Access Virus Polar
A 37-key virtual analog synth with DSP-powered engines, wavetable oscillators, and dual filters per voice - compact but complete.
Overview
The Access Virus TI Polar is a keyboard model in the Virus TI series, made by Access Music GmbH. It has a 37-key Fatar keybed with monophonic aftertouch. That makes it a lot more compact than the 61-key Virus TI Keyboard. The front panel has dedicated knobs for oscillators, filters, envelopes, and three soft knobs, though many functions still sit in menus. The core engine is the same as the Virus TI, with no technical difference aside from the keyboard. It does subtractive, phase distortion, FM, and wavetable synthesis, and two DSP chips power it. The Polar was revised in 2009 as part of the TI2 update. That update added 25% faster DSP processing, new effects (Tape Delay, Frequency Shifter, enhanced distortions), Character Control, and the Virus Control 3.0 plug-in.
Specifications
| Keyboard | 37 keys (3 octaves), Fatar keybed, monophonic aftertouch |
| Polyphony | Over 80 voices |
| Multitimbral Parts | 16 parts |
| Oscillators | 3 oscillators + subosc + noise; FM, Sync, Hypersaw, wavetable, granular, formant |
| Filters | Two independent resonant filters per voice; LP/HP/BP/BR, multi-pole analog emulations including Minimoog 4-pole; grain table, comb, formant modes |
| LFO | 3 LFOs, 18-slot modulation matrix |
| Envelopes | Amp, Filter, and LFO-as-envelope options |
| Modulation | 6 sources, 18 destinations |
| Effects | Reverb, delay, tape delay, distortion, phaser, flanger, chorus, vocoder, 3-band EQ with Q and frequency control |
| Arpeggiator | Up, down, random, chord, and user-editable patterns via software |
| Memory | 128 patches in each of 30 banks; expandable via USB storage and librarian software |
| Connectivity | MIDI, USB, balanced inputs/outputs |
| Audio Output | 24-bit/96 kHz |
| Control Interface | USB1 interface for audio and onscreen librarian (VST3/AU/RTAS) |
Design
The Virus TI Polar uses a metal-skinned, wooden-ended chassis with solid knobs and a front panel that provides dedicated controls for most parameters, including five oscillators, filters, resonances, filter types, and envelopes. Modulation matrix editing is done entirely via the LCD. The 37-key version has a less premium keyboard feel compared to the larger Virus models, though it retains the same DSP architecture and sound engine.
Context
The Virus TI Polar is one of three models in the Virus TI series, along with the 61-key keyboard and the desktop Snow. It was updated in 2009 as part of the TI2 revision, which brought faster DSP, new effects, and better software integration. The Polar is noted as a popular model in the Virus family, particularly for its compact size and full feature set.
Market
A used price of $2000 was recorded in August 2011.
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