Access Virus & Hardstyle – A Match Made In Heaven

As an aspiring hardstyle producer, you’ve probably already seen or heard about one of these things, right? Here’s an overview of the history of the Access Virus Synthesizers in conjunction with Hardstyle.

It’s the legendary Access Virus Ti2 of course. Now for those who aren’t balls deep into production and are more casual hardstyle peeps, this synthesizer brand has been an extremely important factor in the ability of the artists of today to create the hardstyle you listen to and love so passionately. Uplifting distorted melodies, gigantic detuned saws and face melting raw screeches wouldn’t be the same today if it wasn’t for this beauty and the rest of the Virus line.

Anecdote for those who weren’t around at the time; back in 2008-09’ where it was heard that Headhunterz used a synth called “Virus Ti2”, everyone within the producer community that didn’t know about it went to look for a pirated copy on torrent sites…Funny, right? That’s just how notorious it was.

Let’s take a quick look at the history of Access and their series of Virus synthesizers. (Note: The entire line of synths is noted to have been used since the very birth of hardstyle, hence I will cover them all briefly).

The Virus A was the first Virus released in 1997 by Access. To my knowledge, this synth has no direct link to hardstyle, though social media obviously not being around at the time of early hardstyle I couldn’t know, it might have been used back in the day.

The Virus B came two years later in 1999. It was spotted in Headhunterz’s studio as well as Hard Driver’s and is still used under the Powercore format by Frontliner, Audiofreq, Hard Driver & The Wasted Penguinz. The 37 key “Indigo” format was also used by Technoboy ’n’ Tuneboy until their recent upgrade to a Desktop Virus C. The Virus B is where things got interesting, they doubled the polyphony to 24 and added a third oscillator which allowed for more detuned voices and a much more aggressive sound.

Noisecontrollers with one hand on a Access Virus

The Virus C came in 2002. Unlike others, this one is arguably the most important hardware synthesizer for hardstyle. Still used to this day and very sought after, it is capable of producing tones the Ti series can only dream of. To begin with, most pick the C over the B because of it’s “Moog” modelled filters. Other notable changes to the B are the 3 extra mod matrix sources and destinations as well as the 32-voice polyphony.

But why would the C be more important than the exceptionally versatile Ti? Prepare your buttholes for some nerd jargon.

So the Ti2 is, according to many sources (including folks at Access), using the exact same engine coded into the C with additional features. Keep in mind these are Virtual Analogue synths, so there are processors (just like the one in the computer you’re using right now) called DSP’s that simply execute the code and AD/DA’s (digital to analogue converters) which convert the numbers generated by them (IE: 010101011101010) into a sound output you normally plug into your audio interface. With that said, code cannot be variable, unlike analog synths where it’s an actual signal that is modulated by internal components where even temperature can affect the tuning (on the Alesis Andromeda A6 for example). Many suspect the newer converters used in the Ti series (Ti, Snow, Ti2) being the cause for not being able to generate the inherent “fatness” that the C so easily achieves; but having had the B, Powercore,C,Ti2 myself, I can say with certainty that is not all there is to it.

It is possible to reproduce a similar tone to that of the C (as you can see in Code Black’s Supersaw Lead tutorial), however you can’t simply take a preset patch you make from the C or any previous model into the Ti for the simple reason that the unison amongst other settings work differently (up to 8x on Ti2 and 16x on Virus A/B/C) and I’ve even noticed the LFO rate value being different in some cases by importing a patch from my Powercore to the Ti2.

For the specific reason that the Ti series cannot produce the same tones of the previous series with enough fidelity, many producers (as those mentioned previously) have made the decision to make use of both a Ti for it’s mighty versatility/total integration and a C/B/Powercore for it’s deep, heavy character. Get the most modulation options in the series preceding the Ti, the “Moog” modelled filters, the 32-voice polyphony and 16x unison…and you’ve got a recipe for some epic Hardstyle.

Tips for those looking to buy ‘em!

Buy used – You’ve gotta unless you’re looking at the Ti series, even then, a Desktop Ti2 retails for €1,666 + shipping and tax (according to Thomann.de) and I’ve gotten mine for a flat €900 in perfect condition. These things don’t break often at all. For the older Viruses, the buttons/knobs might be a bit loose, though it doesn’t really affect usage as long as they work. It’s a good way to know what state it is in, if it has been under heavy use or not. A desktop Virus C usually goes anywhere between €500-€800 and a B for €400-€600. If you see them for anything under that, you’ve got yourself a good deal! Just make sure they work 🙂

Be patient, check your local ads and see if someone is selling theirs. Good Luck!

Pictures: Access, Noisecontrollers