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Average Price: $1,900
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Description
The Access Virus TI Polar synthesizer is a paradigm-shifting instrument that seamlessly bridges the gap between analog warmth and digital precision. At the heart of this powerhouse is the Dual-DSP Core, delivering unmatched performance with ultra-low latency, ensuring that every note you play is as crisp and responsive as your creativity demands. Featuring a WaveTable Oscillator, this synth opens a new world of sonic possibilities, perfect for crafting intricate soundscapes or punchy, rhythmic sequences.
Designed for both studio and stage, the Virus TI Polar is not just an instrument but a complete music creation system. Its Total Integration technology allows it to function as a flawless VST/AU plugin, offering a seamless two-way audio and MIDI connection with your DAW. This means you'll experience sample-accurate timing and delay-compensated audio, elevating your music production workflow to new heights.
The Virus TI Polar is equipped with 37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch, making it a tactile delight for performers who demand expressiveness in their music. Its onboard arsenal includes a programmable arpeggiator, dual multi-mode filters, and an array of 129 parallel effects, from lush reverb and delay to phasers and ring modulators. Moreover, the Remote Mode transforms this synth into a universal MIDI controller, giving you hands-on control over virtually any MIDI-capable device or software.
Whether you're delving into lush pads or gritty bass lines, the Virus TI Polar's expansive modulation capabilities and extensive memory ensure you have everything you need at your fingertips.
Key Features:
- Dual-DSP Core for high performance with low latency
- WaveTable Oscillator for a diverse sonic palette
- Total Integration with VST/AU plugin functionality
- 37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch
- Programmable arpeggiator and dual multi-mode filters
- 129 parallel effects including reverb, delay, and more
- Remote Mode for MIDI control of external devices
- Extensive memory: 512 RAM and 2048 ROM patches, fully rewritable
Product specs
| Brand | Access |
| Model | Virus TI Polar 37-Key Digital Synthesizer |
| Finish | White |
| Year | 2000s |
| Categories | Digital Synthesizers, Keyboard Synths |
| Analog / Digital | Digital |
| Key Size | Full Size |
| Keyboard Action | Synth Action |
| MIDI I/O | MIDI Input, MIDI Output, MIDI Through |
| Number of Keys | 37 Keys |
| Polyphony | 110 Voices |
FAQs
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How many voices of polyphony does the Access Virus TI Polar support?
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The Access Virus TI Polar supports up to 110 voices of polyphony, allowing for complex and layered sound design.
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Does the Access Virus TI Polar offer both analog and digital sound capabilities?
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The Access Virus TI Polar is a digital synthesizer, known for its powerful virtual analog sound engine and digital wavetable oscillators.
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How does the Access Virus TI Polar integrate with a DAW for music production?
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The Access Virus TI Polar features sample-accurate timing and delay-compensated connection, making it highly compatible with DAWs for seamless music production.
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What type of keyboard action does the Access Virus TI Polar have?
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The Access Virus TI Polar has a synth action keyboard, providing a responsive and smooth playing experience ideal for synthesizer performance.
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Can the Access Virus TI Polar be used as an effects unit?
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Yes, the Access Virus TI Polar can function as an effects unit, offering a range of built-in effects to enhance your sound design and live performances.
Videos
tritonrecordings
Synth Stuff Ep. 47 - Access Virus TI Polar
Synth Stuff Ep. 47 - Access Virus TI Polar
tritonrecordings
Access Virus TI Polar Demo
Panu M Savolainen
Access Virus TI Polar DarkStar Part.1 | No Talking |
DKS SYNTH LAB
Ambient Explorations pt.24 (Access Virus TI Polar)
Piotr Garbaczonek
Reviews
PROS
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Timeless sounds unmatched by other synths
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Intuitive use with a clear, punchy sound output
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Total integration with DAW via USB for direct audio transmission
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Deep programming with thousands of patches available
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Multi Mode allows stacking sounds for complex output
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Reliable across a range of music styles and performances
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Mentioned and used by notable artists like Fedde Le Grand, Hardwell
CONS
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Lack of updated drivers for current Windows or OS X operating systems
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Some units have issues with keys not working
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Reported USB bugs affecting performance
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Access Virus TI Polar.
Features and functionality
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The Virus TI2 Polar can perform wavetable and granular synthesis, requiring a laptop for detailed mapping due to the small screen.
Source -
Creating custom arpeggiators is possible by connecting the Virus TI Polar to a computer, allowing unique patterns to be saved and used without further PC connection.
Source
Software and compatibility
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Owners experience frustration with USB "Total Integration," but modern alternatives like Aura Plugins offer improved functionality and USB audio on newer Mac OS versions.
Source
User experience
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The keyboard on the Virus TI2 Polar is highly praised for its feel, adding a musical touch that some users find lacking in other synths.
Source -
Users enjoy the ability to quickly plug in the USB to create or modify arpeggiators, then disconnect and continue using custom settings in standalone mode.
Source
Use cases and applications
Other
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Some users report issues with jitter when sending rapid arp sequences, particularly with longer amp releases, suggesting possible unit-specific faults.
Source
Comparisons
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Despite using popular plugins like Serum, some owners still prefer the distinctive sound quality of the Virus TI Polar.
Source
4.5 out of 5
Based on 7 Reviews and 23 Ratings
185
So deep you can make new sounds for ever
I have had this synth for approaching ten years now and it finds new locations within my set up as I changes styles and approaches to writing and performing. Very deep programming that you can take as far as you want or get inspired by the thousands of patches designed by some masterful sound designers. It is well worth checking out.
At the moment I am using the Octatrack midi sequencer to control the Polar in my live performances. These two instruments alone are a very powerful combination.
199
worth every penny: an incredible synth investment
what can i say. nothing that hasn't already been said. get one. worth every penny. this synth is so freaking good i'd pay more money for it. 3k is almost a bargain. thats how freakin good it is. :p
64
Sleek and sinister
Nothing else needs to be added that hasn't already been said about this beauty.
Artist usage
Add artist
Deadmau5 uses this midi controller throughout this video.
This screenshot from an Instagram story shows Axwell's Access Virus TI Polar synth in his studio setup. The fact that there is space to the left of the volume knob removes the possibility that it's just the module, thus it must be the keyboard version.
This photo by Trey Ratcliff of Hans Zimmer's studio shows Zimmer's Access Virus TI Polar synth, located on the left side of the picture.
"Back in the day, to get that sound I put a jack cable into a guitar distortion box and sampled it. Then I tuned it to a note then played it on a sampler. These days it is much easier; you have Access Virus and all these software synths that come with those sounds... I don't think there are good pads in the Virus, but it is really good for sequences."
On this gig they use 2 Virus synths . Omar has one T1.
At 1:10 in this video, Mike Shinoda says, "The other rack here is my Virus TI Polar..."
hes playing one of these next to mike shinoda in this photo.
This synthesizer is in front of the computer monitor throughout most of this video.
The item can be seen 13:07 into this video
Used during the composition of A Color Map of the Sun, as stated by Pretty Lights in this July 1, 2013 Electronic Musician interview.
“There were no demos. I had a Wurlitzer and a small Virus Polar polyphonic synth so I could come up with chord progressions on the fly and bring it to the musicians, one at a time. I would literally go to the guitar player and say, ‘All right, strum D-minor,’ and he’d strum that, and then I’d say, ‘Okay, now add the 9th. Now strum it slower; now finger it up on this register. No, strum it up instead of down. A little faster.’ He’d finally get the strum and the chord exactly how I wanted it and I’d say, ‘Great! Stop, remember that. Stick with that.’ Then I’d go through the same process with the keyboard player on the Hammond and Wurly, the other guitar player, the horn players, and the bass player. A lot of times I would play bass, too, so we’d have two basses. (...) But through that first session, I so fell in love with analog modular synthesis, and I feel my ears really learned the lesson and could hear the difference between what my Virus sounded like when I just played a saw waveform and what the modular sounded like when I played a saw waveform. So that’s when I made the decision to make even the synthesis aspects of the record completely analog and modular. I built a big old modular synthesizer that I had to teach myself to use, and I used that for everything monophonic, and then I also purchased a polyphonic Dave Smith Prophet for the chord synthesis.”
Brain Coogan, a member of Pretty Lights' live band, can also be seen playing a Virus Polar in this photo from the beginning of the Episodic Tour 2016.
Album Usage
The Access Virus TI Polar has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Access Virus TI Polar, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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