSPOSE buttons on the user panel as well.By parameter KEYB TRANSPOSE Button youcan choose if the TRANSPOSE buttons willswitch the transpose of the SINGLE program(receiver position) or the Keyboard (transmitterposition).



different polarity. The VIRUS kc / indigo however recognizes this polarity when you switch it onor whenever you hit the Panic-Reset. Double-click both Transpose-buttons

AFTERTOUCH(also commonly referred to as “Channel Pres-

sure”), is a control signal that is generated byhitting a key, and whilst holding it, pressing it abit harder (not too hard, lest the function bechanged to “repair required”) The harder thekeys are pressed, the stronger the control signalbecomes; excellent for modulating any parame-ters while playing the VIRUS’ via its modulationmatrix (“ASSIGN”). The sensitivity of the After-touch-function is set with the parameter KEY-BOARD PRESSURE Sensitivity (Off, 1...127).Normal sensitivity is around 64, this allows youto exploit the entire aftertouch range. If you areusing the keyboard to record MIDI data with asequencer, it might make sense to turn the af-tertouch-function off, (Sensitivity=Off), to avoidrecording undesired MIDI data.

TRANSPOSEThe VIRUS’ keyboard can be transposed insemitones. Mind you the transposing takesplace in the transmitter (the keyboard) and notin the “receiver” (the sound generator). Thetranspose parameter is called KEYBOARD

í THE KEYBOARD-MODES

You will be especially interested in the VIRUS’Keyboard-Mode-Function if you intend to usethe VIRUS kc / indigo as a Masterkeyboard inorder to manage further connected MIDI sound

generators. To explain it, we have to take acloser look: If you use the VIRUS in MULTIMODE, you can play several parts on differentMIDI channels. You can also assign severalparts to the same MIDI channel, but set so thatone part is only played on the lower end of thekeyboard, and a different one played on thehigher end.

This allows for a variety of split and layer varia-tions. The lower half of the keyboard plays abass, the higher end plays a pad sound that ismixed with brass - and so on. The parts are as-signed to the keyboard areas in the VIRUS’Multi, where they are also saved - which meansin the sound generator or in other words the re-ceiver as mentioned in our “Three in One”-de-

nition). The keyboard simply sends out the data,and the various notes are distributed to the cor-relating parts in the sound generator.

With the help of the Keyboard-Mode-Parame-ter, we can turn the entire thing around. It canrelocate the Multi’s note assignment back to thetransmitter side, i.e. the keyboard. The notes

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 129The Keyboard-Modes

are checked and assigned in the keyboard andnot in the sound generator. The idea behind thisoption is that it is an easy and elegant way to in-clude external sound generators in the split andlayer congurations.

The bass mentioned in the example above, wasonly activated by the lower half of the keyboard.Now the sound would no longer have to comefrom the VIRUS, any other MIDI controlled syn-thesizer would do. Selected keyboard rangescan be diverted at the MIDI-Out long beforethey reach the VIRUS’ sound generator. During

hereby taken into consideration which keyboardarea the part has (LowKey, HighKey), and eachindividual part-transposition (PartTranspose).

The current bank and program numbers and theparts’ volume settings are also transmitted viaMIDI-Out. The parameter formerly activated onthe receiving side can now be used on thetransmitter side; the 16 Multi-Parts now at yourdisposal allow for very extensive control of ex-ternal sound generators.

Independent of the Keyboard Routing the Parts



y g ga live performance this enables you to tie in ex-ternal sound generators by using the VIRUS asa masterkeyboard. This is not possible in nor-mal MULTI MODE because the organizing andassigning functions only apply to the internalsound generators.

The Keyboard Mode function enables you to

select OneChannel or Multichannels and this ishow it works:

If Onechannel is selected, the keyboard trans-mits on only one MIDI channel, that is the chan-nel of the selected part (or on the “ GlobalChannel” in Single Mode) to the sound genera-tor and to the MIDI-Out. This is the normal set-t ing for al l sequencer and stand-aloneapplications.

If MultiChannels is selected, the keyboard sig-nals can be sent to all the Multiparts as well asto the Midi Out on several Midi Channels. TheRouting is handled by the parameter KeyboardRoute, that can be found in the Multi Edit Menu;individually for each Part. In the position “Inter-

nal” the Part is controlled by the keyboard, re-gardless of which MIDI channel has been set.But this Part does not send Midi data to theoutput.

When Keyboard Route is set to “Midi” for oneor more parts, the keyboard transmits to MIDI-Out on each of the part’s MIDI channels. It is

p y galways receive Midi data from the Midi-In inMultiChannels Mode. The parameter Part Ena-ble is not existing in this mode.

Here once again the various applications:

THE PASSIVE PARTKeyboard Route =Off

The Keyboard does not transmit data to eitherthe MIDI-Out nor to the sound generator, and isconsequently not activated on the transmittingside. The part does however receive data fromthe MIDI-In, and can be controlled on its MIDIchannel by an external keyboard or sequencer.

THE INTERNAL KEYBOARD ZONEKeyboard Route =Internal

The keyboard sends out its signals to the soundgenerator of the corresponding part, but not to

MIDI-Out.

THE EXTERNAL KEYBOARD ZONEKeyboard Mode =Midi

130 CHAPTER 9


The keyboard sends its signals to MIDI-Out, butnot to the sound generator of the correspond-ing part. This enables you to control an externalmachine with the appropriate keyboard zone.

THE INTERNAL + EXTERNAL KEY-BOARD ZONEKeyboard Mode =Int+Midi

The keyboard sends its signals to the soundgenerator and to MIDI-Out. In a single keyboard

Here an overview of the keyboard version’sspecial parameters:

KEYBOARD

ROUTING(PER PART)

(Off , Internal , Midi ,

Int+Midi)

KEYBOARD Local (Off, On)KEYBOARDMODE

(OneChannel , Mul-tiChannels)

KEYBOARDTRANSPOSE

(-64...+63)



g g yzone you can combine a VIRUS part and an ex-ternal sound generator on the same MIDI chan-nel.

Since PartEnable does not work on the receiv-ing side when in MultiChannels mode, the partsplay the notes coming through MIDI-In on thecorresponding MIDI channels! If this should cre-

ate problems in your MIDI-Setup, it might benecessary to set different MIDI channels fortransmitting and receiving on each machine. Al-ternatively a part can be “deactivated” if theLowKey and HighKey parameters are set to C-2. It would only respond to the lowest MIDI noteC-2, which is rarely used in everyday situations.

Please remember that the KeybToMidi parame-ter is only visible if the KEYBOARD Mode is setto MultiChannels.

Please notice the following: When set toOneChannel, playing the keys has the effectthat the keyboard and the panel operate the se-lected part. The Part-Select when MultiChan-nels is set is valid only for the panel, not for the

keyboard.

All these parameters exept KeybToMidi are glo-bal parameters. These parameters are only visi-ble in the keyboard version of the VIRUS.

KEYB TRANPOSEBUTTONS (Single, Keyb)

KEYB MOD-WHEEL

Destination Controller

KEYB PEDAL 1 Destination ControllerKEYB PEDAL 2 Destination ControllerKEYB PRESSURE-

SENSITIVITY

(Off, 1...127, Default

#64)



The Vocoder of the VIRUS

132 CHAPTER 10The Vocoder of the VIRUS

í VOCODER

Although vocoder sounds have seen a come-back in the recent time, many musicians do notspecically know how they work or even moreimportantly, how they sound! Various Vocoderpresets are stored In the last section of SINGLEbank D (grammalogue ”VOC”). These SINGLEsrequire an audio signal being fed to the externalinputs. The keyboard also needs to be playedon most of the presets. The VIRUS Vocoder is

The carrier signal is treated in a similar way. It issplit into several bands by a chain of bandbasslters. Different to the technique used above,the bandpass lters are not followed by enve-lope followers. The circuit uses ampliers whichare levelled by the control signal output of theenvelope followers of the modulator banks. Thispart of the vocoder is called the carrier bank orsynthesis part.

As soon as the modulator detects a signal in acertain frequency range, its envelope followerlevels the corresponding band in the synthesis



not necessarily easy to handle. You should al-ways refer to an existing Vocoder preset for ed-iting.

The Vocoder is one of the most complex sec-tions of the VIRUS. For this reason, we recom-mend that you use factory sounds that use theVocoder as your point of departure and editthese to create your own sounds. This meansthat you don’t have to start from scratch andthat the Vocoder’s parameters are set to viablevalues, which will facilitate programming con-siderably.

A Vocoder creates a new sound by combiningtwo signals. The timbre of the so called analysissignal (or modulator signal) forms the carrier

signal. A typical example for a modulator signalis the human voice, another suitable carrier sig-nal can be a steady tone with rich harmonics.

The sound characteristic is being rendered intothe new sound by two cascades of bandpasslters: The modulator signal is being sendthrough several parallel bandpass lters, whichonly pass through a certain part of the wholespectrum. Every bandpass lter is followed byan envelope follower which uses the level of thesignal to create a control signal. This part of thevocoder is called a modulator bank.

part. In other words: Just the frequency band ofthe carrier signal (the steady tone), which is apart of the modulator signal (the spoken voice)in this second, is being passed to the output.This is why the steady tone starts to speak. Thepitch of the output signal depends on the carri-er. If a cord, e.g. a polyphonic pad sound is be-ing used instead on a single tone, you can listen

to a typical vocoder choir. Of course, you canuse a different Modulator than a spoken voice.Have a try with a drumloop!

All you need is the internal synthesizer of the VI-RUS. It is also possible to process external sig-nals. The feature set of the VIRUS includes 32lter bands, shifting the frequency’s relation ofmodulator and carrier, adjustable quality (Q-fac-tor) of the lter bands and much more. By usinga multi patch and the auxiliary sends, soundscan be ltered or combined (see above). Thevocoder substitutes the whole lter section of asingle sound. Therefore, you can access thevocoder’s parameters via the lter section onthe front panel (see Filter Envelope Release andadditional notes).

The VIRUS’s vocoder consists of different sec-tions which perform different tasks:

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 133Vocoder

THE MODULATOR BANK This cascade of bandpass lters split the fre-quency spectrum of the modulator into slices,quite similar to the way a studio frequency ana-

lyser would.

THE ENVELOPE FOLLOWERThe level at the output of each bandbass lter ismeasured by the modulator bank. The resultingcontrol signal can be modied by an ATTACKand DECAY parameter. These signals are no au-



dio signals, as they contain the envelope of thesignal being analysed.

THE CARRIER BANK The signal is treated in a similar way to the sig-nal which passes the modulator bank. In this

case, the carrier signal is split by the bandpasslters. Each bandpass of the carrier bank corre-sponds to one of the modulator bank. Usually,both bandpasses use the same frequency slice.Similar to a synthesizer’s envelope, the signallevel being measured by the envelope followersof the modulator, is used to control the level ofthe carrier’s lter. Last, but not least, the individ-ually controlled signals of the carrier bank arereunied to create the vocoder’s output sound.


í THE PARAMETERS OF THE VIRUS VOCODER

í The Vocoder related parameters are located in the EFFECT Menu

VOCODER MODEhere you can enable the vocoder and choose

OSC VOLDEFAULT: 0 (MIDDLE)

OSC VOL adjusts the output level of the vocod-

er. This is independent of the signal source(which can be assigned using the vocodermode parameter)

INPUT SELECTIn the Edit menu



the signal source for the carrier bank at thesame time:

- OSC This mode uses the whole oscillatorsection of the VIRUS, including the noisegenerator as the carrier signal. The oscillatorscan be played polyphonic which enables theamplier envelope to work as usual. The dif-ference is in the lter section. The oscillatorsignal does not pass the lter section, as thissection is being used to control the vocoder.It is possible to feed the vocoder with a singlesound which uses the whole lter section.Just use the aux-sends in the multimode tofeed the vocoder’s input with a single soundcreated within another multipart. Use this cer-tain auxiliary send signal as the carrier signal

within the vocoder.- OSC-HOLD This set t ing is identical to

”OSC” although the hold-mode (which also isavailable at COMMON/KeyMode) is activat-ed.

- NOISE White noise is used as the carrier.The oscillator section is disabled.

- IN (L / In L+R / In R / Aux L ...) The analog in-puts or the aux-sends are the carrier signal. Ifa stereo source, like L+R, is chosen, the leftand right signal is mixed to create a monosignal.

While INPUT Select regularly assigns the inputsource for INPUT Mode, the modulator bank in-put is assigned here, when the vocoder is acti-vated. Again, stereo sources like L+R are mixedto a monophonic signal.

VOCODER BAND QUANTITY KNOB: FILTER RELEASE

It is possible to control the number of lterbands here between 1 and 32. This parameterchanges the sonic complexity of the sound, byusing more or less lter bands. Less lter bandsresult in a typical vocoder sound. More lterbands increase the quality of the signal’s repro-duction (e.g. how easily you can ”understand” avocoded voice). The VIRUS’ polyphony mightvary depending on the number of active lterbands.

CENTER FREQUENCY

KNOB: CUTOFFDEFAULT: 64 (MIDDLE)

The central frequency of the bandpass lters inthe modulator- and carrier bank. Using a high Q(lter quality parameter, which is controlled us-ing KEYFOLLOW) you can adjust the centralfrequency of the spectrum you edit.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 135The parameters of the VIRUS Vocoder

FREQUENCY SPREADKNOB: KEYFOLLOWDEFAULT: +63 (RIGHT)

The spread of the lter bands used by the mod-ulator and carrier bank. This parameter can adjust both banks together or separately. Themode depends on the setting of the lter selectbuttons. FILT1 is assigned to the carrier, FILT2controls the modulator. With maximum KEY-FOLLOW (+63) the lters cover the whole fre-quency spectrum. Reducing the KEYFOLLOWresults in narrower spread, whereby just a partf h f i d CUTOFF

A linear shift of the modulator bank’s central fre-quencies against the carrier bank, results inpitch-shifting and ”mickey mouse” effects.CUTOFF2 creates an offset of the modulator tothe carrier bank.

Q-FACTORKNOB: RESONANCEDEFAULT: 0 (LEFT)

The resonance parameter controls the quality of

h l b d (lik li ’ f ) D



of the frequency spectrum is covered. CUTOFF1+2 dene the centre frequency. Linking FILT1and FILT2 results in identical frequencies for themodulator and the carrier. If only the spread ofthe carrier bank is being reduced, the analysedspectrum is being rendered on a part of the car-rier signal. If you reduce the spread of the mod-ulator bank (FILT2), just a part of the modulator

signal is analysed but applied on the whole car-rier signal. This leads to an increased spread ofthe spectrum. If one of the two KEYFOLLOWparameters has a negative amount, the modu-lator spectrum is applied on the carrier spec-trum in a mirror symmetrical way. This causes avery interesting change in the bands. The mod-ulator’s treble frequencies control the carrier’sbass frequencies and vice versa, for instance ahuman voice still has the sound of the humanvoice but it would be virtually impossible to un-derstand anything. We want to encourage youto experiment with mirror symmetrical soundsusing this function. It is denitely worth a try!

MODULATOR FREQUENCY OFFSETKNOB: CUTOFF 2DEFAULT: 0 (MIDDLE)

the lter bands (like an equalizer’s q-factor). De-pending on the lter select setting, the banksare adjusted together or independently. FILT1 isassigned to the carrier, FILT2 controls the mod-ulator. A low quality factor of the carrier bankleads to a fairly neutral reproduction of the car-rier signal. A higher quality creates a higher res-onance in the lter bands, which therefore makethe overall sounds more articial. The effect isless effective on the modulator bank. Here, thelter quality controls the ”gab” in between theindividual lters. Depending on the modulatorsignal, if you soften or tighten the ”gab,” itcould lead to interesting changes, although inmost cases this will result in a rather subliminalchange.

VOCODER ATTACK KNOB: FILTER ATTACK DEFAULT: 0 (LEFT)

The attack time of the envelope follower. Thisparameter controls how fast the carrier bandsreact on a change of the modulator signal’s fre-quency energy. Higher values result in a ”ab-by”, lazy, even delayed response from thevocoder.


VOCODER RELEASEKNOB: FILTER DECAY DEFAULT: 0 (LEFT)

The release time of the envelope follower. Thisparameter controls how fast the carrier bandsreect if a certain frequency disappears fromthe spectrum of the modulator signal. Here,higher values result in a kind of sustain in thecarrier bands. High attack and release timeslead to less speech recognition, although it ispossible to create a really nice sounding syn-thesizer pads with.

Several vocoder related parameters can bemodulated by LFO-1 and LFO-2

- LFO 1 RESO 1+2 modulates the bandpasslter quality of the modulator and carrierbank.

- LFO 2 FILT 1 modulates the bandpass lterfrequency of the carrier bank.

- LFO 2 FILT 2 modulates the bandpass lterfrequency of the modulator bank.



VOCODER SOURCE BALANCEKNOB: FILTER BALANCEDEFAULT: 0 (MIDDLE)

FILTER BALANCE creates a mixture of the voc-

oder signal and the modulator-respectively car-rier signal. Turning FILTER BALANCE to the leftadds a certain amount of the carrier signal tothe vocoder signal. A turn to the right adds themodulator signal.

í Turning the FILTER BALANCE hard left or

right can be used to monitor the vocoder’s input signals only.

VOCODER SPECTRAL BALANCEKNOB: FILTER SUSTAIN TIMEDEFAULT: 64 (MIDDLE)

Spectral balance between the higher and lowerfrequencies of the vocoder signal. This parame-ter works similar to a simple equalizer, which ise.g. capable to increase the quality of speech.The Spectral Balance highly inuences theoverall character of the vocoder.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 137Notes about the vocoder:

í NOTES ABOUT THE VOCODER:

The vocoder can also be controlled by any partof the multimode. If more than one part of themultimode contains an activated vocoder, onlythe vocoder of the part with the lowest partnumber is active.

The vocoder takes a lot of computing power.This reduces the maximum number of voicesdependent on the number of vocoder bands

used A vocoder with 32 bands takes approxit l 4 i lth h th d

can be used at once to drive the vocoder’s in.Using FILTER BALANCE you can balance thelevel of the original signal.

The effect section (chorus, delay) and the out-put selection can be used in a vocoder patch.

The vocoder is only active when an externalsignal is detected and switches itself off 10 sec-onds after the last input signal has ended. Thisassures that the VIRUS has all of its polyphonyavailable while the vocoder is switched on butno input signal is applied.



used. A vocoder with 32 bands takes approxi-mately 4 voices away, although the vocoder on-ly starts to reduce the number of voices whenthere is an audio signal at the vocoder input. 10seconds after the signal is diminished, the VI-RUS ”frees” the voices again to get back themaximum polyphony.

As mentioned before, the whole lter section isexchanged to the vocoder, parameters, param-eters like saturation or the lter routing are notavailable anymore.

If you would like to use the vocoder as an exter-nal effect device, choose one external input inthe VOCODER MODE parameter page (modula-tor signal) and the carrier signal by the INPUT

SELECT page. A similar task has to be performed to use sever-al multimode parts to feed the vocoder. UseOUTPUT SELECT (OutSel) within the desiredmultimode patches to route them to the auxilia-ry sends. Then select these auxiliary sends inthe VOCODER MODE and INPUT page. Isn’tthat easy?

The auxiliary sends of more than one part aremixed automatically (similar to a mixing desk).Therefore, a whole drum track (which consistsof several multiparts for several instruments)






The VIRUS and Sequencers

140 CHAPTER 11The VIRUS and Sequencers

BASICSSequencers are used for recording and playingback MIDI data i.e. notes and controller infor-mation. To receive MIDI, the sequencer’s MIDI

Out must be connected to the Virus’ MIDI In.If you want to use a Virus KC or indigo as yourmaster keyboard, its MIDI Out must also beconnected to the sequencer’s MIDI In. This con-nection also makes sense for Virus C or VirusRack users: All Virus controls and parameterscan send their data as MIDI signals, which canbe recorded into the sequencer alongside thenote data from the keyboard.

and select the program M0 using the Value but-tons. The PART buttons are used to scrollthrough the 16 Parts. Changes to Virus parame-ters will affect the currently selected Part only.

MULTI SINGLE mode is perfect for working withsequencers: Press the MULTI and SINGLE but-tons at the same time (so that both LEDs lightup). You are still actually in Multi mode, programM0, but this now appears in a form which givesyou full access to all 16 individual sounds(switchable using the Part buttons). Just like inSingle mode, you can change the sound with

the VALUE keys, modify it in any way, then saveyour work by pressing the STORE button



y

MIDI data can be sent and received via 16channels per MIDI cable: In Multi mode, the Vi-rus can play back up to 16 different sounds atthe same time. Sequencers have separatetracks which can be freely assigned to differentchannels, so each sound can be individually ad-

dressed (the MIDI channel of each track shouldbe set accordingly). If the sequencer has multi-ple MIDI outputs to allow several devices tohave their own dedicated MIDI line, then theoutput port must also be dened for each track.

The Virus Multi mode consists of 16 Parts, eachof which references a Single sound. The MIDIchannel for each part can be freely assigned. Ifyou set three Parts to the same MIDI channel,all three sounds will be played at the same timewhen you hit the keyboard. Although layeringcan be useful during live concerts, it is morelikely to get in the way when working with a se-quencer (as sequencers can control eachsound individually). Tip: It is a good idea to setthe MIDI channel of each Part to match its Part

number: Part numbers appear at the top left ofthe display, so you will be able to see the cur-rent MIDI channel at all times.

The Multi program M0 'Sequencer' is alreadyset up this way, so you can start working with asequencer right away. Press the MULTI button

y , y y y,your work by pressing the STORE button.Sounds in other Parts are not affected by any ofthese actions.

Please note that in Multi mode only a single in-stance of the Delay/Reverb effect is shared byall 16 Parts. Changes to Delay/Reverb parame-ters will therefore affect all sounds involved. Theonly parameter which is available for individualParts is the effect send. In Multi mode, Delay/ Reverb settings are stored within the Multi pro-gram, and any such settings in the Single pro-grams are ignored.

The number of possible tracks in modern se-quencers is not limited to 16. Also, several

tracks can send data over the same MIDI chan-nel. This has many practical uses, e.g. record-ing notes and parameters for the same soundon separate tracks considerably simplies fur-ther editing (see also below: Parameter controlvia MIDI).

The Virus KC and indigo keyboards alwayssend MIDI data over the channel dened in thecurrent Part. If the Virus keyboard is being usedas the master keyboard for a modern sequenc-er, the channel setting makes no differencehere: The sequencer ignores MIDI channel in-formation from the keyboard, and sends data


using the channel of the currently selected trackinstead. This way you will hear the same soundduring recording and playback.

If you want to use the Virus as a master key-board, you should set the parameter "KEY-BOARD Local" in the SYSTEM menu to "Off".This cuts the internal connection between theVirus keyboard and its sound generation circuit-ry so they are only connected via the MIDI ca-bles to and from the sequencer. This preventsthe Virus from receiving the same MIDI datatwice – directly from the keyboard and via the

sequencer. You can address different Parts inthe Multi program by simply changing the active

mands – in contrast to system exclusive data –are transported very swiftly. Beyond that,they’re easy to edit graphically in all standardsequencer programs.

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATIONIn order to be able to record the movements ofknobs and status changes of buttons on the VI-RUS to a sequencer, you must connect theMIDI Out of the VIRUS to the MIDI In of thecomputer or sequencer. You also have to ena-

ble reception of MIDI controllers and MIDI poly-pressure commands in the sequencer so that



the Multi program by simply changing the activetrack in the sequencer.

Every sequencer is able to send MIDI Clock. If

the CLOCK parameters in the Virus arpeggia-

tors, LFOs and Delay are set accordingly, they

will automatically synchronize to MIDI clock

(and thus to the song tempo) sent by the se-

quencer.

PARAMETER CONTROL VIA MIDIVirtually all parameters of the VIRUS are acces-sible via MIDI so that, for example, you can ma-nipulate knobs and buttons and record thesemovements to a sequencer. You may then routethese commands back to the VIRUS, which willrespond to these automated instructions auto-matically. MIDI controllers have proven effectivefor this external control option since these com-

pressure commands in the sequencer so thatthis data is not subject to one-sided ltering.Whenever appropriate, you also have to enablereception of this automation data on the VIRUS.To this end, go to the Cntrl menu and take alook at the MIDI parameters. You’ll nd a pa-rameter called Panel that offers the options In-ternal, Internal+Midi and MIDI. This is whereyou determine the destination to which theknobs and buttons send their data. Internalmeans that the knobs and buttons send dataexclusively to the sound generator and not toMIDI. Therefore, select Internal+Midi or MIDI sothat data is sent to the sequencer via MIDI.Note that the MIDI option disconnects theknobs and buttons from the VIRUS’ internal

sound generation system. When this setting isenabled, data generated by knobs and buttonsis only acknowledged by the VIRUS when it isrouted back in a roundabout way via the com-puter/sequencer (the VIRUS must be selectedas a track instrument in the sequencer and the”Thru” function of the sequencer must be acti-vated).

Now scroll to the two parameters called LoPageand HiPage: LoPage should be set to Contr(MIDI controller), HiPage to PolyPrs (MIDI poly-pressure). There are only 128 controller num-bers per MIDI channel , so tha t not a l lparameters of a VIRUS PART can be coveredby controllers. On the VIRUS, this problem was


solved by splitting up its parameters into threeParameter PAGEs for data transport purposes.Each of these three PAGEs can contain up to128 parameters. A SINGLE program consists ofthe parameters of the two rst PAGEs. Parame-ters of the rst PAGE are assigned to the MIDIcontrollers, while the parameters of the secondPAGE are sent and received by so-called poly-pressure data. This structure of this data type isidentical to that of controllers; polypressure isalso supported by sequencer programs. (Thisdata type was initially created to allow the pres-sure exerted on keys to be transmitted poly-

phonically, but this required a special approachto playing that never really caught on. The VI-

only type of remote control option that is active– you get exclusively system exclusive control,as it were. The third parameter PAGE, in turn,lets you control the parameters of the currentMULTI PROGRAM as well as global and/or sys-tem parameters. This third PAGE is addressedsolely via system exclusive MIDI messages. Theadvantage of system exclusive control is thatyou can address PARTs individually irrespectiveof what their current MIDI channel assignmentsmay be.

You’ll nd a list of all controller and polypres-

sure assignments in the appendix.



to playing that never really caught on. The VIRUS is the rst instrument to exploit this datatype in the interest of putting further controllersat your disposal.)

í Please note that the VIRUS allows you tocontrol several PARTs via the same MIDI chan-

nel. This means that an incoming controller would collectively address this parameter in all PARTs. This of course defeats the purpose of

routing several of these PARTs via the samechannel, which is to double up different sounds.For this reason, the convention in the VIRUS isthat, when several of these PARTs are patched through a single MIDI channel, only the PART

with the lowest PART number is addressed by incoming controllers; all other PARTs ignore thisdata. This applies solely to sound parameters

and not to so-called performance controllers such as the modulation wheel.

As an alternative to parameter control via con-troller and polypressure data, you have the con-ventional system exclusive control optionavailable (see ”MIDI Implementation” in the ap-pendix, “The VIRUS and Sequencers” onpage 139 ). This system exclusive control optionmay be activated independently for the rst twoParameter PAGEs (under MIDI in the SYSTEMmenu), in which case this control mode is the

HANDLING MIDI PARAMETER CON-TROLIf you have congured your MIDI system in ac-cordance with the instructions in the previoussection, you may activate the sequencer’s re-cording mode and record the knob and buttonmovements as you see t. Check the Event orList editor of your sequencer to see if the re-cording operation was successful.

Good-to-know info: Do not record knob andbutton movements to the same track that con-tains the notes of any given passage. Instead,

use a new track that sends its data to the sameMIDI output and channel as the track containingthe notes. Although the sequencer mergesthese two data streams internally, separatingthe two tracks makes it easier for you distin-guish between the information that they con-tain. Besides, you’re thus able to edit and copythe recording of t knob and button movementswithout affecting the actual notes on the othertrack.

If you wanted to take this an extreme, you couldrecord the movements of every knob and but-ton to a separate track. Although this soundslike a classic case of overkill, it can facilitate theprocess of editing the recorded sequences:


Bear in mind that the sequencer doesn’t indi-cate the parameters addressed via the controlfeatures of the VIRUS by their names; instead, itindicates merely the controller and/or polypres-sure numbers. If you split up these control fea-tures by recording them to different tracks andgiving these tracks names that give you an ideaof what they contain, you’ll nd it much easierto work with these tracks.

NOTES ON ADAPTIVE PARAMETERSMOOTHINGWe developed a feature called Adaptive Param-

Application: Parameter jumps are carried outwithout glitches. This option is ideal when youwant to create gating and similar effects (e.g.via a step sequencer) where parameter valueschange abruptly.

Side effect: Continuous parameter changes –be it movements controlled via automatedknobs or via MIDI - are incremental, whichmeans you’ll have to take zipper noise intoaccount.

- ON Adaptive Control Smoothing is enabled.

Application: Parameter changes are carriedout continuously and smoothly.



p peter Smoothing for the VIRUS that assures au-tomated knob movements are carried out sothat parameter changes are not audible in stepscommonly called zipper noise.

This means that the VIRUS responds just assmoothly to your sound-shaping actions as didthe analog synthesizers of yore that were usedbefore the devices that could store soundswere introduced. To this end, the response ofthe VIRUS is manipulated so that it smootheschanges in parameter value. Conveniently, thisfeature is dynamic, meaning that it takes intoaccount the way these values change. Howev-er, smoothing is many cases undesirable. For

example, left to its own devices, this featurewould smooth deliberate, more radical knobmovements where one value ”jumps” to thenext, thus creating unintentional ”glitches”. Forexample, this type of response would defeat thepurpose of effects generated by a step se-quencer’s controller messages as well as gatereffects that you programmed in your sequencer.

You can adjust Adaptive Parameter Smoothingvia a function called Control Smooth mode (inthe EDIT menu; COMMON: SmoothMode) toaccommodate different sonic situations:

- OFF Adaptive Control Smoothing (parametersmoothing) is disabled.

Side effect: Parameter jumps are also carriedout continuously, meaning that glitches maybe generated inadvertently.

- AUTO Adaptive Control Smoothing analyz-es the nature of incoming parameter changesand carries these out continuously or abrupt-ly, as the case may be.

Application: Both continuous as well as sud-den parameter changes may be implementedin the same sound.

Side effect: This analysis of radical parameterchanges can’t cope with jumps that occur in

rapid succession.

- NOTE Adaptive Control Smoothing workscontinuously, but jumps when a new note isplayed.

Application: Both continuous as well as sud-den parameter changes may be implement-

ed, whereby the jumps are always inserted atthe beginning of a new note. Consequently,this option is well-suited when you want tocontrol sounds via a step sequencer.


Side effect: When you’re playing polyphoni-cally, parameter jumps also affect notes thatwere played previously and are still soundingwhen a new note is played.

The Control Smooth mode parameter setting isconsidered a component part of a SINGLEsound and is thus stored with it.

í Step sequencers let you assign a new cutoff value for every note. You can create the sameeffect on a conventional sequencer. To this end,

all you have to do is program a cutoff controller

in the sequencer for every note in the arrangement. However, be aware that conventional se-

í PROBLEMS RELATED TOPARAMETER CONTROL

If you enjoy experimenting with recording pa-rameter changes, sooner or later, you will runinto the following problem: When controller se-quences are recorded to a sequencer, the lastrecorded value remains valid until another valueis sent for this controller. For example, if yougradually open a lter for a sound in the middleof the song and record this parameter change,

the lter will stay open until the end of the songif you not close it manually or close it via con-



quencers can throw a spanner in the works: If the timing of this type of controller coincides

precisely with the timing of a note, the sequenc-er will first send the note command so that theoverall timing is not skewed by controller com-

mands. For the purposes of our example, this means that the new cutoff value doesn’t arriveuntil just after the note has been played. Thiscan generate incidental artifacts. We recom-

mend that you record the controllers separately to a track other than the one containing the

notes of a given sequence (make sure that thetrack addresses the same MIDI channel) and that to assign a touch of predelay to this track (e.g. set Track Delay to -1). Then the cutoff val-

ue is updated just before the new note arrives.Incidentally, this phenomenon is not unique tothe VIRUS, it is a design-related ”flaw” inherent

in all synthesizers.

trollers. Moreover, when you start the song fromthe top, you’ll again hear the sound with the l-ter open because the VIRUS hasn’t received acommand at the beginning of the song to closethe lter. Not until the song arrives at the posi-tion where the recorded event begins does theVIRUS receive the rst controller value for thelter. If, on the other hand, the song is startedwith the stored and unedited version of the ltersound, everything will be ne: The lter isclosed and won’t be opened until the recordedevent tells the VIRUS to do just that.

If you understand this connection between re-corded parameter changes and the current pa-

rameter status of the VIRUS, you’ll nd it easyto come up with solutions for these kinds ofproblems. Sticking with our example, you couldsend a controller value to the VIRUS that closesthe lter again in a suitable position within thesong, for instance, at some point after the lteropens or at the beginning of the song. However,this procedure can become tedious ratherquickly if you have recorded many parameterchanges – after all, what you’re actually doing isliterally copying the original values of differentparameter in order to enter them into the se-quencer. You could of course simply activatethe sound at the beginning of the song via aprogram change message, which resets the pa-rameters to their original stored values. What if,

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 145 Arrangement Dump - The Sound in the Song

however, you change or replace the sound inthe VIRUS at some point? The program changemessage in the song would call up the wrongsound. The more reliable and certainly more el-egant solution would be to store the sound(s) inthe song. The VIRUS then receives all settingsfor sounds at the beginning the song, and you’dprevent hiccups such as the wrong sounds,”stuck” values and jumps from the get-go. Inthe next section, you’ll nd out just how youcan do this.

sure that the VIRUS plays the song back usingthe right sounds, we recommend that you posi-tion stored data prior to the song. Move allcomponents of the actual song back so thatyou’re left with enough room to accommodatethe dump prior to the song’s start position.Then when you start the sequencer on the rstbar, sound-related data is sent to the VIRUS be-fore the actual song begins. An individual sounddump is very short; a dump comprising a com-plete memory bank will extend over severalbars.

í During a bulk dump, the VIRUS sends MIDI



í ARRANGEMENT DUMP - THESOUND IN THE SONG

Archiving all of the sounds used in a song is notonly a good idea to prevent potential problemsthat may occur when parameters are controlledin real time. It also makes it easy for you to re-call your work at some later point. Assumingthat you’ve connected the MIDI Out of the VI-RUS with a MIDI In of the computer, you can,for example, at any time send an individualsound or the content of the entire memory viaMIDI in the form of something called a bulkdump to the sequencer and record this datathere. This has an distinct advantage: all sounddata can be stored together with the song andthe status of the VIRUS required for this songcan be restored at any time by simply sendingthe recorded data to the device. You’ll nd themenu for SysEx dumps by going to the SYS-

TEM menu and then MIDI DUMP TX.When you opt to record a bulk dump to a se-quencer, you can proceed in the same manneras you would when you record tracks consist-ing of notes. For example, you can move a bulkdump to any position in the arrangement. To as-

SysEx data to the computer. If you encounter problems while recording a bulk dump, pleasecheck if your sequencer refuses to accept Sy-

sEx data due to one-sided filtering. You cancheck whether or not anything was recorded by taking a look at the Event or List editor of your

sequencer. In this editor, MIDI data is displayed numerically instead of graphically; in a normal Note editor (Key Edit, Matrix Edit or the like) Sy-

sEx data is NOT visible. Once you’ve success-fully recorded a dump, look for entries in the list that are labeled ”SysEx”.

The VIRUS lets you to send the entire memory

content or just parts thereof to the sequencer.The most reliable solution is to transfer the en-tire memory (MIDI DUMP RX: Total). There is,however, a catch: Since a great deal of data isbeing transmitted (”Total”, after all, means allSINGLE programs, all MULTIs, and so forth),the dump is very extensive and takes quitesome time. Alternatively, you can also send justindividual sounds, MULTIs or so-called ”ar-rangements”.

The other truly reliable option for archivingsounds is dumping an arrangement (MIDIDUMP RX: Arrangement). In this case, the cur-rent MULTI is transmitted. Since a MULTI con-tains the addresses of SINGLE sounds used in


the arrangement rather than the actual SIN-GLEs, the sounds of all active PARTs are sentseparately (for more info on this, see the sectionon MULTIMODE). This option is convenient andfast, but has an inherent drawback: this type ofarrangement dump does not take into accountthat your song uses program change messagesto change sounds in the MULTI. Only the eightsounds to which the MULTI refers in the ar-rangement are sent, which is to be expectedwhen you consider that the VIRUS can’t antici-pate that you intend to change these at somepoint during playback.

Dumping an arrangement is a great optionh ’ bl t k d ith th i t

You’ll nd a summary of all dump options andan explanation of these in the comprehensiveoverview of parameters, specically, under theglobal parameters.



when you’re able to make do with the sixteensounds to which the MULTI refers. If you wantto or are compelled to change sounds, youshould record the entire memory content to thesequencer. Sending individual MULTIs for thepurpose of archiving sounds is pointless be-cause they don’t contain the actual sounds.Sending individual sounds, in turn, is only a via-ble proposition if you are operating the VIRUSin SINGLE mode and have opted not to useprogram change messages in the song.

í Proceed with extreme caution when you’reworking with SysEx data! If you send anything

other than individual SINGLE sounds or individ-ual MULTIs from the sequencer to the VIRUS,the CORRESPONDING DATA IN THE VIRUSWILL BE IRREVOCABLY OVERWRITTEN! So

before you dump, for example, a bank to the VI-RUS, you should make a backup of the user

banks stored in the VIRUS (the RAM banks) by dumping them to the sequencer, provided of course that you care to preserve the soundsthat they contain. Incidentally, it can’t hurt to

regularly dump all data stored in the VIRUS for backup purposes.



Tips and tricks

148 CHAPTER 12Tips and tricks

MULTI SINGLE MODEIn MULTI mode, the EDIT menus are responsi-ble for administering the 16 PARTs. Conse-quently, you can’t access SINGLE programparameters directly here. Beyond that, you’reunable to change the SINGLE programs direct-ly, which would admittedly be a handy optionwhen you’re working with a sequencer. This iswhy the VIRUS features MULTI SINGLE mode,which, strictly speaking, is more an alternativeview of MULTI mode rather than a further modein its own right. Activate MULTI SINGLE modeby pressing the MULTI and SINGLE buttons si-multaneously.

Pl b i i d h MULTI SINGLE d

VALUE BUTTONSWhen you press the two VALUE buttons simul-taneously, the parameter is reset to its originalvalue. You can increase the rate at which pa-rameter values change by pressing and holdingone VALUE button and simultaneously pressingthe other VALUE button. If you release the rstVALUE button while holding the other down, theparameter is set to its maximum or minimumvalue.

PART



Please bear in mind that MULTI SINGLE modeis really just another view of the normal MULTImode and that it always works with the MULTIprogram that is currently selected in normalMULTI mode.

When you’re working with a sequencer, startwith a MULTI program that features neutral set-tings for its “administrative” parameters, for ex-ample, the MULTI program M0 Sequencer. Herethe PART numbers are identical to the MIDIchannels of the PARTs. Now when you work inMULTI SINGLE mode, the VIRUS responds as ifit were in SINGLE mode, except that you have16 sounds available simultaneously on 16 MIDIchannels. Use the PART buttons to select thesesounds í ALL ABOUTS INPUTS

AUDIO INPUTS AND AUDIO ROUTINGThe VIRUS is equipped with two inputs for ex-

ternal signals. You can route these to its soundgenerating components and use them as carrieror modulator signals for the Vocoder.


UNDO

STORE

MULTISINGLE

VALUE

PARAMETER

PART

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 149 About the Delay/Reverb

OSC VOL / INPUTWhen one of the two INPUT modes is activated,the OSC VOL knob rather than the oscillatorscontrols the level of the input signal patched in-to the Filter section and of course also the gainof the SATURATION stage. In INPUT Dynamicmode, the level can increase surprisingly swiftlywhen you play several voices polyphonically.The reason for this is that, in contrast to whenyou’re dealing with several oscillator signals,the voices are correlated because they are re-ceiving an identical input signal. In the eventthat the VIRUS generates distortion whenyou’re dealing with this type of signal routingset-up, be sure to back off the input level a tadia the OSC VOL knob

est possible clean signal level to the analog-to-digital converters of the VIRUS so that they willdeliver the best possible performance. Youshould only turn up INPUT BOOST as a last re-sort because it is located post A/D convertersand boost signals digitally, which of coursedoesn’t affect the level of the converters.

Signals within the VIRUS may also be overload-ed and may distort when their levels are toohigh. Inherently, a virtual analog synthesizer’sresonating lters and high level of polyphonylend signal levels considerable dynamic poten-

tial. We could only rule out this type of distortionentirely by lowering the fundamental output ofthe device signicantly or by limiting specic



via the OSC VOL knob.

INPUT LEVEL INDICATOR Alternatively, the RATE LEDs of LFO 1 and 2can also serve as level indicators for the left andright external audio inputs. To this end, go tothe SYSTEM menu, select the menu item SYS-TEM, and set the Parameter LED mode to In-put. When the parameter is set to Auto, theVIRUS automatically activates this level indica-tor mode when the selected SINGLE programaccesses the external audio inputs. The LEDswill ash rapidly to indicate that the inputs arebeing overloaded.

Der korrekte Pegel sollte an dem Gerät einge-stellt werden, welches die analogen Signale lie-fert, da so die AD-Wandler des VIRUS optimalausgenutzt werden. Der Parameter INPUTBoost sollte nur in Ausnahmefällen zur Pegelan-hebung verwendet werden, da er erst nach den

AD-Wandlern das Signal digital verstärkt, undsomit die Aussteuerung der Wandler selbstnicht beeinusst.

You should dial in a suitable input level on thedevice that is sending the analog signals. Thereason for this is that you want to feed the high-

g y y g pparameters. However, this type of problem oc-curs only in a very few, very specic scenarios.Since the problem is so context-related, wechose not to lower the device’s output power orlimit its parameters. Instead, we recommendthat you simply lower signal levels (Patch Vol-ume, etc.) to prevent undesirable distortion.

To help you keep an eye on signal levels, youcan activate LED mode to visually monitor thelevels and amount of distortion of the three au-dio outputs and two aux buses.

í ABOUT THE DELAY/REVERB

DELAY/REVERB EFFECT SENDThe Effect Send parameter works like a classicaux send knob on a mixer (post-fader), i.e. it ad-

justs the level of the global DELAY/REVERB ef-fect signal without inuencing the dry signal.However, the dry signal is faded out in the nalthird of the control range so that you can also


patch just the pure effect signal of a MULTI Partthrough as you would it you were using a con-ventional dry/wet effect knob.

01111111111111111112

1 DELAYEffectSend 73≤

61111111111111111154

DELAY/REVERB OUTPUT SELECT

The DELAY/REVERB Output Select functionlets you send the DELAY/REVERB section’soutput signal to any mono or stereo outputs. If

its external inputs to any available aux send busor effect send on your mixer or to the individualoutputs of a sampler or other sound generator.This setup lets you mix sundry signals outsidethe VIRUS and patch the mixed signals into theVIRUS for further processing.

.. AND VICE VERSA SECOND OUTPUT Balance lets you create aseparate mix in the VIRUS itself. This signalmay then be patched out via the selected out-put (SECOND OUTPUT Select) to a mixer or di-rectly to a connected effect device, where it canbe processed further.



p g y pyou patch the DELAY/REVERB signal to a virtu-al aux bus, it can be processed further bymeans of a MULTI Part that taps into this auxbus (INPUT Select), and even routed back intothe into the DELAY or REVERB via the samePART’s effect send loop, which generates feed-back. With this feedback circuit, you can lterand trigger the DELAY/REVERB signal, modu-late its volume and even lay chorus over it.When you’re working with feedback, be sure tokeep a watchful eye on the signal level. The DE-LAY/REVERB section’s level can easily rise toan intolerable volume (e.g. when the level iscranked up by a lter resonance) when the

amount of feedback that you have dialed in istoo great.

í THE VIRUS AS AN EFFECTDEVICE

You’re free to install the VIRUS into your studioenvironment and use it as an effect device orsignal processor. For example, simply connect

Alternatively, this mix can also be routed to an-other PART of the VIRUS, where, for example, itcan be ltered or distorted. For this purpose, besure to select the same aux bus for SECONDOUTPUT Select and for the INPUT Select of thegiven PART.

í ENVELOPE FOLLOWER

This function of the VIRUS is a special delicacy.It really upgrades the process of ltering (or anyother processing) of an external audio signal.What we have here is a so called Envelope Fol-lower that can evaluate the volume envelope ofan external audio signal with a selectable speedor inertia and then creates an appropriate mod-ulation signal. This signal can be used to controlany VIRUS parameter via the Modulation Ma-trix. In UNISON Mode the Envelope Followerworks in true stereo, you can nd the parame-ters in the effects menu under INPUT. One ex-ample for its application: A drumloop serves asthe external signal; the Envelope Follower con-

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 151Oscillators

trols the lters cutoff frequency and creates atypical "Autowah" effect, whereby the lter isopened according to the drumloop's volume(respectively its beats). In addition to this, or asan alternative, you can control other parame-ters. Of course you can also use the externalsignal as the modulation source withoutprocessing it in the VIRUS at all.

When the Envelope Follower is activated it re-places the lter envelope, so that when Env

Amount is turned up, it directly affects the lterfrequencies. Any other parameter can be mod-

ulated with the Envelope Follower via the Mod-ulation Matrix (ASSIGN). Select FiltEnv as themodulation source

í OSCILLATORS

RELEASESUSTAIN

(GAIN)

DECAYATTACK

12 12 12 12



Three lter envelope knobs are used to controlthe envelope follower when it is active:

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER ATTACK (Knob: FILTER ATTACK ) controls the attack rateof the envelope follower. With this parameter,you can determine how fast the envelope fol-lower will respond to the rise in signal level.Higher values slow the envelope follower downand delay its response.

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER RELEASE(Knob: FILTER DECAY) controls the decay timeof the envelope follower. With this parameter,you can determine how swiftly the envelope fol-lower will respond to a decrease in signal level.Higher values let the Follower linger.

ENVELOPE FOLLOWER GAIN(Knob: FILTER SUSTAIN) controls the input levelof the envelope follower directly. The nominalvalue is the center position (64).

PULSE WIDTH MODULATIONPulse width modulation is a very effective meth-od for producing beat oscillations without hav-ing to resort to several detuned oscillators.

Dial OSC BALANCE to the far left so that onlyOSC1 is audible, then select the waveformPulse for this oscillator (OSC1 Shape to theright). Slowly turn the Pulse Width (PW) knobback and forth. As you change its pulse width,you’ll hear movement in the sound itself. Whenits pulse width remains xed, the sound will re-main static. This to-and-fro pulse width modu-lation can be automated by means of an LFO.Select PWM for LFO1 Amount and set a rela-tively high modulation amount. You can vary theintensity of the modulation via LFO Rate.

Now when you play different sounds, you’ll willnd that the intensity of the modulation is con-siderably greater with low-frequency soundsthan it is with higher-frequency sounds. This is

due to the fact that the LFO frequency does notfollow the pitch. You can compensate for thiseffect by activating and adjusting the functionLFO1 KEYFOLLOW. When you set LFO1 KEY-FOLLOW to a value of 127, the LFO rate will fol-low whatever pitch you play precisely (inoctaves).


To come up with a fatter sound, you should also

dial in the second oscillator (set OSC BALANCEto the center position) and use DETUNE to do just that to its pitch (relative to the rst oscilla-

these spectra can be modulated continuouslyvia envelopes and LFOs. FM and SYNC will ofcourse also work with the 64 digital waveforms.

OSCILLATOR 3The VIRUS offers a third master oscillator pervoice that you can activate whenever you needit. It lets you come up with even more complexsounds by adding more oscillations and spectrato the signal. When Oscillator 3 is switched on,(i.e. OSCILLATOR 3 mode is not set to the OFFposition), the polyphony of the VIRUS decreas-es by up to six voices, depending on how manyvoices use the third oscillator in MULTI mode.

48 48



OSC 3OSC 2OSC 1

12 12

12

OSC 3ON

WAVE

OSCILLATORS

AUDITION



j p (tor).

Next to LFO1, LFO3 is also able to generatepulse width modulation. However, unlike LFO1,LFO3’s modulation algorithm was tweaked spe-cically to deliver what we consider hip pulsewidth modulations. Note that LFO3 PWM oftendelivers smoother results, particular a softer,tighter sound for pads. Another advantage ofLFO3 is that it frees up LFO1 so that you canuse it for other sonic chores. By the way, KEY-FOLLOW should also be activated for LFO3.

OSCILLATOR SYNC/FMOn the VIRUS, Oscillator 1 is always the com-ponent that determines the frequency for thetwo functions oscillator synchronization (SYNC)and frequency modulation (FM). This meansthat you can use both of these options at thesame time. With frequency modulation, you cancreate extremely complex spectra, whereby in-harmonic frequency components are lteredout (so to speak) in the course of synchroniza-tion. An innite number of new harmonic spec-tra can be thus generated with the parametersFM AMOUNT and OSC2 SEMITONE. Moreover,

The second position of OSCILLATOR 3 mode iscalled SLAVE. Here Oscillator 3 is active, but –

just like when it is set to the OFF position – nofurther parameters are available and visible. Inthis operating mode, Oscillator 3 is the "twin" ofOscillator 2. It adds further oscillations, thusmaking the sound fatter and more animated.Oscillator 2 and 3 are handled collectively usingOscillator 2’s control features just as if the twowere a single oscillator. All settings that you dialin for Oscillator 2 apply to Oscillator 3, with oneexception – DETUNE. This parameter runscounter to that of Oscillator 2.

You can select the waveshapes individually forOscillator 3 via the following OSCILLATOR 3mode options: sawtooth, square (pulse widthmodulation), sine, triangle and all further spec-tral waveshapes. You have three further param-eters available once you set Oscillator 3 to anindividual waveshape. These are explained fur-ther below. All other parameters as well as thesettings for the oscillator modulations (LFOpulse width modulation and so forth) are dictat-ed by Oscillator 2. This doesn’t limit the func-tionality of the third oscillator by much (if at all),but it certainly facilitates intuitive handling. TheFM, Sync and Ring Modulator functions are notavailable for the third oscillator.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 153Filters

Like all other oscillators, the level of Oscillator 3is controlled via OSC VOL..

í FILTERS

24-DB FILTER VARIATIONS

You have two options for using the 24-dB ltersof the VIRUS.

36 dB/oct. As you turn the knob to the left,you’re fading Filter-2 out and consequentlysteadily reducing the slope until you arrive at 24dB/oct. You can morph from 24 decibels to 12decibels by using the lter routing option SER

4. In this conguration, both lters have a slopeof 12 dB/oct., so it doesn’t matter in which di-rection you dial the FILT BALANCE knob.

FILTER ROUTING: SPLITIn Filter SPLIT mode, each of the two oscillatorssends its signal into one of the two lters. Eachltered signal, in turn, is sent into a separateVCA. The two VCAs can be spread in the pano-rama via the UNISON Pan Spread parameter



- You can cascade the two 12-dB lters inSER 4 mode.

- You can use Filter-1 as a 24-dB lter in SER6 mode, whereby Filter-2 is faded out via FILTBALANCE (to the left). If you want to create asound with resonance, you should try outboth options. When you do, you’ll nd thatthe sound of the resonance is different de-spite the fact that lters have the same slope.The cascading option (SER 4) gives you ahigher Q factor with a lower resonance peak.For direct A/B comparison, you can storeboth versions in consecutive SINGLE memo-

ry slots and switch back and forth betweenthem at will.

FILTER BALANCEThe lter section of the VIRUS puts slopes of12, 24 and 36 dB/oct. at your disposal. In addi-tion, the FILT BALANCE knob lets you morphsmoothly from slope to another, which effec-tively makes it innitely variable. Set the lterrouting option to SER 6 and both lters to low-pass (LP). This gives you a serial setup com-prised of a 24-dB and a 12-dB lter. When youset the FILT BALANCE knob to the center posi-tion, you end up with a lter that has a slope of

rama via the UNISON Pan Spread parameter.The difference to UNISON mode is that you on-ly have one oscillator and one lter available foreach side, although each with the full comple-ment of voices.

í SATURATION FOR ADDEDGRIT AND DIRT

SATURATION AND OSC VOLIn serial lter modes, the SATURATION unit islocated between the lters. This congurationgives you the option of rst ltering the oscilla-tor signal in the conventional manner, then dis-torting it, and nally sending the distorted signalto a second lter, where it can be processedagain as you see t.

Next to serving as a volume control for the OS-CILLATOR section, in the right half of its controlrange, the OSC VOL knob lets you control thegain level of the distortion module (SATURA-


TION) within a wide range of 12 decibels, , with-out increasing the volume level. At 24 decibels,the control range of the "Digital" SATURATIONCurve is even greater. The OSC VOL knob re-tains its function as a volume control in Input

mode as well as in Vocoder mode.

SATURATION CURVE: SHAPERThe Shaper’s saturation response differs fromthat of the other SATURATION Curves. Its char-acteristic curve is a sine wave with several cy-cles. The Shaper lets you radically bend signals,whereby the results are at times reminiscent ofthe spectra of linear frequency modulation. Theresponse of the Shaper depends largely on the

the shape of which you can vary from linear toexponential by means of LFO Curve in the LFOEDIT menu. The polarity of the respective

AMOUNTs determines if you end up with an as-cending or a descending ramp. If, on the other

hand, you choose a triangle for your waveform,you will end up with an ascending phase (at-tack) and a descending phase (decay). The LFOCurve parameter also lets you determine therelative rates of the attack and decay phases.The absolute rate of the envelope is determinedwith the LFO RATE knob.

LFO MODEYou can set the LFO Mode parameter so that



response of the Shaper depends largely on theinput signal. This means that the Filter-1 set-tings have a profound impact on the outcome.You should use Filter-2 independently of Filter-1in order to further process the raw output signalof the Shaper. As is the case with the other

SATURATION Curves, the OSC VOL knob isused to tweak the characteristics that shape itstimbre . In particular in the case of the Shaper,this knob inuences the complexity of the gen-erated sound to a considerable degree.

í LFOS

LFO ENV MODE

In addition to their standard function as low fre-quency oscillators, LFO 1 and 2 can also serveas additional, albeit simple, envelopes. Whenyou activate ENV mode within thr LFO EDITmenu, the selected LFO waveform will cyclethrough just once when you play a note. Thislets you use a sawtooth wave to create a ramp,

You can set the LFO Mode parameter so thatthe LFOs are polyphonic or monophonic. In Po-ly mode, the LFOs of several voices have differ-ent phase positions. This lets you createcomplex modulations for pad-like sounds, andputs an end to the sonic monotony of a “wob-

bly” monophonic LFO. In SINGLE mode, oneLFO controls several voices so that the modula-tion will affect several voices in the same way.This which will make the effect stand out in themix.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO1Mode Poly≤

61111111111111111154

LFO TRIG PHASEWhen this function is activate, the given LFOwill no longer oscillate freely; instead, it restartsits wave cycle at the beginning of each note.

Next to the obligatory OFF position, this param-eter has 127 further increments. These let youchose different positions within the wave cycleat which the LFO will start oscillating at the startof each note.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 155Volume Control

In contrast to ENV mode (which is available in-dependently of KEY TRIG PHASE), an LFO withKEY TRIG PHASE will continue to oscillate onceit has been triggered. In other words, in be-haves like a “real" LFO rather than an envelope.

This triggering option will also work when theLFO is synced up to the master clock. Thismeans that synced LFOs can be triggered vianote-on messages. The LFO rate, however, isstill determined via the master clock and/orMIDI clock.

011111111111111111121 LFO 1TrigPhase Off≤

case, the lters will fade out freely since theiroutput signals are not affected by the FILT GAINvolume modulation.

01111111111111111112

1 LFO 1FiltGain +2≤

61111111111111111154

í VOLUME CONTROL



TrigPhase Off≤61111111111111111154

EXTERNAL LFO TRIGGER

You can also trigger an LFO at any time bymeans of a controller, in other words, restart itswaveform cycle via remote control. LFO1 mode(Ctr #70), LFO2 mode (Ctr #82) and LFO3 modeprovision controllers that you can use for thispurpose (Parameter B 9, see the parameterdocumenta t ion in the “Appendix” onpage 161 ).

FILT GAINLFO1 lets you modulate the volume of a voice.You’ll nd this function under LFO1 AmountFILT GAIN in the LFO 1 menu. We deliberatelypositioned the point of modulation prior to thelter section, so that the degree of distortioncan be modulated at the same time when youhave activated the SATURATION unit. Beyondthat, you can use fast LFO cycles to elicit briefimpulses from the oscillator signal (transients) inorder to excite resonance in the lters. In this

Next to the Oscillator Volume knob, the VIRUSfeatures four other volume stages for every SIN-GLE or PART:

Patch VolumeVolume level of the sound pro-gram. Use Patch Volume to balance out thefundamental differences in levels between thedifferent sound programs. The Patch Volume isstored along with the sound program. The unitvalue is 100.

Part VolumeVolume level of the MULTI-PART.

Use Part Volume to balance out the differentlevels within a MULTI program. Part Volume isstored along with the MULTI program. The unitvalue is zero since Part Volume is a bipolar, rela-tive parameter.

CHANNEL VOLUMEand ExpressionThese two performance control-lers (Ctr. #7 and #11) can be used in order tomake temporary changes in signal level via asequencer or volume pedal. Like all perform-ance controllers, these are not stored with thesound program. The unit value is 127. A dou-


ble-click on the two Transpose buttons (Panicfunction) resets Channel Volume and Expres-sion to this unit value.

í ASSIGN AND THE SOFTKNOBS

The Virus modulation matrix (the ASSIGNS inthe LFOS/MOD section) allows you to modulateup to nine selectable destination parametersfrom six modulation sources Possible modula

ed and sent back to the VIRUS. Reasonablyenough, you should set the controller numberfor the SOFT KNOB under SOFT KNOB-1/2Single because this setting (like the ASSIGNsettings) is stored with the SINGLE program

and doesn’t apply to all SINGLEs (as is the casewith the SOFT KNOB Global setting).

í ARPEGGIATOR

In AsPlayed mode, notes are played in the



from six modulation sources. Possible modula-tion sources are not restricted to MIDI control-le rs such as the modula t ion wheel or

Aftertouch, but also include internal sourcesfrom within the voice, such as the envelopegenerators and LFOs. The LFOs have their owndedicated ASSIGNs (selectable with the corre-sponding AMOUNT buttons) for a further modu-lation destination each..

The obvious thing to do would be to use one ofthe SOFT KNOBS knob as a modulation sourcefor one or several ASSIGN units. However, wedeliberately chose not to create a direct, xedlink between the SOFT KNOBS and the AS-SIGN units since, by denition, neither the out-put of the SOFT KNOBS nor the inputs of the

ASSIGN units have a xed controller number.

Instead, you are free to select one of the possi-ble controllers as an ASSIGN source (e.g. themodulation wheel or Controller #12). All you

have to do is enter this controller as the param-eter for the SOFT KNOBS. This conguration isidentical to that of a conventional parameterthat has a dedicated controller number andknob. The knob movements are sent to the se-lected MIDI Out via the selected controller andon to the sequencer where they can be record-

In AsPlayed mode, notes are played in thesame sequence in which the Arpeggiator re-ceives them. As a rule, the Arpeggiator is ableto store up to 16 notes. At rst glance, itwouldn’t seem possible to play a pattern inwhich several notes have the same pitch. To dothis, you would have to release a key before youcan play it again, and when you release a key,the corresponding note is deleted from the Ar-peggiator pattern. You can circumvent thisproblem by pressing a sustain or hold pedalthat is connected to your keyboard while youenter notes to the Arpeggiator. These will beheld for as long as you hold the sustain pedal

down.

í HOW TO MODULATE THE VOCODER PARAMETERS

Every Vocoder parameter can be modulatedusing the Modulation Matrix.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 157MIDIHow to modulate the Vocoder parameters

For example: To modulate the CARRIER CEN-TER FREQUENCY you need to choose FILTER-1 CUTOFF as the Modulation Matrix DESTINA-TION.

Set the MIDI DUMP RX parameter to Force ToEdit Buffer. With this option, sounds that wouldotherwise be loaded directly to a sound bankvia MIDI are instead loaded to the Edit buffer.The name of the given sound is shown in the

display and can be played straightaway. Whenadditional sounds are sent via MIDI, the soundsthat were sent previously are overwritten in theEdit buffer. If you set the tempo of the sequenc-er that is sending sounds to a very slow speed,you can load individual sounds and store themto the desired memory slot by pressing theSTORE button.

The two “Force To Bank A” and “Force To BankB” options send an incoming sound dump tothe respective bank irrespective of which bank

Carr ie r CenterFrequency

Filter 1 Cutoff

Modulator Fre-quency Offset

Filter 2 Cutoff

Carrier Q-Factor Filter 1 ResonanceModula tor Q-Factor

Filter 2 Resonance

Carrier Frequen-cy Spread

Filter 1 Keyfollow

Modulator Fre- Filter 2 Keyfollow



í MIDI

MIDI DUMP RXThe VIRUS lets you audition sound banks thatare available as MIDI dumps on a sequencer in-dividually rather than loading them directly tothe banks of the VIRUS, where they would de-lete that the sounds that you have stored there.

the sounds were originally stored in.

The “Verify” option compares a MIDI dump tothe memory content of the VIRUS. It checks if adump was recorded properly on the sequencerand if it can be played back correctly. Load datafrom the sequencer into the VIRUS while “Veri-fy” is enabled. The VIRUS’ display will indicateif the device is actually receiving data and it willcall your attention to any transmission errorsthat may occur. Data stored in the VIRUS re-mains unaffected by this operation.

011111111111111111121 MIDI DUMP TX

Arrangement≤61111111111111111154

EXPRESSION CONTROLLER

The VIRUS is able to handle Expression Con-troller (Controller #11) commands. Expression isa volume controller similar to Channel Volumethat can be used independently as a volumecontrol or to create gate effects (Controller #7).It is also reset by Controller Reset (double clickon PANIC). The default setting is 127.

Modulator Frequency Spread

Filter 2 Keyfollow

Vocoder Attack Filter Env AttackFilter Env Release Vocoder ReleaseFilter Env Sus-tainTime

Vocoder Spectral Balan-ce

Filter Env Release Vocoder Band QuantityFilter Balance Vocoder Source Balance


BANK/PROGRAM CHANGE VIA SYSEX A bank or program change can be initiated via aSysEx command. These commands are inde-pendent of MIDI channels as well as all other

SysEx parameter changes. SysEx programchanges are always carried out irrespective ofwhether or not the normal program change isdisabled.

Parts to High, you’re defeating the purpose ofthis parameter. In this case, it wouldn’t have anyeffect since the priority of all voices is the same.

01111111111111111112

1 A0 OvertureCKPriority Low≤

61111111111111111154

í HOW TO INSTALL UPDATES

PART BANK SELECT ( thechange is execut-ed only when aprogram changecommand is re-cei ed)

F0,00,20,33,01,10,72,pp,1F,vv,F7



PRIORITY This parameter lets you control how the VI-RUS“steals notes when its polyphonic perform-ance is maxed out. In the rst position, "LOW",the voices of all PARTs have the same prioritywhen one voice is switched off to accommo-date a new voice. When you set the Priority of aPART to "High", the VIRUS will not “steal” anynotes from the voices of this PART. Use this pa-rameter sparingly. In other words, if you set all

THE 1024 SOUNDS UPDATEThe Virus operating system consists of two

parts. They can be loaded (or "burned") into theVirus separately.

The rst part includes the operating system it-self, while the second part carries the 256 ROMsounds (Bank C and D) as well as the dem-osong.

That second part can be replaced by a soundexpansion, so that nally 768 ROM sounds areavailable. The demosong is overwritten by thisprocedure. But you wouldn't need it anymore,we guess. The le with the addtinonal soundscan be found on the CD included, with the lename "SECONDxxx.MID".

You can load this le similar to a operating sys-

tem update (see below).

There is no risk to damage the Virus by wrongor corrupted data. The Virus will simply not ac-cept those data.

ceived)PART BANK CHANGE ( thechange is execut-ed immediately)

F0,00,20,33,01,10,72,pp,20,vv,F7

PART PRO-GRAMCHANGE

F0,00,20,33,01,10,72,pp,21,vv,F7

MULTI PRO-GRAMCHANGE

F0,00,20,33,01,10,72,00,69,vv,F7

pp: Part Number from00 to 0F (0 - 15), vv:Program Number from00 to 7F (0-127)

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 159How to install UpdatesHow to modulate the Vocoder parameters

INSTALLING A NEW OPERATING SYS-TEMThe Virus C, kc and indigo use an identical op-erating system. The differences in hardware isdetected automatically.

- Load the MIDI le into your sequencer andmake sure you have chosen the right MIDIchannel and port settings. The MIDI le con-tains the new software for the VIRUS, packedin MIDI Sysex data.

- Ensure that the MIDI clock option is disa-bled (mixing SysEx data and the MIDI clockcan lead to malfunctions of your MIDI inter-face).

There’s no danger of a awed MIDI transmis-sion burning faulty software into the VIRUS’memory. When the device receives MIDI data,this information is rst buffered in the delaymemory of the VIRUS, where it is checked for

errors. If the device nds an error, the loadingroutine is aborted and it will generate an errormessage. Then you can try repeating the proc-ess. The old operating system will remain un-harmed. Only when you actually initiate a burnoperation will the old operating system be de-leted and overwritten with new data.

LOADING THE OS FROM ONE VIRUSTO ANOTHER



face).

- Start your sequencer to playback the MIDI-le.

At this stage, you should be able to watch theVIRUS counting up the received blocks. If thedisplay shows ”RECEPTION FAILED,” then atransmission error has occurred. This can becaused by a buffer overrun of the MIDI inter-face. In this case, you will need to upload theentire le again. Lower the tempo of your se-quencer before uploading (e.g. 60 bpm). To pro-ceed, press any key followed by STORE whichwill again enable the receive mode. In case thatthe load procedure simply stops at a certain po-sition, the sequencer you use is not able toplayback the le correctly. In this case, youneed to use another sequencer.

After a successful upload, press STORE to burnthe new operating system into the ash-ROM.Never switch off the VIRUS while burning thedata! Please ensure stable power conditionsduring this procedure which should take ap-proximately 30 seconds. Now, when the VIRUShas reseted itself, you can use the new operat-ing system!

- Connect the sending VIRUS’ (VIRUS 1) MIDIOut port to the receiving VIRUS’ (VIRUS 2)MIDI In port.

- Switch on VIRUS 1 while you’re holding the

[Store] button pressed. The display will readSYSTEM UPDATE.

01111111111111111112

SYSTEM UPDATE[STORE] Receive≤

61111111111111111154

- Then press the [Value +], [Store], [Store] but-tons in this sequence.

- Ensure that VIRUS 2 is connected and thenpress VIRUS 1’s [Value +] button to launch theoperation.

- The operating system will be loaded to VI-RUS 2. You’ll see that this is the case by thefact the both devices will indicate high num-bers in their displays.





Appendix

162 CHAPTER 13 Appendix

í SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE DATA

VIRUS MIDI SYSTEM EXCLUSIVEIMPLEMENTATIONThe Parameters of the VIRUS are organized inthree so-called pages A, B and C. Each pagecontains 128 parameters, addressed by num-bers from 0 to 127. Each parameter is repre-sented by one byte with a maximum value of127. All parameters are individually accessible

by SysEx-Parameterchange.

The pages A and B represent a Single-Program,thus a Single-Program contains 256 Bytes.

When disabled (HiPage=SysEx), the VIRUS onlysends and receives SysEx Parameter Changeon Page B. When enabled (HiPage=PolyPrs),the VIRUS sends MIDI Poly Pressure on param-eter movements, and receives both MIDI Poly

Pressure and SysEx Parameter Change onPage B. This feature should not be used in con-nection with a keyboard that sends PolyphonicPressure.

í The default setting is HiPage=SysEx.

Page C contains Multi parameters and Globalparameters. These parameters are sent and re-ceived only by SysEx Parameter Change.



Page A (LowPage) contains Single parametersthat are usefull for MIDI automation. The param-eters of this page are additionally controllableby MIDI Control Change. The sending and re-ception of MIDI Control Change can be enabledor disabled by MIDI CONTROL LowPage (SYS-TEM menu). When disabled ( LowPage=SysEx ),the VIRUS only sends and receives SysEx Pa-rameter Change on Page A. When enabled( LowPage=Contr ), the VIRUS sends MIDI ControlChange on parameter movement,

and receives both MIDI Control Change andSysEx-Parameterchange on Page A.

í The default setting is LowPage=Contr.

The remaining Single parameters in Page B

(HiPage) are additionally controllable by MIDIPolyphonic Pressure (!). The send and receptionof MIDI Poly Pressure can be enabled or disa-bled by MIDI CONTROL HiPage (SYSTEMmenu).

In the following, all bytes are shown in hexadec-imal representation.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 163System Exclusive Data

CONTROL CHANGE MESSAGE (ONLY PAGE A)Bc Status byte,

c=MIDI channelnn Parameter Number 0..127

(see parameter list Page A)

vv Parameter Value 0..127see parameter list Page A)

í The Control Change messages are defined as Performance Controller (e.g. Modulation

Wheel or Hold Pedal) or Sound Parameters (e.g.Cutoff or Patch Volume). The Performance Con-trollers are not stored with a Single-Sound. If

more than one Multi Part is set to the same MIDI

SYSTEM-EXCLUSIVE-MESSAGEF0 Start of System Exclusive00 Manufacturer ID 1

Access Music Electronics20 Manufacturer ID 2

Access Music Electronics33 Manufacturer ID 3

Access Music Electronics01 Product ID (VIRUS)dd Device ID00..0F individual; 10: omni.... [message]F7 End of System Exclusive



channel, all Parts on this MIDI channel receivethe same Performance Controllers. The Sound Parameters are stored with a Single Sound. If

more than one Multi Part is set to the same MIDI

channel, the Sound Parameter is receiced only by the Multi Part with the lowest part number.

Example: B0,21,40 Set oscillator balance (21hex = 33 dec) on MIDI channel 1 to the middleposition (40 hex =64 dec).

POLYPHONIC PRESSURE MESSAGE(ONLY PAGE B)

Ac Status byte, c=MIDI channelnn Parameter Number 0..127

(see parameter list Page B)vv :Parameter Value 0..127

see parameter list Page B)

Example: A2,07,25 Control LFO3 Rate on MIDIchannel 3 (!).

SYSEX PARAMETERCHANGE[message]=7x Parameterchange

70:page A;71:page B;72:page C:

pp Part number00..0F Multi part 1..16;40: Single

nn Parameter Number0..127 (see parameter list)

vv Parameter Value 0..127

(see parameter list)F0,00,20,33,01,dd,7x,pp,nn,vv,F7

í The SysEx Parameterchange affects one of the sixteen single edit buffer in Multi Mode ad-dressed by the part number (00..0F) or the Sin-

gle buffer in Single Mode (part number 40). If a global parameter or a Multi parameter is ac-cessed, which is not part-sensitive (e.g. Input Boost or Multi Delay Time), the part number is

ignored.


Example: F0,00,20,33,01,10,70,05,28,5F,F7Set Cutoff on Part 6 to decimalvalue 95. (10: device ID omni; 70: page A, 05:part 6; 28: parameter Cutoff, 5F: decimal value95)

SINGLE DUMP[message]=10 Single Dumpbb Bank Number00 Single Edit buffer

01..04: Single Bank A..Dss Program Number

0..127 [256 single bytes]cs Checksum

optional

mm Program Number0..127 [256 multi bytes]

cs Checksumoptional

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,11,bb,mm,[256 multibytes],cs,F7

í When bank number 00, the dump destina-tion is the Multi Edit buffer. In this case the pro-

gram number is ignored.

[256 multi bytes] contains the Multi parametersin a special succession. See Multi Dump Table.

Checksum is the sum (DeviceID + 11 + Bank-



F0,00,20,33,01,dd,10,bb,ss,[256 singlebytes],cs,F7

í When bank number is set to 00, the program number is the part number that addresses oneof the sixteen Single Edit buffer in Multi Mode(00..0F) or the Single buffer in Single Mode (40).

[256 single bytes] contains the Single parame-ter pages A and B, each 128 bytes long.

Checksum is the sum (DeviceID + 10 + Bank-Number + ProgramNumber + [256 single bytes])

AND 7F. A dump with a wrong checksum will bereceived, but an error message will appear onthe display.

MULTI DUMP[message]=11 Multi Dumpbb Bank Number

00 Multi Edit buffer;01 multi bank

Number + ProgramNumber + [256 multi bytes]) AND 7F. A dump with a wrong checksum will bereceived, but an error message will appear onthe display.

SINGLE REQUEST[message]=30 Single Requestbb Bank Number

00: Single Edit buffer01..04: Single Bank A..D

ss Program Number0..127

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,30,bb,ss,F7

í When bank number is set to 00, the program number is the part number that addresses one

of the sixteen Single Edit buffer in Multi Mode(00..0F) or the Single buffer in Single Mode (40).

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 165System Exclusive Data

MULTI REQUEST[message]=31 Multi Requestbb Bank Number

00:Multi Edit buffer;01:Multi Bank

mm Program Number0..127

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,31,bb,mm,F7

í When bank number 00, the dump destina-

tion is the Multi Edit buffer. In this case the program number is ignored.

GLOBAL REQUEST[message]=35 Global Request

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,35,F7

TOTAL REQUEST[message]=36 Total Request

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,36,F7

CONTROLLER DUMP REQUEST[message]=



SINGLE BANK REQUEST[message]=32 Single Bank Requestbb Bank Number

01..04: Single Bank A..D

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,32,bb,F7

MULTI BANK REQUEST[message]=

33 Multi Bank Requestbb Bank Number01:Multi Bank

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,33,bb,F7

ARRANGEMENT REQUEST

[message]=34 Arrangement Request

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,34,F7

g

37 Controller Dump Request00 Bank Number(always zero)ss Part Number

F0,00,20,33,01,dd,37,00,ss,F7

í The Part number addresses one of the six-teen Single Edit buffer in Multi Mode (00..0F) or the Single buffer in Single Mode (40).


í PARAMETER DESCRIPTIONS

No. Class Name Range Value Text

PAGE A A 0 p Bank Select 0..3 Bank A..D A 1 p Modulation Wheel A 2 p Breath Controller A 3 p Contr 3 A 4 p Foot Controller A 5 a Portamento Time 0..127 A 6 p Data Slider



A 7 p Channel Volume 0..127 A 8 p Balance A 9 p Contr 9 A 10 a Panorama 0..127 -64..0..+63: Left..Center..Right A 11 p Expression 0..127 A 12 p Contr 12 A 13 p Contr 13 A 14 p Contr 14 A 15 p Contr 15

A 16 p Contr 16 A 17 a Osc1 Shape 0..127 -64..0..+63: Wave..Saw..Pulse A 18 a Osc1 Pulsewidth 0..127 A 19 a Osc1 Wave Select 0..64 Sine, Triangle, Wave 3..64 A 20 a Osc1 Semitone 0..127 -64..+63 A 21 a Osc1 Keyfollow 0..127 -64..+63, Default: 32

A 22 a Osc2 Shape 0..127 -64..0..+63: Wave..Saw..Pulse A 23 a Osc2 Pulsewidth 0..127 A 24 a Osc2 Wave Select 0..64 Sine, Triangle, Wave 3..64 A 25 a Osc2 Semitone 0..127 -64..+63 A 26 a Osc2 Detune 0..127

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 167Parameter Descriptions

A 27 a Osc2 FM Amount 0..127 A 28 a Osc2 Sync 0..1 0:Off 1:On A 29 a Osc2 Filt Env Amt 0..127 -64..+63 A 30 a FM Filt Env Amt 0..127 -64..+63 A 31 a Osc2 Keyfollow 0..127 -64..+63: Default: 32 A 32 p Bank Select 0..3 Bank A..D A 33 a Osc Balance 0..127 -64..+63: A 34 a Suboscillator Volume 0..127 A 35 a Suboscillator Shape 0..1 0:Square 1:Triangle A 36 a Osc Mainvolume 0..127 A 37 a Noise Volume 0..127 A 38 a Ringmodulator Volume 0..127




A 39 a,Vb Noise Color 0..127 -64..0..+63 A 40 a Cutoff 0..127 A 41 a Cutoff2 0..127 -64..+63

A 42 a Filter1 Resonance 0..127 A 43 a Filter2 Resonance 0..127 A 44 a Filter1 Env Amt 0..127 A 45 a Filter2 Env Amt 0..127 A 46 a Filter1 Keyfollow 0..127 -64..+63 A 47 a Filter2 Keyfollow 0..127 -64..+63

A 48 a Filter Balance 0..127 -64..+63 A 49 a Saturation Curve 0..6 0:Off 1:Light 2:Soft 3:Middle 4:Hard

5:Digital .. A 51 a Filter1 Mode 0..3 0:LP 1:HP 2:BP 3:BS A 52 a Filter2 Mode 0..3 0:LP 1:HP 2:BP 3:BS A 53 a Filter Routing 0..3 0:Ser4 1:Ser6 2:Par4 3:Split

A 54 a Filter Env Attack 0..127 A 55 a Filter Env Decay 0..127 A 56 a Filter Env Sustain 0..127 A 57 a Filter Env Sustain Time 0..127 -64..+63: Fall..Innite..Rise A 58 a Filter Env Release 0..127


A 59 a Amp Env Attack 0..127 A 60 a Amp Env Decay 0..127 A 61 a Amp Env Sustain 0..127 A 62 a Amp Env Sustain Time 0..127 -64..+63: Fall..Innite..Rise A 63 a Amp Env Release 0...127 A 64 p Hold Pedal A 65 p Portamento Pedal A 66 p Sostenuto Pedal A 67 a Lfo1 Rate 0..127 A 68 a Lfo1 Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square 4:S&H

5:S&G .. A 69 a Lfo1 Env Mode 0..1 0:Off 1:OnA 70 a Lfo1 Mode 0 1 0:Poly 1:Mono




A 70 a Lfo1 Mode 0..1 0:Poly 1:Mono A 71 a Lfo1 Symmetry 0..127 -64..+63 A 72 a Lfo1 Keyfollow 0..127

A 73 a Lfo1 Keytrigger 0..127 0:Off, 1..127:Keytrigger Phase A 74 a Osc1 Lfo1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 75 a Osc2 Lfo1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 76 a PW Lfo1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 77 a Reso Lfo1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 78 a FiltGain Lfo1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63

A 79 a Lfo2 Rate 0..127 A 80 a Lfo2 Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square 4:S&H

5:S&G .. A 81 a Lfo2 Env Mode 0..1 0:Off 1:On A 82 a Lfo2 Mode 0..1 0:Poly 1:Mono A 83 a Lfo2 Symmetry 0..127 -64..+63 A 84 a Lfo2 Keyfollow 0..127 A 85 a Lfo2 Keytrigger 0..127 0:Off, 1..127:Keytrigger Phase A 86 a OscShape Lfo2

Amount0..127 -64..+63

A 87 a FmAmount Lfo2 Amount

0..127 -64..+63


A 88 a Cutoff1 Lfo2 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 89 a Cutoff2 Lfo2 Amount 0..127 -64..+63 A 90 a Panorama Lfo2

Amount0..127 -64..+63

A 91 a Patch Volume 0..127 A 93 a Transpose 0..127 -64..+63 A 94 a Key Mode 0..4 0:Poly 1..4: Mono1-4 A 97 a Unison Mode 0..15 0:Off 1:Twin 2..15 A 98 a Unison Detune 0..127

A 99 a Unison PanoramaSpread

0..127

A100 a Unison Lfo Phase 0..127 -64..+63 A101 a Input Mode 0..2 0:Off 1:Dynamic 2:Static 3:ToEffects




A102 a Input Select 0..8 0:In1L 1:In1L+R 2:In1R .. A105 a Chorus Mix 0..127 A106 a Chorus Rate 0..127 A107 a Chorus Depth 0..127 A108 a Chorus Delay 0..127 A109 a Chorus Feedback 0..127 -64..+63 A110 a Chorus Lfo Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square 4:S&H

5:S&G .. A112 a Delay/Reverb Mode 0..1 0:Off 1:Delay 2:Reverb 3:Rev+Feedb1

A113 a,ms Effect Send 0..127 A114 a,ms,n

pDelay Time 0..127

A115 a,ms,np

Delay Feedback 0..127

A116 a,ms,np

Delay Rate 0..127

Reverb Decay Time 0..127 A117 a,ms,n

pDelay Depth 0..127

Reverb Room Size 0..3 0:Ambience 1:SmallRoom 2:Lar-geRoom 3:Hall


A118 a,ms,np

Delay Lfo Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square 4:S&H5:S&G ..

Reverb Damping 0..127

A119 a,ms,np

Delay Color 0..127 -64..+63

A122 g Keyb Local 0..1 0:Off 1:On A123 p All Notes Off





PAGE B

B 1 b Arp Mode 0..6 0:Off 1:Up 2:Down 3:Up&Down 4:As-Played 5:Random 6:ChordB 2 b Arp Pattern Select 0..31B 3 b Arp Octave Range 0..3B 4 b Arp Hold Enable 0..1 0:Off 1:OnB 5 b Arp Note Length 0..127 -64..+63cB 6 b Arp Swing 0..127 50%..75%B 7 b Lfo3 Rate 0..127B 8 b Lfo3 Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square 4:S&H

5:S&G ..B 9 b Lfo3 Mode 0..1 0:Poly 1:Mono




yB 10 b Lfo3 Keyfollow 0..127B 11 b Lfo3 Destination 0..5 0:Osc1 1:Osc1+2 2:Osc2 3:PW1

4:PW1+2 5:PW2B 12 b Osc Lfo3 Amount 0..127B 13 b Lfo3 Fade-In Time 0..127B 16 b Clock Tempo 0..127 63..190 BPMB 17 b Arp Clock 1..17 1/64..1/1B 18 b Lfo1 Clock 0..19 Off, 1/64..4/1B 19 b Lfo2 Clock 0..19 Off, 1/64..4/1B 20 b,ms,n

pDelay Clock 0..16 Off, 1/64..3/4

B 21 b Lfo3 Clock 0..19 Off, 1/64..4/1B 25 b Control Smooth Mode 0..3 0:Off, 1:On, 2:Auto, 3:NoteB 26 b Bender Range Up 0..127 -64..+63B 27 b Bender Range Down 0..127 -64..+63B 28 b Bender Scale 0..1 0:Linear 1:ExponentialB 30 b Filter1 Env Polarity 0..1 0:Negative 1:PositiveB 31 b Filter2 Env Polarity 0..1 0:Negative 1:PositiveB 32 b Filter2 Cutoff Link 0..1 0:Off 1:OnB 33 b Filter Keytrack Base 0..127 C-1..G9


B 34 b,Vb Osc FM Mode 0..12 0:Pos-Tri 1:Tri 2:Wave 3:Noise 4:In L5:In L+R ..

B 35 b Osc Init Phase 0..127 0:Off 1..127

B 36 b Punch Intensity 0..127B 38 b,Vb Input Follower Mode 0..9 0:Off 1:In L 2:In L+R ...B 39 b Vocoder Mode 0..12 0:Off 1:Osc 2:OscHold 3:Noise 4:In L

5:In L+R ..B 41 b,Vb Osc3 Mode 0..67 0:Off 1:Osc2Slave 2:Saw 3:Pulse

4:Sine 5 Triangle ..B 42 b,Vb Osc3 Volume 0..127B 43 b,Vb Osc3 Semitone 0..127 -64..+63B 44 b,Vb Osc3 Detune 0..127B 45 b,Vc LowEQ Frequency 0..127B 46 b Vc HighEQ Frequency 0 127




B 46 b,Vc HighEQ Frequency 0..127B 47 b Osc1 Shape Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 48 b Osc2 Shape Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 49 b PulseWidth Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 50 b Fm Amount Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 51 b,Vc Soft Knob1 ShortName See ShortNames TableB 52 b,Vc Soft Knob2 ShortName See ShortNames TableB 54 b Filter1 EnvAmt Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 55 b Filter1 EnvAmt Velocity 0..127 -64..+63

B 56 b Resonance1 Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 57 b Resonance2 Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 58 b Second Output Balan-

ce0..127 0:Off 1..127: Front..Center..Rear

B 60 b Amp Velocity 0..127 -64..+63B 61 b Panorama Velocity 0..127 -64..+63

B 62 b Soft Knob-1 Single see Soft Knob ListB 63 b Soft Knob-2 Single see Soft Knob ListB 64 b Assign1 Source see Assign Sources ListB 65 b Assign1 Destination see Assign Destinations ListB 66 b Assign1 Amount 0..127 -64..+63


B 67 b Assign2 Source see Assign Sources ListB 68 b Assign2 Destination1 see Assign Destinations ListB 69 b Assign2 Amount1 0..127 -64..+63B 70 b Assign2 Destination2 see Assign Destinations ListB 71 b Assign2 Amount2 0..127 -64..+63B 72 b Assign3 Source see Assign Sources ListB 73 b Assign3 Destination1 see Assign Destinations ListB 74 b Assign3 Amount1 0..127 -64..+63B 75 b Assign3 Destination2 see Assign Destinations List

B 76 b Assign3 Amount2 0..127 -64..+63B 77 b Assign3 Destination3 see Assign Destinations ListB 78 b Assign3 Amount3 0..127 -64..+63B 79 b LFO1 Assign Dest see Assign Destinations List




B 80 b LFO1 Assign Amount 0..127 -64..+63B 81 b LFO2 Assign Dest see Assign Destinations List

B 82 b LFO2 Assign Amount 0..127 -64..+63B 84 b,Vb Phaser Mode 0..6 0:Off, 1..6 Phaser StagesB 85 b,Vb Phaser Mix 0..127B 86 b,Vb Phaser Rate 0..127B 87 b,Vb Phaser Depth 0..127B 88 b,Vb Phaser Frequency 0..127

B 89 b,Vb Phaser Feedback 0..127 -64..+63B 90 b,Vb Phaser Spread 0..127B 92 b,Vc MidEQ Gain 0..127 64= 0dBB 93 b,Vc MidEQ Frequency 0..127B 94 b,Vc MidEQ Q-Factor 0.127B 95 b,Vc LowEQ Gain 0..127

B 95 b,Vc HighEQ Gain 0..127B 97 b,Vb Bass Intensity 0..127B 98 b,Vb Bass Tune 0..127B 99 b,Vb Input Ringmodulator 0..127 0:Off 1..127: Direct..Ringmodula-

tor..Input


B100 b,Vb Distortion Curve 0..6 0:Off 1:Light 2:Soft 3:Middle 4:Hard5:Digital ..

B101 b,Vb Distortion Intensity 0..127

B102 b,Vc Assign 4 Source 0..27 see Assign Sources ListB103 b,Vc Assign 4 Destination 0..122 see Assign Destinations ListB104 b,Vc Assign 4 Amount 0..127B105 b,Vc Assign 5 Source 0..27 see Assign Sources ListB106 b,Vc Assign 5 Destination 0..122 see Assign Destinations ListB107 b,Vc Assign 5 Amount 0..127

B108 b,Vc Assign 6 Source 0..27 see Assign Sources ListB109 b,Vc Assign 6 Destination 0..122 see Assign Destinations ListB110 b,Vc Assign 6 Amount 0..127B112 b Single Name Char1 32..127 ASCII




B113 b Single Name Char2 32..127 ASCIIB114 b Single Name Char3 32..127 ASCII

B115 b Single Name Char4 32..127 ASCIIB116 b Single Name Char5 32..127 ASCIIB117 b Single Name Char6 32..127 ASCIIB118 b Single Name Char7 32..127 ASCIIB119 b Single Name Char8 32..127 ASCIIB120 b Single Name Char9 32..127 ASCII

B121 b Single Name Char10 32..127 ASCIIB122 b Filter Select 0..2 0:Filt1 1:Filt2 2:Filt1*2B123 b,Vb Category1B124 b,Vb Category2


Page C

C 5 m,np Multi Name Char1 32..127 ASCIIC 6 m,np Multi Name Char2 32..127 ASCIIC 7 m,np Multi Name Char3 32..127 ASCIIC 8 m,np Multi Name Char4 32..127 ASCIIC 9 m,np Multi Name Char5 32..127 ASCIIC 10 m,np Multi Name Char6 32..127 ASCIIC 11 m,np Multi Name Char7 32..127 ASCIIC 12 m,np Multi Name Char8 32..127 ASCIIC 13 m,np Multi Name Char9 32..127 ASCIIC 14 m,np Multi Name Char10 32..127 ASCIIC 22 m np Delay Output Select 0 14 0:Out1L 1:Out1L+R 2:Out1R




C 22 m,np Delay Output Select 0..14 0:Out1L 1:Out1L+R 2:Out1R ..C 31 m,bpc Part Bank Select 0..3 Bank A..DC 32 m,bpc Part Bank Change 0..3 Bank A..DC 33 m,bpc Part Program Change 0..127C 34 m Part Midi Channel 0..15 1..16C 35 m Part Low Key 0..127 C-1..G9C 36 m Part High Key 0..127 C-1..G9C 37 m Part Transpose 0..127 -64..+63C 38 m Part Detune 0..127 -64..+63C 39 m Part Volume 0..127 -64..+63 0=Unity GainC 40 m Part Midi Volume Init 0..127 Off, 1..127C 41 m Part Output Select 0..14 0:Out1L 1:Out1L+R 2:Out1R ..C 45 g Second Output Select 0..15 0:Off 1:Out1L 2:Out1L+R 3:Out1R ..C 63 g Keyb Transpose But-

tons0..1 0:Patch 1:Keyb

C 64 g Keyb Local 0..1 0:Off 1:OnC 65 g Keyb Mode 0..1 0:OneChannel 1:MultiChannelsC 66 g Keyb Transpose 0..127 -64..+63C 67 g Keyb ModWheel Contr see Keyboard Destination ListC 68 g Keyb Pedal 1 Contr see Keyboard Destination List


C 69 g Keyb Pedal 2 Contr see Keyboard Destination ListC 70 g Keyb Pressure Sens 0..127 0:Off 1..127C 72 m Part Enable 0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 73 m Part Midi Volume Ena-ble

0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 74 m Part Hold Pedal Enable 0..1 0:Off 1:OnC 75 m Keyb To Midi 0..1 0:Off 1:OnC 77 m Note Steal Priority 0..1 0:Low 1:HighC 78 m Part Prog Change Ena-

ble0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 85 g Glob Prog Change En-able

0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 86 g MultiProg Change Ena-ble

0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 87 Gl b Midi V l E 0 1 0 Off 1 O




C 87 g Glob Midi Volume Ena-ble

0..1 0:Off 1:On

C 90 g Input Thru Level 0..127C 91 g Input Boost 0..127C 92 g Master Tune 0..127 -64..+63C 93 g Device ID 0..16 1..16, OmniC 94 g Midi Control Low Page 0..1 0:SysEx 1:ContrC 95 g Midi Control High Page 0..1 0:SysEx 1:PolyPrsC 96 g Midi Arpeggiator Send 0..1 0:Off 1:OnC 97 g Knob Display 0..3 0:Off 1:Short 2:Long 3:OnC 98 g Midi Dump Tx 0..4 0:Single 1:SingleBank A 2:Single-

Bank B ..C 99 g Midi Dump Rx 0..4 0:Disable 1:Enable 2:ForceToBankA ..C105 g Multi Program Change 0..127C106 g Midi Clock Rx 0:Disable 1:Auto 2:Send

C110 g Soft Knob-1 Mode 0..2 0:Single 1:Global 2:MidiC111 g Soft Knob-2 Mode 0..2 0:Single 1:Global 2:MidiC112 g Soft Knob-1 Global see Soft Knob ListC113 g Soft Knob-2 Global see Soft Knob ListC114 g Soft Knob-1 Midi 0..127


C115 g Soft Knob-2 Midi 0..127C116 g Expert Mode 0..2 0:0ff 1:On 2:AllC117 g Knob Mode 0..5 0:Off 1:Jump 2:Snap 3:Relative (...)

C118 g Memory Protect 0..1 0:0ff 1:On 2:WarnC120 g Soft Thru 0..1 0:0ff 1:OnC121 g Panel Destination 0..2 0:Internal 1:Int+Midi 2:MidiC122 g Play Mode 0..2 0:Single 1:MultiSingle 2:MultiC123 g Part Number 0..15;40 0..15:Multi Part 1..16; 40:Single BufferC124 g Global Channel 0..15 1..16

C125 g Led Mode 0..2 0:Lfo 1:Input 2:Auto ..C126 g LCD Contrast 0..127C127 g Master Volume 0..127





í MULTI DUMP TABLE

NO REF NAME RANGE VALUE TEXT

0..3 Internal4..13 Multi Name Charac-

ters 1..1032..127 ASCII

14 Internal

15 Multi Clock Tempo 0..127 63. .190BPM

16 Multi Delay Mode 0..1 0:Off 1:On17 Multi Delay Time 0..12718 Multi Delay Feedback 0..12719 Multi Delay Rate 0..127



20 Multi Delay Depth 0..12721 Multi Delay Shape 0..5 0:Sine 1:Tri 2:Saw 3:Square

4:S&H 5:S&G22 Mult i Delay Output

Select0..127 0:Out1L 1:Out1L+R 2:Out1R ..

23 Multi Delay Clock 0..16 Off, 1/64..3/424 Multi Delay Color 0..127 -64..+6325..31 Internal

32..47 Par t1..16

Bank Number 0..1

48..63 Par t1..16

Program Number 0..127

64..79 Par t1..16

Midi Channel 0..15 1..16

80..95 Par t1..16

Low Key 0..127 C-1..G9

96..111

Par t1..16

High Key 0..127 C-1..G9

112..127

Par t1..16

Transpose 0..127 -64..+63

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 179Multi Dump Table

128..143

Par t1..16

Detune 0..127 -64..+63

144..1

59

Par t

1..16

Part Volume 0..127 -64..+63; 0=Unity Gain

160..175

Par t1..16

Midi Volume Init 0..127 Off, 1..127

176..191

Par t1..16

Output Select 0..14 0:Out1L 1:Out1L+R 2:Out1R ..

192..207

Par t1..16

Effect Send 0..127

208..239 Internal

240..255

Part State Part 1..16 Biteld (see Part State Biteld)





í All bytes are shown in decimal representa-tion.

Parameter is received only by the Multi Partwith the lowest part number, if more than oneMulti Part is set to the same MIDI channel

Part State Biteld:Bit 0 Part Enable 0:Off 1:OnBit 1 Part Midi Volume Ena-

ble

0:Off 1:On

Bit 2 Part Hold Pedal Ena-ble

0:Off 1:On

Bit 3 Keyb To Midi 0:Off 1:OnBit 4 InternalBit 5 Note Steal Priority 0:Low 1:HighBit 6 Part Prog Change En-

able0:Off 1:On




í CLASSES

CLASSES

P: PERFORMANCE CONTROLLER Accessi-ble by Control message. Performance Control-lers are not stored with a Single-Sound. If morethan one Multi Part is set to the same MIDIchannel, all Parts on this MIDI channel receivethe same Performance Controllers.

A: SOUND PARAMETER OF BANK A Ac-cessible by Control message, SysEx-Parame-terchange and Single-Dump.The SoundParameters are stored with a Single Sound.When received as Control Message, the Sound

Multi Part is set to the same MIDI channel.When received as SysEx-Parameterchange orSingle-Dump, the part is addressed by the partnumber irrespective of the actual MIDI channelsetting.

KCB: SOUND PARAMETER OF BANK B Ac ce ssib le by MIDI Po lyphoni c Pr essu re ,SysEx-Parameterchange and Single-Dump.TheSound Parameters are stored with a Single

Sound. When received as Polyphonic Pressure,the Sound Parameter is received only by theMulti Part with the lowest part number, if morethan one Multi Part is set to the same MIDIchannel. When received as SysEx-Parameter-change or Single-Dump, the part is addressedby the part number irrespective of the actualMIDI channel setting.

M: MULTI PARAMETER Access ib le bySysEx-Parameterchange and Multi-Dump TheMulti Parameters are stored with a Multi Patch.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 181Classes

MS: MULTI/SINGLE PARAMETERWhen inSingle Mode, the parameter is received andstored with the Single Sound.When in MultiMode, the parameter is received and storedwith the Multi Patch. In Multi Mode the SingleSound settings are ignored while the corre-sponding Multi Patch settings are active.

NP: NON-PART-SENSITIVE SOUND PARAM-ETER When in Multi Mode, the parameter af-fects all Multi Parts.

BPC: BANK/PROGRAM-CHANGE PARAME-TER BANK SELECT selects the Single bankaccessed by a subsequent Program Change,similar to the regular Bank Select.Bank Changedirectly changes the Single program to the re-quested bank, without changing the programnumber Program Change directly changes the

í The VIRUS can be switched between Multi Mode and Single Mode by parameter C123 Part Number.

í Remarks for editor/librarian programs Not all 256 bytes of a Single or Multi Dump are defined as a parameter. Some of them are defined for internal use or reserved for future applications.In a bulk dump these byte should not bechanged, they should be sent to the VIRUS onthe same value as they were received in thedump.

í One of the internal parameter (Page A #0) isthe Sound Version Number. On future VIRUS

system updates new parameters will be de-fined. When the VIRUS receives an older sound,the new parameters will be set to default valuesin the edit buffer and the version number will be



number. Program Change directly changes theSingle program to the requested programnumber, without changing the bank number;similar to the regular Program Change. Partnumber $40 will address the Single buffer inSingle Mode.

G: GLOBAL PARAMETERThe Global Param-eters are independend of Single Sounds or Mul-ti Patches and non-part sensitive.

VB: VIRUS C PARAMETERThese parame-ters are only available on VIRUS C and VIRUSkc/indigo in Version 3.0 and followers. VIRUS Cparameter changes are ignored by VIRUS a

íOn non-part-sensitive parameters the part number is ignored, but must still be sent as any

value.

in the edit buffer and the version number will beupdated automatically. The VIRUS update algo-

rithm can be used from outside just by sending a dump and requesting it back. To prevent in-compatibilites and confusion, the Sound Ver-

sion Number should not be changed by any other device that the VIRUS itself. When sounds

are imported into a software library, they should be automatically pathed through the VIRUSfirst, before allowing a change of parameters.Otherwise the VIRUS might reset new parame-

ters, when the sound is loaded into the VIRUS, after editing parameters.


í MOD MATRIX SOURCES

All sources of the SOFT KNOBS-1/2

Off PitchBnd ChanPres ModWheel BreathContr3 Foot Data Balance Contr 9Express Contr 12 Contr 13 Contr 14 Contr 15Contr 16 HoldPed PortaSw SostPed AmpEnvFiltEnv Lfo 1 Lfo 2 Lfo 3 VeloOnVeloOff KeyFlw Random



ACCESS VIRUS OS5 183Mod Matrix Destinations

í MOD MATRIX DESTINATIONS

All destinations of the Modulation Matrix

Off PatchVol ChannelVol Panorama Transpose PortamentoOsc1Shape Osc1PlsWdh Osc1WavSel Osc1Pitch Osc1Keyw Osc2ShapeOsc2PlsWdh Osc2WavSel Osc2Pitch Osc2Detune Osc2FmAmt Osc2EnvAmtFmEnvAmt Osc2Keyw OscBalance SubOscVol OscMainVol NoiseVolCutoff Cutoff2 Filt1Reso Filt2Reso Flt1EnvAmt Flt2EnvAmtFlt1Keyw Flt2Keyw FltBalance FltAttack FltDecay FltSustain

FltSusTime FltRelease AmpAttack AmpDecay AmpSustain AmpSusTime AmpRelease Lfo1Rate Lfo1Cont Lfo1>Osc1 Lfo1>Osc2 Lfo1>PlsWdLfo1>Reso Lfo1>FltGn Lfo2Rate Lfo2Cont Lfo2>Shape Lfo2>FmLfo2>Cut1 Lfo2>Cut2 Lfo2>Pan Lfo3Rate Lfo3OscAmt UniDetuneUniSpread UniLfoPhs ChorusMix ChorusRate ChorusDpth ChorusDly



ChorusFeed EffectSend DelayTime DelayFeed DelayRate DelayDepthOsc1ShpVel Osc2ShpVel PlsWhdVel FmAmtVel Flt1EnvVel Flt2EnvVelReso1Vel Reso2Vel AmpVel PanVel Ass1Amt1 Ass2Amt1

Ass2Amt2 Ass3Amt1 Ass3Amt2 Ass3Amt3 OscInitPhs PunchIntRingMod NoiseColor DelayColor ABoostInt ABoostTune DistIntRingmodMix Osc3Volume Osc3Semi Osc3Detune Lfo1AssAmt Lfo2AssAmtPhaserMix PhaserRate PhaserDept PhaserFreq PhaserFdbk PhaserSprdRevbDecay RevDamping RevbColor RevPredely RevFeedbck SecBalance

ArpNoteLen ArpSwing ArpPattern EqMidGain EqMidFreq EqMidQFactor Assign4Amt Assign5Amt Assign6Amt


í SOFT KNOB DESTINATIONS

All destinations of the SOFT KNOBS-1/2

Off ModWheel Breath Contr3 FootData Balance Contr9 Expression Contr12Contr13 Contr14 Contr15 Contr16 PatchVolumeChannelVolume Panorama Transpose Portamento UnisonDetuneUnisonPanSprd UnisonLfoPhase ChorusMix ChorusRate ChorusDepthChorusDelay ChorusFeedback EffectSend DelayTime(ms) DelayFeedback

DelayRate DelayDepth Osc1WavSelect Osc1PulseWidth Osc1SemitoneOsc1Keyfollow Osc2WavSelect Osc2PulseWidth Osc2EnvAmount FmEnvAmountOsc2Keyfollow NoiseVolume Filt1Resonance Filt2Resonance Filt1EnvAmountFilt2EnvAmount Filt1Keyfollow Filt2Keyfollow Lfo1Symmetry Lfo1>Osc1Lfo1>Osc2 Lfo1>PulsWidth Lfo1>Resonance Lfo1>FiltGain Lfo2SymmetryLf 2 Sh Lf 2 F A Lf 2 C ff1 Lf 2 C ff2 Lf 2 P



Lfo2>Shape Lfo2>FmAmount Lfo2>Cutoff1 Lfo2>Cutoff2 Lfo2>PanoramaLfo3Rate Lfo3OscAmount Osc1ShapeVel Osc2ShapeVel PulsWidthVelFmAmountVel Filt1EnvVel Filt2EnvVel Resonance1Vel Resonance2Vel

AmplierVel PanoramaVel Assign1Amt1 Assign2Amt1 Assign2Amt2 Assign3Amt1 Assign3Amt2 Assign3Amt3 ClockTempo InputThruOscInitPhase PunchIntensity Ringmodulator NoiseColor DelayColor

AnalogBoostInt AnalogBstTune DistortionInt RingModMix Osc3VolumeOsc3Semitone Osc3Detune Lfo1AssignAmt Lfo2AssignAmt PhaserMixPhaserRate PhaserDepth PhaserFrequenc PhaserFeedback PhaserSpreadRevDecayTime ReverbDamping ReverbColor ReverbFeedback SecondBalance

ArpMode ArpPattern ArpClock ArpNoteLength ArpSwing ArpOctaves ArpHold EqMidGain EqMidFreq EqMidQFactor Assign4Amt Assign5Amt Assign6Amt

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 185MIDI Implementation Chart

í MIDI IMPLEMENTATIONCHART

Function Transmitted Recocgnized Remarks

Basic DefaultChannel Changed

11-16

11-16

DefaultMode Messages

Altered

XX************

XXX

Note

Number True Voice

0-127

************

0-127

0-127

Velocity Note ONNote OFF

OX

OX

After- Key’sTouch Ch‘s

XX

XO

Pitch Bender X O 14-Bit



Pitch Bender X O 14 Bit

125

Control Change* 7103264

OOOOOOO

OOOOOOO

ModwheelBreath ControlPortamento TimeVolumePanoramaBank SelectSustain

Prog True #Change .

O************

O0-127

System Exclusive O O

System :Song Pos:Song Sel

Common :Tune .

OXX

XXX

System :ClockRealtime :Commands

XX

XX

Start, StopContinue

Aux- :Local ON/OFFMes- :All NotesOff

Sages : ActiveSense :Reset

XXXX

XOOX

* Note: See MIDI Controller Assignments for more Information.Mode 1: OMNI ON, POLY Mode 2: OMNI ON, MONO O : YesMode 3: OMNI OFF, POLY Mode 4: OMNI OFF, MONO X : No


í FCC INFORMATION (U.S.A)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: DO NOT MODIFY THISUNIT! This product, when installed as indicatedin the instructions contained in this manual,meets FCC requirements. Modications not ex-pressly approved by ACCESS MUSIC ELEC-TRONICS may void your authority, granted bythe FCC, to use this product.

IMPORTANT: When connecting this product toaccessories and/or another product use only

high quality shielded cables. Cable/s suppliedwith this product MUST be used. Follow all in-stallation instructions. Failure to follow instruc-tions could void your FCC authorisation to usethis product in the USA.

NOTE: This product has been tested and foundto comply with the requirements listed in FCC

In the case of radio or TV interference, relocate/ reorient the antenna. If the antenna lead-in is300 ohm ribbon lead, change the lead-in to co-axial type cable.

If these corrective measures do not producesatisfactory results, please contact the local re-tailer authorised to distribute this type of prod-uct.

The statements above apply ONLY to productsdistributed in the USA.



to comply with the requirements listed in FCCRegulations, Part 15 for Class „B“ digital devic-es. Compliance with these requirements pro-vides a reasonable level of assurance that youruse of this product in residental environmentwill not result in harmful interference with otherelectronic devices. This equipment generates/ uses radio frequencies and, if not installed andused according to the instructions found in theuser manual, may cause interference harmful to

the operation of other electronic devices, Com-pliance with FCC regulations does not guaran-tee that interference will not occur in allinstallations. If this product is found to be thesource of interference, which can be determi-nated by turning the unit „OFF“ and „ON“,please try to eliminate the problem by using oneof the following measures:

Relocate either this product or the device that isbeing affected by the interference.

Utilise power outlets that are on branch (Circuitbreaker or fuse) circuits or install AC line lter/s.

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 187FCC Information (CANADA)

í FCC INFORMATION (CANADA)

The digital section of this apparatus does notexceed the „Class B“ limits for radio noise em-

missions from digital apparatus set out in theradio interference regulation of the CanadianDepartment of Communications.

Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas debruit radioelectriques depassant les limites ap-plicables aux appareils numerique de la „ClassB“ prescrites dans la reglement sur le brouillage

radioelectrique edicte par le Ministre Des Com-munication du Canada.

This only applies to products distributed inCanada.

Ceci ne s’applique qu’aux produits distribuesdans Canada



dans Canada.

í OTHER STANDARDS (REST OF WORLD)

This product complies with the radio frequencyinterference requirements of the Council Direc-tive 89/336/EC.

Cet appareil est conforme aux prescriptions dela directive communautaire 89/336/EC.

Dette apparat overholder det gaeldenda EF-di-rektiv vedrorendareadiostoj.

Diese Geräte entsprechen der EG-Richtlinie 89/ 336/EC.


í DECLARATION OFCONFORMITY

EG-KONFORMITÄTSERKLÄRUNG

Für das folgend bezeichnete Erzeugnis/ For thefollowing named product

ACCESS VIRUS SYNTHESIZER

MODEL C / KC / INDIGO

Wird hiermit bestätigt daß es den Schutzan

EM 50 082-1 : 1992 , EN 50 081-1 : 1992 , EN60065 : 1993

Diese Erklärung wird verantwortlich für denHersteller abgegeben:

This declaration has been given responsibly tothe manufacturer:

Access Music Electronics GmbH

Am Stadion 1045659 RecklinghausenGermany

Recklinghausen, 1.2.2002



Wird hiermit bestätigt, daß es den Schutzan-forderungen entspricht, die in der Richtlinie 89/ 336/FWG des Rates zur Angleichung der Rech-tsvorschriften der Mitgliedstaaten über die ele-ktromagnetische Verträglichkeit festgelegt sind;außerdem entspricht es den Vorschriften desGesetzes über die elektromagnetische Ver-träglichkeit von Geräten (EMVG) vom 30. Au-gust 1995.

Will hereby declared that it conforms to the re-quirements of the Council Directive 89/336/ FWG for radio frequency interference. It alsocomplies with the regulations about radio inter-ference of electronic devices dated on August30th, 1995.

Zur Beurteilung des Erzeugnisses hinsichtlich

der elektromagnetischen Verträglichkeit wurdenfolgende harmonisierte Normen herangezogen:

The following standards have been used to de-clare conformity:

Guido Kirsch, GeschäftsführerGuido Kirsch, Managing Director

Christoph Kemper, GeschäftsführerChristoph Kemper Managing Director

ACCESS VIRUS OS5 189Garantie Bestimmung

í GARANTIE BESTIMMUNG

access Music Electronics leistet Garantie für al-le nachweisbaren Material- und Fertigungsfeh-

ler für eine Dauer von 24 Monaten ab Verkaufoder Aushändigung an den Endverbraucher.

Von der Garantie ausgenommen sind alle Schä-den, die durch falsche oder unsachgemäße Be-dienung, durch falsche Verbindungen mitanderen Geräten oder durch nicht bestim-mungsgemäße Verwendung des Gerätes ent-stehen.

Außerdem erlischt jeder Garantieanspruch beiFremdeingriffen oder eigenmächtigen Änderun-gen am Gerät.

Voraussetzung für die Garantieleistung ist dieRücksendung der ausgefüllten Garantiekarte

Ferner müssen folgende Voraussetzungen er-füllt sein:

- Das Gerät bendet sich in der Originalverpak-kung oder zumindest gleichwertiger Verpak-kung.

- Dem Gerät liegt eine genaue Fehlerbeschrei-bung und eine Kopie des Kaufbelegs bei.



g gmit Serien-Nr., Verkaufsdatum, Firmenstempel,Unterschrift des authorisierten Fachhändlers,Name und Anschrift des Käufers sowie eine Ko-pie des Kaufbelegs.

Wenn Defekte innerhalb der Garantiezeit auftre-ten sollten, senden Sie das Gerät nach vorheri-ger Absprache an:

TSI GMBHSCHLOß AHRENTHAL53489 SINZIGGERMANY TEL: ++49-2642-9940-0FAX: [email protected]


í WARRANTY

The access music electronics warranty coversall defects in material and workmanship for a

period of six months from the date of originalpurchase.

This warranty does not cover defects due toabuse, faulty connections or operation underother than specied conditions.

Warranty coverage is also voided when the de-vice is repaired by unauthorized persons ortampered with in any way.

To ensure the warranty is valid, ll out the war-ranty card completely, including serial no., dateof sale, company stamp, signature of the au-thorized dealer, as well as your name an adressand return it to the adress given below.

The following stipulations also apply:

- Ensure the unit is sent in its original packageor one of equal quality.

- Include a detailed description of the defectand a copy of the purchase receipt.



If a defect occurs during the warranty period,contact the following adress before sending thedevice:

TSI GMBHSCHLOß AHRENTHAL53489 SINZIGGERMANY

TEL: ++49-2642-9940-0FAX: [email protected]



Index

192 14Index

Index

A ADAPTIVE CONTROL SMOOTHING 98, 143 AFTERTOUCH 128 AMPLIFIER 17 AMPLIFIER ENVELOPE 17 ANALOG BOOST 92 ANALOG BOOST INTENSITY 92

ANALOG BOOST TUNE 92 ANALOG INPUTS 100 ARPEGGIATOR 156 ARPEGGIATOR CLOCK 81 ARPEGGIATOR GLOBAL 121 ARPEGGIATOR HOLD 81 ARPEGGIATOR MODE 80 ARPEGGIATOR NOTE LENGTH 80

CCATEGORIES 52, 106CHANNEL VOLUME 155CHORUS 37, 83CHORUS DELAY 83CHORUS DEPTH 83CHORUS DIR/EFF 83CHORUS FEEDBACK 84CHORUS RATE 83CHORUS SHAPE 84CLOCK RECEIVE 120CLOCK RX 44, 120

COMPARE 47CONNECTIONS 14CUTOFF 22

DDATA ENTRY 44DECAY17 64 69



ARPEGGIATOR OCTAVE 80 ARPEGGIATOR PATTERN 80 ARPEGGIATOR SEND 120 ARPEGGIATOR SWING 80 ARRANGEMENT DUMP 118, 145 ASSIGN 48, 76, 156 ATTACK 17, 64, 69 AUDIO INPUTS 53 AUDIO OUTPUTS 54

AUDIO ROUTING 54, 148 AUDITION SOUNDS 55 AUX BUSES 54

BBAND PASS 19BAND STOP 19BANK CHANGE 158BITREDUCER 36

DECAY 17, 64, 69DELAY 38, 85DELAY CLOCK 88DELAY COLOR 89DELAY DEPTH 89DELAY EFFECT SEND 86DELAY FEEDBACK 87DELAY GLOBAL 122DELAY MODE 87

DELAY OUTPUT SELECT 89DELAY RATE 89DELAY SEND 149DELAY SHAPE 89DELAY TIME 86DETUNE 28, 110DEVICE ID 121DISPLAY CONTRAST 123DISPLAY OF VALUES 46DISTORTION 36, 82DISTORTION CURVE 82DISTORTION INTENSITY 82


EEDIT BUFFER 43EDIT MENU 45EFFECT 150EFFECT SECTION 52EFFECT SEND 150ENVELOPE 17ENVELOPE FOLLOWER 102, 150ENVELOPE MODE 32ENVELOPE POLARITY 67EQUALIZER 92EXPRESSION CONTROLLER 157

FFILTER 18, 21, 22, 153FILTER BALANCE 22, 23, 63, 153FILTER CUTOFF 63FILTER CUTOFF LINK 67FILTER ENV AMOUNT63

HHIGH KEY 112, 115, 129HIGH PAGE 121HIGH PASS 19HOLD PEDAL 112

IINPUT 116INPUT BOOST 116INPUT DIRECT THRU 116INPUT GAIN 117INPUT LEVEL INDICATOR 53, 149INPUT MODE 100IRELATIV 46ISNAP 46

K



FILTER ENV AMOUNT 63FILTER ENVELOPE 64FILTER GAIN 155FILTER HÜLLKURVE 19FILTER KEY FOLLOW 66FILTER KEYFOLLOW BASE 67FILTER MODE 64FILTER MODE SERIAL 6 22FILTER RESONANCE 63

FILTER ROUTING 22, 24, 30, 66FILTER SELECT 64FILTER SPLIT 24, 30, 153FM 28, 152FM AMOUNT 28FORCE TO EDIT BUFFER 118FREQUENCY MODULATION 28

GGARANTIE BESTIMMUNGEN 189GLIDE 97GLOBAL CHANNEL 115, 119, 129

KEY FOLLOW 20KEY MODE 97KEYBOARD 127KEYBOARD MODE 115KEYBOARD PARAMETERS 114KEYRANGE 112KNOB MODE 46, 123

LLC-DISPLAY 123LFO 30, 33LFO AMOUNT 71, 72LFO CLOCK 73, 74, 76LFO CONTOUR 73, 75LFO ENVELOPE MODE 73, 74, 154

LFO FADE IN 76LFO FILTER GAIN 71LFO KEY FOLLOW 76LFO KEYFOLLOW 74, 75LFO MODE 73, 74, 76, 154LFO RATE 30, 71LFO SELECT 71

194 14Index

LFO TRIGGER 155LFO TRIGGER PHASE 74, 75, 154LOCAL OFF 114, 126LOW KEY 112, 115, 129LOW PAGE 121LOW PASS 19

MMASTER CLOCK 44MASTER TUNE 121MASTER VOLUME 15MEMORY PROTECT 122MIDI 121, 157MIDI CHANNEL 111MIDI CLOCK 44MIDI DUMP RX 118, 157MIDI DUMP TX 117, 145MIDI IMPLEMENTATION CHART 185MIDI PARAMETER 117MIDI VOLUME 112MIDI VOLUME ENABLE120

OSC DETUNE 58, 62OSC FILT ENV -> FM 61OSC FILT ENV -> PITCH 60OSC FM AMOUNT 59OSC FM MODE 60OSC KEY FOLLOW 59, 60OSC MODE 61OSC PHASE INIT 62OSC SEMITONE 58, 62OSC SYNC 58OSC VOLUME 61, 70, 149, 153OSC WAVE SELECT/PW 58OSC WAVESELECT 62OSC WAVESHAPE 58, 59, 60

OSCILLATOR 25, 27, 29, 152OSCILLATOR BALANCE 27OSCILLATOR SYNC 152OSCILLATOR VOLUME 21OUTPUT SELECT 54, 110, 150

P



MIDI VOLUME ENABLE 120

MIXER 70MOD MATRIX DESTINATIONS 183MOD MATRIX SOURCES 182MODULATION 19MODULATION MATRIX 48MODWHEEL 115MULTI CHANNEL 115, 129MULTI MODE 42, 140MULTI PROGRAM CHANGE ENABLE

120

MULTI SINGLE MODE 42, 148

NNOISE COLOR 62NOISE VOLUME 70

OONE CHANNEL 115, 129OPERATING MODE 42OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES 158OSC BALANCE 70

PANEL DESTINATION 119PANIC FUNCTION 55PANORAMA 34, 97PARALLEL-4 24PARAMETER BUTTON 45PARAMETER CONTROL VIA MIDI 140PARAMETER SELECTION 44PART 42PART ENABLE

111

PART VOLUME 110PATCH VOLUME 34, 96PEDAL 1/2 116PHASER 37, 84PHASER DEPTH 85PHASER DIR/EFF 84PHASER FEEDBACK 84PHASER FREQUENCY 85PHASER RATE 84PHASER SPREAD 85PHASER STAGES 85PITCH BENDER SCALE 98PITCHBENDER 98PRESSURE SENSITIVITY 116


PRIORITY 111, 158PROGRAM CHANGE ENABLE 113, 120PULSE WIDTH 27, 151PUNCH INTENSITY 100

RRANDOM AMOUNT 114RANDOM PATCH GENERATOR 50RATEREDUCER 37RECTIFIER 36RELEASE 18, 64, 69RESET FUNCTION 55REVERB 38, 85, 122REVERB CLOCK 91REVERB COLOR 90REVERB DAMPING 87REVERB DECAY TIME 87REVERB EFFECT SEND 86REVERB FEEDBACK 91REVERB MODE 87REVERB OUTPUT SELECT91

SOFT KNOBS 33, 48, 106, 156, 182, 184SOFT THRU 119SOFTWARE UPDATES 160SOUNDDIVER 38STORE 47SUB OSC VOLUME 70SUB OSCILLATOR 29SURROUND 103SURROUND BALANCE 103SURROUND SELECT 103SUSTAIN 17, 64, 69SYNC 28SYSEX IMPLEMENTATION 162SYSEX PARAMETER CHANGE 163

SYSEX PARAMETER DESCRIPTION 166SYSTEM MENU 114SYSTEM PARAMETERS 121

TTIME 65, 67, 68, 69TRANSPOSE97 110 115 128



REVERB PREDELAY 90REVERB SEND 149REVERB TYPE 90RINGMODULATOR 29, 70, 102

SSAMPLE&GLIDE 32SAMPLE&HOLD 32SATURATION 21, 153SATURATION CURVE 65SECOND OUTPUT 103, 150SELECT 22SELECT BANK 110SELECT BUTTON 22SELECT NUMBER 110

SEMITONE 28SEQUENCER 140SERIAL-4 24SERIAL-6 24SINGLE MODE 42SMOOTH MODE 98

, , ,

TRANSPOSE BUTTON 115TRIANGULAR ICON 46

UUNDO 48UNISON DETUNE 99UNISON LFO PHASE 99UNISON MODE 35, 99UNISON PAN SPREAD 99

V VALUE BUTTON 45, 148 VALUE KNOB 45

VELOCITY 34, 104 VERIFY 119 VOCODER 132, 137, 156 VOCODER CARRIER BANK 133 VOCODER MODULATOR BANK 133 VOLUME 34, 110

196 14Index

WWARRANTY 190



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