// Access Virus TI · Apple Silicon & Android

The Access Virus TI,
Native Again

Access shipped the Virus TI with an x86 kernel driver that never made the jump to Apple Silicon. Aleph Virux rebuilds the whole stack from scratch in userspace — no kext, no DriverKit — so your Virus TI Snow, Desktop, or Polar shows up as a plugin again. The original control surface, as an AUv3 / VST3 on macOS and a control app on Android.

Built for
macOS · AUv3 / VST3
Android
Aleph Virux · Virus TI Snow

A Modern Stack for a Classic Synth

Aleph Virux rebuilds the Access TI software stack from the ground up so the hardware you already own keeps working on the machines you actually use today.

Native Apple Silicon

Runs natively on aarch64 — no Rosetta, no x86 kernel extension. The original Access software was never ported to Apple Silicon; Virux is built for it from day one.

No Kext, No DriverKit

The whole USB stack lives in userspace and talks to the device over IOUSBLib. Nothing loads into the kernel, so there's no system extension to approve and no reboot to install.

The Original Control Surface

Oscillators, filters, LFOs, the modulation matrix, arpeggiator, and the full effects section — the Virus editor you already know, sourced from the documented page A/B parameter model.

AUv3 & VST3

Load Virux in Logic, GarageBand, Ableton Live, or any AU/VST3 host. The macOS VST3 build passes the Steinberg SDK validator 47/47 — audio, MIDI notes, and parameters.

Audio & MIDI Over USB

Multi-channel USB audio capture through CoreAudio and full note / CC / parameter control over the vendor protocol — the same isochronous and control endpoints the original driver used.

Open Source

Built in the open and rebuilt from a clean-room understanding of the protocol. No vendor binaries required — the core, the CLI test harness, and the plugins are all yours to inspect.

How It Works

One process owns the hardware; your plugins reach it over IPC. That split is what lets a single USB device drive multiple plugin instances without a kernel driver in the middle.

1

Container App

A lightweight macOS app claims the Virus over USB from userspace, enumerates its audio and control interfaces, and keeps the device's keepalive stream alive.

  • Owns the single USB connection
  • No kernel extension involved
2

Plugin over IPC

The AUv3 extension and VST3 plugin connect to the container over XPC / IPC, so your DAW talks to the synth without ever touching the USB device directly.

  • Audio, notes, and parameters
  • Same core engine on every host
3

The Hardware

Your Virus TI does the synthesis, exactly as it always has. Virux is the bridge — it speaks the device's native USB audio and vendor control protocol.

  • All the original DSP, in hardware
  • Reads model & firmware off the device

Getting Started

1

Connect

Plug your Virus TI Snow, Desktop, or Polar into your Mac or Android device over USB.

2

Launch

Open the container app once so it claims the device, then add the Virux plugin to a track.

3

Play

Send MIDI from your DAW; audio streams back from the Virus into your session.

4

Tweak

Edit patches from the on-screen control surface — every change is sent straight to the hardware.

The Same Editor, Two Platforms

The full Virus control surface, page by page — as an AUv3 plugin in your DAW on macOS, and as a standalone app on Android. Click any shot to enlarge.

macOS · AUv3 & VST3 plugin

AUv3 — Logic, GarageBand & AU hosts
VST3 — Ableton Live, Cubase & VST3 hosts
Aleph Virux oscillator edit page on macOS
Oscillators & common
Aleph Virux LFO and modulation page on macOS
LFOs & modulation
Aleph Virux effects section on macOS
Effects section
Aleph Virux modulation matrix on macOS
Modulation matrix
Aleph Virux preset browser on macOS
Preset browser
Aleph Virux remote control templates on macOS
Remote templates
Aleph Virux oscillator detail page on macOS
Oscillator detail
Aleph Virux configuration and device info on macOS
Config & device info

Android · standalone app

Aleph Virux Easy page and 16-part mixer on Android
Easy page & mixer
Aleph Virux oscillators with on-screen keyboard on Android
Oscillators & keyboard
Aleph Virux filter page with record-to-WAV panel on Android
Filter & record to WAV
Aleph Virux LFO and modulation page on Android
LFOs & modulation
Aleph Virux modulation matrix on Android
Modulation matrix
Aleph Virux arpeggiator pattern editor on Android
Arpeggiator
Aleph Virux effects section on Android
Effects section
Aleph Virux diagnostics and device info on Android
Diagnostics & device info

Works With Your Virus TI

Aleph Virux targets the USB-connected Access Virus TI family. It speaks the device's native protocol directly — no Access software, no kernel driver.

Virus TI Snow
Confirmed on live hardware
Virus TI Desktop
Same USB protocol family
Virus TI Polar
Same USB protocol family
Apple Silicon Macs
macOS on aarch64
Android, USB host
Vendor USB access supported
Why not iOS?
iOS forbids the vendor USB access this needs

Download Aleph Virux

Builds are on the way. Pick your platform below — we'll light these up the moment each release is ready.

Want to know when a build drops? Email contact@alephvoid.com and we'll let you know.

Frequently Asked Questions

What problem does Aleph Virux solve?

The Access Virus TI shipped with an x86 kernel extension and plugins that don't run natively on Apple Silicon. Aleph Virux rebuilds that stack in userspace so your Virus TI works as a plugin again on a modern Mac — no Rosetta, no legacy driver.

Which hardware is supported?

The Access Virus TI family connected over USB — Snow, Desktop, and Polar. Development is confirmed against a live Virus TI Snow (USB VID 0x133E, PID 0x0815); the Desktop and Polar share the same USB protocol.

Do I need to install a kernel driver?

No. Everything runs in userspace over IOUSBLib. There's no kext or DriverKit system extension to approve, and no reboot to install. A small container app claims the USB device, and your plugins reach it over IPC.

What plugin formats are there?

On macOS, Aleph Virux ships as an AUv3 (app + extension) and a VST3 plugin sharing the same core engine. The VST3 build passes the Steinberg SDK validator 47/47, with working audio, MIDI notes, and parameters.

Will there be an iOS version?

No. iOS does not allow the vendor-specific USB access that talking to the Virus requires, so an iPhone / iPad build isn't possible. Android, which does permit USB host vendor access, is supported instead.

Is it really open source?

Yes. Aleph Virux is built from a clean-room understanding of the device's USB audio and vendor control protocol — no vendor binaries required. The portable core, CLI test harness, and plugins are open for inspection.

Does it collect any data?

The macOS driver and plugins do no networking and collect nothing — everything happens locally between your Mac and the synth. See the Privacy Policy for the full breakdown, including the Android build.

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue on our GitHub issue tracker, or head to the Support page to email us. Include your hardware model, OS version, host / DAW, and steps to reproduce.