Virus Classic © 2004 Access Music GmbH.
The Virus Classic is a dedicated desktop and rack-mountable virtual analog (VA) synthesizer. Visually striking with its distinctive red-and-black color scheme and mahogany wood side panels, the Classic was introduced as a mid-tier reissue of a legendary architecture, sitting alongside the then-flagship Virus C line to offer producers an affordable entry point into the signature "Virus sound."
Internally, the Virus Classic is a repackaging of the complete, critically acclaimed Virus B hardware engine. It features an expanded 24-voice polyphony architecture and a 16-part multi-timbral layout. The synthesis engine is remarkably deep, offering three main oscillators, a sub-oscillator, and a noise generator per voice. Its dual resonant filters can be arranged in serial or parallel, offering low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and band-reject modes with selectable 12dB or 24dB slopes.
Unlike the highly streamlined 1U Rack variants, the Virus Classic desktop form factor returns to a "one knob per function" philosophy. The front panel boasts 32 tactile rotary knobs, 31 buttons, and 63 status LEDs surrounding a central backlit LCD screen. This rich layout allows for immediate, real-time sound shaping during live performances or studio sessions. The back panel is equally robust, providing six independent analog audio outputs and two analog inputs for external audio processing.
A Translucent Red Identity: To immediately differentiate the Virus Classic from the grey-and-red scheme of the older Virus B and the dark slate finish of the Virus C, Access styled the Classic with a premium matte black faceplate, a vibrant ruby-red backlit display, and custom red LEDs.
The Stealth Virus B: Under the hood, the internal circuit boards and DSP coding of the Virus Classic are 100% identical to the Virus B desktop unit from 1999. Access essentially re-released the vintage unit under the Classic moniker due to persistent demand from musicians who preferred its specific filter saturation characteristics over the newer Virus C chips.
Massive Onboard Vault: Because it was released late in the architecture's lifecycle, Access filled the Classic's flash memory to maximum capacity. It comes factory-loaded with 512 RAM patches and 512 ROM patches—compiling the absolute best factory sound sets, artist signature banks, and expansion sounds created for the B platform over a three-year period.
Satellites and Vocoders: The dual analog inputs can route any external line-level audio signal through the Classic's internal DSP. This grants musicians access to a built-in 22-band vocoder, an advanced ring modulator, and global chorus, delay, and phaser effects chains that can modulate incoming audio in real-time.