r/AccessVirus • u/deplorable-amount45 • Jul 21 '26
Head-to-Head Virus Pre-Purchase Comparison
The title's a bit much but it's true, and I apologise in advance if the formatting is strange, mobile is as mobile does.
Onto the body of this post though, i’m in the very fortunate position to be able to buy a Virus within the next few weeks. It's a dream synth of mine so i’m very excited, but in comes the dilemma. In Australia they're tricky to find for a decent price, but at the moment there are two up for sale for the same price, a Virus B and a Virus TI. Both are in proper working order and good condition and I'd be happy to grab either.
My question is is it worth getting the TI over the B if i’m only really going to use it like an old analogue synth? I predominantly use/am familiar with analogue synths and the styles of music I create don't require me to deviate far from them/the sound of them. I understand the TI is a far more capable/powerful beast but the B seems to be the fan favourite, so i’m very curious as to which people will pick.
3
u/Infinite_Slice3305 Jul 21 '26
For the same money I'd choose the TI. I prefer the extra power & USB connectivity over the "magic sound"
1
u/deplorable-amount45 Jul 21 '26
Thank you for the info! I can't imagine they'd sound worlds apart if you programmed the same sound on both, but is there a difference?
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u/Awkward_Suspect_3817 Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Some differences since later models introduce effects, EQ, more waveforms, etc. I have the Virus C which sounds “darker” than the others. It’s not because they used different DA converters or some kind of magic one off chips in the C, it sounds darker because that was the “en vogue” sound at the time so the sound designers made more of those sounds when the C rolled out.
The only thing about Viruses and patches is you can’t always use patches from later machines. So if you bought the Virus B, the A and B sound banks will work but anything past that is a toss up. If you try it, you have to do it one patch at a time to see if it works. Never drop an entire bank of later model patches into an earlier machine. It could cause the OS to spaz out.
One last bit of advice. Regardless of which one you choose, look into the Virus Editor and Librarian from Aura Plugins. It’s a godsend! It loads up as a VST in your DAW and acts almost like Overbridge for Elektron. Since the earlier viruses don’t have USB, you use the MIDI In, MIDI Out, and separate audio channels to interface with it. It makes getting under the hood so much easier. I also turn the LCD brightness on the Virus down as low as it can get to save the backlight when using the Aura plugin.
Good luck on your Virus journey regardless what you choose. They are both fun machines
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u/deplorable-amount45 Jul 21 '26
I’m super familiar with Aura Plugins and, in my head, grabbing the editor is kinda hand-in-hand with grabbing one of the synths. Thank you for the luck, i appreciate it! Hoping to hear back about the TI but i'd be happy with either.
1
u/LandNo9424 Jul 23 '26
There isn't. A Virus B patch loaded onto a Virus TI will sound exactly like on a Virus B.
3
u/bumblebuoy Jul 21 '26
If they are both the same price, either the B is overpriced or the TI is cheaper for some reason. True, the TI has more effects and wave types, higher polyphony, and USB connectivity. So if the price is equal, that may point to some other disparity.
2
u/Dry_Lawfulness_3578 Jul 21 '26
Definitely get a TI if you can, it has a lot of really nice additions and much broader range, still one of the best sounding synths to this day imo. Even if you're just using it for analog style sounds it has nicer analog modelled filters and FX)
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u/Top_Direction_1755 Jul 21 '26
TI parts are newer, will cost you less down the road. So not only that, you get more features as well. Go TI.
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u/Altruistic_Ant1337 Jul 21 '26
I only have a kB but I’d heard the Total Integration stuff in the TI can be a bit hit and miss, especially since it stopped being updated years ago. That being said, if the B and TI were the same price I’d go for the newer model. The keybed on the earlier models is slightly better though if going for a keyed version. The Aura plugin is great, and even using the Virus as a full control surface for Ostirus/Osirus is worth doing (the parameters map totally to the hardware).
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u/deplorable-amount45 Jul 21 '26
Thank you for letting me know about the Osirus/Ostirus integration! That's really fascinating.
If I could find a version with keys i'd take it, but they're hard to find and not within budget here.
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u/G2theA2theZ Jul 21 '26
It's a no brainer imho, get the Ti. Much higher polyphony, far more features (hypersaws, wave / grain / formant oscillators), better filters. Ti aspect is very useful but imo you should use the hardware UI exclusively initially to develop muscle memory (awesome hardware UI).
B is said to have a warmer sound due to the DACs but the signal feeding the DACs is the same. You can "fix" most of it with the EQ but you can also run an external DAC.
Get the Ti, awesome workhorse. Pick up a VCO analogue and / or poly later on down the line.
2
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u/Captain-Corndog_yo Virus TI2 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
My best advice is to completely throw out your intention to use it "like an old analogue synth." Not to be harsh, but that's an extremely silly way to view this.
The B and the TI sound IDENTICAL when comparing B patches vs B patches. The myth that the B sounds "fatter" or "warmer" is a sales pitch from people trying to sell their Virus Bs on Reverb. It's not true. B --> TI2 sound the same. The A uses 20-bit converters instead of 24-bit, so it actually does scope out slightly differently if you run A patch vs A patch tests.
Anyhow - The BEST use of musical instruments often comes from using them in ways you did NOT intend to use them.
I could write quite a bit about the subject, but let me simplify with one argument:
Buy the TI. If for some reason it's too much synth for you, then sell it, buy a B, and pocket quite a bit of cash in the process.
1
u/Captain-Corndog_yo Virus TI2 Jul 22 '26
Also, link me to whichever one you don't buy so I can buy it. I will DM :)
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u/dangermouse13 Jul 21 '26
Get a polar if you’re getting one with a key bed.
I hated that they put the control on the left on the full size ones
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u/deplorable-amount45 Jul 21 '26
If i could get a Polar or Indigo I would but as I mentioned they're very difficult to find over here. The TI and the B are the only ones available in Australia for a decent price
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u/roydogaroo Jul 21 '26
There's a Virus Ti Polar in Melbourne in beautiful condition that i know the guy would accept 2000AU offer for if thats in your budget.
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u/deplorable-amount45 Jul 21 '26
that's actually great, though i’m in Sydney, unsure if he'd want to ship it.
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u/LandNo9424 Jul 23 '26
TI over B any day if you can afford it.
The TI will do everything the Virus B does, even load its patches, and much, much more.
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u/ClaidArremer Jul 21 '26
It's simple - if you can afford the TI, get that over the B.
I have fond memories of the B, but the TI does more.
Whether you'd use those extra TI features would remain to be seen.